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All pharmacy technicians in England are now able to access a fully funded training programme to become final accuracy checkers.
The ‘accuracy-checking pharmacy technician’ (ACPT) programme, which is funded by NHS England’s pharmacy integration fund and delivered by the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE), consists of between 3 and 12 months of training and development depending on how intensive the student wishes to make the course.
The programme has been launched in response to the ‘Interim NHS people plan’, which detailed how technicians would be encouraged “to practise at the top of their licence” to support community pharmacists to deliver more clinical care and support patients to live healthier lives.
According to the CPPE website, “the programme aims to support pharmacy technicians to develop the skills required to be a safe final accuracy checking pharmacy technician; improve leadership skills to direct the dispensary team; [and] support the multidisciplinary team to deliver patient-facing services”.
Pharmacy technicians working in any setting are eligible for the programme.
An announcement on the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee website, published on 18 December 2019, said: “This programme is further recognition of the importance of the role of pharmacy technicians in wider healthcare, and as potential leaders within their own profession.”
The programme was launched in September 2017. However, it was only open to technicians in Greater London, Surrey, Sussex and Kent.
