Job overview
1 x Permanent and 1 x Fixed Term 12 Months
We are seeking a dynamic and ambitious Senior Pharmacy Technician to join our friendly and progressive Pharmacy team at Whipps Cross University Hospital, part of Barts Health NHS Trust—the largest NHS Trust in the UK.
This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate individual who is eager to grow, develop, and contribute to high-quality patient care. You will play an essential role in supporting our medicines management service on the wards and providing key leadership within the dispensary.
As a Senior Pharmacy Technician, you will:
• Provide ward-based medicines management support
• Contribute to dispensary operations, including management support
• Take part in project work to improve patient care and service efficiency
• Act as a mentor to Trainee Pharmacy Assistants, Rotational Foundation Pharmacy Technicians, and Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technicians
• Demonstrate strong leadership to support the development of the pharmacy workforce
Applicants must have:
• BTEC Pharmaceutical Sciences / NVQ Level 3 (or equivalent)
• Registration as a Pharmacy Technician with the GPhC
• Accuracy Checking Pharmacy Technician (ACPT) qualification
• Previous hospital or community pharmacy experience
• Experience in management or leadership roles
If you would like any further details, please contact: Lucie Lea 02085395522 ext 25729/25569 or via e-mail:
Main duties of the job
The post holder will support to manage a team of pharmacy assistants and trainee pharmacy assistants. They will deliver patient focused, quality care, based at Whipps Cross University Hospital.
To enable pharmacy to have patients’ needs at the center of the service, the post holder will be moving away from a traditional dispensary and medicines management services delivery model by utilising skills and knowledge from both areas to become one multi skilled team in all aspects of pharmacy service delivery – dispensary and medicine management services. They will jointly work on the wards and deliver quality care to patients at ward level through efficient medicines optimization as well as support the management of dispensary on rotational basis.
The post holder will also support the effective management of the team, by:
• Monitoring and reporting Key Performances Indicators (KPI’s)
• Training and developing staff
• Maintain and auditing the management of controlled drugs, FP10 and stock control
• Co-coordinating pharmacy specific audits
• Implementing and updating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Supporting ward based dispensing programs such as dispensing satellite areas
Working for our organisation
Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain’s leading healthcare providers.
The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation. Having lifted ourselves out of special measures, we now have the impetus and breathing space to chart a fresh course in which we are continually striving to improve all our services for patients.
Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.
We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
1. Experience of working in a hospital or community pharmacy setting
2. Significant experience as a pharmacy technician
3. Experience of supervising others and providing feedback for development
4. Experience of pharmacy labelling and stock control systems
5. Patient counselling
6. Experience or organising a service on a day-to–day basis
7. Experience of holding regular team meetings
8. Experience of giving feedback
9. Experience of hospital stock distribution and top-up services.
10. Medicines management experience in a ward based setting, e.g. medication history taking, POD assessment etc.
Skills
Essential criteria
11. Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills
12. IT literate and able to use Microsoft office.
13. Excellent verbal and written communication skills
14. Interpret and dispense prescriptions accurately
15. Organisation and prioritisation of workload
16. Ability to problem solve
17. Ability to motivate self and others
18. Time management skills
19. Methodical attention to detail
20. Good numeracy skills. Able to perform pharmaceutical calculations.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
21. Understanding of GPhC revalidation requirements
22. Knowledge of medicines management systems at ward level
23. Up to date knowledge of legislation relevant to pharmacy practice, e.g. controlled drugs, Health and Safety at Work
24. Understanding of stock control systems
25. Knowledge of drugs, side effects and where to find further information
26. Knowledge of Safe and Secure Handling of Medicines requirements
27. Understanding of the importance of adherence to SOPs and legislation
28. Demonstrates a good understanding of patient safety initiatives
Desirable criteria
29. Understand how pharmacy technicians can develop their role
Qualifications
Essential criteria
30. BTEC Pharmaceutical Sciences /NVQ 3 or equivalent
31. Registration as a Pharmacy Technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
32. Accuracy Checking Pharmacy Technician (ACPT) qualification
33. HEE LaSE Medicines Optimisation qualification or equivalent
Desirable criteria
34. Practice Supervisor, Train the trainer or equivalent qualification
35. ILM Level 2 or level 3 Leadership and Management qualification or equivalent
**Visa Sponsorship Information**
Recent changes to UK immigration policy on the Health and Care Visa and Skilled Worker Visa could mean that this role is not eligible for sponsorship or that you may not meet the eligibility criteria.
Sponsorship can only be offered if this post and any individual offered employment meet all the Home Office’s requirements under the UK Skilled Worker visa scheme.
If you are applying from outside the UK or will require sponsorship, please mention this clearly in your application.
To be eligible for sponsorship, the following conditions must be met:
36. Eligible role: The position must be on the UK Skilled Worker visa list. You can check your eligibility here: -.
37. Salary threshold: The role must meet the minimum salary set by the Home Office. Please note that for roles employed under Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions, the High-Cost Area Supplement (HCAS) is not included when calculating the basic salary for the purposes of sponsorship.
38. Skill level: The role must meet the minimum skill requirement of RQF Level 6 or above (graduate level).
39. English language: Applicants must demonstrate English proficiency at CEFR level B1 or higher.
40. Other criteria: Applicants must meet all other criteria as set out by the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)