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

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust; Sheerness; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS healthcare provider in the UK seeks a Pharmacy Assistant to support pharmacy operations within a secure prison setting. This role involves ensuring efficient procurement, dispensing medicines, maintaining compliance with Good Distribution Practice (GDP), and assisting in the safe handling of pharmaceuticals. Candidates must demonstrate great attention to detail and possess basic IT skills. The position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to healthcare in a challenging environment.

Benefits

NHS pension scheme

Continuous professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• NVQ level 2 modules in pharmacy services required if not already achieved.
• Previous experience in pharmacy or healthcare settings preferable.
• Understanding of Good Distribution Practice (GDP) standards.

Responsibilities

• Ensure smooth running of pharmacy procurement and supply functions.
• Dispense medicines following established procedures.
• Assist with drug alerts and recalls.
• Maintain cleanliness in the dispensary.
• Maintain accurate records and stock levels.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Basic IT skills

Education

NVQ level 2 modules in pharmacy services

Tools

Pharmacy IT 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 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.

• 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.

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

• If not already achieved, to work towards achieving the necessary NVQ level 2 modules in pharmacy services.
• To assist with departmental filing, photocopying and general office work as required. This includes the use of basic packages such as Word.
• To 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.
• To be responsible for the day to day ordering, receiving and unpacking of pharmaceutical products from suppliers according to GDP and departmental SOPs.
• To be an authorised signatory for placing of orders up to £1.5K in value.
• To ensure that medicines are sourced from credible and reliable suppliers, and purchasing contracts are adhered to.
• To accurately use the pharmacy computer system to receive goods into the pharmacy store according to departmental SOPs.
• To ensure that all goods received into pharmacy stores are kept under the appropriate storage conditions in accordance with GDP.
• To carry out regular stock checks, expiry date checks and other monitoring procedures such as logging fridge and ambient temperatures and dealing with any anomalies in accordance with GDP and departmental procedure.
• To ensure high standards and accuracy of work and to ensure all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are read and adhered to.
• 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.
• To ensure that all work carried out in procurement is done in accordance with current legislation, including GDP and departmental and Trust financial procedures.

AFC Reference Number 1740/14

• To manage work load in pharmacy stores to ensure tasks are carried out in a timely manner and orders are received on time.

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

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

IMPORTANT INFORMATION, PLEASE READ

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.

You will need to provide:

Proof of right to work documentation

Proof of ID, needs to include 1 photographic ID

Proof of address documentation

Non-UK passport holders will need to have correct documentation (right to work in the UK) and a Home office Share code.

5 years address history will be needed.

Applicants that are not UK Passport holders who provide less than 5 years UK address history will need to provide a Police Certificate which must be in English from where they resided previously.

Applicants who are UK Passport holders who have lived abroad for a period of more than six months during the last three years will need to provide a certificate of good conduct or an overseas police check in English from the countries resided in or visited.

In order to assist you in obtaining a Police Certificate, guidance can be sought from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants

If the country you have resided in is not listed here, you can obtain the necessary information by contacting the relevant Embassy or High Commission for that Country. Their contact details can be found on the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website (http://www.fco.gov.uk/en).

This advert closes on Sunday 23 Nov 2025