Pharmacy Dispensing Assistant Technical Officer (A&E)

Merseywestlancs; Sefton; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in Southport is seeking an enthusiastic Pharmacy Dispensing Assistant Technical Officer (A&E) to join the urgent care team. Based in the Emergency Department, you will help ensure the timely and safe supply of medicines to patients and support discharge.

The role requires NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services (or equivalent) and a recognised dispensing qualification, with participation in weekend/evening rotas as part of a 37.5 hour week.

Qualifications

• Has completed a recognised dispensing qualification.
• Experience working in a Pharmacy environment with demonstrable understanding of procedures gained through role-based training up to NVQ level 3 or equivalent.
• Experience of working with computer systems.
• Experience in using CMM/EMIS Pharmacy Computer System(s).

Responsibilities

• Be based within A&E, including SDEC, providing pharmacy support throughout the week.
• Undertake dispensing duties, including the dispensing & supply of medicines for patients attending A&E.
• Ensure medicines accompany patients when transferred from A&E to inpatient wards to reduce delays.
• Manage Omnicell cabinets, maintain stock levels and perform date checks.
• Promote the reuse of patients' own medicines where appropriate to support cost-effective use.
• Respond to urgent medicine requests & supply queries from clinical staff.
• Maintain ward stock levels and support the management of medicines in the department.
• Monitor pre-pack medicine stock levels to support patient care.
• Collaborate with the A&E Pharmacist and Technician to support daily operations.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes and patient experience.
• Contribute to cost savings and reduce medicine waste.
• Provide excellent customer service to patients and healthcare professionals.

Skills

Verbal communication

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Accuracy

Teamwork

Time management

Patient safety

Education

NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services

Recognised dispensing qualification

Tools

Pharmacy computer systems

Omnicell cabinet management

Job description

We want talented and enthusiastic people from all backgrounds to join #TeamMWL, with us you can learn, grow and develop yourself and your career, realising your true ambitions and aspirations.

Whatever you’re looking for in your career, you’ll find it here at MWL.

Pharmacy Dispensing Assistant Technical Officer (A&E)

NHS AfC: Band 3

Main area Pharmacy Grade NHS AfC: Band 3 Contract Permanent: Must participate in bank holiday, evening and weekend rotas Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Must participate in bank holiday, evening and weekend rotas) Job ref 409-8330284

Site Southport Hospital Town Southport Salary £25,760 - £27,476 per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 04/11/2026 23:59 Interview date 17/11/2026

Job overview

We are looking for a enthusiastic and motivated Pharmacy Assistant who is committed to delivering high-quality patient care and have excellent attention to detail. Successful candidates will work as part of a friendly & supportive pharmacy team, contributing to the safe and effective supply of medicines across Southport and Ormskirk Hospitals.

We have one exciting opportunity available based in our Emergency Department (A&E) including SDEC which is based at Southport Hospital, supporting the timely supply of medicines and pharmacy services within the Emergency Department.

The successful candidate will play a key role in the delivery of pharmacy services within A&E, helping to ensure the timely and safe supply of medicines to patients. The role will include dispensing medicines to support quick turnaround and discharge, ensuring medicines move with patients as they transfer through the hospital, maintaining appropriate stock levels, and working closely with the pharmacy and A&E teams to support smooth patient flow and the efficient day‑to‑day running of the department.

Applicants must have experience working within a pharmacy environment, such as hospital, community, prison, or primary care pharmacy. A recognised dispensing qualification and NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services (or equivalent) are essential

The post holders will be expected to participate in weekend, bank holiday, and late duty rotas as part of the department's commitment to providing a 7 day pharmacy service.

Main duties of the job

• Be based within (A&E), including (SDEC), providing pharmacy support throughout the week.
• Undertake dispensing duties, including the dispensing & supply of medicines for patients attending A&E.
• Ensure medicines supplied to patients accompany them when transferred from A&E to inpatient wards, reducing delays in treatment and preventing unnecessary re‑dispensing.
• Manage the day‑to‑day operation of the Omnicell cabinets, ensuring stock levels are maintained, medicines are replenished promptly and date checks are completed in line with departmental procedures.
• Promote the reuse of patients' own medicines where appropriate, supporting medicines optimisation and cost‑effective use of resources.
• Respond to urgent medicine requests & supply queries from clinical staff.
• Maintain ward stock levels & support the effective management of medicines within the department.
• Monitor & maintain pre‑pack medicine stock levels to support efficient patient care.
• Work closely with the A&E Pharmacist and Technician to support the day‑to‑day running and development of the service.
• Assist in identifying opportunities to improve processes, enhance the patient experience and increase efficiency within the department.
• Contribute to initiatives aimed at reducing medicine waste and delivering cost savings to the Trust.
• Provide excellent customer service to patients and healthcare professionals, maintaining high standards of accuracy, professionalism & patient safety.

