Every prescription that leaves a hospital or high street pharmacy passes through careful hands, and many of those hands belong to pharmacy technicians. It is a skilled, registered profession with a clear training route, work across the NHS and community pharmacy, and a starting salary that the National Careers Service puts at around £28,000 a year.
If you are thinking about training, you will spot the same line on almost every course page and job advert: Level 2 English and maths. If you left school without a grade 4 (the old grade C) in GCSE English or maths, that line can feel like a wall. It does not have to be. This guide explains what trainee pharmacy technician posts and apprenticeships ask for, where Functional Skills Level 2 fits, what the General Pharmaceutical Council’s new training standards mean if you start soon, and how to use this half term week to get moving.
What does a pharmacy technician do?
Pharmacy technicians work alongside pharmacists in hospitals, community pharmacies and GP practices, preparing and supplying medicines and helping patients take them safely.
To work as a pharmacy technician you must be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). The National Careers Service lists a typical working week of 37 to 40 hours, which may include evenings, weekends and bank holidays on a rota, and a salary of around £28,000 for a new starter rising to around £39,000 with experience.
How do you become a pharmacy technician?
A trainee pharmacy technician post
NHS trusts and other employers recruit trainee pharmacy technicians who work and study at the same time. You learn on the job, under the supervision of a registered pharmacist or pharmacy technician, and gain a qualification that lets you apply for GPhC registration.
A pharmacy technician apprenticeship
The Pharmacy Technician (Integrated) apprenticeship is a Level 3 programme. Nottingham College, for example, runs it across 24 months plus three months of end point assessment, with day release at college and the BTEC Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians as the core qualification.
Whichever route you take, expect around two years of supervised experience in a pharmacy. The University of East Anglia, for example, asks apprentices to be employed in a pharmacy setting for at least 30 hours a week across a two year period.
What English and maths do pharmacy technician courses and jobs ask for?
Requirements vary, so here is what real course pages and job adverts say:
- ✓ National Careers Service: usually 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4, or equivalent, including English and maths for an advanced apprenticeship. Employers recruiting trainees often ask for 4 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 including English, maths and science.
- ✓ St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician (Band 4): GCSE maths and English at grade 4 (C) or above, or Level 2 Functional Skills, or equivalent. The person specification also asks for a science subject.
- ✓ North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician Apprenticeship (advertised in 2025): 4 GCSEs at grade C/4 or above including maths, English and science, and “Maths and English Functional skills levels 2 can also be accepted.”
- ✓ University of East Anglia, Pharmacy Technician Practice Apprenticeship (accredited by the GPhC in 2020): 4 GCSEs at grade 4/C including English, maths and a science, and “In place of English and maths GCSEs, we may be able to consider Functional Skills L2.”
- ✓ Nottingham College, Pharmacy Technician Level 3 apprenticeship: 4 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 or equivalent including science, English Language and maths. Adults aged 19 or older with relevant industry experience but without the usual qualifications can apply, and “will need to complete functional skills at level 2.”
- ✓ Buttercups Training, Pharmacy Technician (Integrated) apprenticeship: says there are GPhC requirements for learners to be working at Level 2 in maths and English, and checks this with an initial assessment at enrolment.
The pattern is clear. GCSE is the default, many NHS trusts and apprenticeship providers accept Functional Skills Level 2 for the English and maths part, and almost everyone also wants a science qualification at Level 2.
Is Functional Skills Level 2 accepted for pharmacy technician training?
Often, yes. Functional Skills Level 2 sits at Level 2 on the national qualifications framework, the same level as a GCSE at grade 4 or above. That is why so many trusts and training providers list it alongside GCSEs.
It is a different qualification, though, and each employer sets its own rules. Before you apply, check four things:
- ✓ Does the advert or course page name Functional Skills, or say “or equivalent”?
- ✓ Is the requirement for English, maths or both?
- ✓ Does it also ask for science? Functional Skills covers English and maths only, so you will need to meet a science requirement separately.
- ✓ Do you need the certificate before you apply? One Nottingham pharmacy advertising a pharmacy services assistant apprenticeship in 2026 said it would only interview candidates who already had a Level 2 pass in English and maths.
If anything is unclear, email the recruiter or training provider and ask: “Do you accept Functional Skills Level 2 English and maths in place of GCSE for this role?” Our guide to Functional Skills Level 2 English or a GCSE equivalency test explains how to check what will be accepted, and our guide to Functional Skills Level 2 for apprenticeships explains how the English and maths rules work for apprentices.
