Pharmacy Retail Assistant

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Lancaster; On-site; GBP 20,485,000 - 21,311,000; Part time

Job summary

Pharmacy Assistant – dispensing services at Royal Lancaster Infirmary, part-time 22.5 hours per week (Mon, Thu, Fri 9:00–17:30) with rota bank holidays, 9-month fixed-term maternity cover. Based in Royal Lancaster Infirmary, you will join a busy hospital outpatient pharmacy team, focusing on dispensing medicines and delivering high-quality patient care.

The role involves customer service, stock control, and supporting a multidisciplinary team within Lancashire Hospitals Services (Pharmacy) Ltd.

Qualifications

• Experience working in a team.
• Knowledge of stock control systems.
• Knowledge of health and safety.
• Experience working in a pharmacy.
• Experience in a customer-facing role.
• Experience in a busy environment.

Responsibilities

• Dispense medications.
• Manage stock control and stock rotation; check expiry dates; use Pharmacy IT system.
• Provide an effective reception service and handle customer enquiries.
• Maintain dispensing sundries stock and carry out housekeeping duties.
• Support the training and development of the pharmacy team.

Skills

Teamwork

Stock control

Health & safety

Pharmacy experience

Customer service

Fast-paced environment

Education

GCSE Maths & English

Job description

We hope to be welcoming you to the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals team soon; we've shown you exactly why we're 'a great place to work', now it's time to see for yourself! Have a look at our current vacancies down below and make the first step to starting a fantastic new career. Need help with your NHS application? We've got you covered! Our brand-new step-by-step NHS Application Help Video will guide you through the process, making it easier, faster, and stress-free to apply. Additionally, you can check out our helpful Application Guide as well!

You can also look at our recruitment flipbook , an interactive brochure showcasing various entry-level roles. It includes a fun quiz to help you find the right role and links to more information about our hospitals and our fantastic staff.

Corporate Services Roles

For roles in our corporate services departments including – Digital Services (I.T), Recruitment, Employment Services, Temporary Staffing, Rostering, Procurement and Finance, these departments are now part of OneLSC and can be found on the ELHT website: https://elht.nhs.uk/working-us/our-vacancies

Main area Pharmacy Grade 13.21 per hour Contract 9 months (Maternity Cover - this is a temporary 9-month fixed-term position) Hours Part time - 22.5 hours per week (Monday, Thursday and Friday 9am to 5:30pm + rota bank holidays) Job ref 438-PB4388-B

Site Royal Lancaster Infirmary Town Lancaster Salary £12.71 - £13.21 per hour Salary period Hourly Closing 23/09/2026 23:59

Job overview

Are you an enthusiastic hard working and patient focussed person with an interest in pharmacy?

Are you currently working as a pharmacy dispenser in community and are looking to gain experience in a hospital setting?

If you are keen to join a forward thinking pharmacy department supporting patient care we would love to hear from you.

The Outpatient Pharmacy Department at Royal Lancaster Infirmary is delighted to be able to offer a maternity cover vacancy for a Pharmacy Assistant – dispensing services

As an employer we have earned a reputation for focusing on the development of our staff and for being an organisation people are proud to work for.

This opportunity allows potential applicants to become part of a very experienced team with opportunity for development

Please note, this is a temporary position for a fixed term of 9 months.

Main duties of the job

This post is an ideal opportunity for those looking to gain hospital experience and also to those that already have and enjoy this type of environment.

On a day to day basis, your duties will vary and help provide a high quality service to our patients whether this be provided customer service, dispensing medicines or ordering and receiving pharmacy stock.

You will also develop positive working relationships with our fantastic colleagues and multidisciplinary team and be a valued member of the company.

Working for our organisation

Lancashire Hospitals Services (Pharmacy) Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. We provide the NHS Trust with the outpatient dispensing service at Royal Preston Hospital, Rosemere Centre (within Royal Preston Hospital), Chorley and South Ribble District General Hospital, Burnley General Hospital, Royal Blackburn Hospital, Blackpool Victoria, Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Westmorland General Hospital and Furness General Hospital.

