Search terms included pharmacy technician, pharmacy technician PD0332991 in vitro certification, pharmacy registration, technician education and technician requirements. Articles describing the roles and responsibilities of a technician, public perception of technicians, demographics, certification processes and the future of technician roles were included. A general Internet search was subsequently conducted to identify articles in the lay press. Pharmacy technicians working in the UK are in the unique position of having more opportunities than those working in other areas of the world. In Europe,

most pharmacy degree programmes are typically 5–6 years.[4] This is similar to the USA, where those wishing to become pharmacists must obtain a Doctorate of Pharmacy, which can take 6 years to complete (2 years of prerequisite courses and 4 years to complete PharmD). The UK, however, has a 4-year degree followed by a 1-year work programme prior to the application for registration as a pharmacist. This is the shortest of the European pharmacy degrees.[4] However, government bodies in the UK have considered implementing a so-called skills escalator. This

would allow pharmacy technicians who are qualified and registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain to be able to progress to registration as a pharmacist without the need to complete the full 4-year degree with PR-171 nmr 1 year of work programme that has traditionally led to becoming a pharmacist.[4] Registration as a pharmacy technician in the UK is currently voluntary but from 1 July 2011 registration will be mandatory. To register the applicant must have obtained NVQ level 3 status, as well Vasopressin Receptor as have acquired work experience in a pharmacy.[5] For a limited amount of time, ‘a range of other pharmacy technician qualifications’ will also be recognized as pharmacy technicians.[5] After registration, technicians are expected to continue with their pharmaceutical education by earning additional

qualifications.[6] These qualifications include gaining an accredited checking certificate (A1) and NVQ assessment and verification certification (V1).[6] Beyond the training and certification, pharmacy technicians in the USA and UK also experience differences in their work roles. For example, technicians in the USA will typically train and then work in the same area, such as in an outpatient pharmacy.[6] In contrast, pharmacy technicians working in the UK often work in several areas, and have the opportunity to ‘split their time roughly equally between dispensing and medicines management roles’.[6] The difference in work responsibilities between pharmacy technicians in the USA and UK creates further distinction between the two groups. In the UK, technicians have seen the emergence of the concept of the ‘checking technician’ in dispensary-based work.