Rpsgb.org: Dispensing/pharmacy assistants

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Home > A career in pharmacy > Pharmacy support staff > Dispensing/pharmacy assistants

From 1 January 2005, pharmacists have a professional obligation to ensure that dispensing/pharmacy assistants are competent in the areas in which they are working to a minimum standard equivalent to the new Pharmacy Services Scottish/National Vocational Qualification (S/NVQ) level 2 qualification or undertaking training towards this. This applies to staff working in the following areas:

Sale of over the counter medicines and the provision of information to customers on symptoms and products
Prescription receipt and collection
The assembly of prescribed items (including the generation of labels)
Ordering, receiving and storing pharmaceutical stock
The supply of pharmaceutical stock
Preparation for the manufacture of pharmaceutical products (including aseptic products)
Manufacture and assembly of medicinal products (including aseptic products)

The requirement can be met by completing a training programme relevant to the job role and there are four acceptable ways of doing this:

(a) Successful achievement of Pharmacy Services S/NVQ level 2
(b) Successful achievement relevant units of the Pharmacy Services S/NVQ level 2
(c) Successful achievement of a training programme accredited to be of an equivalent level to S/NVQ level 2
(d) Successful achievement of relevant units of an accredited training programme of an equivalent level to Pharmacy Services S/NVQ level 2.

Dispensing/pharmacy assistants should be enrolled on a training programme within three months of commencing their role (or as soon as practical within local training arrangements) and the programme should be completed within a three-year time period.

A document covering both the minimum competence requirements for dispensing/pharmacy assistants and the regulation of pharmacy technicians is available here. This paper outlines the differences between the two new areas of policy and the staff groups that will be affected.

Existing staff do not have to undertake further training to comply with the minimum competence rquirements if they met the requirements of the "grandparent clause" and a declaration of competence was sent by their supervising pharmacist to the Society during the grandparenting period.

Minimum competence requirements for dispensing/pharmacy assistants and regulation of pharmacy technicians: Which policy applies to me?
(May 2006)

If you have queries about the transitional arrangements, please contact:
e-mail: supportstaff@rpsgb.org