By Neil Trainis

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has thrown its support behind government plans to allow pharmacy technicians to supply and administer medicines under a patient group direction, although the professional leadership body cautioned they should do so only when they have received the “right training, education and workplace support.”

In its response to a six-week Department of Health and Social Care consultation, which has now closed, the RPS said amending the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to give pharmacy technicians the scope to use PGDs would give pharmacy teams greater capacity and “could support transformational change within pharmacy teams and enable the further evolution of the pharmacist’s role into more complex clinical care.”

The RPS said the legislative amendment, which the government insisted is supported by all four UK nations, could increase patients’ access to services and “support the introduction of more enhanced pharmacist-led clinical services.”

However, it insisted it was “critical” that pharmacy technicians who use PGDs “work within their competence” and are given proper support to do so.

“It is essential that pharmacy technicians are given the right training, education, and workplace support to enable them to confidently and competently deliver PGDs,” the RPS said.

It added that some PGDs will “require a level of clinical decision-making” that means they are better delivered by a pharmacist or other healthcare professional, not a pharmacy technician.

During the consultation, the RPS said it did not agree that two-year pre-registration training gives pharmacy technicians appropriate knowledge and skills to complete the training requirements which allows them to use PGDs.

The RPS said if the legislative amendment is made, the training would need to be "adapted" to reflect the change to "ensure technicians are provided with an appropriate knowledge base of PGDs and the governance and accountability that lies with them."