Senior Pharmacy Technician – Cancer Services

Job overview

We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic Pharmacy Technician to join our dynamic and forward‑thinking pharmacy team at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate individual who wants to develop their skills, contribute to high‑quality patient care, and support the safe and effective use of medicines across the Trust.

As a key member of our multidisciplinary team, you will play an essential role in supporting medicines optimisation, delivering high‑quality pharmacy services, and ensuring patients receive safe, timely and effective treatment.

Main duties of the job

• Carry out prescription verification for Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapies (SACT) in line with British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) standards, ensuring treatment accuracy and safety. This includes reviewing clinical parameters such as blood results, identifying discrepancies, and liaising with prescribers to resolve issues promptly.

• Provide high‑quality pharmacy support across cancer inpatient, outpatient, and day‑unit services.

• Deliver specialist medicines advice to patients and carers, supporting understanding, adherence, and safe use of systemic anti‑cancer therapy (SACT) and supportive medicines.

• Support service improvement by contributing to audits, developing SOPs, implementing policy updates, and participating in quality assurance initiatives.

• Collaborate closely with multidisciplinary team (MDT) colleagues, including pharmacists, nurses, and prescribers to maintain safe, efficient workflows and excellent patient care.

• Train, supervise, and mentor junior pharmacy staff, supporting their development.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical

• Carry out prescription verification for Systemic Anti-cancer Therapies (SACT)  in line with BOPA standards, including reviewing blood results and liaising with prescribers to resolve discrepancies.
• Ensure safe and timely delivery of systemic anti‑cancer therapy (SACT) by checking treatment appropriateness, clinical parameters, and protocol compliance.
• Provide specialist counselling to patients and carers on SACT and supportive medicines, adapting communication for emotional, cognitive, or language barriers.
• Contribute to medicines reconciliation, discharge planning, and continuity of care across inpatient, outpatient and day‑unit settings.
• Act as a specialist technical resource for cancer pharmacy, using advanced IT and electronic prescribing systems (e.g., ChemoCare,)

Service Delivery & Improvement

• Implement and review policies, SOPs, and procedures in cancer pharmacy to ensure compliance with governance, national standards (including BOPA), and local protocols.
• Lead on technical aspects of cancer pharmacy workflow, coordinating prescription verification processes and responding to urgent clinical or stock issues.
• Participate in audits, research activities, and quality improvement projects that shape service development and enhance patient safety.

People Management and development

• Provide day‑to‑day supervision and leadership for pharmacy staff.
• Deliver specialist training and competency assessments in SACT verification, safe handling of cancer medicines, and use of e‑prescribing systems.
• Contribute to appraisals, performance reviews, and workforce development, supporting colleagues to achieve and maintain professional standards.

Communication

• Communicate complex or sensitive information effectively with patients, carers, pharmacists, prescribers, and nursing teams.
• Use tact, empathy, and persuasive skills when discussing prescription changes, safety concerns, or treatment delays.
• Document clinical and verification information accurately, escalating concerns in line with governance requirements.

Full list of responsibilities can be found in the Job description

This role is eligible for visa sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route. Sponsorship can only be provided where applicants meet the specific requirements set by UKVI, including the relevant skill and salary thresholds, and any role-specific criteria