“Students can and have made a genuine contribution to the pharmacy. They bring enthusiasm, fresh perspectives and the knowledge they are developing through university. They often help the wider team reflect on how we do things, particularly through the audit EPA.
“I’ve seen students make a difference to patient care through relatively simple interventions, identifying potential medicines-related problems, recognising when a patient requires further assessment or taking the time to explain something properly.
“Those experiences demonstrate to students that the pharmacist’s role is ultimately about the patient, rather than simply the medicine.”
Stephen Edgar from Dunluce Pharmacy believes the benefits flow in both directions.
Community EL in Numbers 2025/26
placement weeks delivered in the sector
student pharmacists hosted on placement
of students reported a positive placement experience
1,019 775 98% 97%
of pharmacists said students contributed to the pharmacy team
EPAs completed with pharmacist feedback
public health interactions delivered by final-year students
5,000+ 1,200 500+
patient safety audits completed
“One of the most positive aspects of being a Practice Supervisor is seeing the development of a student pharmacist over the course of their placement...”
“It is all about mutual learning and knowledge exchange. Mentoring is rarely one-directional. Students often bring up-to-date theoretical knowledge that prompts useful reflection on my own practice, while I provide the patient-facing context they haven’t yet encountered.
“Supporting a student through their EPAs and watching their confidence grow across a placement week is genuinely rewarding. It reinforces why I chose to take on the Practice Supervisor role rather than simply meeting a training obligation.”
“It keeps my own practice sharp. Having a student ask ‘why?’ during a consultation forces me to articulate clinical reasoning that I might otherwise apply automatically.”
“As a pharmacy contractor and Practice Supervisor, I see experiential learning as directly connected to workforce sustainability in Northern Ireland community pharmacy. Investing time in students now is an investment in the standard of care patients will receive from the next generation.”
Stephen has also observed how students can make meaningful contributions during placements, from identifying medicines safety issues during audit activities to embracing opportunities to participate in patient-facing services. He adds that hosting students often creates a positive energy within the wider pharmacy team: “I have noted that having a keen, enthusiastic learner in the pharmacy tends to lift the pharmacy team’s engagement and sense of purpose, particularly for support staff who enjoy the teaching role themselves.”
Looking Ahead
As the Experiential Learning programme continues to expand, the contribution of Northern Ireland’s community pharmacy network remains fundamental to its success. Through the commitment of Practice Supervisors and pharmacy teams, hundreds of student pharmacists each year gain valuable real-world experience, develop confidence in delivering patient care and begin the journey towards becoming the pharmacists of the future.
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