Senior Dispensing Assistant

NHS; Colchester; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the UK is seeking a Senior Dispensing Assistant to join their pharmacy team at Colchester Hospital. The successful candidate will provide dispensing support for both in-patients and out-patients. Responsibilities include accurately dispensing medications, ensuring compliance with pharmacy procedures, and aiding in the overall medication management. This role offers a competitive salary and various employment benefits, including training and development opportunities.

Benefits

27 days annual leave

NHS discounts

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Basic secondary education required.
• Experience in a pharmacy setting preferred.

Responsibilities

• Dispense medications accurately for patients.
• Label and package medicines appropriately.
• Perform self-checks for accuracy on dispensed items.
• Process prescriptions and manage transactions.

Skills

Experience of working in a pharmacy

Use of computers

Education

GCSE English, Maths & Science (or equivalent)

NVQ Pharmacy Services Level 2 or equivalent

Job description

Overview

Senior Dispensing Assistant required to join the ESNEFT Pharmacy team at Colchester Hospital. You will work within the Pharmaceutical Service across multiple areas, providing dispensing support to qualified staff for in-patients and out-patients.

Responsibilities

• Dispense for in-patients and out-patients by calculating appropriate dosage and quantities against prescriptions/requisitions, following departmental Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Ensure that all customers receive the appropriate medicine in the correct form and in a timely manner.
• Label and package medicines appropriately, and supply relevant patient information and compliance aids/sundries.
• Dispense controlled drugs for ward stock and named patients, following all relevant Pharmacy procedures and legal requirements.
• Perform a self-check on all dispensed items to ensure accuracy and quality prior to final checking.
• Receive prescriptions from a wide range of outpatient clients and use listening and questioning skills to obtain information to enable effective service provision.
• Operate the cash till and card payments for prescriptions where applicable.
• Ensure that payment/exemption declarations on outpatient prescriptions are correctly completed and endorsed with grounds for exemption if a fee is not paid.
• Sell over-the-counter products under the supervision of a pharmacist.

Qualifications

• Essential: Basic secondary education - GCSE English, Maths & Science (or equivalent).
• Experience of working in a pharmacy (retail/hospital).
• Use of computers.

Desirable

• NVQ Pharmacy Services Level 2 or equivalent, with units relevant to pharmacy practice area.

Compliance and Other

• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check required.
• Formal Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday commitments are mandatory and on a rostered basis.
• Pay and visa information: not eligible for Health and Social Care Visa and does not meet requirements for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa.
• Post linked to ESNEFT and its commitment to digital transformation and patient care.

About us

We are ESNEFT and provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. We deliver care from Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, clinics and patients’ homes. We offer training and development opportunities, flexible working options and a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and NHS discounts. We are investing in our Time Matters philosophy and digital transformation with a partnership with Epic to implement an electronic patient record system.

Role Details

Job locations: Colchester Hospital, Turner Road, Colchester, CO45JL. Date posted: 05 September 2025. Pay scheme: Agenda for change. Band: Band 3. Salary: £24,937 to £26,598 per year pro rata. Contract: Permanent. Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time. Reference: 432-HR678-25.