Senior Pharmacy Assistant Technical Officer - Stores | Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust; Rochester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Rochester is seeking a Pharmacy Assistant to ensure efficient pharmacy operations within a prison setting. The role includes managing pharmaceutical inventory, assisting in departmental tasks, and maintaining compliance with healthcare guidelines. Candidates should have or pursue NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services and possess strong organizational and communication skills. This role involves working under the guidance of a pharmacy technician.

Qualifications

• Must achieve NVQ Level 2 modules in pharmacy services.
• Experience in handling pharmaceutical products and maintaining stocks.
• Ability to communicate effectively with suppliers and staff.

Responsibilities

• Assist with daily ordering and receiving of pharmaceutical goods.
• Ensure compliance with GDP and SOPs in procurement.
• Manage workload to ensure timely task completion.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Education

NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services

Tools

Pharmacy computer system

Microsoft Word

Job description

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 Rochester 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

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

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 is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We’re Kind
• We’re Fair
• We Listen
• We Care

Main Duties

• Work towards achieving the necessary NVQ level 2 modules in pharmacy services (if not already achieved).
• Assist with departmental filing, photocopying, general office work using Word.
• Assist the pharmacy technician (ACT) in creating new drug files on the pharmacy computer system and update when new contracts are issued by CMU.
• Be responsible for day to day ordering, receiving, and unpacking pharmaceutical products from suppliers according to GDP and SOPs.
• Be authorised signatory for orders up to £1.5K in value.
• Ensure medicines sourced from credible suppliers and purchasing contracts adhered to.
• Accurately use the pharmacy computer system to receive goods into store per SOPs.
• Ensure goods kept under appropriate storage conditions per GDP.
• Carry out regular stock checks, expiry checks, logging fridge and ambient temperatures, and handle anomalies per GDP and SOPs.
• Ensure high standards and accuracy, read and adhere to SOPs.
• Ensure medicines returned from clinical areas sorted and returned to stock or disposed safely per GDP, Trust guidelines and procedures.
• Ensure procurement work in accordance with legislation, GDP, and financial procedures.

Management Responsibilities

• Manage workload in pharmacy stores to ensure tasks are carried out timely and orders received on time.

Communication

• Communicate with routine pharmaceutical suppliers and manufacturers to place orders, chase receipt, and query invoice discrepancies.
• Deal with telephone queries and staff visiting the department, both dispensary and stores, as first point of contact, referring if required according to SOPs.
• Communicate with external regulatory bodies, information pertaining to the WDL or other requests.

Other

• Post holders will need to undertake a prison security check (level 1) prior to being employed, as well as the standard NHS recruitment checks.
• Appreciate the secure environment you work in and adhere to all prison procedures as necessary.
• Undertake any other tasks at request of senior prison services pharmacist.

Important 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, including one photographic ID.
• Proof of address documentation.
• Non-UK passport holders must provide correct right-to-work documentation and Home Office Share code.
• 5 years address history. Applicants who are non-UK Passport holders with less than 5 years UK address history must provide a Police Certificate in English from where they resided previously.
• Applicants who are UK Passport holders and have lived abroad for more than six months during the last three years must provide a certificate of good conduct or an overseas police check in English from the countries resided in or visited.

For more information on obtaining a Police Certificate, see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants.

For countries not listed, contact the relevant Embassy or High Commission; contact details can be found on the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website (http://www.fco.gov.uk/en).

This advert closes on Sunday 30 Nov 2025.