Main area Senior Pharmacy Assistant Technical Services Grade Band 3 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (includes weekends & bank Holidays) Job ref 435-D006-26
Employer East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust Employer type NHS Site Royal Blackburn Hospital Town Blackburn Salary £24,937 - £26,598 per annum (pay award pending) Salary period Yearly Closing 17/02/2026 08:00
Senior Pharmacy Assistant Technical Services
Band 3
At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 9,500 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work.
Overview
Do you want to be an integral part of a thriving acute Trust that embraces transformation and is passionate about delivering safe, personal and effective care? If the answer is yes, we have the perfect opportunity for you to join our award-winning pharmacy team.
We are looking for a Senior Pharmacy Assistant who is keen to join our friendly team. The right candidate will benefit from a training programme that gives the variety of duties required within the Technical Services Department.
The right candidate will be a strong communicator, organised and a team player.
Responsibilities
* Maintaining accurate stock levels of medicines and consumables
* Receipt and Return of cleanroom clothing, with some heavy lifting and bending involved
* Stock replenishment for both units within Technical Services
* Inputting orders into the computer systems
* Answering telephones and dealing with simple queries
* Processing and disposing of medicinal waste
* Cleaning of the Aseptic and Chemotherapy Units and the Isolators
* Assembling ingredients for the production of chemotherapy and intravenous medicines
* Production of Aseptically Manipulated Products including CIVAS/PN and Chemotherapy medicines
* Training of Domestic's, Assistants, Technician's and Pharmacists in the cleaning of the Technical Services Units
* Training of Assistants, Technician's and Pharmacists in 3 stage transfer decontamination in both Aseptic's and the Chemotherapy Units
* Performing In Process Checks for Aseptically prepared products
* Dispensing of Outsourced Special's medication
Working for our organisation
Established in 2003 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) is a large integrated health care organisation providing high quality acute secondary healthcare for the people of East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen.
Our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 700,000 patients a year from the most serious of emergencies to planned operations and procedures. We employ over 8,000 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work and achievements.
A rota is in place to cover Bank Holidays and we are a flexible and friendly team. Core hours of the service run from 08:00 - 16:30 with a weekend day 09:00 - 16:00 included in the working week. Staff work a 7.5 hour shift within these hours, there may be an option to work longer shifts. All working patterns can be discussed at interview.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
General duties of this post include:
* Deputise for other Senior Pharmacy Assistant colleagues as delegated and as designated in their absence
* Undertake cytotoxic reconstitution and dispensing in accordance with COSHH regulations and Regional and National standards, under direction of the Technical Services Manager
* Undertake special dispensing and preparation involving the use of aseptic techniques within a controlled environment in accordance with aseptic procedures under the direction of the Technical Services Manager, including Central Intravenous drugs and Parenteral Nutrition solutions
* Support the Lead Pharmacy Technician and Senior Pharmacy Technician in Aseptic Services and Oncology and assistant teams
* Act within the constraints of this role and consult and seek guidance from the Lead Pharmacy Technician and Senior Pharmacy Technician where issues and problems exceed this remit
* Ensure that the Lead Pharmacy Technician and Senior Pharmacy Technician are aware and informed in a timely way of any issues which may affect the running of the aseptic units, or the quality of products produced in it
* Ensure that all pharmacy assistants and technicians are aware of the principles of Quality Assurance, Quality Control and Good Manufacturing Practice, effective stock control and management and that this is carried out at all times
* Assist with the training of pharmacy assistants, domestic staff and pharmacy technicians including maintenance of training records and signing off competencies
* Act as a role model for the assistants and technicians and demonstrate the ability to provide safe, cost-efficient use of medicines
* Undertake waste management and disposal of returned pharmaceutical products which may include hazardous material, following standard operating procedures
* Ensure Pharmacy Portering and transport staff (including relief staff) are following current procedures when handling and delivering medicines
* Maintain the shelves and storage areas in a neat and tidy manner ensuring good stock rotation
Person specification
Qualifications
* NVQ level 2 certificate in Pharmacy Services or equivalent qualification
Training
* Supervisory experience
Special Knowledge
* Understanding of local and national NHS and Pharmaceutical Policy
