Which category is highest?
Bar chart
Pharmacy example: Most dispensed medicine
Data Visualisation in Pharmacy
Turning pharmacy data into clear visuals that support safer prescribing, better decisions, stronger audits and more confident UK pharmacy interviews.
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What is data visualisation?
Data visualisation means presenting data as charts, graphs, dashboards or visual summaries so people can understand the message quickly.
It is not about making data pretty. It is about making data easier to understand and act on.
Why pharmacists use it
Safety
Identify high-risk prescribing, incidents, allergies, interactions or overdue reviews.
Quality
Track antibiotic prescribing, medicines optimisation and clinical interventions.
Operations
Monitor stock, shortages, workload, dispensing volume and service activity.
Communication
Explain findings clearly to managers, GP practices, NHS teams or interview panels.
A table gives information
Tables are useful, but the pattern is not always obvious immediately.
| Month | Antibiotic prescriptions |
|---|---|
| January | 150 |
| February | 160 |
| March | 170 |
| April | 310 |
The data is there, but the insight still needs to be found.
A chart gives insight
The April spike becomes immediately visible.
150
Jan
160
Feb
170
Mar
310
Apr
The visual leads naturally to a clinical question: why did antibiotic use increase?
Choosing the right chart
Is something increasing or decreasing?
Line chart
Pharmacy example: Antibiotic use over months
What percentage of the whole?
Pie chart
Pharmacy example: Share of services delivered
Are two things related?
Scatter plot
Pharmacy example: Age and number of medicines
| Question | Best chart | Pharmacy example |
|---|---|---|
| Which category is highest? | Bar chart | Most dispensed medicine |
| Is something increasing or decreasing? | Line chart | Antibiotic use over months |
| What percentage of the whole? | Pie chart | Share of services delivered |
| Are two things related? | Scatter plot | Age and number of medicines |
The best chart depends on the question, not on what looks most attractive.
Use bar charts to compare categories
CORRECT
Bar chart for comparing medicines
420
Amlodipine
310
Metformin
180
Salbutamol
Best when comparing different items or groups.
WRONG
Line chart for unrelated categories
Lines imply movement or sequence, which is misleading for unrelated categories.
Use line charts to show trends over time
CORRECT
Line chart for monthly trend
Best when the order matters: days, weeks, months or years.
WRONG
Pie chart for time trend
A pie chart hides the direction of change over time.
Use pie charts carefully
CORRECT
Share of pharmacy services
Works when each slice is part of one total, such as service activity mix.
WRONG
Too many slices
Too many slices become hard to compare. A bar chart is usually clearer.
Use scatter plots to show relationships
CORRECT
Age vs number of medicines
Each dot can represent one patient. This helps reveal relationships or risk patterns.
WRONG
Bar chart for patient-level relationship
2
P1
5
P2
8
P3
11
P4
A bar chart hides the relationship between two numeric variables.
A pharmacist dashboard
Antibiotic trend
Line chart showing monthly prescribing volume.
Overdue reviews
Bar chart ranking patients or practices by review backlog.
Service mix
Pie or bar chart showing types of pharmacy services delivered.
High-risk patients
Scatter plot or risk matrix showing patients needing attention.
Example: GP practice medicines dashboard
A pharmacist could use one dashboard to decide where to focus clinical time this week.
42
Medication reviews overdue
18
High-risk patients flagged
+36%
Antibiotic use vs last month
7
Stock items below minimum
The dashboard does not replace clinical judgement. It helps the pharmacist prioritise the right patients and services first.
Top overdue review areas
Diabetes
Hypertension
Asthma/COPD
Polypharmacy
Action 1: Review polypharmacy patients
High
Action 2: Investigate antibiotic spike
High
Action 3: Reorder low stock items
Medium
What makes a bad visual?
Too much detail
Every chart should answer one clear question.
Wrong chart type
A beautiful chart can still be misleading.
No clear title
The title should explain the message, not just name the data.
A good chart should make the important message obvious within seconds.
Sample pharmacy interview question & answer
Question: How have you used data to improve patient outcomes?
Example answer: “I use data to identify patterns that may affect patient safety or treatment quality. For example, I would review prescribing or dispensing data to spot patients overdue for medication reviews, patients on high-risk medicines, or unusual increases in antibiotic or controlled drug use. By visualising this data in charts or dashboards, I can prioritise interventions, discuss findings with the clinical team, and support safer, more effective care. The aim is not just to report numbers, but to turn data into action that improves patient outcomes.”
Data visualisation turns pharmacy data into better decisions.
Data becomes information. Information becomes insight. Insight improves patient care.