SEHSCT Senior Pharmacy Assistant Aseptics Services Band 3

Job details

• Branch: Belfast Area (SEHSCT)
• Location: UH, Main Building
• Salary: Band 3 (£24,937 - £26,598)
• Contract Type: Permanent
• Opening Date: 21/05/26
• Closes: Thu, 04 June 2026 @ 5:30 PM
• Interview Dates: TBD

Notes

If you are submitting a manual application, please post it to: Recruitment Shared Services, Rosewood Villa, Longstone Hospital Site, 73 Loughgall Road, Armagh, BT61 7PR. Applications received after the advertised closing date/time cannot be considered, so please allow enough time for postage. “A waiting list may be created for similar posts that may arise while the waiting list is live, this may include temporary or part-time posts. This will be managed in line with the updated HSC waiting list principles effective from 1 April 2026”. Where a part-time waiting list is required, one part-time waiting list will be created- regardless of any specific hours advertised, this waiting list will cover all future vacancies where part-time posts arise. A part-time post is defined as any post that has less than 37.5 hours per week.” Please remember to save or print a copy of the job description before submitting your application, as it will not be accessible afterwards. Flexible Working We welcome flexible working requests from day one. All HSC organisations offer a range of flexible working options. The options available for this post will depend on the requirements of the role. Find out more about flexible working options on our website.

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE

Senior Pharmacy Assistant Aseptic Services

BAND

DIRECTORATE

INITIAL LOCATION

Band 3

Surgery, elective, maternity and paediatrics

Pharmacy Aseptic Department, Ulster Hospital

REPORTS TO

Chief Pharmacy Technician, Aseptic Services

ACCOUNTABLE TO

FLEXIBLE WORKING PROVISIONS AVAILABLE

Head of Pharmacy and Medicines Management

30 hours, Fixed working patterns

JOB SUMMARY

• To assist the Pharmacy Technicians in the delivery of safe, timely, appropriate and quality pharmacy aseptic and non-aseptic dispensing to wards and departments served by the Specialist services team.

• To manage and maintain appropriate pharmacy stock levels including stock rotation, expiry date checking, overstock / non-stock monitoring.

• To ensure that pharmacy assistant staff, working within the specialist services, are trained appropriately for the range of duties expected of them, conducting competency assessments and maintaining appropriate training records accordingly.

KEY DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES

Aseptics

Participate in the sterile manufacture of aseptic products, including cytotoxics/ monoclonal antibodies, parenteral nutrition and CIVAS, utilising isolator technology/Laminar airflow cabinets.

Manage the stock control of the aseptic department, ensuring an adequate supply of all drugs, consumables, cleanroom clothing, etc.

Undertake any task required to assemble and prepare any aseptically dispensed items including chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies and TPN under supervision.

Ensure the maintenance of records relating to the manufacturing and preparation process.

Train band 2 support workers and less experienced staff working in the aseptics department, ensuring SOPs and GMP are being followed.

Dispense standard parenteral nutrition for adult patients.

Undertake duties in the aseptic support rooms including receiving phonecalls from clinics and day units to go ahead with chemotherapy/ monoclonal antibody production

Work closely with Lead/ senior technicians within aseptics and quality control to ensure that all environmental monitoring of the aseptic unit is completed in order to comply with regulatory guidance and GMP.

Participate in and supervise the cleaning of equipment and surfaces in the aseptic unit and ensuring cleaning logs are completed appropriately.

Participate in the delivery of the environmental monitoring of pharmacy aseptic areas (e.g. settle plates, contact plates, swabs, air and water sampling).

Record results of daily monitoring including isolator/laminar air flow cabinets pressure records, temperature records, indicator lamps, cleanroom pressure differentials and report any results that are out of range

Carry out validations of processes on a regular basis to provide assurances acceptable standards are achieved and maintained. Undertake monthly cleans of aseptic isolators, ensuring these are completed according to the agreed schedule and immediately highlighting any equipment failures to the lead technician.

Responsible for transfer disinfection of items within the aseptic unit, ensuring all SOPs are adhered to.

Assist senior aseptic staff in the development of new initiatives for the effective and efficient day to day running of the Aseptics and Manufacturing unit.

Supervise the day to day activities of assigned pharmacy support workers within aseptics, ensuring staff perform duties required of them to the required standards within the accepted timescale.

Support the competency based training, supervision and mentoring of other grades of staff according to the needs of the service.

Organise own workload and prioritise routine tasks and delegated tasks to ensure efficient service delivery. Supervision and support will be available where necessary.

Participate in updating and developing SOPs and ensuring other staff adhere to same.

Ensure errors or incidents are recorded, appropriately evaluated and action taken in collaboration with the lead technician and principal pharmacist.

Participate in weekend, late evening and Bank Holiday rotas as required

Refer any issues, queries or incidents to the appropriate staff, keeping lead technicians informed at all times.

To maintain safe systems of work within the work area with regard to appropriate management of Waste in line with Manufacturer’s Recommendations, and COSHH.

To supervise and assist in the training of pharmacy staff as required e.g. NVQ 2 qualification.

To participate in training and education programmes organised in the Trust, maintain skills and keep up to date with relevant developments in pharmacy.

Participate in audits relevant to Pharmacy Services.

To dispose of waste in the correct manner and make sure that any special waste is handled and stored correctly.

Ensures provision of the above services in accordance with published standards and local policies.

Ensures that the output and quality of the service is maintained in relation to short and longer term objectives.

Motivates staff in pursuance of these objectives.

To undertake any other duties as assigned.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The post holder will be required to

Ensure the Organisation’s policy on equality of opportunity is promoted through his/her own actions and those of any staff for whom he/she has responsibility.

