Pharmacy Technician - Dispensary Services

Transformationunitgm; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading healthcare team as a Pharmacy Technician in Dispensary Services at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This role offers the opportunity to support pharmacists, ensure medication safety, and contribute to patient care in a dynamic hospital environment. Ideal candidates will be detail-oriented and possess NVQ Level 3 in Pharmacy Services.

Benefits

Ongoing professional development and training

Collaborative and supportive healthcare team

Qualifications

• Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
• Previous hospital experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Support Pharmacists in the preparation, dispensing, and distribution of medications.
• Ensure accurate and timely medication delivery to wards and departments.
• Maintain records, manage stock levels, and uphold strict regulatory compliance.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Education

NVQ Level 3 in Pharmacy Services

B/TEC in Pharmaceutical Sciences

Job description

Main area Pharmacy Grade Band 4 Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Part time

37.5 hours per week (weekend, late night rota and bank holidays) Job ref 287-DSS-108-25-A

Employer Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Pharmacy Dept RLH Town Liverpool Salary £26,530 - £29,114 per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 03/06/2025 23:59

Pharmacy Technician - Dispensary Services

Band 4

Job overview

Join our team as a Pharmacy Technician - Dispensary Services and grow with us!

Working across our Hospital Group you will be based at Aintree University Hospital or the Royal Liverpool Hospital & Broadgreen Pharmacy Departments.

Are you an experienced and dedicated Pharmacy Technician looking to make a real difference in patient care?

Our teams at University Hospitals Liverpool Group are looking for motivated and detail-oriented professionals to join our dynamic hospital pharmacy team.

What You'll Do:

• Support Pharmacists in the preparation, dispensing, and distribution of medications.
• Ensure accurate and timely medication delivery to wards and departments.
• Maintain records, manage stock levels, and uphold strict regulatory compliance.
• Participate in medication reconciliation and assist in clinical pharmacy services.

What We’re Looking For:

• NVQ Level 3 in Pharmacy Services Students due to qualify this summer are welcome to apply.
• Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
• Previous hospital experience preferred.
• Strong attention to detail, communication skills, and a commitment to patient safety.

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a collaborative and supportive healthcare team.
• Gain access to ongoing professional development and training.
• Contribute to meaningful work that directly impacts patient outcomes

Main duties of the job

With the support of the Senior Technicians in our dispensaries, you will be required to co-ordinate a team to ensure safe and efficient workflow of the section you are overseeing.

You will need excellent organisational skills to undertake this role. You must be able to work accurately, have a good eye for detail, and be able to prioritise your workload, meet deadlines and be committed to the delivery of high standards in a patient focused service.

You will be expected to share your skills and knowledge to train pharmacy assistants, trainee pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

This is a full time (37.5hrs) position based at our LUHFT sites. The Pharmacy Department operates a 7-day service. The successful candidate will be required to participate in weekend, late night and bank holiday rotas.

Working for our organisation

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comprises Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital & Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

We are part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, formed on 1 Nov 2024 from the coming together of LUHFT and Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust. The Group was born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our patients.

UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond.

For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West.

Aintree University Hospital is the single receiving site for adult major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside and hosts a number of regional services including an award-winning stroke facility.Broadgreen Hospital is home to elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services, together with specialist patient rehabilitation.Liverpool Women’s Hospital specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK’s largest single site maternity hospital each year. TheRoyal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single bedrooms and focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

See Job Description for further details:

1) To carry out dispensing of prescriptions, including extemporaneous prescriptions, unlicensed drugs, controlled drugs, in-patient and out-patient prescriptions in accordance with the agreed safe systems of work practice.
2) To participate in the daily stock check processed, adjusting stock level as per local procedures and escalating significant discrepancies to the Senior Technical Team.
3) To participate in the daily “stock to-follows” processes; processing to-follow dispensing and liaison with stores staff for ordering and out of stock medicines.
4) To co-ordinate dispensing teams ensuring efficient workflow and prioritisation on critical medicines.
5) To accuracy check, assembled items e.g. cardiac arrest boxes and controlled drugs after satisfactory completion of the departmental competency training programme.
6) To co-operate in staff rotation within the pharmacy departments of the Trust including the Aseptic Department and out-patient area (site specific).
7) To observe the recommendations contained in the Guide to Good Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Practice and its supplements and to assist in ensuring that work carried out in the department is in accordance with these and any other recommendations which may be issued from time to time by the Department of Health or Medicines Inspectorate.
8) To undertake special dispensing and manufacturing involving the use of aseptic techniques to a suitable standard in preparation of sterile products in accordance with aseptic procedures and under the direction of the Aseptic Services Manager.
9) To undertake cytotoxic reconstitution and dispensing in accordance with the recommendations contained in the Aseptic Production Manual and in accordance with the criteria set out under COSHH regulations and Regional and National Standards.
10) To provide a ‘topping up’ service on wards for individual patient drug supplies under the direction of the Senior Technical Team and in accordance with procedures.
11) To assist in maintaining reasonable stock levels, in accordance with the policies that are in force, in the section of pharmacy in which (s)he is currently employed and to assist in ensuring correct storage and turnover of stock to maintain quality and potency.
12) To provide accurate record keeping of controlled drugs kept in the pharmacy including supplies to wards and departments, orders received into the pharmacy and regular audits of the accuracy of computer and paper records.
13) To answer telephone and face to face queries of a routine or technical nature from a wide range of staff groups, either in the pharmacy or on the ward, and refer appropriate queries to the relevant member of the pharmacy team when necessary.
14) To liaise with various members of the pharmacy team and ward staff when solving problems and ensuring the best service to patients.
15) To ensure appropriate instructions, demonstrations and counselling of patients with regard to their drug therapy, is offered and delivered in a professional manner as advised or directed by the supervising pharmacists and according to the prevailing departmental policies and procedures.
16) To dispense clinical trials in accordance with the dispensing protocol, ICH GCP guidelines and European Directive under the direction of the clinical trials technician/pharmacist (site specific).
17) To act as a role model for student technicians and other members of technical and support staff.
18) To provide mentoring, induction and training of student technicians, pre-registration pharmacists, dispensing assistants and any other relevant members of the pharmacy team.
19) To attend appropriate training courses for technicians, to encourage other staff to undertake further training and to participate in such training schemes as necessary to keep relevant pharmaceutical clinical and technical knowledge up to date.
20) To assist in the receipt and issue of goods in the pharmacy and to check delivery notes and invoices if required.
21) To participate in ward based stock audits under the direction of the Senior Technical Team.
22) To co-operate in the operation and development of computerised systems of stock control and medical speciality costing.
23) To participate in pharmacy objectives set by the Trust, the National Patient Safety Agency, the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection, the Department of Health (including the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulation Agency) and others to meet clinical governance targets, develop patient care, improve clinical outcomes and ensure compliance with all standards expected for hospital pharmacy services and the interface between primary and secondary care.
24) To undertake Continuing Professional Development in order to keep pharmaceutical clinical and technical knowledge current, ensure best practice and comply with requirements for entry on the pharmacy technician register.
25) To observe the regulations in respect of the Health and Safety at Work Act and Data Protection Act.
26) To undertake any other related duties, which may be required.

Person specification

Qualifications

• B/TEC in Pharmaceutical Sciences and NVQ level 3 in Pharmacy Services (or equivalent)
• Registration with GPHC (or in application process)

Experience

• Ability to train staff
• Clinical Trial experience
• Experience in use of JAC Pharmacy Computer System
• Experience working in a hospital environment

Knowledge

• Dispensing processes
• Pharmacy computer systems use
• Stock control procedures
• Modern hospital pharmacy processes including those on wards

Skills

• Ability to work accurately with attention to detail
• Professional approach to work and ability to work as part of a team as well as on own initiative
• Ability to motivate self and others
• Well organised and able to meet deadlines/targets.
• Adapt to change
• Ability to identify and solve problems
• Prioritising dispensary workload
• Patient Counselling
• Patient Counselling
• Prioritising dispensary workload

Other

• Dispensing a varied range of medicines
• Managed a service development project

Please ensure you check the email account (including junk/spam boxes) from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.

Posts advertised to ‘internal staff’ are open to employees of hospitals within University Hospitals of Liverpool Group and you should confirm your employment within your application form.

Note: Under current Home Office Immigration Rules we are currently unable to offer right to work visa sponsorship for Band 2 and 3 roles with a salary of less than £25,000 pa as they do not meet the UK Visas & Immigration criteria.

Only those applicants who demonstrate clearly how they meet our person specification will be shortlisted for interview.

We reserve the right to close any vacancies from further applications when we have received a minimum number of applications from which to make a shortlist. Please ensure you apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.

Candidatesapplying for the role of Healthcare Assistant on the staff bank should note that due to the nature of the role, workers must be aged 18 or above when commencing in post. Applicants are therefore welcome from those aged over 18 or within 3 months’ of their 18 th birthday.

The Trust is committed to promoting a healthy work-life balance and achieve fair, equitable and consistent practice. We welcome flexible working requests and will consider a variety of flexible working arrangements from day one of your employment. Not all roles are suitable for every flexible working opportunity all of the time. Flexible working options may include reduced hours, compressed hours, fixed shifts, time back in lieu and home working.

The Trust is committed to promoting equality and diversity; we value the contribution of individual talent, skills, knowledge and experience and aim for a workforce demography representative of the local community. We encourage applicants from the following groups that are currently under-represented in our workforce black, Asian and minority ethnic, lesbian, gay, bisexual and Transgender (LGBTQ+), disabled, male and age 16-24.

Trust policy requires that the cost of submitting & processing the successful applicant/s DBS application be recovered via salary deduction following start in post. The amount of £23 (standard disclosure) or £43 (enhanced disclosure) will be deducted from salary, in manageable monthly instalments for up to 3 months following commencement of employment. Bank posts require upfront payment. DBS applications submitted from 2nd December will be subject to the new DBS fee of £26.50 (standard) and £54.50 (Enhanced).

From April 2017, Skilled visa applicants and their adult dependant(s) will be required to provide a criminal record certificate from each country they have lived in consecutively for 12 months or more in the past ten years.

Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website - https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.

This organisation has a zero-tolerance approach to the abuse of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All staff must ensure they adhere to the organisations safeguarding children and adults’ policy and comply with the Local Safeguarding Children and Adult Board procedures.

Staff should be mindful of their responsibility to safeguard children and adults in any activity performed on behalf of the organisation in line with the requirements of statutory guidance and legislation.

All employees (and volunteers)are expected maintain their safeguarding knowledge and skills by completing mandatory safeguarding training which includes understanding and recognising the signs of abuse and neglect and taking appropriate action.

As an organisation, we have adopted the Merseyside Domestic abuse workplace scheme which supports our staff who are experiencing Domestic Abuse /any forms of sexual violence.

If you have any personal requirements that will enable you to participate in our recruitment process please contact a member of the Recruitment Services by phone on 0151 706 4666 at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post.

Please note: new entrants to the NHS will commence on the first pay point of the relevant band.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

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 Kate Finneran Job title Lead Pharmacy Technician - Dispensary Services Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 0151 706 2025 Additional information

Sharon Leahy

Lead Pharmacy Technician - Dispensary Services

[e-mail] /

0151 520 2219