Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians




Qualification Code:

L3DPPPT

Awarding Body:

OpenAwards

Duration:

24 months

Delivery Method:

Online

Cost:

£4,670 (VAT included; Advanced Learner Loan available)

Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians

Course Overview

You need to be working in a pharmacy before you start. This is a workplace qualification that confirms occupational competence, so it is assessed against the job you are doing. A paid role or a formal training position in a pharmacy setting both work. Without one, you cannot be enrolled.

This is the commercial route to the Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians — the qualification that leads to registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council as a pharmacy technician.

The three questions people ask first

  • What does it cost? £4,670 including VAT. That is the whole course fee.
  • Is it online? Yes. The programme is delivered online over 24 months, around your working pattern.
  • Can I fund it myself? Yes, and most of our learners on this route do. The options are set out under Funding and Finance below.

Who this route is for

This is the self-funded and employer-funded pathway, as distinct from the apprenticeship. It suits you if you are already working in a pharmacy and want the qualification without waiting for your employer to open an apprenticeship cohort, or if your employer will not or cannot fund one.

It is designed around the General Pharmaceutical Council’s Initial Education and Training Standards for Pharmacy Technicians, and confirms occupational competence for pharmacy technicians working in England and Wales.

Where our learners work

Community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, GP dispensaries, prison healthcare and primary care networks. The qualification is the same wherever you are based — what changes is the evidence you gather.

The diploma builds the knowledge, skills and occupational competence the GPhC expects of a registered pharmacy technician.

  • Dispensing and supply — accuracy checking, clinical checks within your competence, and the law that governs both
  • Pharmacy law and ethics — the legal classes of medicine, controlled drugs, and your professional obligations
  • Pharmacology — how medicines work, interact and cause harm
  • Patient care and consultation — counselling patients on their medicines and recognising when to escalate
  • Medicines management — stock, storage, waste, recalls and cold chain
  • Health promotion and public health — the services community pharmacy now delivers
  • Quality and governance — standard operating procedures, error reporting and audit
  • Professional practice — GPhC standards, confidentiality, consent and record keeping

Assessment is built on what you do at work. Your workplace evidence, supported by your supervising pharmacist, does most of the heavy lifting.

The Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians (RQF).

This is a nationally regulated qualification, mapped to the GPhC’s Initial Education and Training Standards for Pharmacy Technicians.

What it leads to

On successful completion, and subject to the regulator’s requirements at the time you apply, it enables you to apply to the General Pharmaceutical Council for registration as a Pharmacy Technician.

Registration is a matter for the GPhC, not for us. You apply to them directly once you have completed, and you will need to satisfy their requirements at that point.

Once registered, “pharmacy technician” is a protected title. You can work as one anywhere in Great Britain.

Before you book, check all four.

  • You work in a pharmacy setting, in a paid role or a formal training position. This is a competence qualification and cannot be assessed otherwise.
  • You have a supervising pharmacist who will confirm your workplace evidence. We will tell them exactly what is needed.
  • You are 19 or over at the start of the course.
  • You hold GCSE grade 4/C or above in English and maths, or an equivalent Level 2 qualification. If you are unsure whether what you hold counts, send it to us and we will check.

Not working in a pharmacy yet?

Then this is not your starting point. Pharmacies do recruit dispensing assistants and trainees without a Level 3, and that is the usual way in. Get the role, then come back to us.

There are several ways to pay, and a few ways to pay less.

Self-funding

Most learners on this route pay for the course themselves. The fee is £4,670 including VAT, and that is the full cost of the programme.

Klarna

You can spread the cost through Klarna at checkout. We are paid in full at the point of booking and you repay Klarna over the term you agree with them, under their terms.

Secure your place with 20%

You can book with a 20% deposit and settle the balance before you start.

Advanced Learner Loan

An Advanced Learner Loan can cover the full course fee. It is open to learners aged 19 or over at the start of the course, with no credit check and no income test. It also does not matter if you already hold another qualification at the same level — plenty of our learners do.

