Health and science
Pharmacy technician
Assisting the pharmacist in chemists and hospital dispensaries.
Summary
Pharmacy Technicians are registered professionals working within the regulatory standards for pharmacy, as set by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) Pharmacy Order 2010.
Pharmacy Technicians work in a wide range of settings, including (but not exclusively): registered pharmacies, community services, justice (the Prison Service), GP Practices, dispensing doctors’ practices, care homes and clinical commissioning groups, hospitals, mental health, defence (HM Armed Services) and within the pharmaceutical industry
Pharmacy technicians manage the supply of medicines and devices in a pharmacy and assist pharmacists with advisory services. The actual work setting will determine the specific areas of activity that the Pharmacy Technician undertakes, but typically their role will include the following
- providing safe and effective pharmacy services
- supply medicines and devices to patients, whether on prescription or over the counter
- achieving the best outcomes through a patient’s medicines
- assemble medicines for prescriptions
- provide information to patients and other healthcare professionals.
- manage areas of medicines supply such as dispensaries
- supervise other pharmacy staff
- answering customers questions face to face or by phone
- pre-packing, assembling and labelling medicines
- referring problems or queries to the pharmacist
A Pharmacy Technician is responsible for carrying out both routine and specialist services, including highly complex activities requiring them to use their professional judgement. They are expected to work both individually and as part of a multi-disciplinary team. They are able to work with minimum supervision, with a high degree of autonomy, taking responsibility for the quality and accuracy of the work that they have undertaken and that of others.
Pharmacy Technicians are expected to communicate effectively with healthcare professionals, patients and the public, whilst respecting and maintaining confidentiality and privacy.
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)
K1:
How to ensure legal, regulatory and professional standards are maintained.
K2:
Understand the limits of their accountability, authority and responsibility
K3:
Understand the science of pharmacy, basic pharmacological principles, actions and use of drugs
K4:
How to ensure the quality of ingredients to produce and supply safe and effective medicines and products
K5:
Understand the principles that underpin person-centred care
K6:
How to apply professional judgement in the best interests of people
K7:
How to communicate with patients, carers and colleagues using a wide range of options and channels focusing on delivering and improving pharmacy services
K8:
Understand the principles of information, governance and confidentiality
K9:
How to order, receive, maintain, supply and dispose of medicines and other pharmaceutical products safely, legally and effectively
K10:
How to apply safe working practices in line with health and safety legislation; know how to risk assess processes and manage outcomes
K11:
Know how to effectively deliver key pharmaceutical messages to healthcare team members
K12:
Understand the principles of audit and quality-improvement strategies, and how to implement recommendations effectively
K13:
Understand the principles of risk management
K14:
Understand the most appropriate ways to reflect and act on feedback or concerns, thinking about what can be done to prevent adverse incidents
K15:
Understand the importance of effective methods of communication to different audiences
K16:
Know how to manage a person’s diverse needs and what is important to them
K17:
Know how to provide and promote advice on healthy lifestyles and initiatives, using available resources and evidence-based techniques
K18:
Understand how to effectively collaborate and work with colleagues and health care professionals
K19:
Know how to undertake effective self-reflection, and how to manage their own personal development
K20:
Understand the principles of revalidation
K21:
Understand how to safeguard people, particularly children and vulnerable adults
K22:
Understand how to deal with complaints and errors, through effective use of established policies and procedures
K23:
Know how to work within any local, regional and national guidelines and policies
K24:
Know how to apply health and safety legislation in the workplace controls
K25:
Know how to respond appropriately to medical first aid emergencies
K26:
Understand how to effectively supervise other staff within the pharmacy
K27:
Understands how to effectively manage a patient’s medicines by ordering, receiving, maintaining and supplying those medicines and other pharmaceutical products
Technical Educational Products
- ST0300: Pharmacy technician (integrated) (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0300
- Status:
Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £27,752 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 3212 Pharmaceutical technicians
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 3212/00 Pharmaceutical technicians
- 7114/02 Pharmacy dispensing assistants
S1:
Recognise and work within their scope of practice and skills,
S2:
Use relevant data and information to make effective decisions
S3:
Accurately retrieve and reconcile information about a person’s medicines
S4:
Accurately assemble prescribed items
S5:
Issue prescribed items safely and effectively and take action to deal with discrepancies carry out an accuracy check of dispensed medicines and products
S6:
Accurately perform pharmaceutical calculations to ensure the safety of people
S7:
Apply the principles of clinical governance and ensure person’s confidentiality
S8:
Assess a person’s present supply of medicines and order appropriate medicines and products.
S9:
Receive requests for medicines, including prescriptions, and check for their validity, safety and clarity, taking action to deal with any problems with the person directly
S10:
Demonstrate operational skills within their scope of practice
S11:
Provide a safe, effective and responsive pharmacy service
S12:
Take personal responsibility for the legal, safe and efficient supply of medicines
S13:
Apply the principles of governance to pharmacy operational processes
S14:
Ensure the confidentiality of patient data.
S15:
Communicate and work effectively with members of the multidisciplinary team
S16:
Explain the impact of audit and evaluation on the quality of pharmacy operations and services
S17:
Engage others in the improvement of processes and systems
S18:
Effectively use systems to support the safe and effective management and supply of medicines
S19:
Listen to a person, understand their needs and interpret what matters to them.
S20:
Give the person all relevant information and advice in a way they can understand, so they can make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing
S21:
Optimise a person’s medicines to achieve the best possible outcomes.
S22:
Obtain relevant information from people – including patients, carers and other healthcare professionals – and use it to optimise care appropriately
S23:
Adapt information and communication to meet the needs of particular audiences
S24:
Check and review their own and others work effectively
S25:
Suggest and implement personal goals and methods of improvement
S26:
Maintain CPD outcomes that meet with regulatory requirements
S27:
Identify and respond effectively to errors and near misses
S28:
Ensure effective safeguards are in place particularly for children and vulnerable adults
S29:
Prioritise time and resources effectively to achieve local and national objectives
S30:
Respond to medical emergencies
S31:
Ensure that health and safety controls are embedded and working
S32:
Effectively supervise other members of the team
Technical Educational Products
- ST0300: Pharmacy technician (integrated) (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0300
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £27,752 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 3212 Pharmaceutical technicians
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 3212/00 Pharmaceutical technicians
- 7114/02 Pharmacy dispensing assistants
B1:
Always act in a manner supportive of the regulatory standards
B2:
Always act with integrity, openness, honesty, especially when things go wrong.
B3:
Be reliable, supportive and reflective
B4:
Respect all individual’s values and confidentiality
B5:
Value diversity and respect cultural differences – making sure that every person is treated fairly and with respect
Technical Educational Products
- ST0300: Pharmacy technician (integrated) (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0300
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £27,752 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 3212 Pharmaceutical technicians
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 3212/00 Pharmaceutical technicians
- 7114/02 Pharmacy dispensing assistants
