Pharmacy Technician

You’ll help pharmacists in chemists and hospital dispensaries on a pharmacy technician apprenticeship course. A pharmacy technician manages the supply of medicines and equipment at a pharmacy and consults with pharmacists.

This job will allow you to work in various settings, including registered pharmacies, community services, the prison service, GP practises, dispensing doctors’ practises, care homes and clinical commissioning groups, hospitals, and the pharmaceutical industry.

Delivering safe and effective pharmacy services, supplying medications and equipment to patients on prescription or over the counter, providing information to patients and other healthcare professionals, and managing areas of medicine supply, such as dispensaries, will be among your responsibilities.

In this job, you will provide routine and specialised services and complete highly complex duties that require you to use your judgment.

What you’ll learn

On a pharmacy technician apprenticeship course, you’ll learn to:

• Make sound decisions by using relevant data and information.
• Accurately retrieve and reconcile information regarding a person’s medicines.
• Issue prescribed products safely and effectively and take action to resolve discrepancies. Carry out an accuracy check on the medication and products that have been supplied.
• Perform precise pharmaceutical calculations to ensure people’s safety.
• Maintain individual anonymity while using clinical governance principles.
• Examine a person’s existing medicine supply and place orders for any required drugs or supplies.
• Demonstrate operational skills in their field of expertise.
• Provide a safe, effective, and responsive pharmacy service.
• Take personal responsibility for ensuring that medicines are legally, safely, and efficiently accessible.
• Implement governance principles in pharmaceutical operational processes.
• Ensure the confidentiality of patient information.
• Communicate and cooperate reasonably with members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Utilise efficient methods to aid in the safe and effective management and administration of medicines.
• Listen to people, understand their needs, and interpret what matters to them.
• Optimise a person’s treatments to get the best possible outcomes.
• Get critical information from people, such as patients, carers, and other healthcare professionals, and use it to optimise treatment.
• Adapt information and communication to the needs of particular audiences.
• Maintain CPD results that are in line with regulatory requirements.
• Recognise and efficiently react to mistakes and near misses.
• Ensure adequate safeguards are in place, particularly for children and vulnerable individuals.
• Prioritise your time and resources appropriately to achieve your local and national objectives.
• Assist in medical crises.
• Find out that health and safety precautions are in place and functioning.
• Manage the team’s other members effectively.

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• Depending on the employer, GCSEs or equivalent qualifications or relevant experience are likely.
• Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this before taking the end-point assessment.

Assessment methods

The End Point Assessment comprises two distinct assessment methods: 

• Professional Discussion based on a Portfolio of Evidence
• Observation with a question-and-answer session

Duration, level, subjects and potential salary upon completion

Apprenticeship standard

More information about the Level 3 Pharmacy Technician Apprenticeship standard can be found here.

Apprenticeship end point assessment

For more information about the End Point Assessment Process, please read the Institute of Apprenticeships’ information page