You repay nothing until the April after you finish or leave, and then only while you earn above the threshold. For courses starting on or after 1 August 2026 the threshold is £25,000 a year and you repay 9% of whatever you earn above it. On a £26,000 salary that is around £7.50 a month. If your income drops below £25,000, repayments stop. Anything still outstanding is written off 40 years after repayments were due to start.

Repayment thresholds are reviewed each April, so check the current figure at the point you apply.

Ask your employer

Pharmacy employers frequently contribute, particularly where they are short of registered technicians. It costs nothing to ask, and we can provide a quote addressed to your employer if that helps the conversation.

ELCAS

We are in the process of adding this course to the Enhanced Learning Credits scheme for armed forces service leavers. If you are eligible for ELC and interested, get in touch and we will tell you where that process has got to.

Employer bookings

If you are putting more than one person through, contact us before booking and we will quote you directly.

How much does the pharmacy technician course cost?

£4,670 including VAT. That is the full programme fee. You can pay in full, book with a 20% deposit, or spread the cost through Klarna.

Can I self-fund this course?

Yes, and most learners on this route do. It is the main difference between this and the apprenticeship, which has to be arranged and funded through your employer.

Do I need to be working in a pharmacy?

Yes. The qualification confirms occupational competence, which means it is assessed against the job you are doing. A paid role or a formal training position both work.

Is the course online?

Yes. The programme is delivered online over 24 months and is built to fit around shift patterns. Your workplace evidence is gathered where you work.

How long does it take?

24 months. That is driven by the range of workplace evidence required rather than by the volume of study.

Does this let me register with the GPhC?

On successful completion, and subject to the regulator’s requirements at the time, it enables you to apply to the General Pharmaceutical Council for registration as a Pharmacy Technician. You apply to them directly.

Is this an NVQ?

People still call it that, and you will see it advertised as “NVQ Level 3 pharmacy technician”. Formally it is a Level 3 Diploma on the Regulated Qualifications Framework, which replaced the old NVQ structure. It is the same thing employers mean when they ask for an NVQ.

What is the difference between this and the apprenticeship?

The apprenticeship is funded through the apprenticeship levy, arranged by your employer, and runs to a cohort timetable. This route is paid for by you or your employer directly and can start when you are ready. The qualification at the end is the same.

I work in a hospital pharmacy — is this suitable?

Yes. We have learners in community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, GP dispensaries, prison healthcare and primary care networks. The qualification is identical; only the evidence differs.

What if I do not have GCSE English and maths?

Send us what you do have. A range of Level 2 qualifications count as equivalent and we will check yours before you commit to anything.

Over 10,000 people have begun their clinical career with us.

We support NHS ambulance services, dental practices, community pharmacies, care providers and offshore operators. Here is what some of them say.

Both Rob and Tony the CERAD tutors were absolutely amazing, helpful and patient with us. Couldn’t have asked for better trainers or a better bunch of people to take this journey with!

Tia Sayer

Apprentice Emergency Technician

I completed my level 3 CERAD in March of this year, this was the third course I have done with Medipro in the last 14 months. In all of the courses I have done with Medipro I have found nothing but genuine, friendly, top class people. 

Phil Brazier

Level 3 CERAD

The teacher was very knowledgeable and made the lessons fun so it was easy to absorb. I am new to the Medical Diving field so it was very exciting learning more and going deeper into medical conditions and illnesses specific to diving. Being a diver, it will be a great asset for me to recognise and be able to administer aid should it be needed.

Kevin

Diver Medic Technician

Medipro is a very responsive apprenticeship training provider. They help us build and retain a very skilled, competent and patient care focused team of Emergency Care Assistants.

James Tavener

Training Manager

I would definitely recommend you guys to others. I feel like there’s a lot of support when needed. It’s been really enjoyable.

Imogen Fitzgerald

Apprentice Emergency Medical Technician

I think the course so far has been really good. I’ve liked the practical sessions. It’s clear what we need to learn and there’s a lot of support as well.

Amy Palfreyman

Apprentice Emergency Medical Technician

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