Hosting a Foundation Trainee Pharmacist in 2028/29: An Employer's Guide to Oriel, Funding and Supervision
Thinking of taking on a foundation trainee pharmacist for 2028/29? What's changed, what you need in place, how funding works and when to register.
By Umar Majid ·
"We'd like to take on a trainee, but we don't know where to start."
We hear this from pharmacy owners every year, and it's understandable. Foundation training has changed a lot. Recruitment now runs through Oriel, trainees qualify as prescribers, and multi-sector rotations are expected.
This guide covers what you need in place, how funding works, and when to act for 2028/29.
What's changed
- Oriel is the only route. Since 2025/26, every place in England and Wales has been recruited through Oriel, and only Oriel-recruited trainees attract NHS England funding.
- Trainees qualify as prescribers. Your trainee needs prescribing experience during the year, supervised by a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP).
- Multi-sector training is expected. Most programmes include a rotation of 13 weeks or more in another sector. Students notice this: in 2025/26, multi-sector programmes filled 91% of their places, compared with 58% where community pharmacy was the lead employer (The Pharmaceutical Journal).
What you need in place
| Requirement | In short |
|---|---|
| Designated Supervisor | A pharmacist who oversees your trainee and signs off their progress |
| DPP | An experienced prescriber who supervises prescribing. They don't have to be on site or a pharmacist |
| Training plan | Uploaded to your trainee's e-portfolio and mapped to the GPhC learning outcomes |
| Multi-sector rotation | 13 weeks or more, within a reasonable distance. You can't require a car |
| Protected learning time | Time in the working week to learn, complete assessments and revise |
For community pharmacies, finding a DPP is often the hardest part. Start asking local GP practices and PCN prescribers early.
Funding
NHS England pays a training grant for each trainee recruited through Oriel. It was £26,500 in 2025/26, and £27,295 has been reported for 2026/27. Figures for later years aren't published yet.
You pay your trainee's salary, including during rotations. If you agree a reciprocal rotation with another site, you both keep your full funding.
When to register
You register around 18 months before your trainee starts. For the 2027/28 intake, the window ran from 8 January to 3 March 2026, so expect the 2028/29 window to open around January 2027. If you miss it, you'll wait another year.
| Stage | Typical timing |
|---|---|
| Employers register | January to early March |
| Students apply | June |
| SJT and numeracy test | September to October |
| Offers made | November |
| You find out who you've recruited | Mid-December |
| Trainee starts | July or August |
How to get students to pick you
Students rank programmes, so your Oriel listing is your advert. Be specific about what a typical week looks like, how much learning time you give, who supervises, and how you'll support them with the GPhC exam. Exam support is one of the first things students look for.
We can help
We've supported foundation trainees and their employers for over ten years. We can provide:
- a ready-made Approved Training Plan your trainee can upload to their e-portfolio
- the Designated Supervisor Programme, free for your DS when you enrol your trainee with us
- the Foundation Pharmacist Training Programme for your trainee, with a 1-2-1 revision plan, lessons, a question bank, a mock paper, live webinars and e-portfolio support
- a free Oriel course for employers