Job summary
- Main area
- Pharmacy
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Weekend and bank holiday working on rotation. 1 day a week working 10.30am-7pm)
- Job ref
- 156-7349808
- Employer
- Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal Cornwall Hospital
- Town
- Truro
- Salary
- £27,485 - £30,162 Pa pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 21/09/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Specialist Asistant- Distribution Services
Band 4
Job overview
The Pharmacy Department at the Royal Cornwall Hospital are excited to be recruiting a Specialist Assistant as a key role in our distribution area of the department. This is an exciting development opportunity for the right person who must have completed their NVQ level 2 and have either completed or on going final checking accuracy qualification.
Main duties of the job
Supermarket Top Up Activities
Provide a top up service to designated wards and departments, in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), to ensure that good stock control is maintained at all times. This will include the checking of expiry dates of ward stock, ensuring that wards and departments have a sufficient stock of medicines
Communicate with the appropriate person regarding supply problems.
During stock checks highlight stock discrepancies according to standard operating procedures
To assemble and release orders in a timely and accurate manner using the ARX Pharmacy Robot system
participate in regular stock checks and expiry checks within the pharmacy supply areas
prioritise work according to the demands of the service
cover the duties of other Assistant Technical Officers at the discretion of the line manager/supervisor
Update and change ward stock lists and be involved in any in house ward moves where appropriate
Dispensary and Controlled drugs
To dispense for in-patients, out-patients and patient discharge
To ensure accuracy of work during all stages of the dispensing process.
To ensure records and controls are correctly maintained using the pharmacy computer system and paper records and by following the Pharmacy Archive procedure
To perform reception duties including dealing with patient and NHS staff enquiries either face to face or by telephone.
To perform all activities in accordance with training and departmental standard operating procedures
Working for our organisation
The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) is the main provider of acute and specialist care services in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We serve a population of around 500,000 people - a figure that can increase significantly with
visitors during the busiest times of the year. We employ approximately 6,700 staff and have a budget of approximately £580 million.
We are a teaching hospital in partnership with the University of Exeter Medical School, University of Plymouth School of Nursing and Midwifery, and Peninsula Dental School.
The Knowledge Spa on the Royal Cornwall Hospital site is the base for medical and nursing as well as ongoing education for health professions in clinical and non-clinical roles.
Keeping at the forefront of medical advances, we are continually developing our clinical services as well as our facilities and are committed to maximising the range of specialist care that can be offered locally. Allied to this is a growing reputation for research and innovation.
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust is a research active organisation.
It’s established South West Clinical School in Cornwall exists to promote clinical academic career opportunities for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals interested in research and evidence-based activities. Read their research paper to find out more.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
PLEASE NOTE: To view the full Job Description and Person Specification, please click the supporting document on the right-hand side.
To be an employee of the NHS you need to successfully complete the following:
Identity Checks
Professional registration and qualification checks
Employment history and reference checks
Occupational Health clearance
Satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service check
Right to work in the UK
For further information please visit:
https://www.nhsemployers.org/topics-networks/employment-standards-and-regulation
We reserve the right to close this advert early.
We may be able to offer flexible working. Please discuss at interview.
We may be able to offer sponsorship but this is not guaranteed.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- NVQ 2 or equivalent in pharmacy services
- Good general education
- GCSE Grade 4 (C) or above in Maths and English
- Final checking qualification
Desirable criteria
- GCSE Grade 4 or above in Science
Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant experience in a pharmacy environment as a dispenser
- Experience in hospital pharmacy as a dispenser
- Significant experience gained from on-the-job training to NVQ3 equivalent
- Experience of supervising others.
- Experience of giving constructive feedback to all levels of healthcare staff in a supportive manner.
- Experience of working in a clinical area, including patient facing duties in the dispensary
Desirable criteria
- Experience of stock control processes within a pharmacy.
- Experience of organising, undertaking training and assessment of pharmacy support workers and pharmacy trainees.
- Experience of writing standard operating procedures.
- Experience of setting up new service and/or implementing process change
- Experience of undertaking project and/or audit work
Practical and intellectual skill
Essential criteria
- Able to demonstrate good levels of accuracy in all areas of work
- Able to follow and understand procedures in line with legal and regulatory requirements for individual pharmaceuticals.
- Good knowledge of legal requirements for dispensing and supply of medicines, including controlled drugs
- Articulate and numerate with excellent attention to detail
- Good verbal and written communication skills to enable effective communications with patients, their carers / relatives, nursing staff and other healthcare professionals
- Able to work with PCs, including IT systems and pharmacy robotic systems where relevant
Desirable criteria
- Experience of using Personal Protective Equipment.
- Understanding of medical and nursing practice, record keeping and terminology
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Kimberley Olds
- Job title
- Operations Lead for supply Services
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01872 252588
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