* Knowledge of medicines legislation and guidance i.e. Medicines Act, Misuse of Drugs Act, Safe and Secure Handling of Medicines, Medicine Guidance Notes, MHRA Alerts
* General knowledge of NHS developments including primary and secondary care Understanding of clinical governance principles
Experience
* Practice in one or more relevant areas
* Experience of supervising pharmacy services in primary or secondary care
* Working within GMP/GDP guidelines
* Working within GMP/GDP guidelines
* Ability to maintain and report on records and statistics
Judgement
* Demonstrates clear thinking and able to analyse problems
* Makes sound decisions
* Intuition – anticipates difficulties and takes appropriate action
* Knows when to consult (own limitations)
* Reflects on own practice and learns from experience
* Reflects on own practice and learns from experience
Communication Skills
* Excellent verbal and written communication
* Courteous with all customers both internal and external including members of the public and other healthcare professionals
* Able to communicate information
* Ability to influence Pharmacy and hospital staff and other people
* Ability to prioritise demands on service and plan workload of self and others
* Skills in training and development of a range of staff
Personal Qualities
* Has vision and imagination, initiative, creativity, able to see beyond barriers
* Can balance leadership and working within a team
* Prioritises and meets deadlines
* Flexible
* Systematic approach
* Calm under pressure
* Thrives on change
Other Requirements
* Flexibility in working hours
* Advanced keyboard skills
Dear Potential Applicant,
It is important you are made aware of the following as regards your application to East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
* Please note that the salary advertised is for full time hours. If this post is less than 37.5 hours per week, the salary will be pro-rata. For posts on Agenda for Change pay-scales, new entrants to the NHS will normally commence on the first pay point of the relevant band.
* This vacancy may close before the closing date if the recruiting manager deems sufficient applications have been received. Therefore it is advised to complete your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
* Please ensure you check the email account from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.
* Please note that shortlisting is completed anonymously with candidates being assessed against the essential criteria for the post. Therefore only applicants, who can clearly demonstrate how they meet our person specification criteria in their application, will be short-listed.
Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS)
If the role you are applying for is identified as either controlled or regulated activity as defined in in the Safeguarding vulnerable Groups Act (2006) any offer of employment is provisional upon a satisfactory DBS check being obtained.
The healthcare sector is exempted from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
In line with other NHS organisations in the North West Region, the Trust is now passing the charge for undertaking a DBS check on to candidates in the event they are successfully appointed into the post for which they have applied. Candidates can choose whether to pay this over 1-3 months as a deduction from the monthly salary. However, if you are applying for a post as a BANK worker, the payment must be made in full at the time of employment checks. By applying for this vacancy you are agreeing to this undertaking in the event you are successfully appointed.
The cost of an Enhanced Disclosure will be £55.38 and for a Standard Disclosure will be £27.38.
This cost is not applicable for a Volunteer post
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The Trust is an equal opportunities employer, committed to improving the working lives of our staff and operates a 'Zero Tolerance' policy to aggression, violence, bullying and harassment. In addition, our aim is to help protect children and vulnerable adults by providing a first-class service to the recruitment of people into positions of trust.
We aim to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve.
We welcome applications from everyone irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability or social background.
We especially welcome applications from members of our black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, as we have identified that ELHT has an under-representation of BAME employees. Appointments will be made on merit.
Applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria for the job will be interviewed if you indicate you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme.
If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process please make the recruitment services team aware as soon as possible. By telephone 01254 732075 or email admin.recruitment@elht.nhs.ukor write to Employment Services, Parkview Offices, Haslingden Road, Blackburn, BB2 3HH
Employer certification / accreditation badges
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Name Sarah Blackledge Job title Lead Technician Technical Services Email address sarah.blackledge@elht.nhs.uk Telephone number 01254 734170
If you have problems applying, contact
Address Employment Services
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
Telephone 03033 301 033
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