Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
Principal Pharmacy Technician, Ophthalmology
The closing date is 16 April 2026
An exciting opportunity to join our highly skilled, dedicated, and supportive Pharmacy team as Principal Pharmacy Technician for Ophthalmology. The Eye Department operates across two sites—St Helier Hospital and Epsom Hospital—and delivers a wide range of specialist services, including high volume outpatient clinics, orthoptic services, preoperative assessment, laser treatments, and dedicated ophthalmology theatres.
This is a new opportunity for an experienced Pharmacy Technician to work within the Ophthalmology service. You will also work with the newly created Principal Pharmacist for Ophthalmology post to provide a comprehensive clinical pharmacy service to the speciality. You will play a key role; contributing to medicines optimisation, supporting adherence and counselling on eye drops and other medication related to the service.
Demand for eye care services is increasing nationally, and ophthalmology is at the forefront of emerging technologies and innovative medicines. This role offers a superb opportunity for a Pharmacy Technician with a passion for specialist practice to shape and influence service development in a dynamic and evolving field. You will contribute to high impact projects — improving safety, efficiency, and overall quality of medicines use.
You will need good interpersonal and communication skills as well as the ability to organise and prioritise your work. We will provide appropriate training to aid your personal and professional development.
Main duties of the job
* To provide specialist pharmacy technician advice to the Ophthalmology service at ESTH.
* To provide medicines management service to clinical areas that provide care to Ophthalmology patients.
* To support the Principal Pharmacist to review the clinical pharmacy service provided to ophthalmology and to implement service improvements accordingly.
* To promote safe, responsible, cost-effective prescribing and usage of medicines, in line with the formulary, to optimise clinical outcomes and minimise adverse reactions and errors.
* To proactively support stock management within departments in the eye units, communicating with staff regarding difficulties in supplying medicines and, if appropriate, offering alternative solutions to ensure appropriate patient care is always maintained.
* To support MDT colleagues to follow and implement National/Local guidelines related to medicines within the specialty to optimise patient care and promote best practice.
About us
St George's, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group cares for a population of four million people in South West London and North East Surrey. Our sites include St George's Hospital, one of 11 major trauma centres in the UK and the largest healthcare provider and major teaching hospital in the area; St Helier Hospital, home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children; and Epsom Hospital, home to the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC).
After years of collaboration, our two Trusts became a hospitals group in 2021. While remaining as two separate Trusts, being a hospitals group will help us to collaborate more closely on research, and the development, education, and training of our 17,000-strong workforce.
Job responsibilities
Please see job description for a more detailed expectation of the post holder including the person specification.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* NVQ Level 3 Pharmaceutical Science, BTEC in Pharmaceutical science or equivalent
* Professional registration with the GPhC
* Nationally recognized Accuracy Checking Pharmacy Technician
* Member of APTUK
* Medicines Optimisation Pharmacy Technician Accreditation or equivalent
* Completion of a recognised management course
Knowledge & Experience
* Extensive post registration hospital experience including ward based clinical work
* Supervisory or line management experience
* Experience in writing and developing protocol, guideline & SOPs
* Experience of delivering training
* Knowledge and understanding of basic management principles including team management and motivation
* Experience of working within the speciality of Ophthalmology
* Recruitment and selection experience
* Familiarity with CMM (formerly JAC) dispensing system
* Experience of quality improvement / service development
* Experience of analysing and reporting data
Skills & Abilities
* Excellent organisational skills - self and others
* Excellent time management and prioritisation skills
* Ability to use initiative and problem solve
* Excellent communication skills-verbal and written
* Ability to implement and manage change.
* Customer care skills.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
£45,953 to £54,254 a yearpa pro rata incl HCAS outer
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