The deadline for registration is five years from the start of your course, or two years after the end of your course, whichever comes first.
As well as education and training requirements, the registration process also includes checks on:
- health
- character
- knowledge of English language, and
- identity (that you are who you say you are)
You will need to provide supporting documents, including certified copies of your identity and qualification documents as part of your application.
You can find more information about the application process, the documents you will need and how to get copies of these legally certified in our Guidance on completing your application.
You need to submit both your online application and hard copy supporting documents 28 days before the date you want to join the register – which will be on the first or the fifteenth day of the month.
As part of your application, we need to be satisfied that you have completed two years of work-based experience in the UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands. Within this two-year period, you must complete at least 1,260 hours of work experience in total. You must complete at least 315 hours in each of the two years.
When working, you must be under the supervision, direction or guidance of a pharmacist or pharmacy technician. You must be directly accountable to them for at least 14 hours per week.
You can include work experience completed during your pharmacy technician courses, and up to three months before the start of your pharmacy technician course, if you were:
- working and carrying out the role of a trainee pharmacy technician in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man or Channel Islands
- under the supervision, direction or guidance of a pharmacist or pharmacy technician and you were directly accountable
This is because you must register for, or start, one of the qualifications required to become a pharmacy technician within three months of starting to work as a trainee pharmacy technician.
Find out more about qualifying work experience by reading the criteria for registration as a pharmacy technician.
If you’ve not managed to complete your work experience within the two-year time limit with good reason, such as maternity or paternity leave or extended sickness leave, please contact us. You may be eligible for an extension.
You can find out more information on extension in our criteria for registration as a pharmacy technician.
Generally, if we receive both the online application and a complete set of supporting documents, it will be processed within 28 days.
If the application is incomplete, it may take up to six months depending on the applicant and how quickly they provide outstanding documents.
It can also take longer if you have something to declare on your application.
Our interaction with awarding bodies is limited to receiving pass lists and occasionally confirming qualifications of individuals.
If you have any issues with your application which may affect your fitness to practice, you must tell us more by filling in our declaration form.
If you have a health issue that may affect your fitness to practise, submit a something to declare health form. You may need to provide documents from your doctor or another health professional.
