Which course, and what it costs
Three courses, one route. All the figures below are the same ones published on each course page — nothing hidden, nothing "price on application".
Compare the three
| Get Into Pharmacy£49 · start today | Level 2 Certificate£1,600 · starts 28 Sept 2026 | Level 3 Diploma£3,500 · starts 24 Sept 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who is it for? | You have never worked in a pharmacy | You are working in a pharmacy and want your first qualification | You are working in a pharmacy and want to become a pharmacy technician |
| Do you need a pharmacy job? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Entry requirements | None | No formal qualifications. A UK pharmacy placement and an admission interview. | GCSE English and maths at grade 4/C or equivalent. Overseas qualifications need a UK ENIC Statement of Comparability. |
| Qualification you get | PPets Certificate of Completion (not accredited) | Open Awards Level 2 Technical Occupational Entry — Pharmacy Support Staff (Certificate) Qualification 610/4508/1 | Open Awards Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry — Pharmacy Technicians (Diploma) Qualification 610/4031/9 |
| Who awards it? | PPets | Open Awards | Open Awards |
| Regulated qualification? | No — our own certificate, not a regulated qualification | Yes — Ofqual-regulated, on the RQF | Yes — Ofqual-regulated, on the RQF |
| How long? | Around 13 hours, self-paced | Designed around 12 months; 6–8 months is achievable | Approximately 2 years |
| How is it taught? | Fully online, whenever suits you | Online study, a live class on Mondays at 7pm, and assessment in your own pharmacy | Online study, a live class on Thursdays at 7pm, and assessment in your own pharmacy |
| How are you assessed? | Quizzes and interactive scenarios | Work-based evidence. No exams. | Work-based evidence. No exams. |
| Cost | £49 one-off or included free with the career-starter route | £1,600 paying in full £1,680 by instalments | £3,500 paying in full £3,675 by instalments |
| First payment | Paid in full at enrolment | £200, counts towards the fee | £500, counts towards the fee |
| Where it leads | Your first pharmacy role | Dispensing and medicines counter roles — and on to Level 3 | Eligibility to apply to register with the GPhC as a pharmacy technician |
| Next step | Enrol now → | Apply → | Apply → |
Get Into Pharmacy
£49- Who is it for?
- You have never worked in a pharmacy.
- Pharmacy job needed?
- No
- Entry requirements
- None
- Qualification
- PPets Certificate of Completion — our own certificate, not a regulated qualification
- How long?
- Around 13 hours, self-paced
- Assessment
- Quizzes and scenarios
- Starts
- Any time — today if you like
- Leads to
- Your first pharmacy role
Level 2 Certificate
£1,600- Who is it for?
- You are working in a pharmacy and want your first qualification.
- Pharmacy job needed?
- Yes
- Entry requirements
- No formal qualifications. A UK pharmacy placement and an admission interview.
- Qualification
- Open Awards Level 2 Certificate (610/4508/1) — a regulated qualification on the RQF
- How long?
- Designed around 12 months; 6–8 months is achievable
- Assessment
- Work-based evidence. No exams.
- Live class
- Mondays, 7pm
- Cost
- £1,600 in full, or £1,680 by instalments. £200 first payment.
- Starts
- Induction Monday 28 September 2026. After that, cohorts run on a rolling basis — normally within four weeks of you being ready.
- Leads to
- Dispensing and counter roles, and on to Level 3
Level 3 Diploma
£3,500- Who is it for?
- You are working in a pharmacy and want to become a pharmacy technician.
- Pharmacy job needed?
- Yes
- Entry requirements
- GCSE English and maths at grade 4/C or equivalent.
- Qualification
- Open Awards Level 3 Diploma (610/4031/9) — a regulated qualification on the RQF
- How long?
- Approximately 2 years
- Assessment
- Work-based evidence. No exams.
- Live class
- Thursdays, 7pm
- Cost
- £3,500 in full, or £3,675 by instalments. £500 first payment.
- Starts
- Induction Thursday 24 September 2026, then January 2027. Level 3 starts twice a year, in September and January.
- Leads to
- Eligibility to apply for GPhC registration
Answer three quick questions and we’ll tell you which course fits. Or book a free 30-minute call with Daniel — a registered pharmacy technician, not a salesperson. He will tell you honestly which course fits, or that now is not the right time. Book a free chat →
Paying for your course
Level 2 Certificate
£1,600- £1,600 paying in full — saves 5%
- £1,680 by instalments
- £200 first payment — the first instalment of your fee, which fixes your price
- Optional medicines counter assistant unit, +£200
Level 3 Diploma
£3,500- £3,500 paying in full — saves 5%
- £3,675 by instalments
- £500 first payment — the first instalment of your fee, which fixes your price
Both are introductory prices for our first intake. There is nothing to pay when you apply — your first payment comes once your application is accepted and we have confirmed the course is right for you.
You can complete faster than the plan allows, and plenty of people do. Certificates are claimed from Open Awards once your course fee is paid in full, so your certificate follows your final payment rather than your last assessment. If you expect to finish early, paying in full up front avoids the wait — and saves 5%.
Who pays — you or your employer?
Either works, and it makes no difference to your application. The application form asks how you expect the course to be funded, and “not sure yet” is a perfectly good answer — it is there so we know what to talk about, not to filter anyone out.
- Self-funding. Instalments exist for exactly this. Our guide to funding your own training goes through it in more detail.
- Employer-funded. Some pharmacies pay all or part of the fee. If yours might, our employer page sets out what we offer and can be forwarded to whoever makes that decision.
Take Get Into Pharmacy first, then enrol on Level 2 or Level 3 within a year, and we deduct the full amount you paid for it from your course fee. If pharmacy turns out to be for you, it costs you nothing.
What happens after you apply
- You apply. A short form — about two minutes, no documents needed.
- Daniel emails you within two working days. He reads every application himself.
- You send your certificates by email and we arrange a short online admission interview.
- The interview. A conversation to check the course is right for you and that your pharmacy can support it.
- First payment. £200 or £500 — the first instalment of your fee.
- Induction — 28 September for Level 2, 24 September for Level 3. Level 2 then runs rolling cohorts; Level 3 starts again in January.
Looking for our training app subscriptions instead? Those are on the app pricing page.