There are currently 300 places available on the scheme and these are split between 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students.

You will be able to select a first and second choice location on the registration page of the on line application form. For those candidates who are successful and are made an offer, they will be matched by postcode to the nearest pharmacy that we have available.

If you have not completed a placement with us before, you will need to make an application online via the website under the careers section which you will find at  www.lloydspharmacy.com/careers/summervacationprogramme the application form will be live between 1st July and the 17th November .

No, the application form will be open from the 1st July – 17th November 2008.

No, if you completed a summer vacation placement with us last year as a first or second year student you will automatically receive details after completing your placement about your placement for the following year.

Yes, if you have not completed a placement on the scheme before – alternatively the response to the above question will apply.

No – However we are sure that your past experience will encourage you to come back again and by completing a 3rd year placement it will guarantee you an automatic interview for a pre registration place in 2010/11.

All applications are acknowledged automatically when they are submitted through the website. However, applications will not be processed until after the closing date, therefore you will not hear until December 2008.

All applications are screened through the website – successful 1st and 2nd year students will be automatically offered a place towards the end of December  – for those students who did not meet the criteria and are unsuccessful they will be declined by email at the same time. All successful 3rd year students will be invited to attend an interview at the end of January 2009.

Yes

Only 3rd year students will be asked to attend an interview, these will be held in locations across the UK so that you can choose a location that is convenient for you to travel too. Interview locations and dates are still to be agreed and will be communicated nearer to the time - interview time slots will be allocated subject to availability usually between the hours of 9.00am and 6.00pm.

If you are a 3rd year student you will be invited to attend an interview where you will have the opportunity to discuss your summer vacation placement location(s) in detail. We will aim to match you by postcode to the nearest pharmacy in one of your chosen locations. However, you will be required to have some degree of flexibility.
Successful 1st and 2nd year students will be automatically offered a placement and will be matched by postcode to the nearest pharmacy in one of chosen locations. However, you will be required to have some degree of flexibility.
However, please feel free to contact us, there may be other pharmacies on the list we can offer you and that are easier for you to get to.

We will try to keep you in the same pharmacy, however, this cannot be guaranteed - sometimes it may more worthwhile for you to get experience in a different pharmacy.

Yes

No - not once you have started the programme, you may have an opportunity at the offer stage to discuss other locations if the pharmacy we have offered you is not suitable for some reason.

No – students can work during the university summer break as long as you have valid leave on your passport and the work is related to the course you have undertaken.

Once you have been allocated your summer vacation pharmacy and you have formally accepted the placement, we will be able to confirm your tutor details.

It is recommended that you contact or even visit the pharmacy before you commence employment, this will make hopefully make starting work on your first day less stressful.

You will report to your summer vacation pharmacy and tutor where you will find a summer vacation manual waiting for you. The manual will provide you with the training materials that you require for the duration of your summer vacation placement.

Details of your hourly rate of pay will be in your offer letter and you will receive you first payment in July – this amount will cover the period from your start date in June to the end of July. You will be paid again at the end of August for any time you have worked in August; this will be your final payment after which you will receive your P45.

Each pharmacy has different trading times and we ask you to be as flexible as possible. You will be contracted to work for 39 hours a week and should agree those hours amicably with your individual tutor.

Our summer vacation placement is a six week continuous programme, but again you could use your two days holiday for this purpose. If you require more time off than you have accrued this will need to be considered on a case-by-case basis, the additional time taken will need to be made up at the end of the programme. 

By giving our tutors plenty of notice about the summer vacation programme dates, we are able to provide either, suitable cover to continue to support you through the programme during your tutor’s absence or a replacement pharmacy if necessary.

The summer vacation experience is designed to give you a flavour of what it is like to work within community pharmacy, therefore your tutor will encourage you to try as many different tasks as you are ready for. 
The Lloydspharmacy Summer Vacation Programme is a flexible programme allowing you to identify the level at which you feel comfortable to work in.  Whichever level this may be, you will get exposure in both the dispensary and on the Healthcare counter.

The summer vacation programme is an on the job programme which allows you to spend time between the dispensary and healthcare counter.  The programme is designed to provide you with learning opportunities which allow you to apply knowledge that you have gained from your undergraduate studies.

This will depend on your previous experience and will be agreed in conjunction with your tutor. 

We don’t expect you to do study at home as part of the programme, however, you will be required to reflect on your learning and this may be something you wish to do in your own environment.

Throughout the six weeks you will be working alongside your tutor and the pharmacy team.  Your progress during these six weeks will be regularly reviewed with your tutor and assessed near the end of your placement.  This will be documented on an appraisal form.

As the summer vacation placement programme is only for six weeks you would need to provide some evidence of your main employment and normal hours of work, we would aim to compromise in this situation providing that your current employment is not a conflict of interest to our business.

Not necessarily, however, if there is a genuine vacancy in the pharmacy or in a nearby pharmacy and you are a suitable candidate, I am sure that you can discuss this separately with the appropriate Pharmacy Manager.

All students will have an appraisal with their tutor towards the end of their placement. In the case of 1st and 2nd year students, this appraisal will determine whether you will be made an automatic offer in the following year.
In the case of 3rd year students your Area Manager will be contact you towards the end of your placement and arrange to meet up with you to discuss your future as a pre registration graduate in the following year - the appraisal will play a part in the selection process.