Key information

  1. Reference: OCC0300
  2. Date updated: 16/08/2023
  3. Level: 3
  4. Route: Health and science
  5. Regulated occupation: Yes
  6. Regulator body: General Pharmaceuticals Council

Details of the occupational standard

Occupation 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.

Occupation duties

Duty KSBs
Duty 1 Achieve the best possible outcome through a person’s medicines by managing, ordering, receiving, maintaining and supplying medicines and other pharmaceutical products safely, legally and effectively, whilst meeting the regulatory standards.
K1 K2 K3 K4
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6
B1 B5
Duty 2 Provide person-centred health advice to all patients
K5 K6 K7 K8
S7 S8 S9
B4
Duty 3 Support the management of the day to day operation of the pharmacy, eg clinical governance, business operation and processes, including where appropriate the supervision of members of staff
K9 K10 K26
S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S32
B1 B2
Duty 4 Provide training to pharmacy and the wider healthcare teams. e.g. for a new member of staff
K11
S15
Duty 5 Maintain a quality service through auditing and evaluating the service and processes, and respond to feedback
K12 K13 K14
S16 S17 S18
B1 B2
Duty 6 Advise people, in a wide range of settings, on the safe and effective use of their medicines and devices.
K15 K16 K17
S19 S20 S21 S22 S23
B4
Duty 7 Manage your own professional and personal development
K18 K19 K20
S24 S25 S26
B3
Duty 8 Ensure patient safety, by promoting safe practices, and the effective use of systems.
K21 K22
S27 S28
B1
Duty 9 Provide specialist services in response to local and national needs and initiatives.
K23
S29
Duty 10 Respond appropriately to medical emergencies.
K24 K25
S30 S31
×

Required knowledge

    Required skill

      Required behaviour

        KSBs

        Knowledge

        K1: How to ensure legal, regulatory and professional standards are maintained. Back to Duty

        K2: Understand the limits of their accountability, authority and responsibility Back to Duty

        K3: Understand the science of pharmacy, basic pharmacological principles, actions and use of drugs Back to Duty

        K4: How to ensure the quality of ingredients to produce and supply safe and effective medicines and products Back to Duty

        K5: Understand the principles that underpin person-centred care Back to Duty

        K6: How to apply professional judgement in the best interests of people Back to Duty

        K7: How to communicate with patients, carers and colleagues using a wide range of options and channels focusing on delivering and improving pharmacy services Back to Duty

        K8: Understand the principles of information, governance and confidentiality Back to Duty

        K9: How to order, receive, maintain, supply and dispose of medicines and other pharmaceutical products safely, legally and effectively Back to Duty

        K10: How to apply safe working practices in line with health and safety legislation; know how to risk assess processes and manage outcomes Back to Duty

        K11: Know how to effectively deliver key pharmaceutical messages to healthcare team members Back to Duty

        K12: Understand the principles of audit and quality-improvement strategies, and how to implement recommendations effectively Back to Duty

        K13: Understand the principles of risk management Back to Duty

        K14: Understand the most appropriate ways to reflect and act on feedback or concerns, thinking about what can be done to prevent adverse incidents Back to Duty

        K15: Understand the importance of effective methods of communication to different audiences Back to Duty

        K16: Know how to manage a person’s diverse needs and what is important to them Back to Duty

        K17: Know how to provide and promote advice on healthy lifestyles and initiatives, using available resources and evidence-based techniques Back to Duty

        K18: Understand how to effectively collaborate and work with colleagues and health care professionals Back to Duty

        K19: Know how to undertake effective self-reflection, and how to manage their own personal development Back to Duty

        K20: Understand the principles of revalidation Back to Duty

        K21: Understand how to safeguard people, particularly children and vulnerable adults Back to Duty

        K22: Understand how to deal with complaints and errors, through effective use of established policies and procedures Back to Duty

        K23: Know how to work within any local, regional and national guidelines and policies Back to Duty

        K24: Know how to apply health and safety legislation in the workplace controls Back to Duty

        K25: Know how to respond appropriately to medical first aid emergencies Back to Duty

        K26: Understand how to effectively supervise other staff within the pharmacy Back to Duty

        K27: Understands how to effectively manage a patient’s medicines by ordering, receiving, maintaining and supplying those medicines and other pharmaceutical products Back to Duty

        Skills

        S1: Recognise and work within their scope of practice and skills, Back to Duty

        S2: Use relevant data and information to make effective decisions Back to Duty

        S3: Accurately retrieve and reconcile information about a person’s medicines Back to Duty

        S4: Accurately assemble prescribed items Back to Duty

        S5: Issue prescribed items safely and effectively and take action to deal with discrepancies carry out an accuracy check of dispensed medicines and products Back to Duty

        S6: Accurately perform pharmaceutical calculations to ensure the safety of people Back to Duty

        S7: Apply the principles of clinical governance and ensure person’s confidentiality Back to Duty

        S8: Assess a person’s present supply of medicines and order appropriate medicines and products. Back to Duty

        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 Back to Duty

        S10: Demonstrate operational skills within their scope of practice Back to Duty

        S11: Provide a safe, effective and responsive pharmacy service Back to Duty

        S12: Take personal responsibility for the legal, safe and efficient supply of medicines Back to Duty

        S13: Apply the principles of governance to pharmacy operational processes Back to Duty

        S14: Ensure the confidentiality of patient data. Back to Duty

        S15: Communicate and work effectively with members of the multidisciplinary team Back to Duty

        S16: Explain the impact of audit and evaluation on the quality of pharmacy operations and services Back to Duty

        S17: Engage others in the improvement of processes and systems Back to Duty

        S18: Effectively use systems to support the safe and effective management and supply of medicines Back to Duty

        S19: Listen to a person, understand their needs and interpret what matters to them. Back to Duty

        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 Back to Duty

        S21: Optimise a person’s medicines to achieve the best possible outcomes. Back to Duty

        S22: Obtain relevant information from people – including patients, carers and other healthcare professionals – and use it to optimise care appropriately Back to Duty

        S23: Adapt information and communication to meet the needs of particular audiences Back to Duty

        S24: Check and review their own and others work effectively Back to Duty

        S25: Suggest and implement personal goals and methods of improvement Back to Duty

        S26: Maintain CPD outcomes that meet with regulatory requirements Back to Duty

        S27: Identify and respond effectively to errors and near misses Back to Duty

        S28: Ensure effective safeguards are in place particularly for children and vulnerable adults Back to Duty

        S29: Prioritise time and resources effectively to achieve local and national objectives Back to Duty

        S30: Respond to medical emergencies Back to Duty

        S31: Ensure that health and safety controls are embedded and working Back to Duty

        S32: Effectively supervise other members of the team Back to Duty

        Behaviours

        B1: Always act in a manner supportive of the regulatory standards Back to Duty

        B2: Always act with integrity, openness, honesty, especially when things go wrong. Back to Duty

        B3: Be reliable, supportive and reflective Back to Duty

        B4: Respect all individual’s values and confidentiality Back to Duty

        B5: Value diversity and respect cultural differences – making sure that every person is treated fairly and with respect Back to Duty

        Open Awards Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians (Diploma)

        Awarding organisation: Open Awards

        Qualification type: TQ Qualification level: 3 Qualification approved: 07/03/2024

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