Job summary
Are you ready to unlock your potential within a challenging, creative and fast paced work environment? Do you want work with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past?
This is an excellent opportunity for a Pharmacy Assistant to join our team of diverse, talented healthcare professionals to deliver care that is not only efficient but deeply centred on the patient.
Our healthcare team have a real impact on promoting health and well-being to those in prison and we pride ourselves on using skills and strategies that instil hope for patient's future resettlement back into the community. We directly deliver Mental Health, Physical Health, Pharmacy and Clinical Substance Misuse in an integrated healthcare delivery model to provide effective and responsive care to improve wellbeing and support better outcomes in the future.
This position isn't just a job; it's a chance to blend your clinical knowledge, personal skills and a commitment to delivering the highest standards of care in an environment that is as rewarding as it is challenging.
Main duties of the job
As a Pharmacy Assistant, you will contribute towards the smooth and efficient running of the pharmacy service on site within the prison. This will include all aspects of stock control (routine ordering, receipt of goods, computer input, storage of medicines), dispensing clinically screened prescriptions and dispensing weekly/monthly in possession medication to patients.
You will work out of Medication Administration Points (Meds hatches) on the wings and in the healthcare department, acting as the second checker for controlled drug administration.
About us
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.
We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.
Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:
* We're Kind
* We're
* We Listen
* We Care
Details
Date posted
13 February 2026
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 3
Salary
£26,598 a year Per annum pro-rata
Contract
Bank
Working pattern
Flexible working
Reference number
277-BankPharAsB3-HMPBri
Job locations
HMP Bristol Pharmacy
19 Cambridge Road
Bristol
BS7 8PS
Job description
Job responsibilities
* To be responsible for the day-to-day ordering, receiving, and unpacking of pharmaceutical products from suppliers according to GDP and departmental SOPs.
* To ensure that medicines are sourced in a timely manner.
* To accurately use the pharmacy computer system to receive goods into the pharmacy store according to departmental SOPs.
* To act as second checker for administration of Controlled Drugs by registered healthcare professionals.
* To carry out regular stock checks, expiry date checks and other monitoring procedures such as logging fridge and ambient temperatures and dealing with any anomalies in accordance with GDP and departmental procedure.
* To ensure high standards and accuracy of work and to ensure all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are read and adhered to.
* To ensure medicines returned from clinical areas, are sorted and either returned to stock or disposed of safely and appropriately in accordance with GDP, Trust guidelines and departmental procedures.
* To undertake administration of weekly and monthly In Possession medication to patients.
* To ensure that all work carried out in procurement is done in accordance with current legislation, including GDP and departmental and Trust financial procedures.
* To manage work Medicines Optimisation work in treatment areas ensuring tasks are carried out in a timely manner and orders are received on time.
* To communicate with routinely with the Pharmacy/Healthcare department to place orders, chase receipt of goods and to query discrepancies.
* To deal with telephone queries and staff visiting the department, as first point of contact, dealing with them or referring to others if required according to SOPs.
* To communicate, as necessary, with external regulatory bodies, information pertaining to the WDL or other requests.
* Post holders will need to undertake a prison security check (level 2) prior to being employed, as well the standard NHS recruitment checks.
* To appreciate the secure environment you are working in and to adhere to all prison procedures as necessary.
* To undertake any other tasks at the request of the senior prison services pharmacist.
(Full JD can be downloaded in supporting documents section)
IMPORTANT INFORMATION, PLEASE READ:
All applicants must be willing to undertake National Security Vetting in order to work in a Prison Setting. This will be completed as part of the pre-employment checks through Oxleas and the prison vetting team.
You will need to provide:
Proof of right to work documentation
Proof of ID, needs to include 1 photographicID
Proof of address documentation
Non-UK passport holders will need to have correct documentation (right to work in the UK) and a Home office Share code.
Address History:
5 years address history will be needed.
Applicants that are not UK Passport holders who provide less than 5 years UK address history will need to provide a Police Certificate which must be in English from where they resided previously.
Applicants who are UK Passport holders who have lived abroad for a period of more than six months during the last three years will need to provide a certificate of good conduct or an overseas police check in English from the countries resided in or visited.