If you have always aspired to work within a hospital setting and working alongside other highly motivated individuals, then you are going to love this role.We are offering an opportunity for you to join our friendly and dedicated team where you will learn, grow and flourish, supported all the way.

As a employee, you will enjoy a rewarding career by really making a difference. You'll work hard but be recognised for your contribution and be able to keep a healthy work/life balance.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Dispensing medications
• Stock control, stock rotation, expiry date checking and use of the Pharmacy IT System
• Provides an effective reception service, receiving incoming work and dealing with customer enquiries.
• Maintains stock of dispensing sundries and carries out housekeeping duties to maintain good environmental standards.
• Supports the training and development of pharmacy team

The core hours of duty are an 7.5 hour shift from 9am - 17:30 Monday to Friday. Applicants will be expected to participate in bank holiday work (10am to 3pm) on a rota basis

This role is based in Royal Lancaster Infirmary

Qualifications and Education

• 2 GCSE Passes Grade C or above (or equivalent) must include Maths and English

Knowledge and Experience

• Experience of working in a team
• Knowledge of stock control systems
• Knowledge of Health & safety
• Experience of working in pharmacy
• Experience of working in a customer facing role
• Experience of working in a busy environment.

Thanks for taking the time to view this advert; we're looking forward to receiving your application. You should be aware that the vacancy may close earlier than the published date if sufficient applications are received so it would be best to apply as soon as you can. We'll contact you by e-mail to update you on the progress of your application so please check the e-mail account that you applied from (including spam/junk) regularly.

We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership, neurodiversity or veteran status are encouraged to apply for this post. Our Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders is available Here

To support you in your application process we’ve created a What we can offer you guide that shows what you can expect when you join our hospitals. The guide includes links to our strategic aims and objectives as well as our values, development support and rewards and benefits. To help you get the best from your application we’ve also put together two guides to help you make your application the best it can be. Just click here and here to go through them, or have themopen as you complete your application.

We recognise that the recruitment process may present barriers for some and you may need personal adjustments to enable you to participate in our recruitment process. Please make contact with the recruitment team at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you're applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information.
AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Supporting Information

The supporting information section is an opportunity for you to showcase how your qualifications, knowledge, skill and experiences align with the requirements and criteria outlined in the job description and person.
Our recruiting managers score applications based on the criteria listed in the person specification. They will be looking for evidence of how you meet these criteria. To increase your chances of securing an interview, provide examples of how you have applied your skills and knowledge in real-life situations. Share work-related successes and challenges you've navigated that align with the criteria. These could be from various aspects of your life, including work, education, and personal experiences.
Consider structuring your supporting information section with clear headings or bullet points. This approach will help both you and the recruiting manager navigate through your application more effectively.

Working Smarter pledge

We are reminded everyday of how important life is, so as part of our Working Smarter pledge we offer a variety of flexible working options and wellbeing support to enable our people to find and maintain the right work-life balance.

Secondments

If you are applying for a secondment role please ensure you have agreement from your current line manager prior to attending an interview. Also please ensure you have read the LTHTR Secondment Policy. A copy of this can be found on the intranet or by contacting [e-mail]

Please note a young person must be in part-time education or training until they're 18. therefore if you are under 18 we are unable to employ you on a full time basis, unless it is in an apprenticeship role.

Disclosure and Barring Service checks

If the role you've applied for requires a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check we will administer this on your behalf and the cost will be recovered from your salary, either as a one-off payment, or over 3 months. The level of check required depends on the role that you have been offered. Currently the charges are - Basic DBS check £26.40 Standard DBS check £26.40 and Enhanced DBS check £54.40. You should be aware that if you are successful in obtaining a position that requires a DBS check but later withdraw your application, you may be required to reimburse the cost of the DBS check. DBS checks remain free of charge for volunteer positions. The DBS Code of Practice can be accessed here .

In line with guidance from United Kingdom Health Security Agency, all staff and volunteers are required to comply with Trust Infection Prevention and Control processes in relation to safe working. This includes mask wearing and adherence to social distancing at all Trust sites.

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We look forward to hearing from you soon!

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.

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