Apprentice Pharmacy Technician
LANCASHIRE AND SOUTH CUMBRIA NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
Chorley (PR7 1PP)
Closes in 13 days (Saturday 7 February 2026)
Posted on 23 January 2026
Contents
Summary
At LSCFT, you would be based at Chorley Hospital, mental health inpatient unit. You would be part of a fantastic and supportive pharmacy team who would guide you through the skills and knowledge you need to achieve whilst on your course.
- Wage
-
£24,465 a year
- Training course
- Pharmacy technician (integrated) (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday - Friday, 08:30 - 16:30, depending in service needs.
37 hours 30 minutes a week
- Start date
-
Monday 30 March 2026
- Duration
-
2 years 3 months
- 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
- To help provide a comprehensive pharmaceutical service with emphasis on the accurate preparation and dispensing of medicines to patients and for the supply of medicines to wards, departments and partnership organisations under supervision
- Participate in local and national audits and monitor compliance with medicines legislation and national and local standards for the safe and secure handling of medicines
- Act as a key member of the multidisciplinary ward team and the wider pharmacy team
- Recognise own limitations and refer to pharmacist/technician where necessary
- Communicate sensitive information concerning patients’ medicines, requiring the post holder to have persuasive skills.
- To carry out accurate and efficiently the dispensing of medications for in-patients in line with Trust procedure
- Working directly with patients, under supervision of other healthcare professionals, to improve concordance and adherence and to ensure individuals get the best possible outcome from the medicines they use
- Deliver medication education to patients through counselling on admission and discharge. This may involve communicating tactfully and with empathy with difficult, hostile or emotional service users. Recognise potential risks, adhere to safety and security advice and seek guidance from the wider team regarding any interactions
- Communicate sensitive information concerning patient’s medicines to patients with special needs, overcoming barriers to understanding and communication with patients who have physical, mental, social, learning, language, hearing or sight problems
- Work with other health and social care professionals to ensure effective liaison across all interfaces (secondary care, intermediate care, primary care, social care settings) with the aim of ensuring continuity of patient care on transfer
- Communicate details of patient medicines using medicines reconciliation templates
- Responsible for topping up designated wards to agreed stock levels. This includes expiry date checks and stock rotation
- To participate in the dispensing and stock supply of Controlled Drugs in accordance with Trust procedure
- To participate in the management of returned pharmaceuticals and to complete stock checks in accordance with Trust procedures
- To rotate across sectors i.e. Mental Health, Primary Care Networks and Acute Trusts as outlined in your learning plan
- To communicate any issues or concerns regarding college assignments or skills units in a timely manner
- To attend regular progress meetings with the assigned educational supervisor
Where you'll work
Preston Road
Chorley
PR7 1PP
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
I & F 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
- You would be expected to complete an apprenticeship in pharmacy - BTEC Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians
- This would be undertaken remotely with one of our training partners
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- Another subject (grade Grade C/4+)
- English (grade Grade C/4+ or equivalent)
- Maths (grade Grade C/4+)
- Science dual science or Biology or chemistry (grade Grade C/4+ or equivalent)
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
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Number skills
- Team working
- Patience
About this employer
Lancashire & South Cumbria is a Mental Health & Wellbeing Trust. Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care. The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area. For more information please visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.
After this apprenticeship
- Opportunity to apply for other roles within the NHS
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
I & F LIMITED
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000010393.
Apply now
Closes in 13 days (Saturday 7 February 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.