Care home pharmacy technicians play an important role complementing care home clinical pharmacists, community pharmacists and other members of the multi-disciplinary team focussed on providing safe, cost-effective medicines for care home residents.

As a care home pharmacy technician, you have three broad areas of responsibility; clinical (medicines reconciliation, patient counselling and follow-up), technical (waste management and ordering) and training (care home staff, community pharmacy and the wider medical teams).

Key responsibilities

• Providing safe, cost-effective clinical and technical pharmacy services to nursing and residential care home residents and older people within care communities.
• Proactively working as part of a multi-disciplinary team that includes community nursing teams, GPs, nurses, care home staff, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, non-medical prescribers, dietitians and support staff.
• Accurately recording and reporting activity and outcome data as required to support the Medicines Optimisation and CCG QIPP programme.
• Performing structured medicines reviews and education for residents, in line with current procedures and adjusting as necessary to improve health outcomes and improve efficiency.
• Building relationships within the care home, GP care home leads, primary care network pharmacist and other technicians.
• Providing prescribing support to nominated general practice(s) within the CCG including advice regarding the transfer of care procedures for care home residents.
• Providing domiciliary reviews to patients that are housebound in their own homes.
• Providing education and training to colleagues including the safe and appropriate ordering, storage and administration of medicines within a care home environment.
• Reviewing medicine ordering and wastage within the care home and providing advice to reduce wastage.
• Document technical medicines queries from colleagues, residents, and members of the public about the prescribing and dispensing of medication to prevent safeguarding incidents with care home residents
• Support the development of pathways and guidelines related to care homes.
• Understand the Mental Capacity Act to aid decision-making for medicines administration within care homes.
• Make and take responsibility for professional decisions whilst working within professional standards of conduct, ethics and performance.
• Take responsibility for keeping up to date with professional responsibilities and CPD requirements including attending and completing CPPE training days in line with the CPPE 18-month schedule.

There are various pathways to becoming a Care Home Pharmacist Technician including undertaking a college course (eg T level for Pharmacy Science Assistants), becoming an apprentice or becoming a trainee. You will need:

• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T level course or apprenticeship
• For trainee pharmacist positions employers usually require 4 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English, maths and science, Level 2 Diploma in Applied Science, or equivalent qualifications.

On-the-job training is conducted over 2 years leading towards the following qualifications as evidence of your knowledge and skills:

• Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Pharmacy Service Skills
• Level 3 Diploma in Pharmaceutical Science

Embarking on a career as a Care Home Pharmacist Technician can be rewarding and fulfilling. you'll need to register with the General Pharmaceutical Council. You can find out more about careers as a pharmacy technician from Health Careers and the Association of Pharmacy Technicians. And the following links will provide further advice.

• equivalent entry requirements
• funding advice
• guide to T levels
• search for courses
• guide to apprenticeships
• equivalent entry requirements