Career pathway for post-registration pharmacy technician practice

Development of a UK recognised career pathway for post-registration pharmacy technician practice (phase 1)

It is with great pleasure and professional pride that the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK) share the publication of the Post-Registration Frameworks and Career Pathways: High-Level Research for Pharmacy Technicians, commissioned by Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW).

This important body of work represents a significant step forward in the recognition, development, and strategic positioning of the pharmacy technician profession. It provides an evidence-based foundation for shaping future career progression, post-registration development, and workforce planning—ensuring that pharmacy technicians are fully supported to meet the evolving needs of patients and healthcare systems.

As Vice President of APTUK, I am delighted that our profession continues to gain the attention and investment it rightly deserves. This research highlights the critical and growing role of pharmacy technicians, and we are proud to see this reflected in a vision that promotes structured, meaningful career development.

To our members and colleagues across the profession: this is a pivotal moment for us all. I encourage you to engage with this publication, reflect on its findings, and consider how it can inform your own professional development and practice. Share it with your networks, discuss it with peers, and use it as a tool to advocate for continued progress within your organisations and across the wider healthcare landscape.

Together, let us build on this momentum to further strengthen and elevate the pharmacy technician profession. APTUK looks forward to seeing how this work will inform phase 2 of the development, which is being commissioned by NHS England.

APTUK thanks the University of Bath, Pharmacy Workforce Development South, HEIW and Conference of Pharmacy Deans (CoPED) for their support in this work. Please follow this link to read the COPED statement.

Amy Laflin MAPharmT

Vice President | Association of Pharmacy Technicians