The programme will be run by the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) from September 2017 to September 2018*, according to CPPE.

Community and hospital pharmacy technicians across London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex can already apply online for the pilot, with training taking "a minimum" of three months, CPPE said.

"Each eligible pharmacy will receive funding for one place," said CCPE. "Subsequent attempts will be subject to availability and at a cost to the employer."

NHS England’s deputy chief pharmaceutical officer Dr Bruce Warner told delegates at the Pharmacy Show in Birmingham last week (October 9) that the training pilot will start in "London and the south east, before rolling out nationally".

"We need to build our clinical and professional leadership model so that it's sustainable and we have leadership at all levels within the system," Mr Warner added.

According to an invitation to bid for the training contract, the pilot will be funded by a £325,000 grant from Health Education England.

Training technicians “enhances role of pharmacists”

Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK) president Tess Fenn said training such as the CPPE pilot “serves to support the infrastructure changes that will enhance the role of pharmacists as clinicians”.

ACTs are “embedded” across the primary sector, and developing them further is a “positive way forward”, she said.

The pilot comes after the GPhC launched two key changes to the initial education and training of pharmacy technicians on October 3.

Catch up on all the tweets from the Pharmacy Show with C+D's Storify.

*Samantha Quaye, CPPE lead pharmacy technician, confirmed today (October 17) that the pilot is now open to applicants and will run until September 2018.