Pharmacy technicians are senior members of the pharmacy team, whose role involves managing and preparing the supply of medicines, while providing patient counselling on how to take these medicines safely. Pharmacy technicians may also be involved in delivering certain public health services, for example, providing advice on stopping smoking.
A pharmacy technician’s duties and responsibilities include:
Primarily, pharmacy technicians typically work as part of healthcare teams in organisations across different health divisions. Some of the most common workplaces pharmacy technicians would likely work in include:
Note that pharmacy technicians can work in many healthcare environments for any employer providing NHS services.
To practice as a registered pharmacy technician in UK, you need to be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. To get registered, you’ll require an accredited qualification such as:
Visit General Pharmaceutical Council for more information.
It’s important to note that the process differs for non-UK registrants. If you’re a registered pharmacy technician in a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA), additional qualifications must be completed in the UK before you can apply to register including:
To become a pharmacy technician and excel in the role, you should possess certain skills and characteristics such as:
Register your interest and we will be in touch to discuss your work preferences.
Pharmacy technicians fall into NHS salary bands 4, 5 and 6. Here are the annual pay scales for each band.
Band | Entry step point (£) | Eligible progression | Intermediate step point (£) | Eligible for progression | Top step point (£) |
Band 4 | 25,147 | 3 years | – | – | 27,596 |
Band 5 | 28,407 | 2 years | 30,639 | 2 yeas | 34,581 |
Band 6 | 35,392 | 2 years | 37.350 | 3 years | 42,618 |
Please note that pharmacy technicians working in and around London may qualify for Higher Cost Area Supplements (HCAS) rates. You can find HCAS pay scales on NHS Employers.
As a locum pharmacy technician, the duties and responsibilities will remain the same – however, this is on a temporary basis. As a locum technician, you’ll have control of your own earning potential and working hours, which gives you the freedom and complete flexibility on how long you wish to work for.
For many, this allows those to take career breaks, explore travelling options and offers a positive work/life balance. As a locum, there are always vacancies available – ranging from short-term or medium contract to more permanent long-term contracts.
There are certain benefits that come from working as a locum pharmacy technician compared to a full-time role including:
This is subject to locations, as certain locations have higher salaries than others:
Looking to become a pharmacy technician or looking for your next role in pharmacy technology? Register with Pulse today.
To become a pharmacy technician, you must be:
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