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Pre-registration trainee pharmacy technician (PTPT)

Community pharmacy technician apprenticeship programme

We are excited to announce the launch of the community pharmacy technician apprenticeship programme. This programme will support pre-registration trainee pharmacy technician’s (PTPTs) to be employed and complete their full 24-month apprenticeship training within a community pharmacy setting.

Upon completion of training and registration with the general pharmaceutical council (GPhC), the pharmacy technician will be able to support community pharmacy to utilise the expertise and knowledge of registered professional as part of community pharmacy services and the wider healthcare reform.

Funding offer

We are offering a training contribution of £15,053 per trainee per year for two years to support sites in developing a PTPTs programme that meets the GPhC IET standards for pharmacy technicians (PDF only, 713KB) and the NHS England Education quality framework.

Find out more

Guidance for contractors is available to download under ‘related documents. The guidance for contractors provides detailed information about the benefits of the programme, eligibility criteria, timelines, and funding.

Access to other PTPT training opportunities

NHS managed sector

NHS England Workforce, Training, and Education (WT&E) provides funding to the NHS managed sector to help support the initial education and training of pharmacy technicians. Funding is available to support PTPTs working in either single sector or multi sector training placements. Access for funding will be via the usual commissioning routes. Please contact your regional NHS England WT&E pharmacy team for more information.

Additional roles reimbursement scheme

Primary care networks (PCN) can now use the ‘direct patient contact’ funding to recruit a pharmacy technician apprentice to support future PCN workforce requirements, with support from their integrated care boards.

These roles will be accessible via the ‘direct patient contact' (DPC) option.

More information about additional roles reimbursement scheme can also be found on the NHS England website.

Accessing apprenticeship funding

Your regional NHS England WT&E pharmacy team can provide further advice on apprenticeship funding if required, including signposting for guidance on provision of levy-transfer. Further information regarding the apprenticeship levy can be found on the HASO website.

Resources to support supervision of PTPTs

Educational and practice supervisor frameworks

NHSE WT&E London pharmacy team have developed frameworks for both the educational and practice supervisor roles within pharmacy for primary and secondary care staff who manage and deliver training.

Educational supervisor framework 2023 (PDF only, 376KB)

Practice supervisor framework 2023 (PDF only, 302KB)

Professional development framework for educators 2022 (PDF only, 764KB)

Supervisor training

e-Learning for health (eLfH): practice and educational supervisor training

General pharmaceutical council (GPhC)

The GPhC has developed resources for designated supervisors.

Guidance on supervising pharmacy professionals in training is also available from the GPhC website.

Previous projects

NHS pharmacy technician workforce expansion programme delivers success

We are pleased to announce that 1512 PTPTs have now been funded as part of NHS England’s pharmacy technician workforce expansion programme, achieving the ambition of funding training for 1500 PTPTs to support the development of the pharmacy technician workforce pipeline.

Following this achievement, cohort 5 (2023/24) will be the last cohort of trainees funded by this programme.

Since the initial pilot in 2019/20, PTPTs funded as part of this programme, have contributed to the successful growth of the pharmacy technician workforce pipeline. This programme has also ensured that significant numbers of pharmacy technicians are available to deliver the new service models set out in the NHS long term workforce plan, while also equipping them with a broader skill set, improving their understanding of transfer of care issues, and allowing them to better support service delivery to patients and the public across all healthcare systems.

On behalf of the NHS England pharmacy team, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your positive support with the pharmacy technician workforce expansion programme over the last four years.