Working for our organisation

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.

Our Services:

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018

Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)

National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

Interviews will take place on 17th November, 2026

This post will be subject to a enhanced DBS (with barred list for Adults and Children’s disclosure).

Please note this vacancy may close early if a sufficient number of applications is reached.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Has completed a recognised dispensing qualification

Experience

• Experience working in a Pharmacy environment with demonstrable understanding of procedures gained through additional role‑based training up to NVQ level 3
• Experience of Working with computer systems
• Experience in using CMM/EMIS Pharmacy Computer System(s)

Skills

• Good verbal and communication skills both face to face and using telephones
• Ability to talk to patients, staff and other senior health professionals
• Ability to work accurately and efficiently with good attention to detail
• Good administration skills including record‑keeping
• Ability to concentrate for long periods of time and able work under pressure
• Hardworking with a determination to overcome obstacles and understand the importance and context of the role
• Self‑motivated team player with the ability to motivate the team performance to achieve objectives

Other

• Supportive of colleagues of all grades
• Ability to participate in the departmental rota for late and weekend working

Our Values

• We are Kind
• We are Open
• We are Inclusive

Thank you for considering an application to work for Mersey West Lancashire NHS Trust. MWL is an exciting and forward‑thinking NHS Trust who are one of the best places to work for in England.

Given sometimes we receive a high volume of applications to work for us, please be aware, that we may close a vacancy earlier than stated should a sufficient number of applications be received from which a shortlist can be confirmed. Therefore, you are advised to apply at your earliest convenience.

The Trust may contact you during the recruitment process for your feedback on your experience. We always aim for continuous improvement in our practice.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

We actively cultivate a professional environment of fairness, equality, dignity, and respect for all individuals. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and value the unique skills, perspective and experience you bring. We are grounded in the belief that diversity enhances our collective strength, fostering innovation and excellence within our workforce. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under‑represented groups.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we commit to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.

If you are having difficulty completing an online application, or require any disability reasonable adjustments, to the application process, please contact [e-mail]

We also commit to offering an interview to all armed forces veterans who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.

The Trust operates anonymous shortlisting where no personal information about you, including your name or personal details are shared with the recruiting manager. No equality information is shared at any time during the recruitment process with the recruiting manager or other people involved in the decision‑making process.

The equality monitoring information you provide is used in the following situations: to review our recruitment practices; where a job is limited to a specific person to verify their eligibility to apply; and to offer disability reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Following the recent update on UK immigration policy for those on a Health and Care Visa or Skilled Worker Visa, please click here to check your eligibility before applying for this post as we may be unable to provide sponsorship.

eVisa Update

For successful candidates on selected work and study visa routes, who have completed and paid for their applications will no longer receive a visa vignette in passport as evidence of their permission to enter the UK.

Instead, you will be issued with an eVisa only, which is accessed by creating a UKVI account.

Before travelling to the UK, we advise applicants to:

• Understand how to generate an eVisa share code

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

If this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 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.

Please note if applicable, applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment.

If you have not already done so, you are therefore encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service to which a small annual fee of £13 per year applies.

Flexible Working

We actively support flexible working patterns throughout MWL. Changes made to the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook mean that:

• All employees have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment.
• There is no limit on the number of requests they can make.
• Employees have the right to make requests, have them considered, regardless of the reason.

At Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, we will consider requests for flexible working. We would also encourage you to also discuss flexible working options at interview stage.

Working for Team MWL

Staff recognition is especially important to us; as well as performance reviews and appraisals, we recognise staff through Employee of the month. 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.

The Trust is a non-smoking across all our sites. Failure to follow this rule could lead to disciplinary action. For more information, see the Smoke Free NHS website.

You will be expected to undertake the Trusts' commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

You must ensure that your application, including personal statements and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

The Trust will not accept applications which are found to be AI generated and will check all applications against AI detection software.

Additional Information

Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trusts Values and Behaviours which are We are KIND, We are OPEN, We are INCLUSIVE, which can be found here .

An applicant guide to help and support you with your application and what to expect during your recruitment journey can be accessed in the supporting documents.

Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team MWL very soon.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Claire Richardson Job title Deputy Chief Pharmacy Technician Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 01704704166