Main area Pharmacy Grade NHS AfC: Band 4 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Including bank holidays and weekends on a rotational basis, part of a 7 day working week) Job ref 381-CO-7553007
Employer Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust Employer type NHS Site SWB NHS Trust Town West Bromwich Salary £27,485 - £30,162 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 23/12/2025 23:59
NHS AfC: Band 4
Here at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust we’re committed to recruiting and supporting a diverse workforce and we welcome applications from all parts of the community. We are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities whilst employing people to our organization who meet our Trust values of ambition, respect and compassion. With the opening of our new hospital, Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, it’s the coming together of expertise from every corner of our organization and a show of our commitment to provide better healthcare and create more jobs and so much more. We at the Trust actively encourage Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and disabled applicants, as well as members of the armed forces community and value the positive impact that difference has on our teams. We are committed to equality and diversity within our workforce.
Job overview
Hi I'm Prit, Chief Pharmacy tech in Operations at SWBH Pharmacy.
We have a unique and exciting role available as a Senior Pharmacy Assistant based in the Dispensaries at SWB.
This role is aimed at any individuals who have been Pharmacy Assistants previously, are looking for a more senior role as an assistant and have immense passion for working and driving a team within a dispensary.
You will be part of the Dispensary Team where you will be supported by Lead Pharmacy Technicians in Dispensary services and Dispensary coordinators and work very closely with Rotational Pharmacy Assistants on a daily basis.
Within this role there will be an opportunity to work towards and obtain a Accuracy Checking Assistant (ACA) qualification which is a fantastic opportunity for existing assistants. SWBH have created a great career pathway for ATOs to progress onto bigger and better things within hospital pharmacy.
Newly qualified Pre-registration Pharmacy Technicians are also welcomed to apply for this role.
We have an extensive training package which will be provided to ensure you have the support you need to excel in this very rare and exciting role.
Main duties of the job
You will be rotating into all of our dispensaries, including the brand new Midland Metropolitan Hospital Pharmacy which was opened last year, a second brand new pharmacy called Sheldon Block Pharmacy which has just opened a few months ago and also within our existing site at Sandwell General Hospital Pharmacy.
Main duties of this role will include being proactively involved in the day to day running of the dispensaries ensuring medications are dispensed and final checked in a safe and timely manner and problem solving on a daily basis to ensure a smooth running of the dispensaries. You will be involved with the training of staff rotating through the dispensaries to ensure a high standard of service is provided. There will also be an aspect of some day to day management of staff responsibilities involved. Dispensing and final checking medications (once ACA qualification gained) will also be a core duty within the role.
Working for our organization
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust (SWB) serves Birmingham and the Black Country – one of the country’s most culturally diverse areas. It’s a friendly and welcoming place – a place where you can belong, and a place where you can grow.
We care for our patients, we care about our population, and we care about our people.
Our values – Ambition, Respect and Compassion – are at the heart of who we are. They guide us every step of the way; how we work with each other, and how we respect and value the rich diversity of our team and our community.
Our Trust has always aspired to be more than a hospital, more than a healthcare provider. Our purpose is to “Improve the Life Chances and Health Outcomes of our Population.” It is what inspires, drives, and unites us every day. It’s what makes us unique.
We want working at SWB to feel like more than just a job. We want our Trust to be a place where you can feel you belong. A place where you feel happy, safe, and rewarded. A place where you can develop your career in whatever way you choose. When we say we’re ‘with you all the way’ we want you to know that we mean it. Visit the SWB website to find out more about our ambitions and people plans.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details.
Additionally if you would like to arrange an informal visit or chat regarding the role please contact Natasha Cooper or Katy Copestake on 0121 507 6004, Monday to Friday between 9am - 5.30pm.
Person specification
Experience
* Significant experience of working within a pharmacy environment as a dispenser, or pharmacy assistant
* Significant experience of dispensing all types of medicinal products including controlled drugs, with associated health and safety considerations
* Significant experience of counselling patients on their prescribed medication at the point of handover.
* Working knowledge of a broad range of medicines and their safety issues
* Significant experience in safely and competently handling pharmaceutical equipment and medicines during the dispensing process.
* Experience in supervising training for junior and trainee staff
* Significant experience of using a pharmacy electronic stock control and dispensing system
* Demonstrated line management/supervisory experience
Qualifications
* NVQ L2 Certificate in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Support Staff
* NVQ L3 Certificate in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians, or demonstrable equivalent experience in a pharmacy setting
* Willingness to train towards Level 3 Team leader/supervisor qualification (apprenticeship)
* Willingness to train as an Accuracy Checking Assistant (ACA)
* Level 3 Team leader/supervisor qualification or equivalent
* Further medicines optimisation qualifications
* Qualified as an Accuracy Checking Assistant
5. The four partner Trusts of the Black Country Provider Collaborative (Dudley Group NHS FT, Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust, and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust) are actively working in partnership to deliver a collective vision focused on providing "better, faster and safer care to the population of the Black Country and beyond".
To support this vision, we are (where appropriate and safe to do so) actively looking at new models of care which:
* Better protect elective / planned care service delivery across the system by organising on a 'hot and cold' arrangement
* Consider the optimal use of resources through consolidation and specialisation, and
* Seek to reduce unwarranted variance, level up / standardise care through a 'Networked Service Solution' approach across the four sites
Against this context, although this post is hosted by Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust, there may be an expectation to work flexibly across the four partner Trusts to better meet patient and service needs.
As a major employer in the Black Country and West Birmingham region we are committed to supporting all employees to achieve a healthy work life balance. We want the Black Country and West Birmingham region to be the best place to work and as such will consider all requests to work flexibly taking into account personal and individual circumstances alongside the needs of the service. We encourage all prospective applicants to discuss their individual circumstances with the Recruiting Manager as part of the on-boarding process.
Healthcare services have a significant impact on the environment. We are committed to embedding sustainable practices. We expect all colleagues to support the delivery of our Green Strategic Plan and to drive positive changes in their department by joining our Green Impact programme.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Name Pritiben Narshi
Job title Chief Pharmacy - Operations
Email address pritiben.narshi2@nhs.net
Telephone number 0121 507 5250
Additional information
If you would like to arrange an informal visit or chat regarding the role please contact Natasha Cooper or Katy Copestake on 0121 507 6004, Monday to Friday between 9am - 5.30pm or email pritiben.narshi2@nhs.net
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