Senior Assistant Technical Officer

Job overview

The Senior Assistant Technical Officer (SATO) plays a key role in supporting the safe, accurate, and timely supply of medicines within the Pharmacy Dispensary at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston (UHBW). Working under the direction of the Dispensary Coordinator or Pharmacy Manager, the post holder is responsible for dispensing, stock management, and supporting day‑to‑day operational activities to ensure high‑quality pharmacy services for patients and clinical teams.

The role includes accurate dispensing and labelling of medicines, monitoring expiry dates, resolving stock discrepancies, and using pharmacy IT systems such as CMM, PTS, and the dispensary robot. The SATO also supports compliance aid production, goods receipt, and the safe return or disposal of medicines in line with Trust waste policies.

In addition to technical duties, the SATO provides supervision, training, and support to pharmacy assistants and new starters, contributes to audits and quality improvement initiatives, and delivers a professional, courteous service to patients, ward staff, and colleagues. The role requires strong attention to detail, good communication skills, flexibility, and the ability to work effectively in a busy environment while adhering to Trust policies, governance, and health and safety requirements.

UHBW encourages development, and the role supports progression through training, accreditation, and apprenticeship opportunities.

Main duties of the job

• Accurately dispense and label medicines for inpatients, outpatients, and discharge prescriptions in a timely manner.

• Supervise and support pharmacy assistants and new starters, including providing training and day‑to‑day guidance.

• Use pharmacy systems including CMM, PTS, and the dispensary robot to support dispensing, stock control, and enquiries.

• Prepare and manage medicines compliance aids, including coordinating in‑house work and sending outsourced items at scheduled times.

• Monitor and resolve stock discrepancies, including participating in daily stock checks and running system reports.

• Receive goods into the dispensary, check stock against invoices, and load stock into the robot in line with procedures.

• Manage urgent items and “to‑follows”, ensuring timely preparation and delivery.Return suitable medicines to dispensary balances and dispose of unusable stock in line with Trust waste policies.

• Maintain the dispensary in a clean, safe, and organised condition.

• Respond to enquiries from wards, departments, patients, and staff in a polite and professional manner.

• Support quality improvement, audits, and service development initiatives within the pharmacy.

• Greet staff at pharmacy reception and ensure the prescription process is complete and accurate.

• Work in line with Trust policies, governance, health and safety, information governance, and infection prevention standards.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Dispensing & Medicines Supply

• Accurately dispense and label medicines for inpatients, outpatients, and discharge prescriptions in line with Trust procedures.
• Ensure prescriptions are clinically complete, correctly labelled, and prepared in a timely manner.
• Prepare urgent medicines and “to‑follows” promptly to support patient flow and discharge.
• Greet patients and staff at the pharmacy reception and ensure prescription paperwork is complete and accurate.

Stock Management & Control

• Monitor expiry dates within the dispensary, taking appropriate action where required.
• Participate in daily stock checks and investigate discrepancies using pharmacy systems.
• Return suitable medicines to dispensary balances and dispose of unusable stock in line with Trust waste policies.
• Receive goods into the dispensary, check stock against invoices, and load stock into the dispensary robot following procedures.

Use of Pharmacy Systems & Technology

• Effectively use pharmacy IT systems including CMM, PTS, and the automated dispensing robot.
• Respond to ward and departmental enquiries using prescription tracking systems.
• Train as a super‑user for the pharmacy robot where required and assist with troubleshooting.

Compliance Aids & Specialist Tasks

• Prepare medicines compliance aids for patients where required, coordinating workloads and sending outsourced prescriptions at agreed times.
• Support safe medicines handling and storage in line with governance and health and safety standards.

Supervision, Training & Support

• Provide supervision, guidance, and training to pharmacy assistants, students, and new starters.
• Support staff development by sharing knowledge, monitoring competence, and reinforcing safe working practices.
• Assist senior staff with maintaining service standards and supporting daily operational priorities.

Quality, Governance & Improvement

• Contribute to audits, service reviews, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Maintain a clean, safe, and organised dispensary environment.
• Follow all Trust policies relating to clinical governance, health and safety, infection prevention, safeguarding, and information governance.
• Report incidents, errors, and near misses in line with Trust procedures to support learning and improvement.

Professional Behaviour & Communication

• Communicate effectively with pharmacy colleagues, nursing staff, clinicians, patients, and the public.
• Deliver a polite, professional, and customer‑focused service at all times.
• Work collaboratively within the pharmacy team and wider Trust to support high‑quality patient care.