How to write a successful pharmacy cover letter
Writing a cover letter that helps you stand out from other applicants can be challenging. Pharmacy career consultant Amy Zydzienowski, from Vertica Career Consultants, explains how it is done.
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Also read: How to write a successful pharmacy CV
Do I really need to write a cover letter? In my role as a pharmacy recruiter and career coach, I am often asked whether a cover letter is a necessary accompaniment to a CV as part of a job application. Some people believe that cover letters just repeat information from their CVs — others are concerned that recruiters never even read them. However, if you can write a cover letter that explains why you are the right candidate for the job you want, you can ensure that your application stands out for the right reasons.
Cover letters — what’s the point?
Traditionally, you would send a CV and cover letter by post in response to a job application or as a speculative approach. Your cover letter would introduce you in a professional sense, explain why you were applying for the position and provide some evidence of your competency for the role.
Nowadays, applications are less frequently sent by post — they are usually emailed or completed online. Despite this, presenting a professional cover letter is still part of the established protocol. If you are responding to a job advertisement in today’s competitive pharmacy jobs market, it is likely you will be one of many applicants (sometimes one of hundreds). Therefore, you need to do everything you can to ensure your application stands out, which includes an excellent cover letter.
Consider the hiring manager’s point of view
Before you start writing your CV and cover letter, you need to ask yourself: “What would the hiring manager want to see in the application?”
One way to find out is to simply call and ask the hiring manager or recruiter exactly what they would like to see. A recent survey of US employers by Saddleback College in America has shown that they can have differing views on whether a cover letter is important, how long it should be and what information it should contain. By asking the employer directly, you can find out their specific views and tailor your cover letter accordingly.
Laying out your letter
There are no set rules for your cover letter, but a good structure is important. The cover letter is telling a story about you and, like all good stories, it should have a beginning, middle and end.
The beginning
If the application is being posted then use a standard letter format, with your own address and date on the right and the organisation’s contact name and address on the left. For email applications, put your cover letter in the main body of the email and add your CV as an attachment. Your cover letter can be ignored more easily if you attach it as a separate document.
You should always try to address your cover letter to a specific person when possible. This will be easier if you have already called the hiring manager. Research by Forum3 (now called Charity People), a not-for-profit recruitment company for the third sector, suggests you are 10–15% more likely to receive a reply if you address your application to a person and 5% more likely to get an interview [1] . If you do not know the name of the person, then use a professional address such as “Dear Sir or Madam”.
Immediately after addressing the reader, you should state the purpose of the application, so that the reader can quickly understand the reason for the email. For example, “Reference: Application for Band 6 hospital pharmacist role”. This could also be included as the subject line of the email.
The first paragraph should describe what your current professional situation is and why you are applying for the position. This paragraph should also include any research you have done into the role or organisation, including anyone you have spoken to, any site visits you have undertaken and the name of anyone who may have referred you. If you have taken the time to research the organisation and the role, this could be a key differentiator for your application. However, you should avoid making generic statements, such as “I want to join your esteemed company”. Make sure anything you say about an organisation is relevant to them and based on the research you have undertaken.
Your cover letter should demonstrate to the reader that you have the key skills and experience relevant to the particular role. You can do this by providing specific examples, tailored to the requirements listed in the job description, of when you have demonstrated these from your own experience to date. Choose three or four of these relevant examples that each tell a story about your skills, experience or traits and provided a positive outcome for the stakeholders involved in the situation.
These examples could come from any part of your life, as long as they are relevant. Newly qualified pharmacists will likely use examples from their pharmacy placements, academia, part-time work and also extra-curricular activities, in order to demonstrate a range of skills. A more experienced pharmacist candidate would generally choose examples from their work history because it is the most relevant. However, sometimes it is appropriate to bring in other examples, such as voluntary work.
Always try to use an active voice when explaining your achievements, because this serves to make the reader feel that you were in control in these situations. Additionally, try to avoid making vague or generic statements that could apply to any applicant.
If an achievement is strong enough to be included in your cover letter, it should be repeated on your CV. Try not to repeat examples word-for-word on both documents — instead, try to interpret them differently. Sometimes, due to time constraints, the hiring manager may bypass your cover letter and go straight to your CV, which could mean they miss your best examples. In addition, repetition will serve to reinforce these key messages like a sales brochure would, which is, in essence, what your CV and cover letter are.
In your final paragraph, thank the reader for taking the time to read your application and summarise why you feel you are a good fit for the role, based on your skills and experience. State how and when you can be contacted with regards to arranging an interview and then make sure you are available when you say you will be.
Sign off the letter professionally with “Yours sincerely” (to a specific person) or “Yours faithfully” (to an unnamed person), followed by your name.
