Pharmacy technician
What is a pharmacy technician?
Pharmacy technicians are skilled and essential members of the pharmacy team who manage the supply of medicines and assist pharmacists with advisory services to patients and the public.
Is pharmacy the right career for me?
Pharmacy is a science-based profession where you need to have an interest in the actions and uses of medicines in the human body and also in providing health care advice.
As a pharmacy technician you will need to be:
- Caring
- Good with people and able to motivate them
- Able to work as part of multidisciplinary team as well as having the ability to use your initiative
What do pharmacy technicians do?
Pharmacy technicians help people to understand how to take their medicines and use them safely. The pharmacy technician works with other healthcare professionals, like pharmacists, doctors and nurses to make sure that medicines are ready for people when needed.
Pharmacy technicians are involved in providing some services through the pharmacy which are designed to save people having to make a GP appointment. Pharmacy technicians run the prescription dispensing processes in pharmacies. This often involves overseeing other members of the pharmacy team who can dispense. There are many things that Pharmacy technicians can advise on around over the counter medicine sales and healthy lifestyles before having to refer people to speak to the pharmacist.
Pharmacy technicians work with a wide range of people to manage their conditions and maintain good health:
- Children – common childhood illnesses: chicken pox, constipation, head lice
- Long term medical conditions: asthma, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes
- Elderly – monitoring for side-effects and stopping medicines
Where do pharmacy technicians work?
In NHS Wales, a pre-registration pharmacy technician works in a pharmacy whilst undertaking a facilitated distance learning course to achieve a Level 3 BTEC National Certificate Pharmacy Services. There is also work based learning and assessment to achieve a Level 3 NVQ (QCF) Diploma in Pharmacy Service Skills.
Training and working as a pharmacy technician offers you the opportunity to work in a number of settings, including:
- Community Pharmacies
- GP surgeries
- Nursing homes
- Hospitals
- Specialist sterile manufacturing units
- Further education colleges
How much do pharmacy technicians earn?
The NHS salary for a newly registered pharmacy technician is Band 4; please see our Pay and Benefits section for more information.
What career progression opportunities are available for pharmacy technicians?
Pharmacy offers many different and flexible employment options. Once you’ve qualified and gained the appropriate clinical, specialist or managerial experience you could become a:
- Accredited checking technician in hospital or community
- Medicines management technician on a specialist ward
- Prescribing support technician in primary care
- An NVQ assessor
- Responsible for managing an area of a manufacturing unit
- A community pharmacy chain