Prescribing Support Pharmacy Technician

Job details

• Job reference: 252522
• Salary: Band 5 (£34,544 - £43,039)
• Job closing date: 16/07/2026
• Job Type: Other Therapeutic
• Location: Musselburgh Primary Care Centre
• Employment type: Permanent
• Hours Per Week: 36
• Job posted date: 02/07/2026
• Employer (NHS Board): NHS Lothian
• Department: PRIMARY CARE

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

Pharmacy Services

Prescribing Support Pharmacy Technician- Primary Care

Grade: Band 5

Hours: 36 hrs (1 WTE)

Location: East Lothian HSCP

Posts available: 3.2 WTE

Salary scale: £34,544 - £43,039 Pro rata

An exciting opportunity has arisen for experienced pharmacy technicians in East Lothian.

Peaceful countryside and vibrant coastal towns which are only a short commute from Edinburgh provide an idyllic setting for you to begin or further your career as a Prescribing Support Pharmacy Technician in Primary Care.

We are looking for a experienced, motivated Pharmacy Technicians who have a passion for patient care and are looking for a new challenge to fill vacancies our well-established technician team. Our enthusiastic and friendly team of pharmacists and technicians has a wide range of experience in most sectors of pharmacy enabling us to support each other as we continue to grow and develop into the role in GP practice together.

The team is involved in delivering the Pharmacotherapy elements of the new GP contract, aiming for a balance between activities which support GP capacity, such as processing hospital letters; cost effective prescribing projects and clinical activities which provide direct patient care.

About you

Essential Qualifications and Experience:

• Registered as a Pharmacy Technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• National Certificate in Pharmacy Services or equivalent
• Hold a National Certificate in Pharmacy Services and Scottish Vocational Qualification Level 3 in Pharmacy Services or equivalent
• HN Unit: Procedures for Pharmacy Dispensary Checking Technicians or Accuracy Checking Pharmacy Technician Award (provided by Buttercups or NPA, 2019 or before)
• Candidates should normally hold a Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Pharmacy Services Development and Management. However, applicants who do not possess this qualification but can demonstrate equivalent professional experience may also be considered. In such cases, a completed Mapping Assessment Form and a supporting Portfolio of Evidence must be submitted as part of the application process (copies are included with the Job Description and Person Specification with this advert). Applicants who are shortlisted will receive detailed guidance, including instructions and timelines, for completing and submitting this documentation.
• A commitment to improving patient care through pro-active, evidence-based pharmaceutical services.

Applications for part time or full-time work will be considered.

Informal enquiries are welcome. Further information may be obtained by emailing:

Mhairi Innes, Lead Pharmacy Technician, East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership

mhairi.innes@nhs.scot

AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot can be great for planning and preparing your application—but your answers must be your own.

• Show us the real you: Your application should reflect your skills, experience, and motivations authentically.
• Use AI wisely: It’s fine to use AI for ideas or to check spelling and grammar, but don’t let it write your answers.
• Why this matters: Applications that rely on AI-generated content may be withdrawn. By applying, you confirm your responses are based on your own knowledge and achievements.

Tip: Think of AI as a helper, not a substitute. We want to understand you—not an AI tool.

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service. Further information on what NHS Scotland Boards are required to do to check this as well as what your responsibilities include can be found in the further information for this vacancy.

Please note: we anticipate a high level of interest in this position and may close the vacancy early once a sufficient amount of applications are received. Therefore, please make sure you complete and submit your application at an early stage.

We will fully support disabled candidates, and candidates with long-term conditions or who are neurodivergent by making reasonable adjustments to our recruitment policy and practices.

This post requires the post holder to have a PVG Scheme membership/record. If the post holder is not a current PVG member for the required regulatory group (i.e. child and/or adult) then an application will need to be made to Disclosure Scotland and deemed satisfactory before they can begin in post.

