Shaunagh Swain
Have you ever wondered what else is out there, professionally? Are you lacking fulfilment in your current role but are unsure what other opportunities are available with your pharmacy degree?
I too asked myself these questions years ago, which led me to a career as a clinical writer within the editorial team of Pharmaceutical Press, the knowledge business of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS).
In my previous roles, I was a clinical hospital pharmacist in Australia; however, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I found my clinical ward-based work more stressful and less enjoyable. When I knew I wanted to move to the UK, I began the search for a new role and, through word of mouth, was recommended to consider a role as a clinical writer. I applied online, completed an interview process and a written test, and then met with some members of my new team prior to commencing in my new role as a clinical writer.
A clinical writer is a pharmacist by background who uses their expertise to analyse various sources of drugs and medicines information to create content for Pharmaceutical Press publications. Clinical writers in the editorial team work across a range of products and carry out a wide scope of work on both point-of-care and referential content.
I mainly author content for British National Formulary (BNF), BNF for Children (BNFC), and Martindale. I find this work challenging and rewarding as the content — and therefore its style — is so different between the BNF and Martindale that I get to use a variety of research and critical appraisal skills to create content. Learning how to author new publications also provides the opportunity to work across our teams with various subject matter experts.
I often think how lucky I am that my pharmacy degree brought me to this unique role
When I joined Pharmaceutical Press, I had a lot of support through tailored and bespoke training pathways and have now gained experience by completing a structured programme for new employees. There are many opportunities for career progression and personal development, and it has been great to understand and contribute to the content creation process as I have gained experience.
When researching a new content update, I enjoy the process of the literature search and data collection. This is a particularly interesting process for our international resource, Martindale; I can find myself using local, national and international sources, including non-English language information. I often think how lucky I am that my pharmacy degree brought me to this unique role. Sometimes various international manufacturers’ advice or licensing information can be conflicting, which requires excellent problem-solving skills — something a pharmacist is well versed in — to navigate and collate the information in a concise and clear way.
The RPS offers a hybrid and flexible working environment, which allows me to adjust my working hours and lunch breaks to support a healthy work/life balance. The office at East Smithfield is a hub of collaboration. There are regular training days where we meet in office to work in person and across teams, sharing interesting pieces of work and their challenges, and undertaking group learning.
My colleagues are incredibly knowledgeable, experienced, and — above all — friendly and happy to be tapped on the shoulder with work questions. We also have regular social outings after work and we are no strangers to a team lunchtime ice cream run.
Throughout my time at the RPS, I have had many exciting and interesting opportunities. I have attended conferences, typeset the BNF and the final-ever print addition of Martindale, attended specialist governance group meetings, partaken in recruitment panels, mentored new staff, spearheaded editorial content projects, and found other career fulfilment I never could have imagined.
Previously, I was unaware of all the opportunities my pharmacy degree made available to me. I thought that to have a pharmacy degree meant a patient-facing role working in a community pharmacy or a hospital, and my professional identity was heavily linked to this. Since working for Pharmaceutical Press, I now know that a pharmacy degree opens so many doors for exciting career opportunities that utilise the unique skills we, as pharmacists, possess.
As a clinical writer, I can also bring my wealth of clinical expertise and knowledge to the products I work on, aiding to enhance patient safety and the quality use of medicine. This role has allowed me to hone my skills of critical appraisal and written communication. I enjoy this work and would recommend this role to other pharmacists considering a change, while wanting to stay under the pharmacy umbrella.
If a role as clinical writer appeals to you, apply for a job at the RPS here.
