Senior Pharmacy Assistant Dispensary

CNWL; Greater London; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Senior Pharmacy Assistant to join the Pharmacy team at St Charles Hospital in London. You will help deliver dispensary services to CNWL sites and supervise ATOs, ensuring accurate labelling and dispensing.

The role requires good numeracy, IT skills, and the ability to work under pressure within NHS standards. You will contribute to safe, patient-centred care and support a busy hospital pharmacy, with opportunities to develop professionally.

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services.
• Good standard of Maths & English.
• Ability to use basic IT including Excel, Word & Email.
• Ability to communicate routine information effectively using clear written and spoken English.
• Ability to work to set procedures.
• Ability to operate under pressure and handle interruptions.
• Ability to prioritise routine daily tasks using own initiative.
• Good time management and ability to meet deadlines.
• Ability to supervise and train others.
• Demonstrate accurate numeracy skills.
• Good understanding of hospital pharmacy in the NHS.
• Ability to dispense accurately to set standards.

Responsibilities

• Label prescriptions accurately under supervision.
• Dispense medicines in MCA and manage dispensing processes.
• Supervise ATOs in the dispensary.
• Carry out daily dispensary stock top up.
• Ensure post is distributed and records archived.

Skills

Numeracy skills

IT skills

Communication

Time management

Team supervision

Under pressure

Dispend ing accuracy

Education

NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services

Maths & English standard

Tools

Excel

Word

Email

Job description

Search here to find a new job, a new career, an opportunity to up skill or to simply change your career direction.

Become part of our team.

We care for you as much as you care for others.

There’s a place for you at CNWL.

We’re passionate about delivering first-class patient-centred, safe and effective care, whether it is in a hospital setting, in a community clinic or in the patient’s own home. Patients are at the heart of everything we do.

Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people.

We’re always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee we’re hoping to find our future leaders and we’ll support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career.

With a diverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities and more – whatever stage of your career you’re at, there's always a place for you at CNWL.

CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run.

Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation. We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference. We’re proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.

We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.

We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. For more information on these and other benefits of working for us, see our Benefits, Reward and Wellbeing page

Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.

Job overview

We require an enthusiastic, dynamic and highly motivated Senior Pharmacy Assistant to join our Pharmacy team based at St Charles Hospital site at Ladbroke Grove. You will help to deliver a service to CNWL sites. In addition, the post-holder will be responsible for supervising the ATOs, topping up off site wards and labelling and dispensing medication in the main dispensary. Performing this role will require a good level of communication, organisation time management and interpersonal skills and preferably some knowledge and experience of mental health services.

Main duties of the job

The SATO will be able to accurately dispense and issue repeat out-patient prescriptions and clinical trials prescriptions under the supervision of a pharmacist or accredited checking technician.

The SATO will also be responsible for supervising the ATO working in the dispensary.

Working for our organisation

Central and North West London Foundation NHS Trust is a large trust in central London covering a huge area from Hillingdon to Westminster. St Charles Hospital is part of this Trust.

The patients we care for may have a mental illness, elderly, needing rehabilitation or long term care. We provide support to staff working in our busy community care services.

Located near Ladbroke Grove, the hospital is a community of friendly multi-professional staff and patients. After work central London is close at hand and locally Notting hill has great markets and restaurants.

Interview date: TBC

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Administrative responsibilities in the absence of ATOs. Accurately label prescriptions under the supervision of a pharmacist or accredited checking technician.

Accurately dispense prescriptions including medicines in a Multi-Compartment Compliance Aid (MCA) under the supervision of a pharmacist or accredited checking technician.

Dispensing controlled drugs under the supervision of a pharmacist or accredited checking technician. Supervising the ATOs in the dispensary.

Ensure dispensary ATO duties are carried out daily, weekly & monthly daily room temperature monitoring filing away all prescriptions and maintain archiving .

Carry out daily dispensary stock top up

Distribute post

Return patient named medication from wards back to stock

Education and Qualifications

• NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services
• Good standard of Maths & English

Previous Experience

• Ability to use basic IT including excel, word & e-mail

Skills & Knowledge

• Ability to communicate routine information effectively using clear written and spoken English
• Ability to work to set procedures
• Ability to under pressure accurately and deal with frequent interruptions
• Ability to prioritise routine daily tasks using own initiative
• Good time management skills and ability to meet deadlines
• Ability to organise own workload
• Ability to supervise and train others
• Ability to motivate self and others
• Demonstrate ability to clearly and accurately complete routine documentation
• Demonstrate accurate numeracy skills
• Good understanding of hospital pharmacy in the NHS
• Ability to dispense accurately to set standards
• Hardworking & reliable
• Ability to work as part of a team

Other

• Able to cope with frequent, light, manual handling activities
• Able to work on Saturdays, Bank Holidays and Sunday on rota

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI can be used as a support tool, not a replacement for the applicant’s own work.Applications must remain personal, accurate, and reflective of the candidate’s real experience.AI-generated content must not misrepresent skills, qualifications, or experience.Over reliance on AI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances of success.

We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct. Please note that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is prohibited during the interview process.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

• Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible.
• Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Before submitting your application and to avoid disappointment please check that you are eligible under the UKVI points based system
• Our Agenda for Change employment contracts are subject to a contractual 13 week probationary period.
• If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.