Pharmacy Service Skills (5355)

Last Updated: 06 Mar 2023

This qualification covers the in-depth procedures for serving customers, checking medicines and maintaining stock in a pharmacy setting.

To register as a pharmacy technician, as required by the General Pharmaceutical Council, you need the Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Pharmacy Service Skills and the Level 3 Diploma in Pharmaceutical Science (5356). You can take them separately, or as part of an apprenticeship for Pharmacy.

The Pharmacy Service qualification is a licence to practice qualification.

These qualifications are for anyone interested in a career as a pharmacy assistant or technician. You don't need any previous experience to start the Level 2 qualification.

You'll be assessed in your workplace, so you need to have a job or trainee post in a pharmacy setting.

The 5355-03 Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Pharmacy Service Skills will close for certification on 30th September 2023. Please ensure that all certification claims are made prior to this date.

Available to deliver in the following:
  • England
  • Wales – please check QiW website for available funding
  • Scotland
  • Northern Ireland
  • International

Interested in delivering this qualification?

Find out more about how to become an approved City & Guilds centre or fill out our online customer application form. 

General Information

What Is Involved In Studying This Course?

At Level 2 you'll gain the skills to work in a pharmacy team, process prescriptions and manage stock. You'll cover things like:

  • health and safety
  • teamwork
  • helping to fill prescriptions
  • providing a service to meet your customers' needs.

At Level 3 you'll gain skills to be able to dispense medicines and contribute to the running of a pharmacy workplace safely and efficiently. You'll cover things like:

  • health and safety
  • processing queries
  • confirming that prescriptions are valid
  • issuing medicines according to prescriptions
  • ordering, receiving and maintaining stock
  • checking that you have filled prescriptions accurately
  • giving advice on symptoms.

To gain an NVQ, you need to show you've got a particular set of skills. You usually work with your training provider to review your current skills and find the best way to gain new ones - perhaps by trying new things at work, or by studying.

These NVQs are assessed at work during your training placement in a pharmacy. For each unit your assessor watches and asks questions as you perform a task, or looks at a portfolio of work that you've built as formal evidence of your learning. Then they confirm you've got the skills to do the job well.

Which level is right for me?

Level 2
You have just started your trainee post as a pharmacy assistant and are developing your skills to take on basic duties in the pharmacy setting. You may be taking an apprenticeship.

Level 3
You've worked in a pharmacy setting for some time and have completed your Level 2 qualification. You're ready to increase your skills relating to pharmacy procedures, in order to register as a pharmacy technician. You may be taking an apprenticeship.

What Careers Can This Lead To?
Level 2
The Level 2 qualification is part of an approved training scheme that allows you to work as a pharmacy assistant.
Level 3
The Level 3 qualification is part of an approved training scheme that allows you to work as a pharmacy technician, dispensing medicines in a pharmacy setting.
What Is Involved With Delivering This Course?

You'll deliver this qualification in the workplace as part of a pharmacy training programme.

You'll assess it in the workplace based on portfolios of evidence that your learners produce.

To deliver an NVQ, you need qualified assessors - you can train internal members of staff or recruit specially.

To find all the resource requirements, download the qualification handbook from the centre documents section.

You can get automatic approval if you currently offer the NVQ in Pharmacy Services (7355).

Anyone can take the Level 2 qualification, but you must make sure all your learners can access the resources they need to complete it.

Level 3

Level 3 is ideal if you've worked in a pharmacy setting for some time and have completed your Level 2 qualification. You're ready to increase your knowledge of pharmacy procedures to register as a pharmacy technician. You may be taking an apprenticeship.

You complete 14 core units. These include:

  • Provide an effective and responsive pharmacy service
  • Process pharmaceutical queries
  • Issue prescribed items
  • Order pharmaceutical stock.

You also choose three optional units from a range that includes:

  • Contribute to the effectiveness of teams
  • Provide advice on symptoms and the actions and uses of medicines
  • Prepare to conduct a review of an individual's medicines.

For a full list of units, download the qualification handbook from the additional documents section.

What Careers Can This Lead To?
The Level 3 qualification is part of an approved training scheme that allows you to work as a pharmacy technician, dispensing medicines in a pharmacy setting.

Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Pharmacy Service Skills (5355-03)
Last Registration Date: 30 Sep 2020 Supportive services: Learning Assistant

Level 3 NVQ in Pharmacy Service Skills

  • Accreditation No: 500/9576/6 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 75 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 344 - 352 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 750 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 30/09/2023 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: TBC, please speak to your Account Manager for further information Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Additional information for centres

Learning Assistant

LEARNING ASSISTANT IS AVAILABLE FOR THIS QUALIFICATION

Learning Assistant is an innovative and cost effective e-portfolio solution that allows colleges and training providers to dramatically improve the delivery of their vocational qualifications.

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Here you can find all documents related to this suite of qualifications.

By clicking on the section headings below, you can access a variety of documents such as the qualification handbooks and assessment materials, Statements of Purpose, and recognition letters from industry and employers.

Some documents may be password protected. Passwords can be retrieved by logging in to Walled Garden and visiting the Administration section of the relevant qualification catalogue page.

Interested in delivering this qualification?

Find out more about how to become an approved City & Guilds centre or fill out our online customer application form. 

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