Getting to know a pharmacist

As part of the STEMM Gold Award, I have interviewed my local pharmacist, David Standerwick, for an article.
David has been a pharmacist for around 15 years, and also allowed me to do some work experience with him in the pharmacy, to learn what a pharmacist actually does first hand.

Could you describe a regular day as a pharmacist?

On a daily basis I meet lots of customers and patients. Each one has a different issue and trying to establish the nature of their problems and deciding on the most appropriate course of action is a bit of a detective story. Dispensing prescriptions is a routine job. It has to be to get a high quality of service. Some people can find this too routine and this is where the dedication comes in.

When you were in high school, did you ever consider a career in a STEMM subject?

I first became interested in pharmacy in the year before I left school. I has always been really into science subjects and had done well with these and so had looked around to find accessible science based careers. Pharmacy was a good combination for the subjects where I was strong; biology and chemistry. I did some research and considered pharmacy to be a good fit for me as a person.

Did you ever consider a career outside of pharmacy?

When I was at university, part of the course involved studying microbes and I became very interested in this field; so much so that I seriously considered this as a change of course. I worked for 2 summers in a bacteriology department at an NHS general hospital and still to this day find the fields of microbiology and virology fascinating.

Do you think pharmacy is an important career? Why?

Pharmacy is important to millions of people in the U.K. every day. Pharmacists in the community dispense prescriptions, advise on minor ailments, deliver NHS services and play an increasingly active role in helping to reduce GP workloads. Hospital pharmacists work every day alongside other teams to make sure that medicines for patients are appropriate and safe. In many cases actually manufacturing medicines. In the pharmaceutical industry, pharmacists are involved in drug discovery, formulation and manufacture of medicines, always ensuring quality and safety are paramount.

What do you think it takes to be a good pharmacist?

Good pharmacists have to be dedicated and have focus and be able to concentrate on the task in hand. Quality is very important and good pharmacists are uncompromising in this regard. Great communication skills are essential as it’s pointless having lots of information in your head if you can’t reach an understanding with your patients. Listening skills are also very important.

What would your advice be to a high school student that is interested in pharmacy?


The best advice I can give to anyone interested in a career in pharmacy is to go and talk to your local pharmacist, they are always available to talk and give advice, because it’s what we do.

- Imogen

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