Pharmacy Dispensing Assistant Technical Officer

Position Overview

We are looking for individuals who are enthusiastic, proactive in their own role, can communicate well and work accurately and efficiently to a high standard.

You will be based within the main dispensary at Whiston Hospital with rotation to our out-patient centred pharmacy department at St Helens Hospital, where you will assist in the provision of a safe and effective dispensing service.

Duties will include routine labelling and dispensing of prescriptions for both inpatients and outpatients and controlled drugs, the preparation of extemporaneous medicines, and involvement in the effective management of returned medicines from within the Trust. You will also take part in a rotation to work with our ward-based Pharmacy Technicians to provide a ward-based dispensing service.

You will need to take part in our weekend and evening rotas providing a 7‑day a week service to the Trust. The post holder will participate with other team members of the pharmacy staff aiming to provide an efficient and comprehensive pharmaceutical service within the pharmacy departments of Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, under the direction of the Chief Pharmacist.

Duties will include labelling, dispensing, stock rotation, storage, dealing with dispensary queries and patient counselling.

Current experience of working within a pharmacy setting, for example Hospital Community, Prison service etc. is essential and candidates must have completed an NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services and hold a recognised dispensing qualification.

A good standard of education (to GCSE level) would be advantageous.

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme