Trainee Pharmacists

BSW stands for Bath, Swindon, and Wiltshire. It refers to these three prominent locations in the South West of England.

If you’re a pharmacy student seeking placement opportunities, here’s what these vibrant locations have to offer:

• Bath: Immerse yourself in a city renowned for its rich history and cultural heritage. Bath offers exceptional pharmacy placement opportunities in both community and hospital settings, allowing you to gain hands-on experience in patient care and pharmaceutical services.
• Swindon: As a modern town with a thriving healthcare sector, Swindon provides numerous pharmacy placements in cutting-edge facilities. You can work alongside experienced professionals in clinical settings, research institutions, and pharmaceutical companies, gaining invaluable insights and skills.
• Wiltshire: Known for its picturesque landscapes and historic landmarks, Wiltshire offers a unique environment for pharmacy placements. With opportunities in rural and urban healthcare settings, you can experience a diverse range of pharmaceutical practices while enjoying the serene countryside.

BSW is more than just a place for your pharmacy placement – it’s a community where you can develop your expertise, connect with professionals, and enjoy a rich cultural experience. Join us and explore all that Bath, Swindon, and Wiltshire have to offer for your pharmacy career!

BSW (Bath, Swindon, and Wiltshire) offers a wide range of placement opportunities for trainee Pharmacists. Here are some types of placements you might discover in BSW:

1. Hospital Placements:
   • Royal United Hospital Bath: Gain experience in clinical pharmacy, patient care, and specialized areas such as oncology and pediatrics.
   • Great Western Hospital Swindon: Offers exposure to various hospital pharmacy services, including medicines management and clinical governance.
2. Community Pharmacy Placements:
   • Large Chains: Boots, Day Lewis, and other national chains offer structured training programs with opportunities to work in busy retail environments.
   • Independent Pharmacies: Gain hands-on experience in smaller community settings, focusing on personalised patient care and business management.
3. Primary Care Networks (PCNs):
   • Work within GP practices to provide medication reviews, chronic disease management, and medicines support for general practices.
4. Specialised Placements:
   • Research and Academia: Opportunities at the University of Bath and other institutions to engage in research projects and teaching.
   • Pharmaceutical Industry: Includes placements offering insight into drug development and clinical trials.

As a system (all sectors-hospital, community, GP and other sectors), we have committed to training our Pharmacists as one workforce.  We believe that this will enable us to offer the highest quality placements and the best experience for our Trainee Pharmacists.  If you join the BSWTrainees network you will have access to:

• Standard terms and conditions: All our trainee Pharmacists will work to the same terms and conditions independent of sector.  All trainees will be entitled to half a day study leave a week.
• Prescribing training: in BSW, we are determined to work together to support all trainee Pharmacists to attain their prescribing qualification.
• Training and exam help: all BSW trainee Pharmacists will attend the NHSE regional training events.  In addition BSW will run regular sessions to support exam preparation and topics which will help in your future career.  You will have access to regular GPhC style calculations and clinical questions.
• Join the @BSWTrainees network to network and learn from other Trainees in the system across all sectors.  We can also link trainees together to help with accommodation prior to taking up posts.
• Placements: BSW offers a wide range of placements. If you want to try a short placement in a sector let us know and we will try to facilitate this.
• Careers: We will support you to look for your first role as a qualified Pharmacist with application and interview support

Oriel is the UK-wide online application system for trainee Pharmacist placements. It is used by Pharmacy students to apply for trainee Pharmacist training programs in hospital, community, and general practice. Here are some key aspects:

• Application Process: The process involves submitting an application through the Oriel system, attending interviews, and ranking preferred placement sites.
• Timeline: The application cycle typically starts in the summer, with interviews and placement offers following in the subsequent months.
• Selection Criteria: Applicants are evaluated based on academic performance, interview performance, and other criteria such as relevant experience and personal statements.
• Matching System: Oriel uses a matching algorithm to allocate placements based on applicants' preferences and rankings by employers.

Registering on ORIEL

• All foundation trainee pharmacists must apply for placements via ORIEL.

• Application window opens Friday 7 June 2024 at 12pm (GMT) and will close Friday 21 June 2024 at 12pm (GMT)

• Please note that Oriel is only supported on the following browsers: Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox

• Trainee pharmacists must have graduated with an MPharm degree OR if you are a qualified pharmacist from overseas, completed an OSPAP.

• More Information about the application process and general overview for 2025 recruitment:
  • Link to Foundation Pharmacist Recruitment Application handbook: Title (heading 1) (hee.nhs.uk)