Pharmacy Stock Controller Senior Assistant | East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust; Colchester; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

An acute hospital trust in Colchester is seeking a dedicated Stock Control Assistant to join their pharmacy team. The role involves monitoring stock inventory, assisting in pharmacy services, and ensuring compliance with procedures to enhance medication optimization. The ideal candidate will have experience in stock control and a strong ability to work collaboratively. This position offers opportunities for career development, NHS benefits, and a supportive working environment.

Benefits

Generous pension scheme

Unsocial hours payments

27 days annual leave

Access to NHS discounts

Staff Health and Wellbeing programme

Qualifications

• Experience working in a pharmacy setting.
• Understanding of high cost drugs and inventory processes.
• Ability to monitor and improve stock inventory effectively.

Responsibilities

• Assist in providing pharmacy services to patients.
• Support stock control focusing on high cost drugs.
• Conduct inventory audits and maintain loss reports.
• Be a trained super user for automated dispensing.
• Ensure compliance with Trust formulary and financial control.

Skills

Experience in stock control

Knowledge of medication optimization

Ability to work collaboratively

Job description

Overview

Are you experienced in stock control? Looking for a career change or to further your career in pharmacy in an acute hospital trust? We are looking for an experienced stock control assistant to work within a pharmacy setting and to join our friendly team at the Colchester Hospital Pharmacy within the ESNEFT trust. We are seeking an enthusiastic and innovative stock controller to compliment our current team and enhance our stock inventory, whilst working alongside the pharmacy team.

Monitoring our current stock inventory and exploring ways we can improve our processes to ensure that we maximise our medication optimisation within the Trust. It is essential for us to strategically plan our stock to minimise any potential financial losses. Collaboratively working with both sites in ESNEFT to develop effective strategies to enhance our inventory management. You will have the opportunity to continue to develop and improve our processes for the accountability of stock hold including closely monitoring of High Cost Drugs.

Responsibilities

• Assist the wider pharmacy department in providing a comprehensive pharmacy service to patients.
• Support the lead technicians for stock control, focusing on high cost / high risk drugs.
• Oversee inventory audits (stock checks) and maintain reports of losses.
• Be a trained super user for the automated dispensing (pharmaceutical robot) ensuring maximum optimisation (BD Rowa & CII Safe).
• Contribute to the financial control of medicines by ensuring that all medicines are utilised in compliance with the Trust formulary.
• Assist the Chief Pharmacy Technician and Dispensary Managers with the induction, training and development of staff working within the pharmacy department.
• Minimise medicines associated risk and ensure medication safety in accordance with local and national guidance.
• Work collaboratively with wider Pharmacy colleagues to ensure the optimal and cost effective use of medicines within the dispensary environments; minimising drug wastage accordingly.
• Maintain open communication between both sites to maximise stock efficiency and avoid unnecessary waste.
• Oversee stock takes where required.
• Assist to maintain the Out of hours / Emergency cupboard. Replenish stock when needed and regular date checking. Rotate stock between the emergency cupboard and the dispensary stock to avoid wastage.
• Annual antidote audit: ensure hospital/Trust stocks have necessary levels of antidotes and report findings to the National Audit of Antidote Stocking in Acute Hospitals.

About ESNEFT

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 offers a variety of services.

Why ESNEFT

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.

How to apply

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 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A

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