NHS Funded Training 2025-26 – Independent Prescriber Training and Pharmacy Technician Apprenticeships
You may already have seen these NHSE WTE opportunities come to you via other sources, however we just want to ensure that all our contractors have the opportunity to access the two funded schemes below.
Please follow links for further information or support, or if you need local information please get in touch via our Contact Us page.
1) IP Courses 2025-26
Re: Independent Prescribing courses 2025-26 – NHS England funded training
Applications for NHS England funded independent prescribing courses are open.
We encourage pharmacists from across sectors, including community pharmacy and locums, to seize this opportunity.
Courses are available up to March 2026, with several universities offering multiple dates for cohort intakes. Start dates will depend on the university provider.
Pharmacists who meet the eligibility criteria will be able to apply for independent prescribing courses at a variety of universities across England:
- Community pharmacists (including locum pharmacists); Pharmacists employed in General Practice (who are not eligible for, or enrolled on, the Primary Care Pharmacy Education Programme (PCPEP) and those who are working to provide primary care services (e.g. working in primary care) who are not employed in ARRS roles); and Health and Justice pharmacists
- Pharmacists enrolled on CPPE’s Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway (PCPEP) and who meet the PCPEP criteria to enrol on an independent prescribing course
- Pharmacists working in an NHS Hospital Trust or Mental Health Trust (NHS managed sector); pharmacists working in an integrated care board (ICB), previously CCG pharmacists.
Eligible pharmacists may apply only to those universities as listed on the NHS England website. They will need to demonstrate (as a minimum):
- The support of an identified designated prescribing practitioner (DPP).
- An appropriate practice-based learning environment in a prescribing setting that can offer appropriate clinical support.
- Evidence that you meet the course provider eligibility criteria (applicants will be subject to their chosen university’s enrolment processes).
- Commitment to use the skill within your area of competence and expertise, for the delivery of NHS clinical services as they emerge.
Universities are listed on the NHS England website by sector. Please note: the available universities differ depending on the sector you work in.
Course length and the number of face-to-face days required vary between universities. Please check the individual university webpages for further information on course format.
Funding
Independent Prescribing training is available to pharmacists who meet the eligibility criteria. Tuition fees are fully funded by NHS England. Pharmacists that are successful in applying to one of the approved universities will be allocated a fully funded place directly by the university. They do not need to apply to NHS England for funding separately.
For any further enquiries, please contact england.pharmacyteam@nhs.net
2) Community Pharmacy Technician Apprenticeship Programme 2025
We are excited to announce the launch of the Community Pharmacy Technician Apprenticeship Programme 2025. This programme will support Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technicians (PTPTs) to be employed and complete their 24-month apprenticeship training within a community pharmacy setting. Upon completion of training and registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) the registered pharmacy technicians’ will be able to utilise their expertise and knowledge to support community pharmacies in various ways, including contributing to the delivery of pharmacy services and broader healthcare reforms.
Funding Offer
We are offering a training contribution of £15,053 per trainee, per year for two years (24 months) to support community pharmacies in developing a PTPT programme that meets the GPhC IET standards for pharmacy technicians (PDF only, 713KB) and the NHS England Education Quality Framework.
Next Steps
Application for funding is through an expression of interest (EoI) submitted via an online application form. The application window will open on Monday 19 May 2025 until Sunday 15 June 2025.
We will be holding a series of national stakeholder engagement meetings via MS Teams to provide more information on the programme including the application process and how to access apprenticeship funding. Use the link below to attend your preferred date. You only need to attend one meeting date.
If you have any questions please visit our website or email england.wtepharmacy.mids@nhs.net with Community Pharmacy Technician Apprenticeship Programme 2025 in the subject field.
