Senior Pharmacy Support Worker
The closing date is 23 December 2025.
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us. Please see below for a detailed description of the role.
Main duties of the job
UHS Pharmacy employs over 400 staff and around one third of them are Pharmacy Support Workers who play a fundamental role in supporting the provision of Pharmacy services in a range of roles.
We have an excellent track record of supporting staff development and career progression and many of our support workers progress to more advanced positions within the department, including trainee technician posts and senior support worker posts.
If you are a hard‑working, reliable person who is keen to learn and progress, this is a fantastic opportunity for you to advance your Pharmacy career.
About us
University Hospital Southampton is one of England’s largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.
Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.
We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. Personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial.
At UHS we’re committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. We want to support you so you can help our patients.
We proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join our anti‑racist, anti‑discriminatory environment.
Job responsibilities
We are looking for two Senior Pharmacy Support Workers to work across our sites.
One post will be based in the inpatient dispensary at the SGH site, and the other will be a rotational role covering both dispensaries at SGH and RSH. The pharmacy dispensary provides inpatient and discharge medicines to a variety of patients at Southampton General Hospital.
Support workers will work as part of a multi‑disciplinary team of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy support workers. Excellent communication skills are essential, as is the ability to work accurately under pressure.
* Supervise and train Pharmacy Support Workers.
* Produce labels and dispense medicines for patients to use in hospital and on discharge.
* Work on the Pharmacy Reception, helping nurses and patients with queries and passing on information to the relevant person (pharmacists/technicians).
* Contribute to the department’s stock management, such as ordering, receiving and maintaining the medicines used by the dispensary.
* Use the dispensing robot to retrieve medicine.
Schedule: Monday to Friday, typically starting at 9 am and finishing at 5.15 pm. Support workers also work at least one late shift per week (later start, finish by 7 pm) and on weekends on a rota basis; currently no more frequently than one shift in six weeks.
Applicants must have, or be working towards, a GPhC‑approved qualification (level 2+). We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position.
For further details regarding this post or informal visits please contact: Geethika Guruge.
Qualifications, knowledge and experience
* 2 GCSEs or equivalent grades A* – C or 4–9 in English and Maths (equivalents for qualifications gained outside the UK must be demonstrated at interview).
* NVQ 2 in Pharmacy or other Level 2 approved GPhC qualification for pharmacy support staff.
* Supervisory qualification or equivalent demonstrable experience of supervision.
* Previous pharmacy experience (hospital or community) or supervisory experience.
* Commitment to completing the in‑house training programme within 6 months of starting.
* Availability to work late evenings, bank holidays and weekends according to rota requirements.
* Health and physical abilities sufficient for the post (reasonable adjustments allowed where necessary).
* Ability to lift and handle packages up to 15 kg repeatedly and move pallets weighing between 500–600 kg using an unpowered pallet truck daily (receipts posts only).
* Other healthcare qualifications.
* GCSEs in science‑based or other role‑specific relevant subjects.
* Previous experience in health or social care (if not pharmacy).
* Experience in stock control (receiving, maintaining and / or issuing stock).
* Clinical trials or research experience (clinical trials only).
* Experience with till or handling money in a work environment (RSH posts only).
Trust Values
* Always Improving
* Working Together
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust
£24,937 to £26,598 a year (per annum, pro rata).
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