Newly qualified? How to choose your first pharmacist role

The first role you take after PSI registration shapes your first five years more than any CV line after it. The chain graduate scheme gives you structure: rotations, mentorship, protected tutorials. The trade-off is pace — you may spend more time on process than patients. The busy independent throws you in deeper: you'll counsel more, decide more, and learn the business of pharmacy. Choose an owner who is present and generous with teaching; in an interview, ask exactly who you'd call when you're stuck. Hospital residency is the clinical deep end — ward rounds, MDTs, and a fast route to specialisation, at a lower starting salary. Whichever you choose, negotiate CPD support and PSI fees now, not after you start. Both are standard for good employers — check the benefits tags on any listing here.