Job summary
- Main area
- Pharmacy
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 216-LT-CO7924707
- Employer
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- University Hospitals Plymouth, Derriford Hospital
- Town
- Plymouth
- Salary
- £32,073 - £39,043 Per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 07/09/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Pharmacy Technician - Procurement
NHS AfC: Band 5
Job overview
We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Pharmacy Technician to join our pharmacy team. This is an exciting opportunity to develop your skills while playing a key role in delivering high-quality pharmacy services to patients across University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust.
You will be responsible for:
• Coordinating the Pharmacy Procurement teams day-to-day workload to ensure a safe, effective, timely and high-quality patient centred service is always provided.
Applications are open to current pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians, and experienced pharmacy technicians or those in their early years of career with the necessary medicines management qualifications.
Demonstrably experienced pharmacy technicians who have their ACPT and MMT Qualifications and proven demonstrable post-registration experience in a hospital pharmacy will commence in post as Band 5.
Newly qualified pharmacy technicians without demonstrable post-registration experience in hospital pharmacy will be appointed at Band 4 and supported to achieve a framework of competency objectives within the first 6 months before progressing to Band 5.
***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***
Main duties of the job
To supervise the pharmacy procurement team and the day-to-day purchasing of medicines, and authorisation of purchase orders in keeping with procurement contracts and in line with local, regional, and nationally agreed standards.
To be undertake supervisory responsibilities such as supporting recruitment, appraisal, producing work activity rotas and leading team production flow meetings.
To work closely with all staff within the pharmacy procurement team to ensure that any supply problems or queries with stocks purchased are in an accurate and timely manner to minimise shortages while ensuring that quality and value for money are paramount.
Ensure that continuing supply problems are effectively communicated to relevant Trust and departmental staff and supports staff in connection with invoicing issues and problems and pricing queries.
Use developing procurement knowledge and gained expertise to expedite the sourcing of goods in a prompt and timely manner, ensuring patient treatment and care is not compromised.
Assist senior pharmacy procurement staff with maintaining computer files and ensuring the storing of data in dynamic spreadsheets to assist in audit processes.
To be able to adapt and provide cover in busy period for all aspects of day-to-day work including but not exclusive to:
· Ordering
· Goods in
· Entering
· Invoicing
Working for our organisation
We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care.
The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY.
If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process, please contact the recruitment manager for this post who will put you into contact with the recruitment team.
We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case.
We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date.
If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Support the Pharmacy Governance Team by communicating complex supply chain information in a manner that promotes understand of supply disruptions relating to alerts and medicine recalls ensuring patient safety is maintained.
Act as a liaison to the PPSA (Peninsula Procurement and Supply Alliance), representing the pharmacy and trust in performance review meetings for contracts including Wholesaler service, Over-labelling, Specials & Unlicensed medicines.
Ensure that procurement services are of a consistently high standard for patients by regular liaison with key individuals involved within the service areas including pharmaceutical industry.
To ensure that all aspects of the ordering, receipt, storage, distribution and invoicing of all medicines and pharmaceuticals are performed in accordance with all relevant legislation, the requirements of the “Guide to Good Wholesaling Practice”, MHRA requirements and trust Standing Financial Instructions (SFIs)
To promote and support the use of systems for reporting and reducing instances of errors, including near misses and major deviations.
To support in the training of all staff ensuring understanding and implementation of safe practices. This ensures there are no barriers to understanding all aspects of the training as a wide variety of staff with different abilities will be trained, including: new procurement team members, Pre-Registration Pharmacists and Pre-Registration Pharmacy Technicians.
To support development of team’s member through annual appraisals and regular 1:1 meeting, ensuring the team continues to develop and the work environment supports progression and fulfils staff’s health and wellbeing needs.
To identify and support the development of working practices to improve compliance and efficiency, identifying that processes for SOPs are up to date and reflect accurately established or new working practices.
Support the development and maintenance of a process for managing and reviewing supply risks and improve engagement with the greater pharmacy team in the management of medicines shortages and mitigating actions.
For further information please see attached job description
Person specification
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
- Developed specialist knowledge of procurement and sourcing
- Proven post-registration demonstrable experience in an acute setting/ hospital pharmacy (Band 5)
- Good understanding of COSHH Regulations
- Good grasp of Microsoft programs including Word, excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
- 6 Months post qualification Pharmacy Technician experience
Desirable criteria
- Demonstrable experience of audit and report writing
- Demonstrable experience of working in a procurement environment
- Demonstrable experience of working with finance
- Demonstrable experience of developing pharmacy services
- Demonstrable experience of working with pharmacy IT systems such as EMIS, Q-Pulse and Powergate
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- National BTEC or NVQ3 in Pharmaceutical Sciences (or equivalent)
- Registered Pharmacy Technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- National Accredited Checking Pharmacy Technician qualification
Desirable criteria
- Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply qualifications (Or working towards)
Aptitude & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Good communication skills, written and verbal, with proven ability to demonstrate fluency, clarity, and effectiveness at all levels
- Proven ability to supervise other staff
- Attention to detail.
- Proven ability to accurately deal with figures.
- Proven ability to meet deadlines
- Organisational skills
- Proven ability to identify and mitigate risks
Disposition & Attitude
Essential criteria
- Ability to accept responsibility
- Proactive, takes own initiative
- Leads by example
- Adaptable
- Reliable
- Hardworking and enthusiastic
- Ability to work late nights, weekends and bank holidays on rota
Desirable criteria
- Ability to travel
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Ben Shields
- Job title
- Lead Pharmacy Technician - Procurement
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01752432690
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