Pre-registration Pharmacy Technician Apprenticeship (The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London)
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
London (SW3 6JJ)
Closes in 13 days (Monday 28 September 2026)
Posted on 15 September 2026
Contents
Summary
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is the largest comprehensive cancer centre in Europe and is ranked as one of the top NHS Trusts in the country in the NHS national performance ranking.
- Wage
-
£25,760 a year
- Training course
- Pharmacy technician (integrated) (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday to Friday 9am to 5.30pm.
37 hours 30 minutes a week
- Start date
-
Monday 26 October 2026
- Duration
-
2 years
- Positions available
-
1
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
Our Pharmacy Department plays a key role in maintaining and enhancing the Trust’s reputation. This post is a great opportunity to train as an Apprentice Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician. This training programme will equip learners with the clinical knowledge, confidence, practical and professional skills to practise as pharmacy technicians. Full support will be given to the suitable candidates to complete their training to become a qualified pharmacy technician in a specialist cancer hospital. This is a 2-year full-time post based at one of our main hospital sites (Sutton or Fulham). There may be a requirement to travel to another site. The Pharmacy Technician Training Programme (Apprenticeship Pathway) enables learners, with relevant work experience, to apply for registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
You will engage in a rotational training programme covering various aspects such as ward-based medicines management, the in-patient dispensary, aseptics, clinical trials, the outpatient dispensary, pharmacy stores, and procurement. This hands-on experience will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the pharmacy technician role in different healthcare settings.
You will integrate into our pharmacy team working within the dispensary and day units helping to deliver an effective and safe service and assisting with the day to day running of the clinical pharmacy services. This will include labelling and dispensing medications, discharge medicine supply, and patient counselling to ensure in-patients and day-unit patients are discharged in a timely manner with the correct medication and advice. On the day units you will help with counselling and handing out medications to patients and organising the medications to be available from the outpatient pharmacy for the patients before their appointment time, learning how to deliver excellent patient care.
Additional duties on the wards include the assessment of patients own drugs, taking drug histories, medication ordering, assisting in medication reconciliation, and audits.
Duties
- Assisting in stock management
- Labelling medicines
- Dispensing medicines
- Ordering stock for the dispensary
- Checking patient's own medication
- Counselling patients on their medicines
Where you'll work
Fulham Road
London
SW3 6JJ
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
Buttercups Training is a trusted specialist in pharmacy and healthcare training, supporting learners and employers across community, hospital, and primary care. We design high-quality, career-shaping apprenticeship programmes that build confidence, strengthen clinical practice, and meet the evolving needs of the healthcare workforce. Our collaborative learning approach encourages shared insight and practical application, helping professionals grow together to deliver safer care and better patient outcomes across the organisations and communities they serve.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Organisation skills
- Team working
- Word/excel
- Listening skills
- Time management skills
- Positive attitude
- Friendly
- Determination
Other requirements
Essential
- 4 GCSE to include minimum grade 4/C including English, Maths & 1 Science subject.
- + no degree level qualification related to pharmacy
Desirable
- Level 2 Apprenticeship in Pharmacy Services or equivalent
About this employer
The Royal Marsden opened its doors in 1851 as the world’s first hospital dedicated to cancer diagnosis, treatment, research and education.
Today it operates as a specialist cancer hospital and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre for Cancer., working closely with its principal academic partner, the Institute of Cancer Research. (ICR). Together, The Royal Marsden and the ICR are ranked in the top five cancer centres in the world for the impact of their research, treating over 59,000 NHS and private patients every year.
It is a centre of excellence with an international reputation for ground-breaking research and pioneering the very latest in cancer treatments and technologies, as well as specialising in cancer diagnosis and education..
The Royal Marsden operates from two centres, in Chelsea and Sutton, and we also have a Medical Daycare Unit at Kingston Hospital.
The Outpatient Departments at The Royal Marsden's hospitals in Chelsea and Sutton provide clinics for new patients, patients receiving treatment and those requiring follow-up. Each week we see around 3,400 patients – 1,450 in Chelsea and 1,950 in Sutton. With dedicated units for all cancer types, The Royal Marsden provides care during diagnosis, treatment and beyond, and has specialist paediatric facilities for children and young people.
Company benefits
Outer London weighting will be added for the student at Sutton, giving a salary of £30,630.
Inner London weighting will be added for the student at the Chelsea site, giving a salary of £31,554.
Holidays:
27 days a year, plus Bank Holidays.
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
After completion of this training the student pharmacy technician will be eligible to register with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
As a registered pharmacy technician there are many opportunities and career options for a Band 5 pharmacy technician, working in a hospital pharmacy, a GP practice, in the community, in a pharmaceutical company, etc
Within the hospital pharmacy there are opportunities for career progression to a Band 6 technician position, working in a pharmacy technician role with increased responsibilities within a specific clinical team/pharmacy department.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
BUTTERCUPS TRAINING LIMITED
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000053676.
Apply now
Closes in 13 days (Monday 28 September 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.