The total number of community pharmacy technicians dropped by a staggering 17% last year, new NHS England (NHSE) data has revealed.

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) yesterday (October 2) announced that the second consecutive community pharmacy workforce survey results, which “provide a snapshot of the community pharmacy workforce in autumn 2023”, had been published.

Every community pharmacy in England is required to participate in the survey, which is commissioned by Health Education England (HEE), NSHE said.

Read more: ‘Toxic’ debates a ‘threat’ to expanding pharmacy technician role, says GPhC

The new results show that the number of pharmacy technicians in England have dropped to 5,436 – down 17% from 6,544 in 2022.

The decline comes after the 2022 workforce survey revealed that pharmacy technician numbers had dropped 16% from 7,768 in 2021 – leaving the total number down almost a third (30%) in just the last two years of the survey.

 “Attractive healthcare profession”

Reflecting on the news today, Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK) president Nicola Stockmann told C+D that the organisation recognises “the trends noted in the community pharmacy workforce survey 2023”.

“It is important to note there is an overall growth for pharmacy technicians using registrant data from the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), demonstrating that it is an attractive healthcare profession to join,” she added.

Read more: NHSE to fund 530 community pharmacy technician apprenticeships

“APTUK's commissioned work into post-registration pathways…will also support retention and provide training opportunities as the roles and pathways are better understood and utilised,” she said.

Stockmann added that APTUK’s joint work with NHSE officials and “employers in community pharmacy” will “continue to define the valued contribution of pharmacy technicians as registered autonomous healthcare professionals”.

Last month, GPhC chief executive Duncan Rudkin warned that “toxic” debates were a “threat” to expanding pharmacy technician roles.

Read more: Pharmacy technicians are entitled to be called pharmacy professionals

In June, the Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) said that it was considering legal action over the term “pharmacy professionals” to ensure patients are not “confused” by the difference between a pharmacist and pharmacy technician.

The move came after the British Medical Association (BMA) said that it was challenging the GMC through the courts to stop it from using the term “medical professionals” to describe doctors, physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates.