Coming Soon... The New Pharmacy Apprenticeship Standards

Buttercups Training is an integral part of the Pharmacy Trailblazer Group that is developing the new Standards for the level 2 Pharmacy Services Assistant, and the level 3 Pharmacy Technician apprenticeships.

The new Standards are focused on ensuring that both Dispensing Assistants and Pharmacy Technicians are integral members of the Pharmacy family.

For the Pharmacy Services Assistant, the Standard says:

The Pharmacy Services Assistant (PSA) works under the supervision of a Pharmacist, Pharmacy Technician, or other accountable healthcare professional. The PSA provides a variety of pharmacy and medicines services to patients, the public and other professional healthcare teams. The PSA supports the delivery of pharmacy services in a variety of pharmacy environments.

A PSA will be involved in supporting the supply, preparation and assembly of medicines and products; issuing them to patients and other healthcare professionals and assisting in providing advice to patients to help them to make effective use of their medicines. They will be responsible for ordering and receiving medicines, as well as their storage, disposal and return. They will have an understanding of healthy lifestyle choices and relevant screening services. They will understand and work to standard operating procedures (SOPs), a set of step-by-step instructions compiled by their organisation to help staff carry out routine operations. SOPs aim to achieve efficiency, quality output and uniformity of performance, while reducing miscommunication and failure to comply with pharmacy regulations.

For the Pharmacy Technician, the Standard proposes:

Pharmacy Technicians are registered professionals working within the regulatory standards for pharmacy, as set by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). (Pharmacy Order 2010). Pharmacy Technicians work in a wide range of settings, and will carry out both routine and specialist services, including highly complex activities requiring them to use their professional judgement. They are expected to work both individually and as part of a multi-disciplinary team demonstrating leadership. They are able to work with minimum supervision, taking responsibility for the quality and accuracy of the work that they have undertaken and that of others. Pharmacy Technicians are expected to work with a high degree of autonomy, and to communicate effectively with healthcare professionals, patients and the public, whilst respecting and maintaining confidentiality and privacy.

We are looking forward to being able to offer these Standards to our employers later in 2018.