Education and training requirements for support staff
UPDATE: APRIL 2025
We have made the decision to pause all pharmacy support staff (re)approval activity while we undertake a comprehensive review of our role and responsibilities as a regulator in relation to support staff education and training.
Any new education provision designed to meet the principles of support staff requirements set by the GPhC can proceed without our formal approval until such time we agree on a future policy.
We are also aware that the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) is currently updating and reviewing the Pharmacy Services Assistant apprenticeship standard. This work is being led by IfATE and is separate to our review. Once IfATE’s review is complete, if the apprenticeship standard meets the required criteria and is approved for funding, education providers can deliver the apprenticeship without our involvement in the approval process, until such time we agree on a future policy.
As a reminder, all provision must meet the principles of a safe and effective pharmacy teamset by the GPhC, and our inspection team will continue to check that individuals are appropriately trained and qualified for their roles.
All currently approved support staff provision remains valid until the dates shown on our website. This decision does not impact approved pharmacist or pharmacy technician programmes.
We set the requirements for the education and training of pharmacy support staff. This makes sure they have the necessary knowledge, attitudes and behaviours to provide safe and effective care to people using pharmacy services.
Our requirements cover both the education and training of pharmacy support staff, as well as the criteria for the approval of support staff courses and qualifications.
Employers also need to make sure they’re aware of their responsibilities for staff operating in or from a registered pharmacy.
The pharmacy support staff evidence framework is designed to support course and qualification designers and developers as they write courses and qualifications for pharmacy support staff. They must demonstrate that they meet the requirements to have a course or qualification approved by us.
Read examples of the type of information and evidence awarding organisations and course providers should submit and how learning outcomes within the education and training requirements need to be achieved.
Yes, courses and qualifications based on the apprenticeship standard need to meet the GPhC support staff requirements.
Apprenticeship courses and qualifications which include a regulated national qualification are approved as result of recognition of the qualification.
Apprenticeship courses and qualifications which do not contain a qualification can be approved by undergoing accreditation and demonstrating they meet our criteria for approval.
GPhC-approved courses and qualifications which are delivered through an apprenticeship funded route must fulfil all the requirements of the apprenticeship standard (including the end point assessment (EPA) where this is required).
If you are delivering the PSA apprenticeship standard as a centre provider through a GPhC-recognised awarding organisation, then you do not need to seek direct approval from us. You are only required to seek approval from us if you are delivering (or are planning on delivering) a course or apprenticeship without a partnership (centre provider) arrangement with a GPhC-approved awarding organisation.
If an FTY trainee is not completing their GPhC-recognised period of foundation year training with their employer and is working as a member of pharmacy support staff, their employer must make and retain clear records of their learning needs assessment, in line with our requirements.
This assessment should be linked to the programme’s learning outcomes.
They are welcome to do this using the template for pharmacy students employed as support staff for this purpose if they find it useful, but are not required to do so.
Employers should ensure they have completed a learning needs assessment for any MPharm or OSPAP student or FTY trainee employed as support staff within three months of the requirements coming into effect.
No, please keep this for your own records. You should make these available during your GPhC inspection process.
There is no change to requirements.
Former registrants can work as support staff but must meet the relevant education and training requirements.
Recognition of prior learning arrangements can be used to allow those who have already acquired relevant knowledge or experience to demonstrate their competency without repeating content.
Recognition of prior learning should be an exercise that the employer does in liaison with a GPhC-approved course provider. Employers should follow the principles of the guidance on working in pharmacy when not on the register, particularly where an individual is no longer a registrant for fitness to practice reasons.
Our Guidance to ensure a safe and effective pharmacy team explains that employers should make sure that:
everyone in the pharmacy team, with the help of other members of the team, within the resources provided, keeps their knowledge and skills up to date
essential elements of training are identified for each role within the team, and these are actively reviewed and reassessed in response to changing needs and circumstances, and any changes are made in a timely manner
individual and team development plans are in place to make sure pharmacy staff are not carrying out roles they have not been trained for
you take a tailored approach to learning and development which is continued throughout individuals’ employment to make sure the knowledge and skills of pharmacy staff remain up to date
Inspectors will look broadly for evidence that the principles of the guidance to ensure a safe and effective pharmacy team are being followed.
Employers are advised to be able to demonstrate that learning and development is taking place and that the training needs of all staff are regularly reviewed and knowledge and skills remain up to date.
We don’t require the original grandparenting forms to be produced during inspection as evidence the requirements have been met. Instead, employers should be able to show that individual support staff who were in their role prior to 2005 have received support and training to keep their knowledge and skills up to date.
Where employers are uncertain whether a staff member was ‘grandparented’, they should consider what training is needed to ensure the member of staff in question is able to work safely and effectively, and arrange appropriate training for them.
The Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulation require that information is only held for as long as necessary to meet the purpose for its collection. As we no longer accept grandparenting forms as evidence of current competency of support staff, we deleted these records in September 2022, after a three-month period to request copies.
Exemption 12: ‘Education and training activities in a pharmacy’ of the Requirements for the education and training of pharmacy support staff (2020) will apply in this case. This means that students such as at T-level, A-level, college, and secondary school can be exempt from the requirement to complete additional training if:
the placement is relevant to their studies
they are supervised by a pharmacist or pharmacy technician with appropriate indemnity insurance, and
the placement does not exceed three months
Students and trainees who are on a GPhC-approved course of education and training, however, are required to meet different conditions as set out in Exemption 13: ‘Students and trainees employed as support staff’.
The requirements do not apply retrospectively, which means that staff who have already undergone approved training for a support staff role do not have to do so again.
This includes staff who were declared competent under grandparenting arrangements before 2005, who are not required to undergo training again in the areas in which they were declared competent.
However, if a staff member’s role has changed, further training may be required. Employers should consult our Guidance to ensure a safe and effective pharmacy team for more information.
The requirements do not apply retrospectively, which means that staff who have already undergone approved training for a pharmacy support staff role do not have to do so again.
Staff who are already in post and who were not required to complete approved training by previous versions of our requirements are not required to complete further training.
Their employer should keep a record of their start date and the training they have received for their role.
Employers should note that if the individual’s role has changed, further training may be required.
Support staff who are new in role should be enrolled in approved training as soon as practical and within three months of starting their role.
Support staff must undertake GPhC-approved training if it is available, but where there isn’t currently GPhC-approved training to cover a particular technical component of an individual member of support staff’s role, the employer may meet the requirements by arranging alternative training to cover these aspects.
Support staff would not be required to re-take training once approved training becomes available.
Employers need to train their new pharmacy support staff to meet the GPhC's standards for registered pharmacies and to ensure that anyone involved in the provision of pharmacy services, such as the supply of medication and medical devices, is competent and empowered to safeguard the health, safety and wellbeing of patients and the public.
As there is no change to the existing requirements,support staff must be enrolled on approved training appropriate to their role they undertake within three months of starting their role.
They can enrol on any training that is suitable for their role and that is approved at the time of enrolment.
The new requirements cover staff whose roles involves providing collection and delivery services for medicines and medical devices.
Staff who have already met previous versions of our requirements are not required to undergo further training. Staff providing collection and delivery services who were employed before 1 October 2020 could meet our requirements without undergoing approved training by following standard operating procedures or equivalent training. They are not required to complete further training, unless their role or place of work has changed, in which case further training may be required.
Collection and delivery staff appointed after 1 October 2020 and should undergo GPhC approved training for their role. They should be enrolled in training within three months of starting their role.
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