Medicines Optimisation Pharmacy Technician

Ashford & St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Chertsey; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS hospital trust in Chertsey seeks a Medicines Optimisation Pharmacy Technician to support the pharmacy team. The role involves patient counselling, medicines reconciliation, and dispensing. Ideal candidates are enthusiastic, have a BTEC in Pharmaceutical Sciences and are eligible for GPHC registration. Opportunities for further development and a supportive environment are provided. Competitive salary of £28,860 to £39,686 per annum.

Benefits

Continuous professional development

Flexible working opportunities

Health and wellbeing support

Qualifications

• Eligibility for registration with GPHC.
• Experience in pharmaceutical practices is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Conduct drug histories and medicines reconciliations.
• Counsel patients on medication use and safety.
• Dispense prescriptions and manage stock levels.

Skills

Patient counselling

Medicines reconciliation

Team collaboration

Education

Eligible for registration with GPHC

BTEC in Pharmaceutical sciences or equivalent

Job description

Medicines Optimisation Pharmacy Technician

The closing date is 04 November 2025

Ashford & St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an enthusiastic, self-motivated, qualified pharmacy technician to join our busy, friendly team and expanding medicines management service.

Our pharmacy department is a friendly and progressive department that benefits from the successful working relationship between our clinical and technical teams with a strong emphasis on training and development. It has a well-established Medicines Management Technician Service that is developing new innovative more clinical roles in speciality areas (A&E, care of the elderly and orthopaedics). We welcome new members of staff whose aim is to work with patient-focused teams providing high quality clinical services and bring fresh ideas.

You will be working closely alongside our ward based clinical teams to ensure the delivery of high quality clinical pharmacy service, assist with medicines reconciliation by taking drug histories, ensuring patients receive appropriate information about their medicines and ensuring the risks associated with transfer of care are minimised. You will be involved with checking patient\'s own drugs, ordering medicines, patients counselling, training other healthcare professionals and dispensary duties.

Opportunities for further development are encouraged and unless already in possession you will be required to undertake recognised qualification in medicines management and final accuracy checking with possibility to move on to medicines administration training.

Main duties of the job

• To undertake drug histories and medicines reconciliations at ward level, making any appropriate referrals to the ward pharmacist.
• To counsel patients regarding the correct and safe use of their medications
• To liaise with ward and pharmacy staff to facilitate prompt discharges
• To dispense all types of prescriptions and inpatients order and support the dispensary team
• To take part in accuracy checking duties (if qualified to do so)
• To assist in the training of junior staff

About us

Ashford and St. Peters Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust serves a population of more than 410,000 people living in North-West Surrey, parts of Hounslow and beyond.

Over 3,700 highly trained doctors, nurses, midwives, therapists, healthcare scientists and other support staff make up our workforce, providing a wide range of services across our two hospital sites, Ashford, Ashford, Surrey and St Peter\'s, Chertsey, Surrey.

We also run many specialist clinics in the community and local community hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

Our vision is to be one of the best healthcare Trusts in the country. There has never been a better time to join us in the NHS at Ashford & St Peters Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with our strong commitment to staff health and wellbeing. We are committed to providing continuous professional development, staff benefits and flexibility to shape our workforce around our patient care.

There is guidance on how to make an application on NHS Jobs as well as more information about joining the ASPH Team

Although it isn\'t the Trusts normal practice, adverts may close early, so applicants are encouraged to submit an application as soon as possible.

Job responsibilities

• To dispense all types of prescriptions and inpatient orders, (including Controlled drugs and extemporaneous preparations, unlicensed medication), presented to the Pharmacy from wards & departments at the base hospital and the outside hospitals in accordance with departmental procedures.
• To counsel outpatients on the use of their medication (compliance, side effects, possible drug interactions) and ensure patients understand the importance of correct compliance (after training).
• To maintain accurate stock levels and undertake regular stock takes of Controlled drugs in the dispensary including accuracy of computer and register entries according to departmental procedures.
• To assist in the management of stock control in the dispensary for drugs, containers and other support items.
• To ensure that to follows and special orders are processed.
• To organise and prioritise work so that all prescriptions are completed in timely manner in respect of urgency and transport deadlines.
• To ensure that all activities carried out in the dispensary follow departmental Standard Operational Procedures (SOPs) and to assist in the maintenance of Pharmacy SOPs.
• To assist with duties relevant to the post as deemed necessary by the Dispensary Team Leaders.
• To be an Accredited Checking Technician within the department, performing final accuracy checks on prescriptions and orders that have previously been clinically checked by a Pharmacist in accordance with local procedures.
• To participate in the dispensary rota.
• To ensure ePACT FP10(HP) forms are issued correctly and according to protocol.
• To assist in the training of junior staff and act as a practice supervisor and the induction of new staff.
• To help ensure that medication is supplied in accordance with Drug and Therapeutics committee.
• To organise Dispensary services daily in the absence of senior Dispensary staff.
• To organise and maintain the One Stop Dispensing scheme by ordering inpatient and discharge medication at ward level as appropriate (once clinically screened by a Pharmacist).
• Assess the suitability of patients own drugs (PODs) for re-use during admission and on discharge according to Trust Policy.
• To undertake medication reconciliation, making any appropriate referrals to ward pharmacist and to refer any patient concordance issues to the pharmacist.
• To counsel patients regarding the correct and safe use of their medication where appropriate.
• To review ward stock lists in conjunction with ward pharmacists and ward managers.
• To liaise with ward and pharmacy staff, to facilitate prompt discharge of patients.
• To participate in training pharmacy, nursing and medical staff regarding medicines management issues.

General

• To act as a Practice/ Education Supervisor for trainees.
• To attend continuing education and training schemes relevant to the post.
• To take part in the monitoring of internal and external errors and give advice on improvements in working practice that will result in a reduction of error rates.
• To undertake Continuing Professional Development to keep pharmaceutical knowledge current, ensure best practice and comply with requirements for entry on the Pharmacy technician register.
• To take part in late night, weekend and flexible working as per pharmacy rota, to also take part in Bank holiday rotas.
• All pharmacy staff must show confidentiality regarding any information about patients, confidential information about the Trust and commercial information (e.g. drug prices).
• All work will be carried out in accordance with relevant laws, the guidance of the General Pharmaceutical Council of Great Britain, Trust procedures and standards of professional practice.

Previous applicants need NOT apply

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Eligible for registration with GPHC
• BTEC in Pharmaceutical sciences or equivalent

Experience

• Previous Pharmacy experience

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

Ashford & St. Peter\'s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£28,860 to £39,686 a year per annum inc. HCAS - Band 4 / 5 depending on experience