Dispensing Pharmacy Assistant - Aseptic Dispensing Unit

Sfh Tr; Stanton Hill; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is inviting applications for a Dispensing Pharmacy Assistant in the Aseptic Dispensing Unit. In this role you will help assemble and prepare patient-specific injectable medicines in a clean room environment, under strict quality controls, to support clinics and wards.

You will join a dedicated Pharmacy Production team, with training across aseptic dispensing, labeling and distribution, plus opportunities to develop professional skills within an

Qualifications

• In-house training and experience for prescription interpretation, labelling and aseptic dispensing (NVQ level 3).
• Knowledge of working in a sterile environment.
• GCSE Maths and English Grade C or equivalent.
• NVQ Pharmacy level 2 in pharmacy services.
• Experience following procedures.
• Team player, able to work alone.
• Oral and written communication skills.
• Stock control.

Skills

In-house training

Sterile environment knowledge

Education

GCSE Maths and English

NVQ Pharmacy level 2

Job description

Dispensing Pharmacy Assistant - Aseptic Dispensing Unit

NHS AFC: Band 3

Main area Pharmacy Grade NHS AFC: Band 3 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday) Job ref 214-CSTO-8286468

Site King's Mill Hospital Town Sutton in Ashfield Salary £25,760 - £27,476 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 22/10/2026 23:59

Thank you for your interest in this role, we would be delighted to welcome you to Sherwood Forest Hospitals.

Sherwood is nationally recognised as being an excellent place to work and deliver care. We are rightly proud of the 5,500 colleagues who work here and know that happy colleagues deliver better care.

Our teams work in a supportive, inclusive environment, which nurtures wellbeing and has opportunities for development and progression. We do not just care for our patients, we also care for you.

At Sherwood Forest Hospitals, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. As such, we particularly welcome applications from people who identify as Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, or Disabled. We believe that a diverse team better represents the communities we serve and brings a wealth of perspectives and experiences to our work.

Job overview

Are you looking for a role where your work directly contributes to safer, better patient care? Join our Pharmacy Production team and play a vital part in ensuring patients receive high‑quality, safe, and appropriately prepared medicines.

This role offers a fantastic opportunity to join a committed and skilled team dedicated to maximising the availability of safe, appropriate medication to support excellent patient care.

Please note, this is NOT a Pharmacy Dispensing role.

You will work across three key areas within Pharmacy Production:

Aseptic Dispensing Unit

Your primary focus will be within our Aseptic Dispensing Unit, where you will assemble and prepare patient‑specific injectable medications for clinics and wards throughout the Trust. You will work within a Pharmacy clean room, wearing specialist clothing and prepare medications inside a pharmaceutical isolator.

Quality Control Department

You will be trained and validated to support the Quality Control team, carrying out essential checks on unlicensed medicines and products labelled in our Pre‑packing Unit.

You will also be validated to work within the Pre‑packing Unit, labelling bulk quantities of medicines for both internal and external Trust customers, as well as picking and accuracy‑checking orders.

If you are enthusiastic, organised, and committed to supporting excellent patient care, we would be delighted to receive your application and welcome you to our team.

Main duties of the job

To understand the role in more detail, please refer to the attached job description and person specification.

Working for our organisation

We are an award-winning NHS Foundation Trust working alongside health and social care colleagues across the county to provide acute and community healthcare services to more than 420,000 people across Mansfield, Ashfield, Newark and Sherwood, and parts of Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.

We put the patient at the heart of everything that we do and it is our aim to make sure that every patient is treated as we would want a member of our own family to be treated. At the same time, we expect our staff to be caring, kind and courteous to each other and to look out for each other. We believe that we are truly a clinically-led organisation.

We are proud that our Trust colleagues have voted us the best acute Trust to work for in the East Midlands for seven years running in the National NHS Staff Survey, while the Care Quality Commission has rated our Trust as ‘outstanding’ for care and our King’s Mill Hospital as the only ‘outstanding’ NHS-run hospital in the East Midlands.

Not all of our roles are eligible for visa sponsorship. To find out which roles are eligible, please refer to the shortage occupation list found here:

Home Office guidance has changed as of 9th April. Anyone that requires switching visa type may not be eligible for sponsorship even if the role is on the shortage occupation list.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To understand the role in more detail, please refer to the attached job description and person specification.

Person specification

Knowledge Requirements

• In-house training and experience for prescription interpretation, labelling and aseptic dispensing equivalent to NVQ level 3
• To possess knowledge of working in a sterile environment

Qualifications

• GCSE Maths and English Grade C or equivalent
• NVQ Pharmacy level 2 in pharmacy services

Further Training

• In house training programmes including labelling, aseptic dispensing, and distribution
• Regular validation in aseptic technique
• Training in the use of relevant computer programmes
• Manual handling training
• Health and Safety Training, including COSHH, Fire and Security

Experience

• Experience of following procedures
• Proven team member and ability to work alone
• Proven oral and written communication skills
• Stock control

Contractual Requirements

• Flexible approach to working hours
• Regular attendance during the required hours
• Weekend and bank holiday working
• Ability to travel between hospital sites

Not all of our roles are eligible for visa sponsorship. To find out which roles are eligible, please refer to the shortage occupation list found here:

Home Office guidance has changed. Anyone that requires switching visa type may not be eligible for sponsorship even if the role is on the shortage occupation list.

We as a Trust support the use of AI and other tools to support your application. However, all personal statements and behavioural examples must be truthful and factually accurate. Your application should reflect your own personal/professional experiences and qualifications to ensure authenticity and credibility.

For the avoidance of doubt, plagiarism includes presenting the ideas or experiences of others or content generated by artificial intelligence as your own. We review all applications carefully to ensure that the information provided in your supporting statement aligns with your qualifications, work history and the duties undertaken within those roles. Your experience will also be explored further during the interview process.

If you would like this information in an alternative format or in a different language please contact us on 01623 622515 ext 3271.

Please note that we no longer accept handwritten/paper applications and that the email address given on your application will be used for all correspondence regarding this post.

We reserve the right to close a vacancy before the closing date if a sufficient number of applications have been received. Priority for vacancies at the Trust will be given to existing employees of Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust whose roles are currently at risk of redundancy due to organisational change. If a high number of applications are received, a longlisting exercise will be conducted prior to shortlisting.

Only applications received on or before the closing date will be considered for short listing. This is to ensure that the Trust meets its commitment to Equality of Opportunity.

In submitting an application, you authorise Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to confirm any current and previous NHS Service details and you agree to the Trust obtaining and transferring personal date held about you, including Occupational Health data (inoculations and screening tests). This data will be shared using the NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) and third party systems via an automated process and will only be used for the purposes of maintaining your employment record.

Please note if you are successful in obtaining this position and the post involves regulated activity you will be required to undertake a Disclosure & Barring Service check. The Trust will pay for the check initially and then the money will be deducted from your first salary once you've commenced employment. The current price of a check is £26.40 for a standard check and £54.40 for an enhanced. If you are asked to complete a DBS check and have a previous identity that you do not wish to be disclosed to your employer and/or on your DBS certificate, you should call or email the dedicated sensitive applications team before submitting your application. The team is experienced in dealing with sensitive cases and will advise you of the process and what you need to do.

Please note any genuine job offer letters will only be received if you have applied, interviewed, and received a verbal offer from the appointing manager for a vacancy within Sherwood Forest Hospitals. If you receive a job offer and you are not sure of its authenticity, please report it to the following email [e-mail]

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Name Julie Binney Job title Production Manager Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 01623 622515 Additional information

For further information or to arrange a visit prior to interview, please contact Julie, Laura or Sam on extension 3169