Pharmacy Assistant - Dispensary/Logistics | East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust; Colchester; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Colchester is seeking an enthusiastic individual for a pharmacy position, playing a crucial role in our logistics and dispensary teams. Candidates must have at least 2 GCSEs at Grade C including Maths and English. Responsibilities include assisting at the reception, dispensing medications, and managing stock. This role offers training opportunities, flexible working, and a supportive work environment focused on patient care.

Benefits

Generous pension scheme

Unsocial hours payments

27 days annual leave

NHS discounts

Health and Wellbeing programme

Qualifications

• Must be willing to undertake L2 Pharmacy Service skills apprenticeship.
• Ability to work calmly under pressure in a busy environment.

Responsibilities

• Support Logistics and Dispensary teams with pharmacy services.
• Greet customers and assist with queries at the reception hatch.
• Dispense medication for in and out patients.
• Manage stock including receipt, storage, and distribution.

Skills

Enthusiastic and motivated

Good team-working

Interpersonal skills

Ability to follow written procedures

Attention to detail

Education

2 GCSEs at Grade C or above including Maths and English

Job description

We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic, motivated, responsible individual to join the pharmacy team and be an integral part of our 7 day service.

We are a busy department covering a diverse range of activities and functions including: dispensary, logistics, quality control, manufacture and preparation of medicines and products including chemotherapy and parenteral nutrition, clinical trials, ward based/clinical activities, medicines information and community services.

On the job training will be given with departmental competencies to complete. You must have at least 2 GCSEs at Grade C or above (or equivalent), including Maths and English. Must be willing, able and eligible to undertake the L2 Pharmacy Service skills apprenticeship (if not already achieved) and any other required training.

If you are an enthusiastic and flexible individual who reacts positively to change, this pharmacy role may be for you. The ability to work calmly and effectively in a busy environment; an eye for detail, good team-working and interpersonal skills are all key skills for this role. As well as being able to follow written procedures, work under supervision, complete tasks accurately to set deadlines, and move and handle stock including provide portering services.

Please note this position is not eligible for a Health and Social Care Visa and does not meet the requirements for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa.

Details about our pharmacy service - ESNEFT details (text only).

You will support our Logistics and Dispensary teams providing pharmacy services in the dispensary, store and distribution areas, including portering (transportation of stock to the wards and clinics) and ward stock top-ups.

Dispensary

• Working at our reception hatch greeting customers (eg. patients, hospital staff), taking payment, receiving and giving out prescriptions, dealing with phone calls and helping with basic queries, referring when required.
• Dispensing medication for in and out patients, community hospitals and units.

Logistics

• Supporting with stock management in all areas of work, receipt and safe storage of goods, picking and packing stock orders for the hospital and community hospitals. Movement of stock across the hospital site including heavy loads (portering). Stock topping-up on wards and return and recycling of medicines no longer required.
• Stock rotation and expiry date checking.

We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients’ own homes

We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff

We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options

Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services

Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients

We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what’s widely regarded as the world’s best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients

If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you

Find out about living and working here -

For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.

This advert closes on Sunday 28 Sep 2025