Co-operate fully with the implementation of The Organisation's Health and Safety arrangements, reporting any accidents/incidents/equipment defects to his/her manager, and maintaining a clean, uncluttered and safe environment for patients/clients, members of the public and staff.

Adhere at all times to all Trust policies/codes of conduct, including for example

Smoke Free policy

IT Security Policy and Code of Conduct

standards of attendance, appearance and behaviour

Contribute to ensuring the highest standards of environmental cleanliness within your designated area of work.

Co-operate fully with regard to Trust policies and procedures relating to infection prevention and control.

Take responsibility to minimise the Trust’s environmental impact wherever possible. This will include recycling, switching off lights, computers, monitors and equipment when not in use. Helping to reduce paper waste by minimising printing/copying and reducing water usage, reporting faults and heating/cooling concerns promptly and minimising travel.

All employees of the Organisation are legally responsible for all records held, created or used as part of their business within the South Eastern H&SC Trust including patients/clients, corporate and administrative records whether paper-based or electronic and also including emails. All such records are public records and are accessible to the general public, with limited exceptions, under the Freedom of Information act 2000 the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Employees are required to be conversant with the South Eastern H&SC Trust policy and procedures on records management and to seek advice if in doubt.

Take responsibility for his/her own ongoing learning and development, in order to maximise his/her potential and continue to meet the demands of the post.

Represent The Organisation’s commitment to providing the highest possible standard of service to patients/clients and members of the public, by treating all those with whom he/she comes into contact in the course of work, in a pleasant, courteous and respectful manner.

This Job Description will be subject to review in the light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.

It is a standard condition that all Trust staff may be required to serve at any location within The Organisation's area, as needs of the service demand.

eHealth

The South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust has invested in eHealth to deliver better, faster, safer care to our community and is committed to supporting staff to utilise associated information systems that directly and indirectly inform care. Trust staff are therefore required to commit sufficient time to ensure that they acquire and/or retain the core technology skills required to support their role.

Personal and Public Involvement (PPI)

Staff members are expected to involve patients, clients, carers and the wider community were relevant, in developing, planning and delivering our services in a meaningful and effective way, as part of the Trust’s ongoing commitment to Personal and Public Involvement (PPI).

Please use the link below to access the PPI standards leaflet for further information.

http://www.publichealth.hscni.net/sites/default/files/PPI_leaflet.pdf

May 2026

PERSONNEL SPECIFICATION

JOB TITLE AND BAND Senior Pharmacy Assistant, Aseptic Services

DEPARTMENT / DIRECTORATE Surgery, Elective, maternity and Paediatrics

SALARY

HOURS 30 hrs per week)

Ref No: <to be inserted by HR>

Notes to applicants

You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria.

Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form. Please note The Organisation reserves the right to use any desirable criteria outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting. You must clearly demonstrate on your application form how you meet the desirable criteria.

Proof of qualifications and/or professional registration will be required if an offer of employment is made – if you are unable to provide this, the offer may be withdrawn.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

SECTION 1: The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will initially be measured at shortlisting stage although may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form whether or not you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is stated below.

Factor

Criteria

Ideally no more than 6-8 criteria in this section

Method of Assessment

Experience

4 GCSE’s (grades A-C), or equivalent. Must include English Language and Mathematics at Grade A-C and 18 months experience working in a pharmacy environment AND willing to undertake and pass the qualification within 2 years of appointment.

Or

Two year’s experience working as a pharmacy support worker in a pharmacy environment

And

NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services

Shortlisting by Application Form

Qualifications/ Registration

Shortlisting by Application Form

SECTION 2: The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will be measured during the interview/ selection stage:

Skills / Abilities

Good communication, organisational and time-management skills

Good interpersonal skills

Computer literate

Able to show compassion and empathy

Well motivated, reliable, conscientious and responsible

Able to prioritise workload as required

Able to work in a tidy, methodical manner

Able to demonstrate working to a high degree of accuracy

Able to work under pressure and use own initiative

Able to adapt to differing demands and situations

Interview / Test

Knowledge

Knowledge of current trends within aseptics and cancer services

Knowledge of the job

Knowledge of Pharmacy Computer systems

Working knowledge of dispensing and stock control

Working knowledge of drug names

Knowledge of the role and scope of pharmacy aseptics and cancer services

Interview / Test

DESIRABLE CRITERIA

SECTION 3: these will ONLY be used where it is necessary to introduce additional job related criteria to ensure files are manageable. You should therefore make it clear on your application form how you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted

Factor

Criteria

Method of Assessment

Experience

Experience of working in an Aseptic / GMP related environment

Shortlisting by Application Form

Qualifications

Include equivalencies where necessary

Shortlisting by Application Form

As part of the Recruitment & Selection process it may be necessary for The Organisation to carry out an Enhanced Disclosure Check through Access NI before any appointment to this post can be confirmed.

THE ORGANISATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER

Successful applicants

may be required to attend for a Health Assessment

can expect to be placed at the minimum point of the pay scale, although a higher starting salary, within the range of the pay band may be available if the person appointed has experience relevant & equivalent to the post. If the successful candidate is an existing HSC employee moving to a higher band, AfC Pay on Promotion will apply.

are able to request Flexible Working from the 1st day of their employment. A number of flexible working provisions are offered by all HSC Organisations including Full-time working, Fixed working patterns, Part-time working, Flexi-time, Compressed/elongated hours, Average hours working patterns, Term-time working, Job-share or Homeworking for some or all of the working pattern, depending on the role being undertaken. Successful applicants are encouraged to discuss with their manager what Flexible Working provisions may be available in the role they are taking up, prior to commencing employment, to help them achieve a positive Work/Life Balance.

All staff are expected to display the HSC Values at all times