Pharmacy Technician - HMP Northumberland

The Methodist Church in Britain; North East; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Access to NHS Pension

Training and development opportunities

Flexible working

Additional day off

Welcome payment for some posts

Refer a friend scheme

Up to 33 days annual leave

Job summary

Spectrum Community Health CIC is recruiting a Pharmacy Technician to work within the integrated clinical workforce at HMP Northumberland. The role blends patient-facing pharmacy services with dispensary duties, with a focus on developing technician skills in a challenging, security-conscious prison setting.

The post requires at least three years' post-qualification experience, registration as a pharmacy technician, and a willingness to engage in ongoing training after probation.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of medicines optimisation, pharmacy law and controlled drug legislation.
• Good clinical pharmacy knowledge and terminology.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, influencing and patient counselling skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide a varied range of patient-facing pharmacy services.
• Carry out dispensary-based work.
• Develop pharmacy technician skills to take on more diverse roles.

Skills

Medicines optimisation

Pharmacy law

Controlled drugs legislation

Verbal communication

Written communication

Data protection

Literacy/numeracy

Complex environments

Teamwork

Immunisations

Education

BTEC/NVQ Level 3 in pharmaceutical sciences

Accredited technician checking qualification

Tools

Word

Excel

Outlook

PowerPoint

Pharmacy computer systems

Job description

A Pharmacy Technician post within the integrated clinical workforce at HMP Northumberland, run by Spectrum Community Health CIC, which provides healthcare across health and justice settings. The role mixes a range of patient-facing services with dispensary work, and the post-holder helps develop wider technician skills. It sits in a prison setting, so awareness of security issues matters, and the employer expects at least three years' post-qualification experience. Pharmacy technician registration is required; accuracy checking is desirable and training is offered after probation.

What the job involves

• Provide a varied range of patient-facing pharmacy services
• Carry out dispensary-based work
• Develop pharmacy technician skills to take on more diverse roles

What’s required

Qualifications

• BTEC or NVQ level 3 in pharmaceutical sciences, or equivalent
• Accredited technician checking qualification

Registration & licences

• Registered pharmacy technician

Experience

• At least 3 years post-qualification experience in community or hospital pharmacy
• Experience of working with potentially aggressive people
• Experience of working in challenging, complex situations
• Examples of diversity in practice

Skills & knowledge

• Knowledge of medicines optimisation, pharmacy law and controlled drug legislation
• Good clinical pharmacy knowledge, including terminology
• Excellent verbal and written communication, influencing and patient counselling skills
• Report and bulletin writing; computer literacy in Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint (or competent to learn)
• Understanding of data protection and confidentiality; good literacy and numeracy
• Ability to work in a complex and challenging environment

Nice to have

• Knowledge of pharmacy computer systems
• Understanding of security issues in a prison environment
• Substance misuse knowledge and experience of substance misuse services
• Ability to interpret prescribing information
• Medicines supply or administration direct to the patient
• Smoking cessation advisor
• Experience of immunisations, vaccinations and capillary blood testing
• Experience of working in a prison or similar setting

What’s offered

• Access to NHS Pension
• Additional day off
• Welcome payment for some posts
• Refer a friend scheme
• Training and development opportunities
• Flexible working
• Employee Assistance and health and wellbeing programmes
• Up to 33 days annual leave