Pharmacy Assistant

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust; Crawley; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

A community health organization in Crawley is seeking an integral Pharmacy Team member to manage medicine orders and stock levels. Candidates will benefit from flexible working options, training and development opportunities, and the chance to support patient care through effective pharmacy operations. This role will include opportunities for an apprenticeship in the pharmacy.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Excellent training and development opportunities

Cost-effective workplace nurseries

Beautiful Sussex location

Qualifications

• Experience in stock management within a pharmacy setting.
• Ability to work effectively in a team and communicate well.
• High level of accuracy in medication dispensing.

Responsibilities

• Undertake ordering and invoice clearance of medicines.
• Liaise with colleagues and other healthcare staff.
• Participate in regular stock checks and management.

Skills

Stock control

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Education

Apprenticeship in Pharmacy or equivalent

Tools

Pharmacy IT system

Job description

Job Overview

The post holder will be an integral member of the Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust (SCFT) Medicines Management Team. The main duties are to undertake ordering and invoice clearance of medicines to ensure the provision of a high-quality pharmacy service to patients in SCFT. They will have a flexible role, also undertaking work on the bedded units and in the pharmacy dispensary, general distribution activities including ward based top-up of medicines, support and administrative duties including helping to manage stock, and participate in routine stock checks. The post holder will liaise with a range of colleagues in the Medicines Management Team and other members of healthcare staff, notably nursing staff. This is a role that will develop, with the opportunity to undertake an apprenticeship, plus extend the job role to include greater involvement in the pharmacy stock control and management computer system and labelling of dispensed medicines in the pharmacy dispensary.

Key Responsibilities

• Produce orders to suppliers and process the orders, check and process delivery notes and invoices, ensuring they reflect orders received.
• Problem solve on ordering and invoice issues, in liaison with the Computer and Procurement Pharmacy Technician.
• Receive delivery to the pharmacy dispensary, unpack and record delivery, ensure goods received are of the type ordered and of an acceptable quality including date checking, inform suppliers of missing or damaged goods, prepare and return incorrect orders with the correct paperwork.
• Book deliveries onto the computer system and follow SCFT's procedures to enable payment to be made.
• Put away pharmaceutical stock in the appropriate areas according to storage conditions, ensure stock rotation, inform other pharmacy staff of out of stock items and follow up deliveries, dispose of packaging from deliveries.
• Control stock/maintenance and ordering where necessary, maximise use of stock and perform daily checks of stock levels.
• Return medicines returned from wards/departments, process returned items as per local procedure and return to the correct shelf location.
• Ensure all stock is kept secure and stored at correct temperature, use Pharmacy IT system to undertake routine checks of stock levels, checking expiry dates and ensuring stock is rotated according to expiry date.
• Collate and file all documentation, assist with the storage and destruction of historic paperwork (e.g. orders, delivery notes and invoices) as appropriate.
• Undertake controls assurance checks in SCFT services and departments, as per local procedure.
• Ensure staff working on stock ordering and invoice clearance maintain and develop the appropriate skills to work in this area.
• Pharmacy Dispensary / Ward Duties: Undertake stock top up of medicines on wards and departments.
• Answer incoming phone calls in a polite manner, referring on as appropriate and taking accurate messages if necessary.
• Select medicines according to ward requisitions / clinic orders according to local procedure, select and label medicines under supervision, ensuring a high level of accuracy and compliance with multi‑dose compartment aids.
• Maintain high quality of data input into the pharmacy dispensary computer system.
• Ensure appropriate levels of ancillary stock (bottles, containers, bags etc.) are maintained, ordering sufficient quantities and topping them up.
• Maintain clean and tidy dispensing facilities and safe systems of work, return stock to shelves as appropriate.
• Check and record pharmacy dispensary refrigerator temperatures daily, defrost as necessary, report discrepancies as per local procedure.
• Carry out expiry date checks in the pharmacy dispensary and on allocated bedded units and services.
• In times of staff absence work flexibly to ensure the effective operation of the pharmacy dispensary service.
• Support staff working in the pharmacy dispensary to maintain and develop the appropriate skills to work in this area.
• Participate in pharmacy dispensary rota, including working Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays rotas.

Benefits

• Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing
• Varied environments: community hospitals, patients’ homes, and bases across Sussex
• Flexible working options: part-time, flexi‑time, annualised hours, and flexi‑retirement
• Excellent training, development, and research opportunities
• Cost‑effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove and Brighton
• Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks
• Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust
• Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast

Our Values

Our values-Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence-guide everything we do.