Pharmacy Technician apprentice
LANCASHIRE AND SOUTH CUMBRIA NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
Wesham (PR4 3HA)
Closes in 6 days (Wednesday 21 October 2026)
Posted on 14 October 2026
Contents
Summary
You would be expected to complete an apprenticeship in pharmacy - Level 3 apprenticeship Diploma in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians. This would be undertaken remotely with one of our training partners.
- Wage
-
Competitive
Competitive wage offered
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
£25,272 per annum Pro Rata for part time
- Training course
- Pharmacy technician (integrated) (level 3)
- Hours
-
29 hours working over 4 to 5 days.
29 hours a week
- Start date
-
Friday 1 January 2027
- 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
- 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
Wesham Rehabilitation Centre
Mowbreck
Wesham
PR4 3HA
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
PRESTON COLLEGE
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
Throughout the duration of your training, you will be fully supported by an educational supervisor and practice supervisors as well as the wider pharmacy teams.
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
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Number skills
- Initiative
- Patience
Other requirements
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age due to safeguarding requirements. The role includes direct contact and work with service users in Mental Health inpatient settings.
Enhanced DBS will be requested as part of the pre employment checks if successful.
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.
https://www.lscft.nhs.uk/vacancies#!/job/v8345316 (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
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
Opportunity to apply for substantive qualified technician vacancies on completion.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
LANCASHIRE AND SOUTH CUMBRIA NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
Triona Galvin
Triona.Galvin@lscft.nhs.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000057800.
Apply now
Closes in 6 days (Wednesday 21 October 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.