Overview
Go back Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Trainee Pre-Registration Pharmacy Technician (Apprentice)
The closing date is 02 November 2025
An exciting opportunity to join Team MWL as a Pre-Registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician in the Pharmacy team based at Whiston and St Helens Hospitals. This is a 2-year fixed term training post of 37.5 hours per week.
On successful completion of the apprenticeship programme, you will become a qualified Pharmacy Technician and be able to register with GPhC.
The apprenticeship includes an assessment and skills development programme with learning in the workplace, formal on- and off-the-job training, and practice in a real work environment. On successful completion of the Apprenticeship, you will have the knowledge, skills, and behaviours needed for your role.
Benefits / What the opportunity includes
* Paid employment with holiday leave
* Hands-on experience in a leading NHS organisation
* 6 hours per week time, pro rata, off-the-job learning
* Support to gain a nationally recognised qualification
The post holder will be supported to work towards successful completion of:
* Pharmacy Technician (Integrated) Level 3
Main duties of the job
You must be willing and able to follow an academic and practical training course and commit to undertaking at least 10 hours per week of your own time to complete college assignments. Successful completion will allow registration with the GPhC as a practising Pharmacy Technician.
Qualifications: Applicants must have at least 4 GCSEs or equivalent at grade C (or 4 or above), including Maths, English and Science. Or, if you have 2 years Pharmacy experience and an NVQ L2, you may apply but must pass a science assessment before offer. You must be able to provide original certificates (or certified copies) at interview.
About the role
As a Pre-Registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician, you will rotate through different sections of the Pharmacy department (Inpatient and Outpatient dispensing, Ward services, Pharmacy stores) and work with automated dispensing systems. You will prepare and dispense a broad range of medicines, learn medicines reconciliation at ward level, perform final accuracy checking of prescriptions, and advise patients about their medicines.
You will also learn to work with a range of equipment and contribute to patient safety and service delivery.
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain significant knowledge and skills and boost your career within Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
About us
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9,000 across 21 sites.
We strive for Five Star Patient Care.
Our Services
* Acute Care: Emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, plus medical and surgical specialties across sites.
* Primary Care: Marshalls Cross Medical Centre at St Helens Hospital.
* Community Services: Adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital for rehabilitation and urgent care at the Urgent Treatment Centre in St Helens town centre.
* Specialist Regional Services: Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston and Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport for the region.
Achievements
* Rated Outstanding by CQC (August 2018)
* Top 100 places to work in the NHS
* National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
* Assist in receipt and dispensing of prescriptions according to safe working practices.
* Participate in the Trainee technicians rota across Pharmacy areas (St Helens and Whiston), Pharmacy stores, Medicines information, and Aseptic dispensing unit.
* Assist in dispensing of controlled drugs and related record keeping.
* Assist in stock control within Pharmacy, wards, departments, and clinics.
* Request stocks and special items to fulfil prescriptions.
* Take payment for prescriptions according to procedure.
* Assist in preparation and assembly of supplies for wards and departments.
* Assist in dispensing extemporaneous medicines with appropriate equipment and accuracy.
* Assist in aseptically prepared products and cytotoxic drugs following procedures.
* Support colleagues and answer queries from patients and professionals, referring as needed.
* Assist in individual dose dispensing and blister packing where needed.
* Assist in preparation of resuscitation and anaphylaxis boxes per Trust policy.
* Participate in weekend, evening, bank holiday, and on-call rotas as required.
CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
* Work to the General Pharmaceutical Council code of ethics and standards.
* Undertake and complete all aspects of the Approved training course for Pre-registration Pharmacy Technicians, including work-based projects and college assignments (progression to year 2 depends on completing year 1).
ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
* Use the Pharmacy computer system accurately and responsibly for all duties.
RESEARCH & AUDIT
* Assist in departmental audit projects to improve services and contribute data as required.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* GCSE Grade C/4 in English and Maths and/or equivalent; for EHCP or legacy statements, English and maths minimums may be Entry Level 3; BSL equivalence noted.
* 2 years current experience in a Pharmacy setting with NVQ L2 or other GPhC qualification, or if not, at least one science GCSE at A-C.
Knowledge & Experience
* Clear communication with diverse groups.
* Ability to work as part of a team and plan/prioritise tasks.
* Good time management and understanding of the NHS; previous Pharmacy experience preferred.
Skills
* Good verbal communication
* Accurate instruction-following and organisation
* Ability to work under pressure and as part of a team
* Confidentiality and reliability
Other
* Ability to travel between hospital locations
* Willingness to participate in late and weekend department rotas
* Supportive of colleagues of all grades
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions) 1975; a DBS disclosure may be required.
Employer name
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Salary: £24,937 to £26,598 per year; 24-month training post, 37.5 hours per week
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