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Pharmacy technician

Alternative titles for this job include Pharmaceutical technician

Pharmacy technicians prepare and supply medicines for prescriptions, under the supervision of a pharmacist.

Average salary (a year)

£20,329 Starter

to

£31,533 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

37 to 40 a week

You could work

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on a rota

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become a pharmacy technician

You can get into this job through:

  • an apprenticeship
  • a trainee position

Apprenticeship

You could do a pharmacy technician advanced apprenticeship.

You can also train to be a pharmacy technician through an apprenticeship in the armed forces.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

More Information

Other Routes

You can apply for a trainee pharmacy technician position. Employers will often ask for 4 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English, maths and science, Level 2 Diploma in Applied Science, or equivalent qualifications.

You'll do on-the-job training over 2 years and work towards a Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians.

More Information

Registration

Professional and industry bodies

Once qualified you can join the Association of Pharmacy Technicians for continuous professional development.

Further information

You can find out more about careers as a pharmacy technician from Health Careers and the Association of Pharmacy Technicians.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • customer service skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • active listening skills
  • maths knowledge
  • the ability to work well with others
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • administration skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

In this role you could:

  • choose the correct items for a prescription
  • weigh ingredients, measure liquids and count tablets
  • put together ointments and medicines
  • make sure prescriptions are legal and accurate
  • create labels to tell people how to take medicine
  • order new stock using computerised systems
  • give advice to customers about prescriptions and refer complex queries to the pharmacist
  • sell over-the-counter medicines
  • handle confidential information
  • refer complex queries to the pharmacist

Working environment

You could work in an NHS or private hospital, at a health centre, in a prison or at a store.

You may need to wear protective clothing and a uniform.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

With experience you could become a departmental supervisor or manager.

You could take on a specialist role like clinical technician, working with healthcare professionals and patients on wards.

There are opportunities to move into a specialist area like oncology, paediatrics, or clinical trials.

Some pharmacy technicians go into research and development work, or move into pharmaceutical production, sales or marketing.

You could train to be a pharmacist. You can do a 2 year full-time pharmacy foundation degree and then apply for year two of an accredited MPharm degree.

Another option is to become a pharmacy assessor working with trainee pharmacy technicians.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

Apprentice Pharmacy Technician

  • Wage: £10,004.80 Annually
  • Location: INGLEBY BARWICK, STOCKTON ON TEES

L3 Pharmacy Technician Apprentice

  • Wage: £9,379.50 Annually
  • Location: London
Find apprenticeships near you

Courses In England

Access to HE - Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Science - Full L3

  • Provider: OAKLANDS COLLEGE
  • Start date: 18 September 2023
  • Location: Welwyn Garden City
Find courses near you

Jobs In the United Kingdom

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