Job overview
Are you looking for a career in mental health services or the NHS? If so, you could be well suited to this role.
We are looking to recruit a Pharmacy Assistant to be part of the Inpatient Pharmacy Team in East Sussex and our dispensary hub based at Swandean in Worthing. This role involves assisting Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians with medicines optimisation, ensuring compliance with mental health regulations and providing essential support to healthcare professionals and patients. This is an excellent opportunity for pharmacy assistants working in hospital, community or retail pharmacy who are looking to develop their skills within a supportive NHS environment. The pharmacy team provides a well-structured support system, access to training with opportunity for development and whilst hospital experience is welcome it is not essential - we are looking for motivated individuals who are organised, accurate and ready to develop.
You will work closely with multidisciplinary teams, supporting both staff and patients, and contribute to service development across the East Sussex locality. All applications that demonstrate the required qualifications (NVQ 2 in pharmacy services or equivalent) as per job description and personal specification will be considered. This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check with adults.
Main duties of the job
- Support medicines optimisation and medicines management processes to improve patient care and promote medicines safety.
- Support the working of Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians.
- Provide medicines top up's to Mental Health Inpatient wards, along with development towards named patient ordering.
- Support the dispensing of inpatient, outpatient and discharge prescriptions within the pharmacy hub based at Swandean Worthing.
- Assemble and supply ward stock medicines
- Receive, store and rotate medicines safely
- Support controlled drug processes in line with policy
- Use electronic dispensing and tracking systems
- Monitor stock levels and expiry dates
- Communicate with clinical teams regarding medicines supply
Dispensary location may be subject to future change based on the needs of the service.
Whilst this post will be based at Combe Valley Hospital the postholder will be expected to work at Woodlands / St Anne's Centre on the Conquest Hospital site for approximately half their working week.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Applications with the following qualifications will be considered:
- NVQ level 2, Pharmacy Services
Please see attached job description and person specification for further information on the requirements of the role. If you have any queries please feel free to contact us to discuss further. We would love to speak with you to see if you are a good fit for this role.
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
Skills
Essential
- Ability to demonstrate clear and accurate written communication skills
- Ability to demonstrate clear and accurate verbal communication skills
- Numeracy skills: ability to carry out simple calculations
- Literacy skills: ability to follow verbal and written instructions accurately
- Ability to maintain mental concentration effort for sustained periods
- Ability to meet deadlines whilst maintaining concentration and paying attention to detail
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ level 2, Pharmacy Services. Including three core units.
Values and behaviours
Essential
- Demonstrates appropriate empathy towards patient group
- Good interpersonal skills
Knowledge and experience
Essential
- Knowledge of policies, procedures and practices across pharmacy services
- Knowledge of pharmacy medicine supply systems
- Knowledge of stock control systems and storage of medicines
- Trained to the higher level of the national profile of a Pharmacy Assistant job description
- Experience of working in a pharmacy team with medicines
- Experience of working with medicines Information Technology (IT) systems
- Experience of dispensing prescriptions or the preparation
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Pharmacy Assistant Higher Level with Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in Bexhill-on-Sea, England. It is listed as a Band 3 Pharmacy assistant role. The advertised salary is £25,760 - £27,476 pro rata for part time. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 17 Aug 2026.
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