Table 1Transition record

pharmacisttospecialist pharmacist

A pharmacist already meets 69% of what the specialist pharmacist role asks for. The move turns on 16 required skills not yet in the profile.

From pharmacist

69%

Overlap1

To specialist pharmacist

42 Skills carried over

16 Required, not held

46.3 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 46.3

This move: 46.3 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the specialist pharmacist role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the pharmacist profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 42 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A specialist pharmacist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a pharmacist background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held pharmacotherapy health and welfare
already held pharmacognosy health and welfare
already held pharmacokinetics health and welfare
already held pharmacy law business, administration and law
already held provide pharmaceutical advice communication, collaboration and creativity
already held advise on poisoning incidents communication, collaboration and creativity

All 42 carried skills, including the 34 the specialist pharmacist role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 18 missing skills fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 communication, collaboration and creativity 7 required

required, not held apply context specific clinical competences required
required, not held provide specialist pharmaceutical advice required
required, not held develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship required
required, not held educate on the prevention of illness required
required, not held inform policy makers on health-related challenges required
required, not held provide medication information required
required, not held work in a multicultural environment in health care required

02 assisting and caring 4 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held apply person-centred care required
required, not held provide specialist pharmaceutical care required
required, not held adhere to organisational guidelines required
required, not held promote inclusion required

optional, not held prescribe medication optional

03 health and welfare 2 required

required, not held cancer risks required
required, not held pharmaceutical industry required

04 management skills 2 required

required, not held provide treatment strategies for challenges to human health required
required, not held respond to changing situations in health care required

05 information skills 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held review patient's medical data required

optional, not held perform diagnostic testing for allergies optional

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a specialist pharmacist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 42 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held accept own accountability skill
already held advise on healthcare users' informed consent skill
already held advise on poisoning incidents skill
already held apply organisational techniques skill
already held botany knowledge
already held communicate in healthcare skill
already held comply with legislation related to health care skill
already held comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice skill
already held contribute to continuity of health care skill
already held deal with emergency care situations skill
already held empathise with the healthcare user skill
already held ensure safety of healthcare users skill
already held follow clinical guidelines skill
already held human anatomy knowledge
already held inorganic chemistry knowledge
already held interact with healthcare users skill
already held listen actively skill
already held manage healthcare users' data skill
already held microbiology-bacteriology knowledge
already held organic chemistry knowledge
already held pharmaceutical chemistry knowledge
already held pharmaceutical technology knowledge
already held pharmacognosy knowledge
already held pharmacokinetics knowledge
already held pharmacology knowledge
already held pharmacotherapy knowledge
already held pharmacy law knowledge
already held physics knowledge
already held provide anti-cancer medical treatment skill
already held provide health education skill
already held provide pharmaceutical advice skill
already held toxicology knowledge
already held use e-health and mobile health technologies skill
already held work in multidisciplinary health teams skill
already held conduct health related research skill
already held homeopathy knowledge
already held improve safety of medicines skill
already held maintain medical devices skill
already held manage adverse reactions to drugs skill
already held medical devices knowledge
already held use foreign languages for health-related research skill
already held use foreign languages in patient care skill

2 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held perform diagnostic testing for allergies optional
optional, not held prescribe medication optional

44 held skills the specialist pharmacist role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role accounting techniques knowledge
not needed by the target role analytical chemistry knowledge
not needed by the target role applied therapeutics related to medicines knowledge
not needed by the target role apply blended learning skill
not needed by the target role biological chemistry knowledge
not needed by the target role check information on prescriptions skill
not needed by the target role communicate with customers skill
not needed by the target role contribute to public health campaigns skill
not needed by the target role counsel healthcare users on medicines skill
not needed by the target role dispense medicines skill
not needed by the target role ensure client orientation skill
not needed by the target role ensure pharmacovigilance skill
not needed by the target role ensure the appropriate supply in pharmacy skill
not needed by the target role evaluate scientific data concerning medicines skill
not needed by the target role handle the logistics of medicinal products skill
not needed by the target role hygiene in a health care setting knowledge
not needed by the target role maintain adequate medication storage conditions skill
not needed by the target role maintain pharmacy records skill
not needed by the target role manage medical supply chains skill
not needed by the target role manage medication safety issues skill
not needed by the target role manage personal professional development skill
not needed by the target role manufacture medicines skill
not needed by the target role medical statistics knowledge
not needed by the target role medicines knowledge
not needed by the target role monitor patients' medication skill
not needed by the target role nutrition knowledge
not needed by the target role obtain healthcare user's medical status information skill
not needed by the target role operate cash register skill
not needed by the target role participate in medical inventory control skill
not needed by the target role pedagogy knowledge
not needed by the target role perform project management skill
not needed by the target role perform therapeutic drug monitoring skill
not needed by the target role phytotherapy knowledge
not needed by the target role prepare doses of medication according to patient needs skill
not needed by the target role prepare medication from prescription skill
not needed by the target role process medical insurance claims skill
not needed by the target role provide medicines information skill
not needed by the target role radiopharmaceuticals knowledge
not needed by the target role recruit employees skill
not needed by the target role refer healthcare users skill

4 further entries not listed here

2 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held cancer risks required
required, not held pharmaceutical industry required

Index

Other moves recorded from pharmacist

Full index of moves from pharmacist

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.