Pharmacy Technician - Medicines Optimisation

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust; Plymouth; Hybrid; GBP 27,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare institution in Plymouth is seeking Medicines Optimisation Pharmacy Technicians to enhance patient care through effective medicines management services. The ideal candidates will either be pre-registration trainees or experienced pharmacy technicians with appropriate qualifications. This role offers full-time, part-time, and flexible working options and focuses on both operational support and patient counselling within a clinical environment. Successful applicants will join a dedicated team committed to high-quality standards in healthcare.

Benefits

Career development opportunities

Flexible working arrangements

Support for competencies development

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience in a hospital pharmacy.
• Ability to accurately input data and generate labels.
• Current evidence of continuing professional development (CPD).

Responsibilities

• Improve quality of care by providing efficient medicines management service.
• Take accurate medication histories from newly admitted patients.
• Counsel patients about their medications.

Skills

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Data entry accuracy

Coaching skills

Education

5 GCSE grades C/4 or above

City & Guilds, BTEC or NVQ level 3 in Pharmacy Services

Registered Pharmacy Technician with the GPhC

Accredited Medicines Management qualification

Job description

Job Summary

This is an exciting time to join University Hospitals Plymouth
Following significant investment by the Trust board as part of a 5-year workforce plan, we are able to offer at least three Medicines Optimisation Pharmacy Technician posts.
Working as part of our current team of Medicines Optimisation Pharmacy Technicians, the successful applicant(s) will have the opportunity to improve the quality of care of patients in a clinical area (Medicine, Surgery, Women's & Children & Urgent and Emergency Care) through the provision of ward based pharmacy services.
Applications are open to current pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians and demonstrably experienced pharmacy technicians or those in their early years of career with the necessary medicines management qualifications.
Demonstrably experienced pharmacy technicians who have their ACPT and MMT Qualifications and prove demonstrable post-registration experience in a hospital pharmacy will commence in post as Band 5.
Newly qualified pharmacy technicians without demonstrable post-registration experience in hospital pharmacy will be appointed at Band 4 and supported to achieve a framework of competency objectives within the first 6 months before progressing to Band 5.
Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as 'Priority' and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.

Main duties of the job

• To improve the quality of care of patients in a clinical area by provision of an efficient medicines management service. This will include drug history taking and medicines reconciliation, facilitation of the use of patients' own drugs, one-stop dispensing, clinical prioritisation, counselling patients about their medicines and discharge co-ordination/processing.
• Provide operational support to the dispensary, undertaking a wide range of dispensing and checking duties for inpatients, outpatient and discharge medication.
• Supervise, mentor and coach junior staff in the pharmacy team.

About Us

We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Job Description – Responsibilities

• Working alongside the Clinical Pharmacy Team, to undertake patient centred ward duties in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures and the legal framework for the supply of medicines:
• Medication histories take accurate medication histories from newly admitted patients.
• Medicines reconciliation to resolve queries from medicine histories and work with patients and healthcare professionals to ensure optimisation of the patient medicines.
• Medication assessment assess the suitability for use of medicines bought into the hospital by patients of their relatives.
• Clinical prioritisation identify and prioritise those patients who require the most clinical input with regards to their medication, ensuring the most effective use of the Clinical Pharmacy Team.
• Supply medicines to be responsible for the ordering and supply of medicines during a patients stay in hospital.
• Discharge planning ensure and organise the efficient supply of medicines for patients being discharged from hospital and perform a final accuracy check on patients own drugs and items dispensed by other members of the pharmacy team.
• Patient counselling counsel patients and patient representatives as appropriate to ensure maximum benefit is gained from their medicines, taking into consideration the level of understanding and emotional wellbeing.
• Assist with the review of ward stock lists to reduce risk and wastage.
• Support compliance to Trust prescribing formulary, identifying and relaying non-formulary and unlicensed medicines to Pharmacist(s) where appropriate.

Person Specification – Essential Qualifications

• 5 GCSE grade C/4 or above (or equivalent) in English, Maths, Science and 2 others. City & Guilds, BTEC or NVQ level 3 in Pharmacy Services
• Registered Pharmacy Technician with the GPhC
• Accredited final accuracy checking qualification or Accredited Medicines Management (Managing patient medication & Medicines Reconciliation) qualification

Person Specification – Desirable Qualifications

• Educational supervisor training
• Accredited Medicines Management (Clinical Prioritisation) qualification (training will be provided if not accredited)

Person Specification – Essential Knowledge and Experience

• Proven post-registration demonstrable experience in a hospital pharmacy (Band 5)
• Qualified pharmacy technicians without demonstrable post-registration experience will initially be recruited to Band 4 post and supported to achieve a framework of competency objectives within the first 6 months before progressing to Band 5
• Current, proven evidence of CPD.
• Recent demonstrable experience/practice within pharmacy.
• Proven ability to accurately input data and generate labels using the pharmacy computer system

Person Specification – Desirable Experience

• Demonstrable experience of hospital ward based pharmacy services
• Counselling skills

Person Specification – Essential Aptitude & Abilities

• Good communication skills; written and verbal
• Attention to detail
• Ability to prioritise workload
• Ability to accurately deal with figures
• Self motivated

Person Specification – Desirable Aptitude & Abilities

• Teaching and tutoring skills
• Mentoring skills
• Coaching skillsAbility to supervise others

Job Details

• Date posted: 05 January 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 4
• Salary: £27,485 to £37,796 a year
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working
• Reference number: 216-NB-CO7680731
• Job locations: University Hospital Plymouth Trust, Derriford Road, Plymouth, PL6 8DH

Additional Information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check: This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such 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.
Certificate of Sponsorship: Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
UK Registration: Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer Details

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
University Hospital Plymouth Trust
Derriford Road
Plymouth
PL6 8DH
Website: https://www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/