Dispensary Manager

King'S College Hospital Nhs Foundation Trust; Greater London, Orpington; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is looking for an experienced Dispensary Manager to join our Pharmacy team at Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH). As Dispensary Manager, you will lead the day-to-day operational delivery of the dispensary service, ensuring safe, efficient and patient-focused pharmacy services.

You will manage and develop the dispensary team, oversee workload and staffing, support training and professional development, and drive improvements that enhance safety,

Qualifications

• Hospital dispensary experience required.
• GPhC registration and competency demonstrated.
• Experience leading a pharmacy team and improving processes.

Responsibilities

• Manage the dispensary service to ensure safe, effective and economical use of drugs.
• Plan and allocate work for dispensary staff to ensure service delivery at PRUH.
• Propose changes to working practices to maximise efficiency and safety.
• Provide output, performance and activity data to the Patient Services lead.
• Ensure secure storage of FP10s and timely prescription pad re-orders.

Skills

Leadership

Dispensary management

GPhC-registered

Education

NVQ Level 3

BTEC in Pharmaceutical Science

GPhC registration

Job description

Job summary

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is looking for an experienced and motivated Dispensary Manager to join our Pharmacy team at Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH).

As Dispensary Manager, you will lead the day-to-day operational delivery of the dispensary service, ensuring safe, efficient and patient-focused pharmacy services. You will manage and develop the dispensary team, oversee workload and staffing, support training and professional development, and drive improvements that enhance safety, efficiency and patient experience.

We are looking for a GPhC-registered Pharmacy Technician with substantial hospital dispensary experience. You will bring strong leadership, organisational and communication skills, together with experience managing teams and implementing service improvements.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in a busy pharmacy service while contributing to King's commitment to outstanding care, innovation, inclusion and teamwork.

Main Duties of the Job

• To be responsible for proposing and implementing policies in relation to the dispensary service that has an impact both within Patient Services and across the Trust
• To be responsible for the regular review of operational policies and procedures specific to the provision of the dispensary services.
• To support Patient Services, in the strategic developmental and planning of the dispensary services provision to the Trust.
• To deliver a customer-focused service to all patients who attend the Dispensary.
• To manage the Dispensary Service and all the staff who work in the dispensary.
• To be line manager for the Dispensary Services staff and take responsibility for all the following, according to the Trust procedures.
• Be responsible for dispensary stock control and in the return and recycling or safe disposal (as appropriate) of the drugs from wards and departments in liaison with the Distribution Manager and according to the agreed departmental policies and procedures.

About us

The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. In June 2026, we launched our new strategy for 2026-31. Our vision is to transform healthcare, and we have agreed six strategic ambitions to help us improve care for patients, and the working lives of our staff.

Our six strategic ambitions are delivering high-quality patient care; creating a great place to work; leading pioneering research, innovation and education; building strong and successful partnerships; providing timely and efficient care; and ensuring long-term financial sustainability.

We have also agreed four new organisational values - Caring, Collaborative, Inclusive, Innovative - and these underpin everything we do, and how our teams interact with the patients under our care.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King's is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone's contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust's carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Job responsibilities

Job Description and Main Responsibilities

• To manage the dispensary service to ensure the safe, effective and economical use of drugs for all patients in the Trust.
• To be responsible for planning and allocating work for all dispensary and rotational staff to ensure that pharmacy dispensary services are delivered at PRUH.
• To propose changes to working practices and dispensing techniques that will maximize the potential for efficiency and safety in order to reduce waiting times while working in the dispensary
• To provide Patient Services staff with details of output, performance and activity at specified time intervals in a format agreed with Principle Technician Patient Services.
• To ensure that FP10 prescriptions are stored in a secure manner and are issued in accordance with agreed procedures to appropriate staff and to ensure that prescription pad issues are monitored and that they are re-ordered in a timely fashion.
• To ensure that all dispensary staff are trained in the use of any transactional equipment used in the collection of prescription charges (if appropriate).
• To ensure effective two-way communication amongst the dispensary staff, to the rest of the pharmacy department and across the Trust as necessary.
• To ensure all dispensary staff use pharmacy computer systems correctly, that data is entered accurately from transcription sheets, prescription forms and any other prescriptions written by others and that data is stored and archived appropriately in accordance with local and regionally agreed guidelines.
• To be a member of the PRUH Pharmacy Senior Staff meeting
• To ensure that drugs (including controlled drugs) are distributed efficiently and safely by the dispensary porters and to liaise regularly with the portering services manager.
• To assist the Education & Development Chief Pharmacy Technician to manage the development programme for all pharmacy technical staff during their dispensary rotation
• To ensure that all dispensary staff are trained in the use of Omnicell Controlled Drugs Cabinet and Controlled drugs are stored, maintained and dispensed as per the legal requirements and local policies
• To ensure timely issue of all relevant rotas
• To provide operational oversight to Beckenham Beacon & Orpington dispensary in the absence of the Principle Technician Patient Services.
• To ensure that the prescription tracking system is active at all times and that ward and pharmacy staff are adequately trained in its use.
• To deputise for the Principle Technician Patient services in his/her absence.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Knowledge of the requirements of national organisations involved in Pharmacy Dispensary Services e.g. DoH, Regional Pharmacy Services
• Relevant post registration (qualification) experience in a hospital Pharmacy in an area relevant to practice with assessed competencies
• Relevant experience in working within a hospital dispensary environment

Skills and Competencies

Essential

• Be able to make sound judgments in relation to Pharmacy Dispensary Services issues
• Be able to communicate effectively in both written and verbal formats with staff and patients
• Be able to implement and manage change

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• NVQ Level 3 plus accredited underpinning knowledge (BTEC in Pharmaceutical Science or equivalent) or equivalent.
• Professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Mandatory CPD to maintain fitness to practice

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).