Senior Pharmacy Assistant Technical Officer - Stores

NHS; Sheerness; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider is seeking a motivated individual for a permanent position in pharmacy services at HMP Elmley. Responsibilities include dispensing medication, managing procurement, and ensuring compliance with health regulations. The ideal candidate will have at least 2 years of experience in a pharmacy setting and hold an NVQ level 2 Pharmacy Services certification. Full-time role with a salary ranging from £26,937 to £28,598 per year.

Qualifications

• Must possess NVQ level 2 Pharmacy Services certificate including store-specific units.
• At least 2 years experience in pharmacy ATO and supply sections.
• Familiarity with pharmacy stock control IT systems is a must.

Responsibilities

• Dispense medicines against prescriptions under SOPs.
• Manage procurement of pharmaceutical products.
• Maintain clean and organized dispensary environments.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Time management

Education

NVQ level 2 Pharmacy Services certification

Tools

Pharmacy IT system (JAC)

Job description

Job summary

The post-holder will ensure, under the guidance of the pharmacy technician, the smooth and efficient running of the pharmacy procurement and supplies functions for the pharmacy within Elmley prison with regard to routine ordering, receipt of goods, computer input, appropriate storage of medicines, environmental monitoring, and recycling and disposal of medicines in line with GDP.

Important Sponsorship Information for this post

We are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post.

Main duties of the job

• To dispense, using the pharmacy IT system, medicines against prescriptions that have been clinically screened by a pharmacist, following the appropriate standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• To ensure that the dispensary is kept in a clean and tidy condition at all times.
• To assist pharmacists with the practicalities of dealing with drug alerts and recalls.
• To check and record fridge temperatures on a daily basis to ensure integrity of the cold chain.
• To report any errors or issues immediately to the senior pharmacy technician or the Responsible Pharmacist.

About us

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes. We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose

To improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families.

Value statement

• We're Kind
• We're Fair
• We Listen
• We Care

Job details

Date posted: 07 November 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 3

Salary: £26,937 to £28,598 a year pa inc, RRP inc

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 277-7597339-MED

Job location: HMP Elmley, Church Road, Eastchurch, Sheerness, ME12 4DZ

Responsibilities

• If not already achieved, work towards achieving the necessary NVQ level 2 modules in pharmacy services.
• Assist with departmental filing, photocopying and general office work as required, including basic Word usage.
• Assist the pharmacy technician (ACT) in creating new drug files on the pharmacy computer system and updating the system when new contracts are issued by the CMU.
• Be responsible for the day to day ordering, receiving and unpacking of pharmaceutical products from suppliers according to GDP and departmental SOPs.
• Act as an authorised signatory for placing orders up to £1.5K in value.
• Ensure medicines are sourced from credible and reliable suppliers, and that purchasing contracts are adhered to. AFC Reference Number 1740/14.
• Accurately use the pharmacy computer system to receive goods into the pharmacy store according to departmental SOPs.
• Ensure all goods received into pharmacy stores are kept under appropriate storage conditions in accordance with GDP.
• Carry out regular stock checks, expiry date checks and other monitoring procedures such as logging fridge and ambient temperatures and dealing with anomalies in accordance with GDP and departmental procedures.
• Ensure high standards and accuracy of work and that all SOPs are read and adhered to.
• Ensure medicines returned from clinical areas are sorted and either returned to stock or disposed of safely and appropriately in accordance with GDP, Trust guidelines and departmental procedures.
• Ensure that all procurement work is done in accordance with current legislation, including GDP and departmental and Trust financial procedures.
• Manage workload in pharmacy stores to ensure tasks are carried out in a timely manner and orders are received on time.
• Communicate with routine pharmaceutical suppliers and manufacturers to place orders, chase receipt of goods and query invoice discrepancies.
• Deal with telephone queries and staff visits to the department, both dispensary and stores, as first point of contact, and refer to others if required according to SOPs.
• Communicate, as necessary, with external regulatory bodies and information pertaining to the WDL or other requests.
• Undergo a prison security check (level 1) prior to employment, as well as the standard NHS recruitment checks.
• Respect all prison procedures and adhere to the secure environment.
• Undertake any other tasks at the request of the senior prison services pharmacist.

Requirements

• Education/Qualifications – Essential: NVQ level 2 Pharmacy Services certificate including the store-specific units 205 and 206 and registration with the GPhC.
• Completion of additional dispensary competencies (signed off as competent to dispense medicines).
• Experience – Essential: At least 2 years as a pharmacy ATO and experience in all sections of medicines supply.
• At least 1 year working within pharmacy stores.
• Experience with pharmacy stock control IT systems (particularly JAC).
• Experience dealing directly with pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesaler suppliers.
• Experience – Desirable: Experience supervising and managing others on a day-to-day basis.
• Education/Qualifications – Desirable: Certificate in purchasing and supply (CIPS) level 2 or equivalent experience.

Additional Information

All applicants must be willing to undertake National Security Vetting in order to work in a Prison Setting. This will be completed as part of the pre-employment checks through Oxleas and the prison vetting team.

Applicants must provide proof of right to work documentation, proof of ID (one photographic ID), proof of address documentation, and address history of five years. Non-UK passport holders must provide correct documentation (right to work in the UK) and a Home Office Share code. Non-UK passport holders with less than five years UK address history must provide a Police Certificate in English. UK passport holders who have lived abroad for more than six months in the last three years must provide a certificate of good conduct or an overseas police check in English from the relevant country.

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. From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants applying for entry clearance into the UK have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement.

Employer details

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

HMP Elmley, Church Road, Eastchurch, Sheerness, ME12 4DZ

Website: http://oxleas.nhs.uk/