We are offering an exciting opportunity for a motivated andenthusiastic individual to join our established Primary Care Network (PCN)pharmacy team as a Pre-Registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician. This is a fixed-term 24 month apprenticeship.
Throughout the programme, you will gain hands-on experienceacross both primary care (GP practices) and community pharmacy, working underthe supervision of experienced pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. The roleinvolves weekly rotations between settings, giving you broad exposure todifferent aspects of pharmacy practice
Working towards a BTECLevel 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians,delivered through day release study at Bradford College. The course includesvirtual classroom teaching led by college tutors and experienced healthcareprofessionals from the field
Applicants must meet the minimum entry requirement of fourGCSEs (grade 4/C or above) or equivalent, including Maths, English, andScience. You will also be expected to complete a portfolio of evidence todemonstrate competency in line with the apprenticeship and registrationstandards.
Upon successful completion of the programme, you will beeligible to register with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) as aqualified Pharmacy Technician.
The role commences in September 2025, subjectto college placement confirmation and satisfactory completion of pre-employmentchecks in order to comply with the NHS Employment Check Standards.
Main duties of the job
Main duties of the job
Role Overview
Under the guidance of registered Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians and as part of multidisciplinary healthcare teams, Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician Apprentices will support the safe preparation and supply of medicines to meet the needs of patients in both Community Pharmacy and Primary Care settings.
Throughout the placement, you will be expected to demonstrate a high standard of professionalismshowing respect, discretion, and confidentiality in all aspects of your work. You will contribute positively to team dynamics, maintain a safe working environment, and play an active role in supporting patient safety, particularly through the accurate preparation and dispensing of medicines.
You should be hardworking, reliable, and a strong team player with good interpersonal skills. Effective communication is vital, as is the ability to recognise and work within the boundaries of your current competence and training.
This role is offered on a fixed-term contract for 24 months to support completion of the apprenticeship training programme. The fixed-term status will be reviewed in line with organisational policy and relevant employment legislation.
To be eligible for this apprenticeship, applicants must have been a resident of the UK, EU, or EEA for at least the last three years.
The training post is salaried at 70% of the top of Band 4 in Year 1, rising to 75% in Year 2, in line with Annex 21 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service.
About us
About us
Barnsley has established one super Primary Care Network ofover 250,000 patients which includes all of GP practices across Barnsley. Thisis supported by six Neighbourhood Networks building on our successful andexisting model of neighbourhood working; this enables us to maintain and focuson the specific needs of each local area whilst allowing integration at aborough wide level.
Working within the Primary Care Network you will benefitfrom having a large team of peers to collaborate and learn from, as well asexperiencing the benefits of having ownership of the role within your smallpractice setting.
Job responsibilities
CommunityPharmacy responsibilities:
Workunder the direct supervision of a registered pharmacy professional and liaiseeffectively with other members of the pharmacy team.
Consistentlyadhere to all Standard Operating Procedures in the pharmacy setting.
Gaina thorough understanding of Medicines Optimisation and the valuable rolePharmacy Technicians play in delivering Community Pharmacy services throughdirect patient interaction.
Assistthe Pharmacist in the retrieval and handling of electronic prescriptions,following SOP guidelines.
Receiveprescriptions, verify their legality and validity, and guide patients incompleting relevant declarations.
Usethe pharmacys dispensing system to maintain accurate Patient MedicationRecords and generate labels.
Dispensea range of prescriptions, including NHS, private prescriptions, andmonitored dosage systems, ensuring accuracy in line with communitypharmacy SOPs.
Handout medications and provide clear patient counselling on appropriate medicineusage.
Safelymanage the disposal of returned or unwanted medicines in compliance withdisposal protocols.
Recordcontrolled drugs in the CD register and perform regular balance checksaccording to legal and procedural requirements.
Managestock processes including ordering, receiving, storing, and maintaininginventory in line with SOPs.
Supportthe Pharmacist in conducting medicines reconciliation, ensuring accurate andup-to-date patient medication records, particularly during caretransitionsliaising with GP practices where necessary.
Conductover-the-counter sales and offer advice for common minor ailments undersupervision.
Assistthe Pharmacist in delivering key pharmacy services such as the Medicines UseReview, New Medicines Service, and Community PharmacistConsultation Service.
Contributeto the provision of commissioned enhanced services e.g., smoking cessationsupport, under the supervision of the Pharmacist or trained pharmacy staff.
Communicateeffectively with General Practice teams to resolve prescription-related queriesand support seamless patient care.
GeneralPractice Responsibilities
Workunder the direct supervision of a registered pharmacy professional and liaiseeffectively with other members of the practice team.
AlwaysAdhere to all relevant Standard Operating Procedures within theworkplace.
Gainan understanding of Medicines Optimisation and the role of Pharmacy Techniciansin General Practice, including working in both face-to-face and telephone-basedpatient interactions.
Usethe clinical IT system to accurately document consultations, conduct searches,and communicate via tasks with other healthcare professionals.
Processprescription requests from patients, care home staff, community pharmacists,and GPs within 48 hours for routine prescriptions and on the same day forurgent requests. This may include directing prescriptions to out-of-hourspharmacies where necessary.
Developknowledge and support the use of practice templates for monitoring high-riskmedication.
Learnto manage blood test monitoring, recalls, and reviews in line with establishedprotocols, involving appropriate clinicians as needed.
Reviewhospital discharge summaries and clinical letters to reconcile medications,identify discrepancies, and escalate concerns to the pharmacist or designatedGP under supervision.
