Pharmacy workforce: Pre-Registration Pharmacy Technician Apprenticeship Funding

NHS England Workforce, Training & Education Directorate have launched the community pharmacy technician apprenticeship programme. This programme supports pre-registration trainee pharmacy technician’s (PTPTs) to be employed and to complete their full 24-month apprenticeship training within a community pharmacy setting.

NHS England Workforce, Training & Education Directorate 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 General Pharmaceutical Council initial education and training standards for pharmacy technicians  and the NHS England Education quality framework.

Application for funding is through expression of interest. The application window will close on Sunday 13th October 2024.

For further information, guidance and NHS England contacts regarding the programme please refer to:

• Pre-registration trainee pharmacy technician; and
• Community pharmacy technician apprenticeship programme stakeholder engagement presentation (PowerPoint).

Apply for the Pre-Registration Pharmacy Technician Apprenticeship Funding

Alastair Buxton, Director of NHS Services at Community Pharmacy England, said:

“It is good to see NHS England investing in the community pharmacy workforce, but this needs to be backed up by sustainable funding for pharmacies.

The pharmacy workforce has been under great strain with many pharmacy owners telling us that staffing their pharmacies has become an ongoing struggle. As Government compiles its 10-year strategy for the NHS, we will be reiterating our call for a plan to safeguard the pharmacy workforce as well as wider investment and support for the community pharmacy network. Community pharmacy wants to do more to help patients and the NHS, but pharmacies need their baseline funding to be appropriately reset to allow them to recruit and retain pharmacists and other staff members.”