Pharmacy Technician - Ward based/Accuracy Checker

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; Knowsley; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

The Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking two Permanent Pharmacy Technicians for Ward Based/Accuracy Checker roles based at Whiston or St Helens. The positions involve dispensing, medication histories, counselling and ward-based accuracy checks, with a 7-day rota.

You will maintain high standards, be registered with the GPhC, and participate in training, audits and service improvement activities across multiple sites, including cross-site rotations.

Qualifications

• Significant post-qualification experience working in a pharmaceutical environment.
• Experience dispensing for discharge and medicines management.
• Experience in using the JAC pharmacy computer system.
• Knowledge of LEAN principles.

Responsibilities

• Final accuracy check dispensed prescriptions and one-stop dispensing on wards.
• Dispense prescriptions accurately according to safe working practices.
• Provide ward-based one-stop dispensing, including histories, counselling, and discharge supplies.
• Participate in rota to provide a full 7 day service; weekend/on-call duties as required.
• Maintain stock control of dispensed medicines on wards/departments/clinics.
• Liaise with medical staff, pharmacists and other health professionals regarding medication issues.

Skills

Team motivation

Verbal communication

Stakeholder communication

Concentration under pressure

Attention to detail

Time management

Education

BTEC Level 3 Diploma or GPhC equivalent

BTEC professional diploma in dispensing checking or GPhC equivalent

Registered with GPhC

Tools

JAC pharmacy computer system

Job description

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Pharmacy Technician - Ward based/Accuracy Checker

The closing date is 23 November 2026

An exciting opportunity has arisen for 2 x Permanent Pharmacy Technician - Ward Based/Accuracy Checker to join our Pharmacy Department

It is vital that applicants are adaptable and prepared to work with us to help shape the best possible service. Your contribution through suggestions, working groups, involvement in projects and audits will be encouraged.

You will be based at Whiston or St Helens site which has 100 staff operating across both departments.

We have established automated dispensing systems within the dispensaries at both sites, and the Trust has a long-standing reputation for being a rewarding place to work.

Main duties of the job

To provide a dispensing service to all patients of the Trust to include taking medication histories, counselling patients and inspection and accuracy checking of all medications belonging to and supplied to patients.

You will be working on wards to complete medicines reconciliation, assessing patients own medicines, ensuring discharges are completed in a timely manner and counselling patients on discharge.

You will also accuracy check prescriptions in the dispensary on a rota basis.

The JD & PS are currently under AfC review and are subject to change.

About us

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.

Our services:

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

Job responsibilities

KEY DUTIES

• To final accuracy check dispensed prescriptions, including one stop dispensing items in accordance with departmental procedures.
• To dispense prescriptions accurately according to safe working practices.
• To provide a one stop dispensing service to inpatients at ward level. This will require taking patient medication histories, counselling patients, inspection of patient own drugs for re-use and dispensing for discharge.
• To participate in the dispensing process of all prescriptions accurately according to safe working practices and departmental procedures, including;
• TTOs
• Controlled Drugs
• Clinical Trials
• Cytotoxic Drugs
• Unlicensed medicines
• To be responsible for the stock control of dispensed medicines on wards, departments and clinics.
• To assist in the maintenance of the stock control of non-dispensed medicines on wards.
• To liaise with appropriate medical staff, clinical pharmacists, ward staff, GPs, Primary Care Trust staff, community pharmacies and other professional bodies regarding any issues with patients medication.
• To order stocks and special line items to fulfil prescriptions.
• To provide individual dose dispensing and blister packing services for patients who have difficulty with normal medicines packaging.
• To assist in the preparation, assembly and final accuracy check of emergency resuscitation and anaphylaxis boxes.
• To assist the Chief Technician in the recruitment of staff including participation on interview panels.
• To participate in a rota which enables the department to provide a full 7 day service?
• To participate in Saturday, Sunday, Bank Holiday, late night and on-call rotas as necessary in response to the changing needs of the service.

CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• To maintain registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• To maintain continuing professional development in line with GPhC requirements.
• To attend and participate in study days and courses as necessary.
• To undertake any training and assessment required to maintain competency in their role.
• To maintain security and the safe storage of medicines within the dispensaries in accordance with departmental policies and procedures.
• To comply with and ensure that all other pharmacy staff under their control comply with the legal and other requirements related to the purchase, supply, use, safe custody and destruction of drugs both within the pharmacy and in all other areas of the Trust

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

• To assist in the receipt of prescriptions accurately according to safe working practices.
• To be responsible for making appropriate records in the Controlled Drug Register.
• To be responsible for organising own daily workload within allocated areas.
• To carry out prescription charge transactions accurately, including Chip and pin, handling cash, cheques and be able to cash-up in the dispensaries as necessary, according to departmental procedures.
• To train and counsel patients on their suitability for the use of compliance aids eg blister packs, breath activated inhalers/spacers, containers and other formulations such as liquids and assess their understanding.
• To extemporaneously dispense medicines using specific equipment (e.g. fume cupboards and weighing balances) and taking protective measures. Weighing and measuring must be accurate as there are narrow margins for errors.
• To assist other members of staff in the performance of their duties.
• To co-operate with the provision of staffing within the Pharmaceutical service and participate in staff rotation to 2 Trust sites (e.g. Whiston, St Helens) when the need arises.
• To answer telephone and face to face queries of a routine or basic technical nature from a wide range of staff groups, patients and the public, either in the pharmacy or on the ward, and refer appropriate queries to the relevant member of the pharmacy team when necessary.
• To be responsible for the accurate input of data into the pharmacy JAC computer system for all duties requiring its use e.g. labelling, ordering and stock control

TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES

• To assist in the training and development of all grades of staff in the systems used including other professionals e.g. discharge planning and the efficient operation of dispensing for discharge.
• To assist in the training and support of ATOs and pre-registration pharmacy graduates in dispensing training manual requirements and provide witness statements for NVQ students
• To assist in the training and development of other members of staff in patient services and to ensure complete training records are maintained

FINNCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

• To co-operate in the provision of an efficient and cost effective service

RESEARCH & AUDIT

• To carry out and assist in audit research projects to improve and develop the service provision.

Person Specification

Our Values

• We are Kind
• We are Open
• We are Inclusive

Other

• Ability to participate in the department evening and weekend rota for 7 day working.
• Supportive of colleagues of all grades
• Ability to travel various hospital locations by own car/ assisted driver

Skills

• Demonstrates ability to motivate team performance to achieve objectives
• Good verbal communication skills both face to face and using telephones
• Ability to talk to patients, staff and other senior health care professionals
• Ability to concentrate for long periods of time and able to work under pressure
• Ability to work accurately and efficiently with good attention to detail
• Well organised with good time management skills

Knowledge & Experience

• Significant post-qualification experience working in a pharmaceutical environment
• Experience of dispensing for discharge and medicines management
• Experience in using the JAC pharmacy computer system
• Knowledge of LEAN principles

Qualifications

• BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Principles and Practices for Pharmacy Technicians or GPhC recognised equivalent'
• BTEC professional diploma in dispensing checking or GPhC recognised equivalent which must meet the APTUK standard for accuracy checking (1000 item log with checking test). The APTUK standard must be met within 3 months of starting role.
• Registered as a practising Pharmacy Technician with the GPhC

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.

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust