Higher Level Pharmacy Assistant - Dispensary & Medicines Optimisation

Transformation Unit; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

NHS Pension

Career development opportunities

Job summary

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Band 3 Pharmacy Assistant to support dispensing in the main inpatient and satellite pharmacies, ensuring accurate records and ward-level medicines management.

The role involves rotating between dispensary duties, stock control, and patient communication, with a focus on delivering safe, patient-centred care within a busy hospital environment.

Qualifications

• GCSEs in English, Maths and Science (grade C or above).
• NVQ level 2 in Pharmacy Service Skills or equivalent.
• Working towards NVQ level 2 in Pharmacy Service Skills or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Dispense medicines according to procedures and label accordingly.
• Maintain accurate medication records and assist in stock control.
• Provide medicines management support to ward teams and communicate with patients and relatives.
• Rotate between main inpatient and satellite pharmacies to support operations.

Skills

Dispensing medicines

Stock control

Communication

Teamwork

Prioritisation

Education

NVQ level 2 in Pharmacy Service Skills

GCSE English, Maths and Science (C or above)

Working towards NVQ level 2 in Pharmacy Service Skills

Tools

JAC/WellSky

Pharmacy computer system

Job description

Main area Higher Level Pharmacy Assistant Grade NHS AfC: Band 3 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Including weekends, late duties and bank holidays) Job ref 289-CS-569

Employer Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Town London Salary £31,554 - £33,270 per annum incl. HCAS Salary period Yearly Closing 22/10/2026 23:59

Higher Level Pharmacy Assistant - Dispensary & Medicines Optimisation

NHS AfC: Band 3

Job overview

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic Band 3 Pharmacy Assistant to join our dynamic team.
As a Band 3 Pharmacy Assistant, you will play a crucial role in supporting our pharmacy services, rotating between the main inpatient pharmacy and the satellite pharmacies.

Key duties of this role include dispensing medicines according to procedure, using the Pharmacy computer system to produce dispensing labels, preparation of emergency drug boxes, maintaining accurate medication records, assisting in efficient stock control management and providing essential support to our ward pharmacy teams. This role is perfect for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is committed to delivering exceptional patient care.

Level 2 NVQ in Pharmacy Service Skills (or equivalent) is essential for this role. If you do not hold this qualification, you will be paid at Band 2 until you have completed the qualification.

Main duties of the job

Applicants must be reliable, adaptable to change, capable of working in a busy environment and have excellent people skills to be able to communicate with a large range of healthcare professionals, patients and their relatives.

The successful applicant will be responsible for offering a medicines management support service to the pharmacy and ward teams. This involves speaking to patients and relatives about their medicines, helping to avoid missed doses, transferring medicines to other wards and to deliver a strong pharmacy presence in a demanding environment. The post holder will be a vital link between the multidisciplinary team at ward level and the Pharmacy service.

You must be able to prioritise your workload, use initiative, work under pressure, meet deadlines and be committed to the delivery of high standards in a patient focused service.

Working for our organisation

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of England's top-performing and safest trusts. We operate two main acute hospital sites—Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital—along with award‑winning clinics across North West London.

Our nearly 7,500 staff care for a diverse population of 1.5 million, providing full clinical services, including maternity, A&E, and children’s services, plus specialist HIV and sexual health clinics. The Care Quality Commission rates us 'Good' in safety, effectiveness, care, and responsiveness, and 'Outstanding' in leadership and resource use.

We continually invest in our facilities, including a £30m expansion of critical care at Chelsea and Westminster and an £80m Ambulatory Diagnostic Centre at West Middlesex.

We welcome applications for flexible working arrangements, accommodating requests where possible to support our staff and patient needs.

The Trust is committed to equality and welcomes applications from all, regardless of background. Adjustments can be made for disabled candidates. Early application is advised as vacancies may close once sufficient applications are received. If you haven’t heard from us within three weeks of the closing date, your application was likely unsuccessful. Employment is subject to a six-month probationary period.

Some roles may require weekend shifts at multiple sites.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the description above and to the job description.

This will be a combined role with both main dispensary and the satellite dispensary. Also there will be a rotation to ward level to support the established medicines management team.

You will be required to participate in weekend, bank holiday, early and late duty rotas.

Education and Qualifications

• English, Maths and Science GCSE grade C or above or equivalent
• NVQ level 2 in Pharmacy Service Skills or equivalent
• Working towards NVQ level 2 in Pharmacy Service Skills or equivalent

Skills and Knowledge

• Ability to work to set procedures
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Ability to work under pressure accurately and in a busy environment
• Ability to organise and prioritise routine daily tasks using own initiative
• Ability to motivate self and others and demonstrate enthusiasm for the position
• Ability to communicate routine information effectively using clear written and spoken English
• Familiar with pharmacy procedures and workflow

Experience

• Understanding of stock control
• Previous experience of working in hospital Pharmacy
• Customer Service
• Pharmacy labelling and stock control systems
• Recent previous experience working in pharmacy within the NHS
• Preferably JAC/Wellsky pharmacy stock control system
• Demonstrate enthusiasm for the position
• Methodical with attention to detail
• Friendly, empathetic and reliable team worker able to relate to all grades of staff
• Flexibility in approach to work according to priorities within a constantly changing environment.
• Ability to cope well within a busy environment
• Ability to perform repetitive tasks and lifting medicine weight boxes
• Ability to sit or stand for prolonged periods
• Ability to motivate self and others

Important

• There may be some occasions when we have to close a vacancy earlier than the advertised closing date, this will be due to a high volume of applications. You are therefore advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
• Please check your emails regularly (and your junk folder) as this is how we will communicate with you throughout the recruitment process.
• In submitting an application, you authorise the Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process, should you be appointed to the post.
• During the recruitment process your identity documentation (ie passport, driving licence, visa etc) will be scanned using a device which recognises UV, infrared and machine-readable zone security features of the documents provided.
• Employment at the Trust is offered subject to successful completion of a six month probationary period.
• We operate a joint recruitment hub across the North West London Acute Provider Collaborative Group. As part of this, your application and personal data may be shared with partner trusts within the group for recruitment and workforce purposes, in line with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Right to work

If you need sponsorship to work in the UK, please visit the Home Office website for information on sponsorship and visa status before you fill in your application form. Due to recent changes in the UK immigration rules which affect Skilled Worker Visas, Global Business Mobility, Higher Skill Level and Increased Salary Thresholds, please ensure that you are able to meet the requirements to live and work in the UK before applying. Further information about eligibility is available on UK Visas and Immigration - GOV.UK

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.