Our Dorset Trainee Pharmacist Programme 2025/26

In Dorset we have strong established links between the different healthcare sectors and we will be providing a new trainee pharmacist programme from the summer of 2025 onwards which will give trainees a rich and varied experience in a range of clinical settings.

We have set up a number of reciprocal partnerships where trainees will spend their year split between two main placement sites, with the opportunity to have mini placements in other sectors over the course of the year. In addition to this there are a number of single sector hospital positions available where trainees will spend the majority of their time in the acute hospital sector but still have the opportunity to have mini placements in other sectors over the course of the year.

Support and supervision

Each trainee pharmacist will be provided with a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) to support them enhance their prescribing skills over the year and achieve their 90 hours of prescribing practice before they register as independent prescribers at the end of their trainee year. They will have access to a variety of clinical settings to develop clinical skills and autonomy over the year.

In addition to developing clinical skills, trainees will be given the opportunity to develop in other areas of practice for example, quality improvement and risk management, leadership, education and training etc. under the supervision of highly experienced, specialised pharmacists.

As well as providing the opportunity for cross sector placements with an excellent structure for learning and development, we will be creating a trainee pharmacist hub, open to all our trainees. This hub will aim to bring trainees together in an informal environment so that they can share experiences, learn from one another, and develop long lasting professional relationships to support them in their trainee year and beyond.

Living and working in Dorset

Dorset has nearly 100 miles of coastline with award-winning, golden sandy beaches at Bournemouth, Sandbanks, Christchurch, Swanage and Weymouth.

Meanwhile, the harbours of Poole, Portland and Christchurch offer a great variety of water sports, from kite surfing to paddle boarding.

Dorset consists of modern cities and historic market towns. Bournemouth is the most vibrant city in the county, with a nightlife that’s second to none and a popular destination for hen and stag parties. The city is equally popular with day-trippers, drawn to its family atmosphere and traditional seaside setting.

Meanwhile the historic market towns of Dorchester, Weymouth and Lyme Regis are bursting with places to eat, drink and shop, combining historic architecture with contemporary art and culture, as well as that unique blend of special Dorset charm.