Job overview
The Band 7 Pharmacy Dispensary and Out‑patient Manager plays a key leadership role within the hospital pharmacy service, overseeing the safe, efficient, and high‑quality delivery of dispensing and outpatient pharmacy operations. The postholder is responsible for the day‑to‑day management of staff, workflow, and service standards within the dispensary and outpatient areas, ensuring compliance with legal, clinical, and organisational requirements.
Working closely with the Pharmacy Operations and Business Manager, clinical pharmacy teams, and wider multidisciplinary colleagues, the postholder will drive continuous improvement, champion patient‑focused care, and maintain robust governance frameworks. They will lead on service optimisation, operational problem‑solving, rota coordination, staff training and development, and the implementation of SOPs, policies, and new initiatives.
The role requires strong operational leadership, excellent communication skills, and the ability to balance competing priorities in a fast‑paced environment. The postholder will act as a role model for compassionate leadership and professional standards, supporting the delivery of a responsive, modern, and efficient pharmacy service for all patients—including those accessing outpatient and discharge services.
Main duties of the job
·To manage and develop an effective dispensing service that ensures effective governance for medicines.
·Assessment of medicinal products, including review of information on how these products will be supplied, delivered, stored, prepared, dispensed and disposed of, to ensure compliance with relevant medicines legislations and Good Distribution Practice standards.
·To liaise with Trust staff, the pharmaceutical industry, the outsourcing partner and other relevant agencies to ensure appropriate planning, assessment, feasibility and monitoring of dispensing services.
·To ensure financial viability for out-patient services.
·To prepare and maintain up to date policies and procedures for the dispensing and out-patient services and seek timely approval for these through designated channels. This requires a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
·To ensure all pharmacy staff involved with dispensing are appropriately trained, accredited and competent.
·To comply with legal and ethical standards in the provision of pharmacy services with respect of dispensing.
·To review dispensing protocols to ensure sufficient pharmacy resources (staffing and funding) are available.
·To ensure complaints are investigated and responded to in a timely manner.
Working for our organisation
To find out more about what it is like to work for our Trust please visit the following link:
Our benefits
We offer a range of benefits to support our staff including:
1. Access to the NHS Pension Scheme, providing generous benefits upon retirement, as well as a lump sum and pension for dependants
2. 27 days holiday rising to 33 days (depending on NHS Trust service)
3. A generous relocation package of up to 30% of salary (capped at £18k) to support with relocation expenses for hard to fill positions where relocation would be an expectation to undertake the role fully. If you would like to discuss a potential relocation package, please speak to the recruiting department/manager at interview stage.
4. A variety of different types of paid and unpaid leave covering emergency and planned leave
5. Confidential advice and support on personal, work, family and relationship issues, 24/7, from our Employee Assistance Programme
6. NHS Car Lease scheme and Cycle to Work scheme
7. An extensive range of learning and development opportunities
8. Discounts on restaurants, getaways, shopping, motoring, cinema and finance from a range of providers
For further information on the fantastic range of benefits we offer please visit the Trust's dedicated Staff Benefits pages.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
A full description of the role is available in the attachment: job description.
Please note that if a high number of applications are received this advert may close early. You are advised to submit your application at the earliest opportunity.
Working for the Trust
Across our organisation, people are guided by values that were co-developed with staff: we are kind; we are open; and we pursue excellence.
Our values play into our ambition to develop a more diverse workforce, truly representative of our communities. We welcome applications from everyone, while working with our Staff Networks - including our Race Equality, LGBTQ+, Disability and Carers Networks - to increase the number of applications we receive from different backgrounds. If there is anything we can do to make our application process more accessible to you, please contact: .
As part of seeking to become more inclusive, we will consider requests for flexible working from the start of your employment. It may not be suitable for every role, but we will try and be supportive where we can. We would encourage you to speak to the recruiting manager named within this advert to discuss any requirements you may have.
Armed Forces Friendly Employer
We are holders of the Gold Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, which is helping actively promote SaBRE - Supporting Britain’s Reservists and Employers. This means that we have made a statement of intent to support all Defence personnel, including with applications for employment.
Person specification
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
9. Masters degree or equivalent in depth experience and knowledge of at least 5 years in management role.
10. Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council
11. Certificate in management or equivalent training and experience, including effective and legal recruitment, appraisal, and performance management.
12. Accuracy Checking Technician qualification
13. Experience of budget management and generating an income
14. Experience of staff management and staff training and development
15. Knowledge of HR policies and procedures
Experience
Desirable criteria
16. Experience of working with external parties
17. Experience of the greater hospital environment
18. QCF Level 4 or above in qualification relevant to the post.