Due to legislative changes from 1 April 2025, this post may require a different level of criminal records check done than is currently the case. If the post is assessed as a "regulated role", your appointment will be subject to joining the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. If there is any change to what is currently required, this will be confirmed by either the Hiring Manager or the Recruitment Team. For more details on these changes please visit: Disclosure Scotland Changes.

Pharmacy Services

Prescribing Support Pharmacy Technician- Primary Care

Grade: Band 5

Hours: 36 hrs (1 WTE)

Location: East Lothian HSCP

Posts available: 3.2 WTE

Salary scale: £34,544 - £43,039 Pro rata

An exciting opportunity has arisen for experienced pharmacy technicians in East Lothian.

Peaceful countryside and vibrant coastal towns which are only a short commute from Edinburgh provide an idyllic setting for you to begin or further your career as a Prescribing Support Pharmacy Technician in Primary Care.

We are looking for a experienced, motivated Pharmacy Technicians who have a passion for patient care and are looking for a new challenge to fill vacancies our well-established technician team. Our enthusiastic and friendly team of pharmacists and technicians has a wide range of experience in most sectors of pharmacy enabling us to support each other as we continue to grow and develop into the role in GP practice together.

The team is involved in delivering the Pharmacotherapy elements of the new GP contract, aiming for a balance between activities which support GP capacity, such as processing hospital letters; cost effective prescribing projects and clinical activities which provide direct patient care.

About you

Essential Qualifications and Experience:

• Registered as a Pharmacy Technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• National Certificate in Pharmacy Services or equivalent
• Hold a National Certificate in Pharmacy Services and Scottish Vocational Qualification Level 3 in Pharmacy Services or equivalent
• HN Unit: Procedures for Pharmacy Dispensary Checking Technicians or Accuracy Checking Pharmacy Technician Award (provided by Buttercups or NPA, 2019 or before)
• Candidates should normally hold a Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Pharmacy Services Development and Management. However, applicants who do not possess this qualification but can demonstrate equivalent professional experience may also be considered. In such cases, a completed Mapping Assessment Form and a supporting Portfolio of Evidence must be submitted as part of the application process (copies are included with the Job Description and Person Specification with this advert). Applicants who are shortlisted will receive detailed guidance, including instructions and timelines, for completing and submitting this documentation.
• A commitment to improving patient care through pro-active, evidence-based pharmaceutical services.

Applications for part time or full-time work will be considered.

Informal enquiries are welcome. Further information may be obtained by emailing:

Mhairi Innes, Lead Pharmacy Technician, East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership

mhairi.innes@nhs.scot

AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot can be great for planning and preparing your application—but your answers must be your own.

• Show us the real you: Your application should reflect your skills, experience, and motivations authentically.
• Use AI wisely: It’s fine to use AI for ideas or to check spelling and grammar, but don’t let it write your answers.
• Why this matters: Applications that rely on AI-generated content may be withdrawn. By applying, you confirm your responses are based on your own knowledge and achievements.

Tip: Think of AI as a helper, not a substitute. We want to understand you—not an AI tool.

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service. Further information on what NHS Scotland Boards are required to do to check this as well as what your responsibilities include can be found in the further information for this vacancy.

Please note: we anticipate a high level of interest in this position and may close the vacancy early once a sufficient amount of applications are received. Therefore, please make sure you complete and submit your application at an early stage.

We will fully support disabled candidates, and candidates with long-term conditions or who are neurodivergent by making reasonable adjustments to our recruitment policy and practices.

This post requires the post holder to have a PVG Scheme membership/record. If the post holder is not a current PVG member for the required regulatory group (i.e. child and/or adult) then an application will need to be made to Disclosure Scotland and deemed satisfactory before they can begin in post.

Due to legislative changes from 1 April 2025, this post may require a different level of criminal records check done than is currently the case. If the post is assessed as a "regulated role", your appointment will be subject to joining the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. If there is any change to what is currently required, this will be confirmed by either the Hiring Manager or the Recruitment Team. For more details on these changes please visit: Disclosure Scotland Changes.