Apprentice Pharmacy Technician

UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF MORECAMBE BAY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

Lancaster (LA1 4RP)

Closes in 12 days (Thursday 15 May 2025)

Posted on 2 May 2025

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Summary

You will work as part of our hospital pharmacy team, gaining hands-on experience in all aspects of hospital pharmacy services while studying for your Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians.

Wage

£18,571 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

This post attracts a trainee salary under Annex U/21 of Agenda for Change: Year 1 – 70% of the top of a Band 4 salary Year 2 – 75% of the top of a Band 4 salary Adult minimum wage will be protected

Training course
Pharmacy technician (integrated) (level 3)
Hours
Shift working may be required in line with the Trust's 7-day working policy.

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Monday 1 September 2025

Duration

2 years

Positions available

3

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

  • You will attend Kendal College one day per week in term times for formal learning.
  • The remaining four days will be spent in the hospital, where you will receive supervised practical training in dispensary services, medicines management, and patient care.
  • You will gain experience in areas such as the dispensary, ward-based pharmacy, procurement, and stock control.
  • You will receive support from experienced pharmacy professionals, including a dedicated mentor.
  • Additional study in your own time will be required to successfully complete the training programme.

Where you'll work

Royal Lancaster Infirmary
Ashton Road
Lancaster
LA1 4RP

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

KENDAL COLLEGE

Your training course

Pharmacy technician (integrated) (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Recognise and work within their scope of practice and skills,
  • Use relevant data and information to make effective decisions
  • Accurately retrieve and reconcile information about a person’s medicines
  • Accurately assemble prescribed items
  • Issue prescribed items safely and effectively and take action to deal with discrepancies carry out an accuracy check of dispensed medicines and products
  • Accurately perform pharmaceutical calculations to ensure the safety of people
  • Apply the principles of clinical governance and ensure person’s confidentiality
  • Assess a person’s present supply of medicines and order appropriate medicines and products.
  • 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
  • Demonstrate operational skills within their scope of practice
  • Provide a safe, effective and responsive pharmacy service
  • Take personal responsibility for the legal, safe and efficient supply of medicines
  • Apply the principles of governance to pharmacy operational processes
  • Ensure the confidentiality of patient data.
  • Communicate and work effectively with members of the multidisciplinary team
  • Explain the impact of audit and evaluation on the quality of pharmacy operations and services
  • Engage others in the improvement of processes and systems
  • Effectively use systems to support the safe and effective management and supply of medicines
  • Listen to a person, understand their needs and interpret what matters to them.
  • 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
  • Optimise a person’s medicines to achieve the best possible outcomes.
  • Obtain relevant information from people – including patients, carers and other healthcare professionals – and use it to optimise care appropriately
  • Adapt information and communication to meet the needs of particular audiences
  • Check and review their own and others work effectively
  • Suggest and implement personal goals and methods of improvement
  • Maintain CPD outcomes that meet with regulatory requirements
  • Identify and respond effectively to errors and near misses
  • Ensure effective safeguards are in place particularly for children and vulnerable adults
  • Prioritise time and resources effectively to achieve local and national objectives
  • Respond to medical emergencies
  • Ensure that health and safety controls are embedded and working
  • Effectively supervise other members of the team
  • Recognise and work within their scope of practice and skills,
  • Use relevant data and information to make effective decisions
  • Accurately retrieve and reconcile information about a person’s medicines
  • Accurately assemble prescribed items
  • Issue prescribed items safely and effectively and take action to deal with discrepancies carry out an accuracy check of dispensed medicines and products
  • Accurately perform pharmaceutical calculations to ensure the safety of people
  • Apply the principles of clinical governance and ensure person’s confidentiality
  • Assess a person’s present supply of medicines and order appropriate medicines and products.
  • 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
  • Demonstrate operational skills within their scope of practice
  • Provide a safe, effective and responsive pharmacy service
  • Take personal responsibility for the legal, safe and efficient supply of medicines
  • Apply the principles of governance to pharmacy operational processes
  • Ensure the confidentiality of patient data.
  • Communicate and work effectively with members of the multidisciplinary team
  • Explain the impact of audit and evaluation on the quality of pharmacy operations and services
  • Engage others in the improvement of processes and systems
  • Effectively use systems to support the safe and effective management and supply of medicines
  • Listen to a person, understand their needs and interpret what matters to them.
  • 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
  • Optimise a person’s medicines to achieve the best possible outcomes.
  • Obtain relevant information from people – including patients, carers and other healthcare professionals – and use it to optimise care appropriately
  • Adapt information and communication to meet the needs of particular audiences
  • Check and review their own and others work effectively
  • Suggest and implement personal goals and methods of improvement
  • Maintain CPD outcomes that meet with regulatory requirements
  • Identify and respond effectively to errors and near misses
  • Ensure effective safeguards are in place particularly for children and vulnerable adults
  • Prioritise time and resources effectively to achieve local and national objectives
  • Respond to medical emergencies
  • Ensure that health and safety controls are embedded and working
  • Effectively supervise other members of the team

Your training plan

As a Trainee Pharmacy Technician, you will undertake a structured two-year training programme, which will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to become a qualified and General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) registered Pharmacy Technician.

You will attend Kendal College one day per week in term times for formal learning.

The remaining four days will be spent in the hospital, where you will receive supervised practical training in dispensary services, medicines management, and patient care.

Requirements

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • IT skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Customer care skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Administrative skills
  • Number skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience
  • Physical fitness

About this company

We operate from three main hospitals - Furness General Hospital (FGH) in Barrow, Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI) Lancaster and Westmorland General (WGH) Kendal, as well as a number of community health care premises including Millom hospital and GP practice, Queen Victoria Hospital in Morecambe and Ulverston Community health centre. FGH and the RLI have a range of General Hospital services with full Emergency Department and Critical/ Coronary Care Units and various Consultant Lead Services. WGH provides a range of General Hospital services, together with an Urgent Treatment Centre, that can help with a range of non life threatening conditions such as broken bones and minor illnesses. All three main hospitals provide a range of planned care, including Outpatient, Diagnostics, Therapies, Day Case, Inpatient Surgery. Community Facilities provide a local Outreach Service and Diagnostics within Morecambe Bay. Our Community Services for adults are provided in people’s homes, Community Centres, Clinics, GP Practices, Community Hospitals and our General Hospitals. Our aim is to work with people to help them remain independence, improve their health and manage their conditions through high quality care, health educations, advice and support.

https://www.uhmb.nhs.uk/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

NHS benefits, including a generous pension scheme, annual leave, and staff discounts.

Disability Confident

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

As a Trainee Pharmacy Technician, you will undertake a structured two-year training programme, which will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to become a qualified and General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) registered Pharmacy Technician. You will work as part of our hospital pharmacy team, gaining hands-on experience in all aspects of hospital pharmacy services while studying for your Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF MORECAMBE BAY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

Alison Woods

alison.woods@mbht.nhs.uk

01524 514194

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000318419.

Apply now

Closes in 12 days (Thursday 15 May 2025)

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After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.