GPhC consults on ‘important changes’ to pharmacy technician training

A consultation on changes to the education and training of pharmacy technicians has been launched by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) – recognising the ‘evolving’ role of the profession.

Launched this week, the consultation seeks to gather views on a set of ‘important changes’ around the level of study, entry requirements, educational supervision requirements and learning outcomes of pharmacy technicians.

The GPhC said the goal was to train pharmacy technicians who can:

• Confidently work as part of multidisciplinary teams across various pharmacy settings;
• Demonstrate initiative and independence in delivering healthcare and pharmacy services to patients and the public;
• Deliver effective person-centred care and clinical practice.

Since the last training standards were published in October 2017, several changes have occurred which the GPhC consultation seeks to reflect.

‘The role of pharmacy technicians is evolving far beyond traditional medicine preparation and dispensing duties,’ the consultation document said.

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‘Pharmacy technicians are key members of both pharmacy and multi-disciplinary teams and have enhanced roles which needs to be reflected through initial education and training.’

For example, pharmacy technicians have been authorised to supply and administer medicines under Patient Group Directions (PGDs).

And draft legislation on pharmacy supervision proposed granting pharmacists the power to authorise pharmacy technicians to dispense medicines without supervision.

The consultation also highlighted how pharmacy technicians are ‘running specialised clinics’ in primary care settings, ‘playing a bigger role’ in delivering online and homecare services and ‘supporting public health initiatives to improve community health outcomes’.

One of the main proposals is to change the level of study for pharmacy technician's initial training from RQF Level 3 to at least RQF Leven 4 – equivalent to the first year of an undergraduate degree – due to the widening scope of a pharmacy technician’s practice.

The consultation also proposes a specific standard of educational supervision and sign-off, a mandate science subject entry requirement of at least RQF level 2, and training in environmental sustainability, genomics and digital tools.

Chief standards officer for the GPhC, Lynsey Cleland, said: ‘Pharmacy technicians play a vital role in the delivery of care from running specialised clinics to overseeing unregistered members of the pharmacy team such as support staff.

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‘Pharmacy technicians are also increasingly involved in public health initiatives – this shift focusses on proactive care to improve community health outcomes. The extension beyond traditional dispensing duties can also be seen through pharmacy technicians’ roles in delivering online and homecare services.’

She said that the education and training of pharmacy technicians must reflect what is expected of them in practice.

Speaking at the Avicenna conference last Sunday, Duncan Rudkin, chief executive and registrar of the GPhC, said this consultation was an ‘opportunity’ for pharmacy owners to consider the skill mix of their pharmacy teams.

He asked pharmacy owners: ‘How are you going to use and deploy [pharmacy technicians] so that they’re all operating at the top of their game, in a way that’s safe but makes the fullest possible use of their skills?

‘And what will you want and need of your pharmacy technician team members now and in the future?’

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The GPhC will need the help of pharmacy owners as it designs these new training standards, he added.

The consultation document will be sent to a range of stakeholders, including providers, pharmacy professionals, pharmacy owners, and patient representative bodies. Interested individuals and organisations can submit their feedback via a survey.

The consultation was opened by the GPhC on 1 October 2025 for 12 weeks, and will close on 24 December 2025.