Go back Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Medicines Optimisation Pharmacy Technician
The closing date is 22 February 2026.
Exciting opportunities have arisen for Pharmacy Technicians.
We are looking for skilled and highly motivated pharmacy technicians to join the clinical pharmacy team in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster on a fixed term basis for 1 year.
The positions will be based at St Charles Hospital with rotations around the sites in the boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster.
These post holders will have the opportunity to work as part of a dedicated ward pharmacy and community Mental Health teams, with the support of senior colleagues.
This is an excellent prospect for those technicians that want to focus on clinical patient care working in a multidisciplinary team.
Applicants without mental health pharmacy experience (e.g. community pharmacy) wanting to make a move into mental health settings are welcome to apply.
You should have a BTEC / NVQ Level 3 in Pharmaceutical Sciences or equivalent. You will need to have good communication and time management skills. As a medicines optimisation pharmacy technician you will have the opportunity to work in a wide range of mental health services including acute adult inpatients, older adults, home treatment teams, community mental health teams, psychiatric intensive care and early intervention services.
Main duties of the job
* To be responsible for the provision of pharmacy services, providing a high quality, efficient service to inpatient wards and community mental health hub/teams in Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster.
* Ensure that pharmacy technical operations (handling and storage of medicines) are undertaken in a safe, secure and efficient manner.
About us
CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 7,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run.
Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation. We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference. We're proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff. We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.
We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. See attached Staff Reward and Wellbeing Handbook detailing our benefits, discounts and wellbeing initiatives for staff.
Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.
Job responsibilities
* As an Accredited Pharmacy Technician, complete the medicine reconciliation process, assess Patients Own Drugs (PODs), transcribe and order medicines following a clinically screened prescription.
* As an Accredited Checking Pharmacy Technician (ACPT), provide a comprehensive technical dispensing and checking service within mental health, and other bedded services, and advice to other pharmacy staff to assist in resolving problems with prescriptions.
* Order medicines from St. Charles Hospital pharmacy dispensary and liaise with the pharmacy dispensary team to ensure medicines are delivered to wards/clinical areas on time.
* Participate in late duty, Saturday and Bank Holiday rota.
* Ensure that all medicines are dispensed in accordance with relevant legislation, local standard operating procedures, and CNWL Trust Medicines Policy.
* Participate with the labelling, dispensing in dispensary and at ward level other processes involved with clinical trials medicines at St. Charles in accordance with the standard operating procedures (SOPs).
* Organise and provide a supply of stock and non-stock pharmaceuticals for allocated clinical areas and work within medicines optimisation systems to ensure safe and secure handling of medicines.
* Support outpatient clozapine supply to Clozapine Point of Care Testing (PocHi 100i Haematology analyser) clinics, and liaise with the Community Mental Health Team staff.
* Ensure validity of repeat prescriptions and develop systems for leave medication and the management of patient own medicines.
* Maintain high quality of data input of patient information into the pharmacy computer system to ensure excellent labelling standards for dispensed medicines.
* Ensure clozapine monitoring system data is interpreted, maintained and communicated appropriately.
* Accurately dispense and issue prescriptions including controlled drugs.
* As a Medicines Optimisation Programme (MOP) Accredited Pharmacy Technician, complete the Medicine Reconciliation process, assess Patients Own Drugs (PODs), transcribe and order medicines following a clinically screened prescription. Participate in stock and non-stock management of medicines.
* Identify potential problems regarding availability of medicines for individual prescriptions, seeking advice on suitable alternatives or agreed delivery timetable.
* Ensure medication is ordered to meet agreed delivery times to support timely discharge on the wards.
* Liaise with specialist services to obtain specialist prescribed medicines such as renal, HIV.
* Responsible for the indirect management of rotational Pharmacy Technicians, Trainee Pharmacists, preregistration Pharmacy Technicians and Assistant Technical Officers (ATOs).
* Participate and support data collection of medicines optimisation audits.
* Use software such as Refine to produce drug expenditure reports and feed these back to the ward team during business meetings.
* Use software such as Adios to monitor abusable medicines and investigate anomalies.
* Train and support nurses to maintain the automated medicine storage cabinet.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
* Pharmacy Technician registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
* NVQ in Pharmacy Services or equivalent recognised qualification.
* Practice Supervisor qualification or experience.
* Membership of Associate of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK).
Previous Experience
* Previous experience of working in pharmacy services.
* Previous experience undertaking patient facing medicines optimisation activities.
* Previous experience counselling patients about their medicines.
* Experience in the education and training of junior staff/colleagues.
* Experience working within mental health services.
* Experience carrying out clinical audits.
* Knowledge of psychotropic drug therapy.
Skills and knowledge
* Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
* Ability to prioritise and manage own workload.
* Good problem-solving skills.
* Good IT skills – Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) and emails.
* Excellent interpersonal and communication skills – verbal and written.
* Able to influence other healthcare professionals.
* Evidence of Continuing Professional Development.
* Good understanding of clinical governance.
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.
Address
St. Charles Hospital and offsite units in the boroughs of Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea.
Salary
£37,259 to £45,356 a year (pro rata if P/T) inc HCAS.
Contract
Fixed term.
Duration
12 months.
Working pattern
Full-time.
Reference number
333-C-HQ-2048.
Job locations
St. Charles Hospital and offsite units in the boroughs of Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea.
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