Level 6 – Enhanced Clinical Practitioner for Pharmacy Technicians Apprenticeship

The programme meets all the learning outcomes of the Enhanced Clinical Practitioner Level 6 (non-degree) within the 10 duties of the apprenticeship standard.

Duty 1 - Be an accountable professional acting in the best interests of people, putting them first and providing complex clinical care that is evidence-based, person-centred, safe and compassionate.

Duty 2 - Use existing knowledge and expertise and enhanced levels of clinical judgement to independently undertake complex and holistic assessments.

Duty 3 - Act independently to plan, deliver, monitor and evaluate complex care using enhanced clinical assessments, diagnostics, and interventions.

Duty 4 - Act as an expert resource within their own organisation and for external agencies.

Duty 5 - Develop, deliver and evaluate education and training opportunities for others within own scope of practice.

Duty 6 - Communicate effectively in challenging environments and situations with patients, their families/carers and the multi-disciplinary team.

Duty 7 - Promote and encourage innovative clinical practice to support a culture of excellence within the wider health and care team.

Duty 8 - Lead and manage unpredictable and unplanned clinical situations.

Duty 9 - Participate in resource management, strategic service development, planning and service improvement.

Duty 10 - Lead, monitor, develop and appraise staff and learners.

All learners are required to undertake the following:

• Functional skills in maths and English at Level 2 as a mandatory part of this programme, unless acceptable exemption evidence is provided during the enrolment process.

• Learners contracted 30+ hours a week: 15 months* on programme for full time learners (followed by 3 months at End Point Assessment)
• Learners contracted 21-29 hours a week: extended pro-rata up to 25 months.

*the typical duration once enrolled onto the programme is 15 months for a full time learner, but this may be reduced by up to 3 months if learners have prior experience identified at the Skills Scan.

Learners will be required to undertake end point assessment (EPA) to achieve the apprenticeship standard.

The EPA takes place after the learner has completed all the requirements of the training programme and their workplace agrees they are competent (Gateway requirements). The EPA is completed by an external organisation approving a project proposal and asking questions based on a project report, it also includes a professional discussion of 12 pieces of evidence within the e-portfolio. The EPA typically lasts 3 months and starts when the EPA organisation confirms Gateway requirements have been met.

On achievement of the end point assessment, learners will receive an overall Enhanced Clinical Practitioner (non-integrated) Apprenticeship certificate issued by the government.

The Enhanced Clinical Practitioner for Pharmacy Technicians is an apprenticeship programme that must be funded through an employer’s apprenticeship services account. The maximum cost for this apprenticeship programme, set out by the funding band, is £7000.

Levy employers pay for the apprenticeship through their levy fund.

Non-levy employers pay 5% towards the overall cost of the programme directly, with the remaining 95% funded by the government. For this programme, this will be a maximum of £350+VAT.

For further information about apprenticeship funding, including how to find out whether you are a levy or non-levy paying employer, please visit our apprenticeship information page.

Includes: communication skills and methods, meeting needs of individuals, professionalism, introduction to problem solving and decision making, working practices.

Includes: laboratory testing (blood/urine/other bodily samples), introduction to NHS screening and testing services e.g., cardiovascular risk, sexual health checks, pharmacy services, introduction to medicines optimisation, monitoring of high-risk medicines, pharmacokinetics related to therapeutic drug monitoring, application in pharmacy.

Includes: critical thinking skills e.g., arguments, assumptions, bias, decision making skills including collaborative and interpersonal, professional judgements, coaching, problem-solving, teaching learning and assessment theories, feedback models.

1. Cardiovascular focus – physiology, medicines used in management, medicines optimisation, application in practice
2. Respiratory focus – physiology, medicines used in management, medicines optimisation, application in practice
3. Diabetes focus – physiology, medicines used in management, medicines optimisation, application in practice
4. Antimicrobial stewardship principles of microbiology, transmission, medicines optimisation, evidence-based management/treatment
5. Neurological conditions of the elderly – physiology, medicines used in management, medicines optimisation, application in practice
6. Renal conditions of the elderly – physiology, medicines used in management, medicines optimisation, application in practice
7. Musculoskeletal of the elderly – physiology, medicines used in management, medicines optimisation, application in practice

Includes: Leading yourself and a team, risk management, audit and quality improvement, regulation, data collection, data analysis, project management skills, preparing and delivering teaching and learning sessions.

Includes: gateway requirements, preparing a proposal, professional discussion skills, end point assessment requirements.

• Must have the right to work and abode in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least the previous three years. Additional eligibility rules apply to EEA nationals and non-UK nationals.
• Must be a GPhC registered pharmacy technician and maintain registration throughout the programme
• Must hold a contract of employment as a pharmacy technician for a minimum of 21 hours per week
• Must be working in a clinical pharmacy environment
• Must be working alongside a healthcare professional registered with one of the UK statutory healthcare regulators e.g., GPhC, GMC, NMC
• Must meet the pre-screening criteria in relation to: health and character, current ability and current level of maths and English language knowledge
• Cannot be in full time education or enrolled onto another government funded programme
• Cannot hold an equivalent qualification at the same level
• Cannot hold a Level 7 or above, unless the qualification is ‘materially different’ from the apprenticeship. Queries in relation to prior qualifications will be individually assessed by our specialist tutors

For candidates who are not eligible for apprenticeship funding, Buttercups offers an employer funded alternative, the Level 4 Enhanced Practice Programme.

• The workplace is in England
• Must provide a clinical experienced, registered healthcare professional who is regulated by one of the UK statutory healthcare regulatory bodies e.g., GPhC, GMC, NMC to oversee and support the apprentices’ training in the role of a workplace training supervisor
• Must provide off-the-job (OTJ) training during the apprentices’ normal paid working hours.
  • This will be approximately 343 hours over the apprenticeship, which is the equivalent to 6 hours a week
  • Additional time must be given if the learner needs to undertake additional math and/or English training, such as functional skills.
• Must provide a workplace environment that allows the learner to:
  • Work as part of a multidisciplinary healthcare team
  • Be involved in clinical interventions within their scope of practice for pharmacy
  • Engage with patients, their families or carers in providing strategies to manage their health and wellbeing