Contributeto the effective management of prescribing budgets through regular audits, dataanalysis, and by supporting the implementation of cost-effective prescribing strategies remaining aware of current incentive targets.
Assistpharmacists and clinical staff with annual medication reviews e.g. forasthma, ensuring patients are prescribed the most cost-effective formularyitems and demonstrate correct usage e.g. inhaler technique, undersupervision.
Performregular audits of medicine storage to ensure compliance with local and nationalguidelines, reporting any issues to the appropriate manager.
Ensureregular checking of in-practice medicines, identifying and appropriatelydisposing of expired stock in accordance with SOPs.
Promotemedicines waste reduction through the use of appropriate resources and patienteducation.
Carryout patient interventions both face-to-face and via telephone as directed bythe pharmacist, and ensure all consultations are properly documented andreported to the relevant clinician.
Undertakeprescribing audits to assess practice or Primary Care Network prescribingpatterns, benchmark against national and local targets, and identify areas forimprovement.
Supportprescription clerks by assisting with queries related to medication requests.
Contributeto the ongoing development and safety of the prescription process by resolvingqueries and ensuring prescriptions are issued within agreed timelines, incollaboration with the practice pharmacist.
Assistthe pharmacist in managing drug recalls, safety alerts e.g., MHRA, andmedicines supply issues.
Promoteseasonal health promotion initiatives e.g., Stoptober, Antibiotic AwarenessWeek, Flu Campaigns, including the creation of informative patient-facingdisplays.
Encouragethe use of digital health tools such as Patient Access, the NHS App, andElectronic Repeat Dispensing, promoting these to patients and staff asdirected by the Practice Manager.
INFORMATION SUPPORT ANDRECORD KEEPING
To keep an accurate record of all activityundertaken within practices and community pharmacy.
To ensure all patient interventions are recorded onthe practice/community pharmacy computer in accordance with the workingprocedures developed with the practice/community pharmacy.
To be responsible for keeping accurate retrievablerecords of all formal queries, data collection exercises, and audits.
To be confident and competent with using thepharmacy and practice computer systems, always complying with confidentialityand the data protection act.
To understand and be able to use Word, Msteams,Excel, internet explorer and email.
TRAINING AND EDUCATION
Successfully complete a General PharmaceuticalCouncil -accredited course, GPhC-recognised qualification, orGPhC-approved apprenticeship pathway to meet the eligibility criteria forregistration as a Pharmacy Technician.
Dedicate one day per week or equivalent time tostructured study using online learning platforms and resources.
Commit to independent study outside of workinghours as required to support learning and progression.
Complete all mandatory and statutory trainingrelevant to each workplace setting.
Undertake and complete local competency-basedassessments as required.
Ensure the minimum required hours of work-basedexperience are achieved, in line with GPhC standards, to support successfulregistration as a qualified Pharmacy Technician.
PLANNING ANDORGANISATION: FREEDOM TO ACT
Work under the direct supervision of a registeredPharmacist or qualified Pharmacy Technician at all times, whether based in acommunity pharmacy or primary care setting.
All duties must be performed in line with StandardOperating Procedures, local policies, and the scope of practice asdefined by the training programme and relevant regulatory standards.
The PTPT is not authorised to act independently inany clinical or dispensing role until deemed competent in specific tasksthrough assessment and sign-off, in accordance with the training programme.
As competencies develop, certain responsibilitiesmay be carried out with reduced direct supervision, provided this is formallyagreed with the supervising pharmacist or technician.
The PTPT is expected to maintain professionalbehaviour and adhere to GPhC guidance, reporting concerns, errors, oruncertainties to their supervisor immediately.
The level of autonomy will gradually increase onlyas competence is demonstrated and documented through the accredited trainingand assessment process.
COLLABORATIVE WORKINGARRANGEMENTS
Participate in the PCNMDT
Foster and maintainsstrong links with all services across the PCN
Explore the potential forcollaborative working and takes opportunities to initiate and sustain suchrelationships
Attend ICB Medicine OptimisationTeam meetings and peer groups
Attend ICB MedicineOptimisation Team training and development sessions
Liaise with colleaguesincluding ICB Medicine Optimisation Team on prescribing matters to ensureconsistency of patient care and benefit
Participate in the ICBMedicine Optimisation Team medicines related projects and workstreams
Liaise and integrate withcolleagues in the ICB Medicine Optimisation Team to benefit from peer support
Work with primary care toensure practices are compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved
To support public healthcampaigns and to provide specialist knowledge on all public health programmesavailable to the general public
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
Liaise with other stakeholders as needed forthe collective benefit of patients, key relationships include (but are notlimited to):
Patients and theirrepresentatives
GPs, nurses and otherpractice staff
Social prescribers, firstcontact physiotherapists, physician associates and paramedics
Community pharmacists andsupport staff
ICB Medicine OptimisationTeam including pharmacists and technicians
Locality/GP prescribinglead
Locality Managers
Community nurses andother allied health professionals
Hospital staff withresponsibilities for prescribing and medicines optimisation
Person Specification
Experience
* Working knowledge of Microsoft Office including Word and Excel.
* Ability to work with attention to detail and accuracy.
* Ability to work to deadlines in a high-pressure environment.
* Knowledge of NHS and Primary Care
* Ability to complete the General Pharmaceutical Council accredited course/recognised qualification or apprenticeship pathway with Training Provider.
* Good written and oral skills.
* Knowledge of NHS and Primary Care
Qualifications
* Four GCSEs at grade A*-C/ 9-4, three of which must include English language, Mathematics and one Science subject, Biology or Chemistry
* Customer service skills and NVQ In Pharmacy Service Skill Level 2
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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