Formatting your letter
In terms of format, a cover letter is usually written as a traditional letter, laid out in paragraphs. It is different to your CV, which is an abbreviated document that uses various techniques to draw the eye to the most important parts quickly and make the document as succinct as possible. In your cover letter, keep your language concise and purposeful. To achieve this, you may need to redraft your letter several times.
The grammar, spelling and formatting of your cover letter is just as important as the content of the document, so make sure it is perfect. Particularly, ensure you have spelt names and company names correctly and there are no typing errors. Research from student recruitment website StudentGems.com suggests half of employers discard job applications that contain spelling or formatting errors.
Choose a standard, well known and professional font, such as Arial, Verdana, Calibri, Times New Roman or Trebuchet. This will make the letter easier to read and will also support applicant tracking systems that may not be able to pick up lesser-known fonts. Keep your font size between 10 and 12 for ease of reading.
Through my own experience of recruiting pharmacists, I have observed that the standard of today’s pharmacy job applications is generally quite poor. If you spend time putting together a strong application, which includes an excellent cover letter, then it will stand out to an employer and increase your chances of securing the role.
[1] The company has since rebranded as www.charitypeople.co.uk and the research is no longer available online.
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Pharmacist Cover Letter Examples and Templates for 2024
- Cover Letter Examples
- Cover Letter Text Examples
How To Write a Pharmacist Cover Letter
To write a good pharmacist cover letter, show you can fill prescriptions safely and promptly. Express your interest in the hiring medical or retail facility, and cite your related skills like customer relations or pharmacy technician training.
This guide will help you write a cover letter that gets you interviews for your next job as a pharmacist.
Pharmacist Cover Letter Templates and Examples
- Entry-Level
- Senior-Level
Pharmacist Text-Only Cover Letter Templates and Examples
Karina Sargent Community Pharmacist | [email protected] | (345) 678-9012 | 321 Main Blvd, Fayetteville, AR 09876
March 11, 2024
Jameel Taylor Senior Hiring Manager CVS Health (234) 567-8901 [email protected]
Dear Mr. Taylor,
Last year, I devised and delivered a community outreach initiative to help local residents with diabetes manage their conditions through healthy lifestyle choices. The project decreased hospitalizations due to uncontrolled blood sugar levels in participants by 34%. I hope to leverage my aptitude for patient education to empower service users at CVS Health.
I understand you are looking for a knowledgeable individual with a talent for leadership and the determination to positively impact communities through high-quality health care. As a passionate professional with more than two years of experience as a community pharmacist, I have the attributes to excel in this position. My recent achievements include:
- Assisting with recruiting three new pharmacy assistants and providing training to improve their clinical and technical knowledge
- Reorganizing workflow systems to improve prescription preparation efficiency by 65% without compromising accuracy
- Receiving thanks from a parent for recognizing the signs of sepsis in their child when they visited for advice, resulting in prompt intervention and a full recovery
Please feel free to contact me to arrange a suitable interview time. I look forward to exploring how my attention to detail and outstanding clinical knowledge can help your patients in 2021.
Karina Sargent, Pharm.D.
James Logan Pharmacist | [email protected] | (123) 456-7890 | 123 Main St., Tampa, FL 12345
January 01, 2024
Jessica White Hiring Manager Walgreens Central Tampa (987) 654-3210 [email protected]
Dear Ms. White,
As a pharmacist at CVS, I guided my team to retain a 98% customer satisfaction rating for the last five years. Maintaining such a high customer rating was a difficult job that required dedication and a drive to provide the best possible experience for every customer.
I noticed you want to improve customer relations at Walgreens Central Tampa, and I am the perfect addition to your pharmaceutical team. I have over eight years of experience in the industry in some of the busiest pharmacies in Tampa.
Some of my proudest career achievements include:
- Process over 35,000 prescriptions each month with 97% accuracy for the past five years and zero harmful errors
- Raised customer retention by 22% by training pharmacists in proper customer relations
- Trained, mentored, and supervised 15 new pharmaceutical technicians
I would love to discuss ways to improve customer relations at Walgreens. Please feel free to contact me with a time and date that would suit your schedule.
Kind regards,
James Logan, Pharm.D.
Tia Murray Senior Pharmacist | [email protected] | (876) 543-2109 | 432 Second Rd., Des Moines, IA 32109
March 15, 2024
Aleksandra Riley Senior Hiring Manager Hy-Vee (876) 543-2109 [email protected]
Dear Ms. Riley,
My most significant achievement of 2020 was planning and delivering a patient education initiative to increase awareness of safe medication usage during pregnancy. This project reduced adverse incidents by 45% over five months. I hope to demonstrate the same flair for community engagement as a Senior Pharmacist at Hy-Vee.
