Pharmacy Technician Apprentice
Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust
Poole (BH17 0RB)
Closes in 17 days (Sunday 28 June 2026)
Posted on 11 June 2026
Contents
Summary
Whether you're seeking a fresh and exciting challenge or you already work in pharmacy, this could be the opportunity for you! We are seeking motivated, well organised and enthusiastic individuals who are passionate about patient care to join our dedicated pharmacy team.
- Wage
-
£24,785 a year
- Training course
- Pharmacy technician (integrated) (level 3)
- Hours
-
(Full time P/T will be considered (min 30 hrs per week) Shifts to be confirmed
37 hours 15 minutes a week
- Start date
-
Tuesday 1 September 2026
- Duration
-
2 years
- Positions available
-
2
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
- Dispensing medications for both inpatients and outpatients
- Stock management including expiry date checks, receiving deliveries, disposal and return of medication
- Assessing patient's own drugs (PODs) for use in a hospital setting
- Establishing accurate medication histories and completing medicines reconciliation to ensure safe and effective prescribing
- Performing final accuracy checks of dispensed medication
- Patient counselling on safe and effective use of medications and life style advice
Where you'll work
2 Nuffield Road
Nuffield Industrial Estate
Poole
BH17 0RB
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
BUTTERCUPS TRAINING LIMITED
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
Training schedule
- Over a 2-year apprenticeship, you will undertake a well-structured course programme delivered through a blend of online academic learning as well as practical, work-based learning
- You will gain hands on experience working across a variety of pharmacy sectors throughout Dorset
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade C/4 or above)
- Maths (grade C/4 or above)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Customer care skills
- Team working
- Initiative
About this employer
At Dorset HealthCare we’re on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We’re a dynamic, forward looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people. We do things differently here – it’s one of the reasons the CQC rated us ‘outstanding’ in 2019. It’s also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you’re looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities. Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We’re an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves. Working with us you’ll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don’t know. And you’ll be working towards our vision to be better every day through excellence, compassion and expertise in all we do.
https://careers.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/roles-and-career-pathways/apprenticeships (opens in new tab)
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
- Upon successful completion of this apprenticeship, further opportunities may be available to you within the company, but the experience and skills gained should prepare you for future progression within the industry
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust
Amanda Poole
amanda.poole6@nhs.net
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000036732.
Apply now
Closes in 17 days (Sunday 28 June 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.