Pharmacy Technician – Dispensary and Clinical Support

Job overview

Fixed term contract/secondment opportunity until 30th June 2026

Are you an experienced Pharmacy Technician looking to develop and enhance your practice and skills in both a ward and clinic environment? This is an opportunity to work as a central member of a large multidisciplinary team focused on ensuring the safe and effective use of medicines throughout the surgical pathway, in both the pre-operative assessment clinic, and on the surgical wards.

You should be dedicated, flexible and able to work in a high pressured, busy and demanding working environment. Although working within a team, you will also need to work independently and have excellent decision-making capabilities. You will need to be enthusiastic, have excellent communication skills and a genuine interest in developing your skills and knowledge. You will be expected to use a number of computer-based systems and, therefore, will have good IT skills.

If you are considering applying for this post on a secondment basis, please discuss with your Line Manager prior to applying to ascertain whether this could be supported.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be required to have final accuracy checking (ACPT) accreditation, medicines management skills (assessment of patients own drugs, supply of medicines for inpatient use and discharges), medicines related patient counselling, drug history taking, to demonstrate effective leadership and be a role model to junior members of the pharmacy team. The post holder will be supported through in house training and competencies to work independently in a clinic environment.

In house training for this role will involve becoming familiar with trust policies for amending medication around surgery and developing the competence to give this advice independently under remote supervision from the Lead Pharmacist. In house drug history and checking competencies will also need to be obtained if not already held.

All staff are required to participate in the weekend rota with corresponding time off during the week, currently 1 in 10.  All staff are required to undertake at least one public holiday duty per year.  All rotas are subject to review at any time.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Day to day duties will include providing care for elective surgical patients as part of their pre-operative assessment. You will be working in the clinic environment with nurses, healthcare assistants and anaesthetists, and will work together to achieve positive patient outcomes. You will be working independently organising clinic lists, taking drug histories and making medication amendments, overseen by the Lead Pharmacist. There may be the opportunity for teaching to trainee nurses and pharmacists, alongside accommodation placement students.

You will also work on the surgical wards as a ward-based technician carrying out drug histories and assisting with discharge and inpatient medication supply, alongside promoting positive medicines management. The role also consists of a weekly slot in the main pharmacy dispensary, carrying out a dispensing or checking role depending on the candidates qualifications.

To support the delivery of a high quality, safe and compassionate healthcare service, all staff are expected to act as a role model to others in all aspects of their work and consistently demonstrate NNUH’s ‘PRIDE’ values of People focused, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Excellence and demonstrate behaviours that support and encourage an inclusive culture.

• To provide, in conjunction with the appropriate Clinical Pharmacy Practitioners, a ward technician medicines management service on specified wards
• To undertake drug history taking in conjunction with the appropriate Clinical Pharmacy Practitioners on specified wards
• To be responsible for ensuring timely supply of appropriate discharge medication for specified wards
• To provide counselling advice to patients on their medicines, providing advice to patients and carers about compliance issues
• To liaise with the Clinical Pharmacy Practitioners and Senior Pharmacy Technicians in Dispensary and Stores to inform of current medicines use on the wards in order that optimal ward stocks are maintained. To be responsible for processing drug returns on specified wards
• To organise and undertake the dispensing and distribution of all medicines against a previously clinically checked prescription or request in line with departmental policies and procedures and the Medicines Act 1965 using the JAC computer system
• To dispense all controlled drugs (CDs) against a recognised order of previously clinically checked prescription in line with departmental policies and procedures and the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 using the JAC computer system
• To maintain documentation to support the dispensing of all medicines including CDs
• To lead in the replacement of Dispensary stock including the ordering, receipt and maintenance of stock records in liaison with the Senior Pharmacy Technician, Stores
• To issues medicines to all outpatients attending the Pharmacy Department to include giving appropriate advice and counselling to ensure the effective use of medicines by the patient

Please see the attached job description for full details.