Band 4 Specialist Pharmacy Assistant - Clinical

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust; Mere Green; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS foundation trust in the UK seeks a Specialist Pharmacy Assistant to join their dynamic pharmacy team. This role offers the opportunity to work in both dispensary and clinical settings, providing direct patient care. Responsibilities include accurately dispensing medications, conducting medication reconciliation, and providing advice to patients. The position emphasizes professional development with opportunities for training and progression. Ideal candidates will possess excellent attention to detail, strong numeracy and communication skills, and a commitment to patient-centred care. Flexible roster participation is required.

Benefits

Comprehensive training programmes

Clear progression pathways

Supportive and collaborative environment

Qualifications

• Excellent attention to detail for accurate dispensing under pressure.
• Strong numeracy skills essential for medication calculations.
• Effective communication skills for diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Accurately dispense and check prescriptions.
• Conduct medication reconciliation on admission.
• Provide medication advice to patients and ward staff.
• Support ward stock management and ensure timely medicine supply.
• Handle controlled drugs accurately, maintaining legal records.

Skills

Attention to detail

Strong numeracy skills

Effective communication

Ability to work independently

Job description

We're seeking a skilled and motivated Specialist Pharmacy Assistant to join our dynamic pharmacy team at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. This is an exciting opportunity to join a department where you'll make a real difference to patient outcomes every single day. What makes this role special? You'll be working across both dispensary and clinical settings, giving you diverse experience and the chance to develop specialist skills. Unlike traditional pharmacy assistant roles, you'll have direct patient contact, conducting medication reconciliation on wards, providing advice to patients and carers, and working alongside our clinical pharmacy team to deliver personalised care packages. We're committed to your professional development -- this role offers clear progression pathways with comprehensive training programmes and opportunities to expand your clinical pharmacy skills. You'll be involved in service development, attending team meetings and helping shape how we deliver pharmaceutical care to our patients. Why join us? Our supportive, collaborative environment values innovation and continuous improvement. You'll work with pharmacy systems, participate in audit activities, and have the autonomy to use your initiative while being part of a connected team. We live by our values: being Kind, Connected and Bold in everything we do. If you're ready to take your pharmacy career to the next level and be part of building healthier lives, we'd love to hear from you. As a Specialist Pharmacy Assistant, you'll be an integral part of our multidisciplinary team, splitting your time between dispensary duties and ward-based clinical activities. You will:

• Accurately dispense and check prescriptions, ensuring safe and timely medication supply
• Conduct medication reconciliation on admission, gathering medication histories from multiple sources including GP records and patient interviews
• Provide medication advice to patients, carers and ward staff
• Support ward stock management, maintaining appropriate supply levels and minimising waste
• Handle controlled drugs accurately, maintaining records in line with legislation
• Fast-track urgent medication requests and TTOs, delivering directly to wards when needed
• Participate in medicines optimisation initiatives and audits
• The ideal candidate will have excellent attention to detail and strong numeracy skills, essential for accurate dispensing under pressure. You'll be an effective communicator who can adapt your approach for different audiences -- from distressed patients to busy clinical teams.

We need someone who can work independently, prioritise multiple tasks and remain calm during frequent interruptions. You'll recognise your professional limitations and know when to elevate appropriately. You'll participate in late, weekend, and bank holiday rosters. Most importantly, you'll be reliable, proactive and committed to delivering patient-centred care.

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust strives to have an inclusive culture where everyone feels like they belong, can thrive, knows that they add value and feels valued. We do this by developing compassionate and culturally competent leaders, being values driven in all that we do and by creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace that thrives on the diversity of our people. As such we want to attract and recruit talented individuals from all backgrounds, and for each of you to feel supported for the diversity you bring, to achieve your full potential. For those staff with a disability, including physical disability, long term health condition, mental health or neurodiverse condition, this also means being committed to making reasonable adjustments needed for you to carry out your role.