National Recruitment Scheme via Oriel for Trainee Pharmacist 

If you intend to be part of the 2026 Foundation Trainee Pharmacist National Recruitment Scheme (NRS) for the 2027-28 training year, you must register by Midday on Tuesday 3 March 2026. 

Please note late submissions will not be accepted. 

The on-line registration form can be found here.    

Recruitment via the NRS is the only route to employing a trainee pharmacist for foundation training. You cannot recruit trainee pharmacists via any other route. Participating in the national recruitment scheme does not guarantee that your programme(s) will fill, as historically there have been more training places available than potential trainees to fill them. 

Terms of Participation 

The Employer Terms of Participation (ToP) have been updated for 2026 recruitment. Please read these carefully and understand the implications before registering, even if you have been part of the NRS before. You will be asked to sign up to the ToP and NHS England’s Quality Framework as part of the registration process. 

Employer Guidance  

You are encouraged to read the guidance in the Employer Handbook before registering, paying particular attention to advice on writing your programme description(s), as this is your main opportunity to promote your programme(s) to potential trainees. 

Foundation Training from 2025-26 onwards

Further details about foundation training following the full implementation of the reforms to the initial education and training of pharmacists, including NHS England requirements, can be found here.