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Pharmacy technicians working in community pharmacy “continue to face barriers” when accessing training support, compared with their counterparts in NHS managed sectors, according to the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK).
In comments made to The Pharmaceutical Journal on 20 May 2026, Amy Laflin, president of the APTUK, welcomed the introduction of a single, harmonised national funding rate for preregistration trainee pharmacy technicians (PTPT) across different regions.
“Despite recent initiatives aimed at increasing PTPT capacity in community settings, funding is limited,” she added.
“Ensuring that community pharmacy has equitable access to training investment will be critical if the sector is to meet rising demand and fully contribute to national workforce ambitions.”
Announcing the launch of the ‘Community Pharmacy Technician Apprenticeship Programme 2026′, NHS England said PTPT funding had begun to transition towards a “single, consistent, harmonised unit price across all regions and all sectors” of £15,505 per learner, per year, for two years”.
The announcement added that regions requiring a funding uplift will receive the full harmonised rate from April 2026, while regions facing a funding reduction will transition over two years, which will start with a mid-point adjustment from April 2026 and reach the harmonised rate from April 2027.
Laflin told The Pharmaceutical Journal that the harmonised funding “marks a significant and positive step forward”, which “brings much needed stability and transparency to the system”.
“For many years, funding for pharmacy technician education has varied widely across the country, creating inconsistencies in access to training and making long‑term workforce planning challenging for employers,” she said.
“By removing regional disparities, the new model ensures that employers across England can invest in PTPT training on an equal footing, supporting a more coherent and sustainable approach to workforce development.”
Laflin also welcomed the phased implementation as “a pragmatic and balanced approach”.
“Regions that have historically received lower levels of support will benefit immediately, helping to accelerate workforce growth in areas where it is most needed. At the same time, regions facing reductions in funding are given time to adjust, protecting existing training capacity and avoiding disruption to current programmes.”
However, she added: “To maximise [the funding offer’s] impact, continued attention must be given to ensuring that all parts of the pharmacy sector, particularly community pharmacy, are able to participate fully in the growth and development of this essential workforce.”
The results of the latest NHS England ‘Community pharmacy workforce survey’, published on 19 May 2026, revealed that the number of community pharmacy PTPTs has tripled in the past four years, from 744 full-time equivalents (FTEs) in 2022 to 2,144 FTEs in 2025 (see Table).
While the number of pharmacy technicians working in community pharmacy had increased between 2024 and 2025, so has the number of vacancies, which illustrate the “rising demand” for the role, the survey found.
The findings also showed that community pharmacy technician FTE numbers in 2025 exceeded 2022 levels for the first time, when there were 5,252 FTE pharmacy technicians working in the community pharmacy sector.
