Pharmacy Technician Day 2021

Tuesday 19th October 2021 is international pharmacy technician day. A day when the diverse role of the pharmacy technician is celebrated all over the globe.

This year the theme of the day is ‘Soaring to New Heights’. This is a very apt theme this year for pharmacy technicians in Great Britain as we celebrated 10-years of professional registration on the 1st July 2021. The celebrations that took place for that event highlighted the varied roles of pharmacy technicians and how they have indeed, soared to new heights.

Buttercups Training has been at the forefront of pharmacy technician training. We continue to support a new generation of pharmacy technicians coming into the profession, who have a variety of roles that were not available at the time I was training. The addition of pharmacy technicians into primary care roles and GP practices forms part of the now, almost commonplace, cross-sector rotations. Performing checks on the work of others forms part of the initial education and training standards for pharmacy technicians. Those wishing to become an Accredited Checking Pharmacy Technician (ACPT), once considered an advanced practice role, can begin this training towards the end of their pre-registration training and be qualified at the point of registration.

Enabling all pharmacy technicians to reach these new heights, supported by the initial education and training (IET) standards, forms part of a new course offered by Buttercups Training, the Foundation Practice Programme. This programme provides training for pharmacy technicians who qualified prior to the introduction of the new IET standards and provides them with the knowledge and skills in line with the latest IET standards.

Developments are also underway to add a post-registration course to the Buttercups portfolio, offering pharmacy technicians an opportunity to build on their consultation, clinical, diagnostic, project management and research skills to a more advanced level.

This investment in training shows the value in developing the pharmacy technician role. The recent creation of an 8d (AfC) role as Senior Professional Advisor: Pharmacy Technician Practice for NHS England and NHS Improvement shows the advancement of the role and the value placed on it at a national level.

So, this pharmacy technician day celebrates your role as a pharmacy technician. You are soaring to new heights and supporting the pharmacy technician workforce of the future!

Click here to access promotional materials to celebrate pharmacy technician day.

The Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK) will be holding celebrations on the nominate to celebrate campaign.

Happy #RxTechDay!!