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Job overview
The post holder is to assist the Operations Chief Technician and Senior Technicians in the day to day running of the Sterile Production Unit, the Non-Sterile Manufacturing Department, the Aseptic units and the training of less- experienced staff working in the units. The department is split into four teams: Sterile Batches, Chemotherapy, Non-Sterile and CIVAS. The post holder will be a member of one of these and will rotate between teams as required. It is the post-holder’s responsibility to ensure that all products made are manufactured in accordance with the principles of Good Manufacturing Practice, COSHH and Health and Safety Directives.
The post-holder will be expected to deputise for the Senior Technician in each area in his / her absence.
The post-holder is expected to develop and maintain personal expertise in all technical aspects of manufacture and extemporaneous preparation undertaken within the production unit at The Royal Free Hospital, in particular aseptic preparation. To this end, they will be responsible for ensuring their own accreditations are completed and re-validated within the agreed time frames.
Main duties of the job
- To responsibly manufacture products in accordance to Standard Operating Procedures and the principles of Good Manufacturing Practice.
- To liaise with ward staff and pharmacists, on a daily basis, to ascertain their CIVAS and cytotoxic requirements and to prepare doses, as necessary.
- To be responsible for making sure that the differential pressures in the rooms and on the safety equipment to be used are within the correct limits and facilities and equipment are thoroughly cleaned before and after compounding of preparation. To report to the Chief or Senior Technician if facilities are out of specification and to prevent other staff from using the room or equipment until it is back in specification.
- To ensure all equipment is cleaned and fit for purpose, and appropriate records made.
- To accurately calculate the total quantity of each ingredient required to manufacture products.
- To allot suitable batch numbers and assemble the required drugs and equipment accurately and to check that all ingredients and equipment are fit for use.
- To carry out a sanitisation process on all drugs and equipment being passed into the “clean” rooms and Grade A facilities, using appropriate agents as specified in Standard Operating Procedures.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached job description for more information about this role and working at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Person specification
Experience
Essential
- Previous experience of working in a hospital pharmacy or experience of working in a drug manufacturing environment
- Portfolio demonstrating competence of previous and current pharmacy practice skills, knowledge and CPD.
Skills and aptitudes
Essential
- Ability to train and assess others.
- Ability to identify small foreign particles in manufactured products requiring good eyesight.
- Ability to work in areas requiring specialist clothing, such as sterile gowns, hoods, boots, masks and gloves.
- Demonstrated accurate numeracy skills, without using a calculator, including complex calculations, addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, percentages, decimal, fractions, and ratio.
- Demonstrated good manual dexterity to undertake fine and accurate manipulative work.
- Demonstrated ability to handle hazardous materials safely according to local standard operating procedures.
- Demonstrated ability to manage load handling issues and ensure local Manual handling procedures are followed.
- Demonstrated ability to accurately follow written procedures under pressure.
- Demonstrated ability to undertake preparation of medicines requiring fine and accurate motor skills and concentration.
Desirable
- Good aseptic skills demonstrated by a series of negative broth runs.
- Ability to prioritise and organise routine daily tasks using own initiative.
- Demonstrated pharmacy computer and IT skills, including data entry, word processing and email.
Royal Free shared commitments
Essential
- Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust shared commitments
Personal qualities and attributes
Essential
- Ability to work as part of a team.
- Demonstrated ability to concentrate for prolonged periods of time.
- Demonstrated ability to maintain quality standards.
- Demonstrated ability to work under pressure accurately
- Demonstrated ability to work to set procedures.
- Demonstrated knowledge of aspects of a GMP and QA system.
- Demonstrated ability to sit or stand in a restricted position at a work bench for periods of the working time.
- Flexibility to work weekends and Bank Holidays as necessary (on a rota basis).
Desirable
- Demonstrated effective customer service skills.
- Demonstrated ability to motivate self.
Education and professional qualifications
Essential
- NVQ Pharmacy Services Level 3 plus an accredited underpinning knowledge or BTEC Pharmaceutical Science Manufacturing Technician (SMT) or working towards completion of the above or an equivalent relevant science degree.
Desirable
- Registered, or eligible to be registered, with General Pharmaceutical Council, as a pharmacy technician or equivalent professional body.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Band 4 Rotational Technician - Pharmacy Production Services with Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust in Royal Free Hospital. It is listed as a Band 4 Pharmacy role. The advertised salary is £34,186 - £37,389 per annum inclusive of HCAS. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 04 Sep 2026.
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