I know that you are looking for a seasoned community pharmacist with the ability to lead a large team to deliver outstanding patient care. I believe that my 14+ years of experience and strong links with the local community make me the ideal candidate. My recent achievements include:
- Acting as a preceptor to five student pharmacists in the last two years, one of whom became a permanent staff member following their graduation
- Providing ongoing training for pharmacy technicians, leading to a productivity increase of 43% and error reduction of 76%
- Leading my team to provide the highest standards of patient care and service, earning a 99% patient satisfaction rating last year
I would relish the opportunity to explore how my extensive clinical knowledge and inspirational leadership can help Hy-Vee serve the Des Moines community. I am available for an interview whenever is convenient for you.
Tia Murray, Pharm.D.
A great pharmacist cover letter usually has five sections, outlined below. When possible, connect each section back to your defining skills and the employer’s hiring needs. The following advice and examples show what to include in your cover letter so it’s optimized for each pharmacist job.
At the top of the page, include your resume contact header, the date, and any contact details you have for your recipient. To set a clear focus, add the title “Pharmacist” to your contact header. You can then modify your title to align with each job posting. For instance, use “Hospital Pharmacist” if that’s closer to the role in question and reflects your background.
(Note: Feel free to omit this section if you send your letter as an email message and your contact information is part of your email signature.)
Karina Sargent Community Pharmacist | [email protected] | (345) 678-9012 | 321 Main Blvd., Fayetteville, AR 09876
2. Salutation
Whenever you can, address your recipient by name – it’s the quickest way to signal you’re sending a job-specific letter and not a boilerplate. If you can’t find the recipient’s name, use a variation of “Dear Hiring Manager” so your greeting is still tailored somewhat to each job opening.
Dear Pharmacy Hiring Manager:
Dear Walgreens Hiring Manager:
3. “Hook” or introduction
To catch the reader’s attention, start your letter with a clear example or measure of your success as a pharmacist. What’s a key way you’ve improved patient care, order accuracy, or pharmacy operations? For instance, maybe you led an education initiative that raised awareness of safe medication usage. Choose a highlight you can then link to the main skills you offer a pharmacy.
4. Body paragraph(s)
Use the main section of your letter to tell why you’re drawn to this role or facility. For example, maybe it requires close training of pharmacy technicians, similar to your current job. Or the organization values community engagement, an area you’re eager to return to.
Following this explanation, cite two or three more of your main skills or achievements , possibly as bullet points.
5. Call to action
Finally, request an interview for the position. Consider briefly restating your ability to prepare accurate prescriptions. To end your cover letter, use a simple closing like “Sincerely” or “Best regards” and then your name.
Pharmacist Cover Letter Tips
1. show your skills in action.
As part of your letter’s body text, add a short list of bullet points to show your success in key work areas for your field. In the pharmacist cover letter example below, see how a bullet-point structure lets the applicant impress and reveal more than if she’d used a general line like “My top skills include student precepting, pharmacy technician training, and service standards improvement.”
My recent achievements include:
2. Emphasize patient education
Pharmacists often must answer patients’ varied questions or advise customers on prescription doses or side effects. If your background and the pharmacy role you’re after reflect this theme, speak to it on your cover letter.
3. Refer to the organization's goals
An effective cover letter doesn’t just give facts about your past, it also shows your excitement for the future. What strategic direction is the employer headed? Does the job posting reveal its short- or long-term business goals? Discuss those goals and how you see yourself advancing them, and you’ll give your cover letter the engaged and confident tone it needs to stand out.
Pharmacist Cover Letter Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the most important part of a cover letter -.
Any explanation you give for why the specific job opening or employer interests you. These details distinguish the cover letter from your resume and other application materials and can help you get past applicant tracking systems (ATS) . They also set up a good interview discussion about how you fit the role and the facility’s work culture.
Are cover letters becoming obsolete? -
No. As long as hiring managers want to know why you want the job and don’t have time to get your (initial) answer by interview, a cover letter will be key to your job search.
What should my cover letter’s design look like? -
Your resume’s. Carry over all of that document’s basic format settings , like font style, line spacing, and page margins. When you style your cover letter like your resume, you make your application more cohesive and eye-catching.
Craft a new cover letter in minutes
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Jacob Meade
Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, ACRW)
Jacob Meade is a resume writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience. His writing method centers on understanding and then expressing each person’s unique work history and strengths toward their career goal. Jacob has enjoyed working with jobseekers of all ages and career levels, finding that a clear and focused resume can help people from any walk of life. He is an Academy Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) with the Resume Writing Academy, and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches.
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