may gain such qualifications afterwards. In the National Health Service (NHS) pharmacy technicians work under the direct supervision of a senior or specialist pharmacy technician and is accountable to the chief pharmacy technician or lead pharmacist even if not in a dispensary. Technicians work mainly in one of two areas, hospital pharmacy or community pharmacy. Some also work in doctors' general practices and in primary care trusts. A pharmacy dispenser cannot call themselves or work as a pharmacy technician or register with the GPhC as one. Pharmacy technicians in hospitals are graded on the same Agenda for Change banding as audiovisual technicians, dental nurses and theatre support workers. They start on a set percentage of a Band 4 (usually 75% - an average annual wage of £20,698) as a trainee moving on to Band 4 when newly qualified PhT and can work their way to a Band 8b in charge of a department/area. A Band 8b is the equivalent of a nurse lead/senior nurse manager in nursing or other head of department in the NHS. Although Band 8b is possible, a successful pharmacy technician can reasonably expect to reach Band 7a in the latter stage of his/her career, earning an average of £35,898. Registered pharmacy technicians in the NHS may be responsible for the training and development of pharmacy support workers and pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians. Further training and qualifications after initial registration enable them to perform this mentoring role. Pharmacy technicians in the UK (as with other countries e.g. Canada) are now referred to by some as professionals, although registered pharmacists are still considered experts in the pharmaceutical field and pharmacy technicians are subordinate to pharmacists. The reference to pharmacy technicians as professionals has been subject to robust challenge. A report was published by the Pharmacists' Defence Association in 2019 making proposals for the development of pharmacist and pharmacy technician roles and career frameworks symbiotically in community pharmacy. It also outlined various impediments and governance issues and called for these to be addressed. The Association of Pharmacy Technicians United Kingdom is a professional organization for pharmacy technicians in the UK. United States There is no national regulatory agency governing pharmacy technicians and the duty falls to the individual state boards of pharmacies in the US. A high school diploma (or its equivalent) is typically required in all states but certification and licensing requirements vary by state. Some states require