Qualify for your role in the pharmacy
The Open Awards Level 2 Technical Occupational Entry in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Support Staff (Certificate), delivered by PPets. An Open Awards qualification recognised by the GPhC for pharmacy support staff, for dispensing and medicines counter staff, combining online learning with real practice in your pharmacy.
Open Awards Level 2 Technical Occupational Entry in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Support Staff (Certificate) (RQF)
Qualification number 610/4508/1
This qualification is awarded by Open Awards, a national awarding organisation. PPets is an approved Open Awards centre delivering this qualification.
Course at a glance
- Qualification
- Open Awards Level 2 Technical Occupational Entry in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Support Staff (Certificate) (RQF)
- Qualification number
- 610/4508/1
- Awarding organisation
- Open Awards
- Delivered by
- PharmProfessionals Education & Training Specialists Ltd (PPets), an approved Open Awards provider
- Leads to
- The qualification for dispensing and medicines counter roles, and progression to Level 3
- Level
- Level 2
- Duration
- Typically around 12–18 months
- Study mode
- Online learning, plus a live weekly class and work-based assessment in your own pharmacy
- Live class
- Mondays, 7pm (online) — attendance expected
- Next intake
- Induction Monday 28 September 2026
- Entry requirements
- No formal entry qualifications; a UK pharmacy placement with a named supervisor; admission interview
- Course fee
- £1,600 paying in full, or £1,680 by instalments (introductory price)
- Deposit
- £200, counts towards the fee
- One-to-one support
- Unlimited one-to-one tutor sessions, booked at times that suit you, at no extra cost
- Exams
- None. Assessment is by portfolio, workplace observation and professional discussion.
- Optional extra
- Medicines counter assistant unit, +£200
Is this course for you?
If you work in a UK pharmacy in a dispensing or medicines supply role, this is the qualification that makes you competent, confident and recognised. It's the standard employers expect for dispensing assistants, and it's the springboard to Level 3 and a registered pharmacy technician career.
New starters
Just joined a pharmacy team? This is the qualification your role needs, and the foundation everything else builds on.
Counter staff moving up
Ready to move from the medicines counter into the dispensary? This is the step.
Employers
Meet GPhC training requirements for your dispensing staff with a course built by people who know the job.
What you'll need to start
Read this first: our Before you enrol guide gives you the honest picture — time commitment, how assessment works, and what we need from your workplace.
- A pharmacy placement. The qualification includes work-based practice and assessment, so you need to be working in a UK pharmacy with your employer’s support. Not in a pharmacy role yet? Apply anyway and tick the box on the form — we may be able to help you find a placement.
- A workplace supervisor. A pharmacist or registered pharmacy technician who can oversee your practice.
- No formal entry qualifications required. Reasonable English and maths help, and we support you where they're rusty.
- To be free on Monday evenings. The live class runs every Monday at 7pm online and attendance is expected, so check it works with your rota before you apply.
- A short admission interview. After you apply, we’ll invite you to a brief online interview so we can check the course is right for you before making an offer.
Not working in a pharmacy yet? Start with our Get Into Pharmacy course (from £49). It prepares you for your first pharmacy role and helps you land the job, and this qualification becomes your next step once you're in post.
What you'll study
The certificate covers the knowledge and skills that safe dispensing depends on, including:
- 💊 Assembling prescribed items and dispensing accuracy
- ⚖️ Pharmacy law, safe working and professional behaviour
- 🗣️ Communicating with patients and the pharmacy team
- 📦 Ordering, receiving and storing medicines safely
- 🛡️ Safeguarding, confidentiality and consent
- 🌱 Personal development in your pharmacy role
Every module is written and clinically reviewed against current UK practice: the BNF, GPhC standards and current legislation.
Live weekly class — attendance expected
Mondays, 7pm — online
Next induction: Monday 28 September 2026, 7pm. Applications for this intake are open now.
Alongside your self-paced learning there’s a live online class every Monday evening with your tutor. This is a core part of the course, not an optional extra — it’s where topics are taught, questions get answered, and you work through the harder material as a group. Sessions are timed for after work. We know shifts and life happen, so let us know in advance if you can’t make one and we’ll help you catch up, but you should plan to attend each week before you enrol.
No exams
You are assessed on the job you already do — workbooks on your e-portfolio, workplace observations, and professional discussions with your assessor. There is no exam hall and nothing to revise for at the end.
One-to-one support, whenever you need it
You’re never left working it out alone. Alongside the weekly class, you can book a one-to-one session with your tutor at a time that suits you — before a shift, after one, on a day off. Book as often as you need it; there’s no cap and no extra charge.
Use it for whatever’s in the way: a unit that isn’t clicking, feedback on evidence before you submit it, getting back on track after a busy few weeks, or just talking through how it’s going. Most people who don’t finish a course like this drop out quietly rather than ask for help — so we make asking easy.
How it works
Learn online, at your pace
Structured e-learning modules built by PPets, with interactive scenarios, quizzes and progress tracking. Study around your shifts, on any device — backed up by a live class every Monday at 7pm.
Practise at work
You apply what you learn in your own pharmacy, building a portfolio of real evidence with support from your workplace supervisor.
Be assessed and supported throughout
Your PPets assessor reviews your evidence and keeps you on track from induction to completion — plus unlimited one-to-one sessions you book whenever you need them.
Qualify, then keep going
Complete the certificate and you're qualified for your dispensing role, with a clear route on to the Level 3 pharmacy technician diploma when you're ready.
Course fees
The course fee is £1,680, payable by instalments after a £200 deposit. Pay in full before your start date and save 5% — £1,600.
Employers: ask us about training multiple staff members.
This is an introductory price for our first intake. Fees will rise for later cohorts — the price you enrol at is the price you pay for your whole course.
Medicines counter assistant training
Add the counter assistant unit to your Level 2 Certificate. If you sell medicines over the counter, this is the accredited training that covers it — and it sits alongside your main qualification rather than extending it. Tell us on your application, or add it later during your course.
Why train with PPets
Experienced tutors, all pharmacy technicians
Every PPets tutor is a registered pharmacy technician. Not career trainers who once read about pharmacy, but people who have stood where you stand: on the counter, in the dispensary, under pressure.
We've been through the same route
Level 2, Level 3, registration and beyond. Your tutors took the exact career path you're on, so when you hit the hard parts, you're supported by someone who remembers what they felt like.
Externally verified qualification
Your qualification is awarded by Open Awards and externally verified by them, so your certificate carries independent weight with employers and the GPhC.
Flexible to you
Everyone learns differently and every pharmacy runs differently. Study online around your shifts, build evidence at your pace, and get a plan shaped around your job, not the other way round.
Your course lead
Daniel Dicker
UK-registered pharmacy technician · GPhC reg. 5033017 · Founder, PPets
Daniel started exactly where you are: as a pharmacy assistant at sixteen. Twenty years on, your course was built by someone who has done your job, assessed hundreds of learners doing it, and knows where people struggle. The learning is backed by the PPets training apps, so you can practise real counter conversations between shifts.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the course take?
Duration depends on your starting point and how quickly you build your work-based evidence. We'll confirm typical timescales when you register your interest, and your assessor will agree a personal plan with you at induction.
Do I need to be working in a pharmacy?
Yes. The qualification includes work-based practice and assessment, so you need to be employed in a UK pharmacy with your employer's support. Not in a pharmacy yet? Start with our Get Into Pharmacy course, it's designed to help you land that first job.
Is this qualification recognised by the GPhC?
Yes. The Open Awards Level 2 Technical Occupational Entry in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Support Staff (Certificate) is recognised by the GPhC for pharmacy support staff working in dispensing roles.
What comes after Level 2?
The Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians (Diploma), which leads to registration with the GPhC as a pharmacy technician. Many of our Level 2 learners continue straight on.
Can my employer put several staff through at once?
Yes, and we'd encourage it. Group enrolments come with employer-side support: progress visibility, planning around rotas, and a single point of contact. Use the form below or email admin@ppets.co.uk.
I'm not sure if I'm ready. Can I talk to someone first?
Book a free 30-minute PPets Connect call with Daniel. No obligation, just an honest conversation about whether this is the right step and the right time.
Not ready to apply yet?
Ready to go? Apply now with your details and certificate evidence. Otherwise, leave your details below and Daniel will be in touch to answer questions first.