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Pharmacy Technician

Mixing and checking life saving medicine before it's administered to patients

How this role makes a difference

Most of us think of pharmacies being on our local high street, but in fact they exist in several different places. For instance inside prisons and care homes, in hospitals and mental health clinics, in the armed forces and in some GP practices. 

In all these environments, pharmacies support a range of health needs, providing professional advice and dispensing medicines and treatments. In some, however, there may be more direct contact with patients: people who could have multiple conditions or potentially addictions to consider. You could be the technician who provides the right medicine at the right time, helping people to feel better and recover fully.

The kind of work you’ll do

  • Assembling medicines for prescriptions
  • Providing information to patients and other healthcare professionals
  • Managing areas of medicine supply and maintain stocks
  • Supervising other pharmacy staff
  • Answering customers questions face to face or by phone
  • Pre-packing, assembling and labelling medicines
  • Referring problems or queries to the pharmacist
Useful skills
Precise
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Attention to detail
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Instructing others
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Problem solving
Skills & attributes

What you can bring to the role

An enthusiasm for supporting people’s health and wellbeing.

Confidence in basic maths and science.

The ability to work on your own with minimum supervision.

Skill at communicating effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.

The ability to take responsibility for the quality and accuracy of your own work and to oversee the work of others.

A knack for teaching others how to do things and putting what you’ve learnt into practice.

The ability to select relevant data and information to make sound decisions.

This role could also be right for you if you have any of the following interests:

- caring for others

- science

£ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 , 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Average salary per year *
£ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 , 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Average salary per month *

Data powered by LMI for all
*according to ONS

Future career opportunities

A career in pharmacy can take you in lots of different directions, to the wide range of settings where pharmacies are located. In each location you will gain the primary skills of a pharmacist but also gain specialist knowledge that supports the environment you’re working in.

With experience you will be expected to instruct and train other people and could develop your career as a trainer. There are also opportunities in academia where you can carry out research, apply innovative teaching methods, and contribute to national and international pharmacy policy. You may also choose to open your own pharmacy.

How to get into this role

There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job.

But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:  

Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.

A little more about the role

Exciting features...

Pharmacy technicians manage the supply of medicines and devices in a pharmacy and assist pharmacists with advisory services. You will be responsible for carrying out both routine and specialist services, including highly complex activities requiring the use of your professional judgement.

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Pharmacy Technician

Nandani Uppal
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