In order to assist you in obtaining a Police Certificate, guidance can be sought from:
If the country you have resided in is not listed here, you can obtain the necessary information by contacting the relevant Embassy or High Commission for that Country. Their contact details can be found on the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website ().
Job description
Job responsibilities
* To be responsible for the day-to-day ordering, receiving, and unpacking of pharmaceutical products from suppliers according to GDP and departmental SOPs.
* To ensure that medicines are sourced in a timely manner.
* To accurately use the pharmacy computer system to receive goods into the pharmacy store according to departmental SOPs.
* To act as second checker for administration of Controlled Drugs by registered healthcare professionals.
* To carry out regular stock checks, expiry date checks and other monitoring procedures such as logging fridge and ambient temperatures and dealing with any anomalies in accordance with GDP and departmental procedure.
* To ensure high standards and accuracy of work and to ensure all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are read and adhered to.
* To ensure medicines returned from clinical areas, are sorted and either returned to stock or disposed of safely and appropriately in accordance with GDP, Trust guidelines and departmental procedures.
* To undertake administration of weekly and monthly In Possession medication to patients.
* To ensure that all work carried out in procurement is done in accordance with current legislation, including GDP and departmental and Trust financial procedures.
* To manage work Medicines Optimisation work in treatment areas ensuring tasks are carried out in a timely manner and orders are received on time.
* To communicate with routinely with the Pharmacy/Healthcare department to place orders, chase receipt of goods and to query discrepancies.
* To deal with telephone queries and staff visiting the department, as first point of contact, dealing with them or referring to others if required according to SOPs.
* To communicate, as necessary, with external regulatory bodies, information pertaining to the WDL or other requests.
* Post holders will need to undertake a prison security check (level 2) prior to being employed, as well the standard NHS recruitment checks.
* To appreciate the secure environment you are working in and to adhere to all prison procedures as necessary.
* To undertake any other tasks at the request of the senior prison services pharmacist.
(Full JD can be downloaded in supporting documents section)
IMPORTANT INFORMATION, PLEASE READ:
All applicants must be willing to undertake National Security Vetting in order to work in a Prison Setting. This will be completed as part of the pre-employment checks through Oxleas and the prison vetting team.
You will need to provide:
Proof of right to work documentation
Proof of ID, needs to include 1 photographicID
Proof of address documentation
Non-UK passport holders will need to have correct documentation (right to work in the UK) and a Home office Share code.
Address History:
5 years address history will be needed.
Applicants that are not UK Passport holders who provide less than 5 years UK address history will need to provide a Police Certificate which must be in English from where they resided previously.
Applicants who are UK Passport holders who have lived abroad for a period of more than six months during the last three years will need to provide a certificate of good conduct or an overseas police check in English from the countries resided in or visited.
In order to assist you in obtaining a Police Certificate, guidance can be sought from:
If the country you have resided in is not listed here, you can obtain the necessary information by contacting the relevant Embassy or High Commission for that Country. Their contact details can be found on the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website ().
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Desirable
* NVQ level 2 Pharmacy Services certificate including the stores specific units 205 and 206 and registration with the GPhC
* Certificate in purchasing and supply (CIPS) level 2 or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential
* At least 2 years of experience as a pharmacy ATO and able to work in all sections of medicines supply
* At least 1 year of experience working within pharmacy stores
Skills and Abilities
Essential
* Sound oral and written communication skills
* Literate and numerate and be able to perform simple calculations
* Competent in co-ordinating and completing day-to-day workload with minimal supervision
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Desirable
* NVQ level 2 Pharmacy Services certificate including the stores specific units 205 and 206 and registration with the GPhC
* Certificate in purchasing and supply (CIPS) level 2 or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential
* At least 2 years of experience as a pharmacy ATO and able to work in all sections of medicines supply
* At least 1 year of experience working within pharmacy stores
Skills and Abilities
Essential
* Sound oral and written communication skills
* Literate and numerate and be able to perform simple calculations
* Competent in co-ordinating and completing day-to-day workload with minimal supervision
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.
Employer details
Employer name
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Address
HMP Bristol Pharmacy
19 Cambridge Road
Bristol
BS7 8PS
Employer's website
(Opens in a new tab)
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Employer details
Employer name
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Address
HMP Bristol Pharmacy
19 Cambridge Road
Bristol
BS7 8PS
Employer's website
(Opens in a new tab)
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