The GPhC’s new training standards: what they mean if you start soon
In July 2026, The Pharmacist reported that the GPhC had approved new standards for the initial education and training of pharmacy technicians. The key points:
- ✓ The minimum level of study will rise from Level 3 to Level 4 on the Regulated Qualifications Framework.
- ✓ New programmes are expected to begin from 2028, with full implementation not before autumn 2029.
- ✓ A minimum Level 2 science qualification is being added alongside the existing English and numeracy entry requirements.
- ✓ The GPhC said there are no new requirements for registered technicians, current trainees or those due to start training.
In short, Level 2 English and maths are not going away, so getting your certificates now keeps every door open.
Why the Ofqual regulated part matters
Not every online “Level 2” certificate is a regulated qualification. When an NHS trust or training provider asks for an equivalent to GCSE, it expects a regulated qualification, not a short course certificate.
At Functify Learning, your Functional Skills Level 2 English and maths qualifications are awarded by Highfield and regulated by Ofqual, and we are a Highfield Approved Centre. Functify is part of Geek School Tutoring, which has taught more than 1,000 students since 2013.
How long does it take to get Functional Skills Level 2?
That depends on where you are starting from.
- ✓ You feel confident: book the exam. With Functify Learning your exam is booked within 5 days and your certificate usually arrives within 10 days of your result.
- ✓ You are rusty: a 5 Day Revision Course from £19.99 gets you exam ready in about a week.
- ✓ You have been out of education for years or failed before: a live 10 Week Course from £197 per subject, in a small group of no more than 10 learners, with a mock exam included.
Not sure which group you are in? Take our free Functional Skills pass quiz at quiz.functifylearning.co.uk. It tells you whether to book now or revise first.
A half term plan for this week
For most schools in England, October half term runs from Monday 26th to Friday 30th October 2026. If you are a parent planning a career change, or a young adult looking at your options, this week is a good moment to start.
- Monday 26th October: shortlist the trainee posts or apprenticeships you want and note exactly what each one asks for in English, maths and science.
- Tuesday 27th October: take the free pass quiz for English and maths.
- Wednesday 28th to Friday 30th October: start a 5 Day Revision Course, or book a £35 mock exam per subject to find any gaps.
- Early November: book your exam and sit it online from home, with technical setup support beforehand.
- Before Christmas: have your certificate ready, so you can apply with confidence when the next trainee posts and apprenticeships open.
How much will it cost?
At Functify Learning:
- ✓ English Level 2 exam: £160
- ✓ Maths Level 2 exam: £160
- ✓ English and maths together: £250, instead of £320 booked separately
- ✓ Mock exam: £35 per subject
- ✓ Klarna available at checkout on orders of more than £35
For a full breakdown, read our guide to how much a Functional Skills Level 2 exam costs in 2026. If you are weighing up other healthcare careers too, see Functional Skills Level 2 for NHS workers and Functional Skills Level 2 for dental nursing.
Functional Skills Level 2 for pharmacy technicians: frequently asked questions
Do I need GCSEs to become a pharmacy technician?
Not always. Many trainee posts and apprenticeships ask for GCSE English and maths at grade 4 (C) or above, and many also accept Functional Skills Level 2 or an equivalent. Most also ask for a science qualification. Each employer and provider sets its own rules, so check the role you want.
Do NHS trusts accept Functional Skills Level 2 for trainee pharmacy technicians?
Many do. St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust have both listed Functional Skills Level 2 maths and English as accepted for their trainee pharmacy technician roles. Always check the person specification in the advert.
Does Functional Skills cover the science requirement?
No. Functional Skills qualifications are in English and maths. If a role or course asks for science at Level 2, you will need to meet that separately.
Will the new GPhC standards change the English and maths requirement?
According to The Pharmacist’s report in July 2026, the new standards add a Level 2 science requirement alongside the existing English and numeracy entry requirements, and new programmes are expected from 2028. Level 2 English and maths remain part of the picture.
Can I sit Functional Skills Level 2 online from home?
Yes. You sit the exam online from home, and we help you set up your laptop, camera and connection beforehand.
What if I only need maths, or only English?
You can book one subject on its own for £160. You do not need to sit both.
Get your Level 2 sorted before the new year
Book your English or maths exam today, sit it from home around shifts or childcare, and have your certificate ready for your trainee pharmacy technician application or apprenticeship. Not sure where to start? Message us on WhatsApp and we will point you in the right direction.
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