Job summary
- Main area
- Pharmacy Technician
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 216-CB-C7583483
- Employer
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Pharmacy Dept, Level 5, Derriford Hospital
- Town
- Plymouth
- Salary
- £47,810 - £54,710 Per Annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 26/11/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 03/12/2025
Employer heading
Lead Pharmacy Technician - Supply
NHS AfC: Band 7
Job overview
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust is committed to becoming a high-quality, high-performing, patient-centred organisation. We deliver timely, compassionate care and foster a thriving environment for staff to work, learn, innovate, and research.
We are seeking a motivated and experienced Lead Pharmacy Technician – Supply Services to lead the operational development and continuous improvement of our pharmacy supply services. This role is central to ensuring the timely and accurate provision of medicines to support safe and effective patient care.
***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
- Lead the delivery of high-quality pharmaceutical services across Dispensary, Distribution, and Logistics.
- Oversee daily operations including staff rotas, workflow coordination, and personnel deployment.
- Implement and monitor standard operating procedures to ensure safe, effective, and compliant service.
- Drive performance through service reviews, audits, and quality improvement initiatives.
- Provide direct line management to Senior Pharmacy Technicians and support staff development.
- Conduct appraisals, manage performance and absence, and lead recruitment activities.
- Monitor departmental KPIs and ensure service standards are consistently met.
- Act as an Accredited Final Accuracy Checking Pharmacy Technician.
- Engage in practice research and quality improvement projects
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 in touch 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
1. To lead on all aspects of the Supply service (Dispensary, Distribution & Logistics).
2. To operationally manage pharmacy technicians and pharmacy support assistants in the Supply team ensuring adequate resourcing to provide a full service.
3. To ensure all staff receive appraisals and mentoring to meet their personal and professional development needs and review staff objectives.
4. To ensure that all annual leave is managed timely, ensuring adequate resourcing.
5. To act as a Final Accuracy Checker when required.
6. To be responsible for the development, implementation and updating of procedures.
7. To monitor and audit the supply services to internal and external stakeholders to agreed standards and implement changes as appropriate.
8. To be responsible for monitoring the issuing, secure storage & auditing of FP10 prescription pads to hospital clinics and specialities.
9. To be responsible for identifying and overseeing service developments and service improvement projects within the department.
10. To lead on relevant audits and risk assessments pertaining to supply services.
11. To report, investigate & close incidents
12. To assist with the investigation and resolution of complaints.
13. To identify trends and escalate any concerns around patient safety, staff performance or service provision to Head of Pharmacy Supply, Operations and Improvement.
14. To support with the actioning drug recalls where required.
15. To be responsible for the management of Supply stock, including daily and annual stock counts, correct storage of products, stock availability and stock levels to reduce wastage and to ensure financial efficiency of physical resources.
16. To be responsible for the management of controlled drugs, including the storage, record keeping and the stock maintenance.
17. To be responsible for the management of the automated dispensing cabinets and ensure staff receive appropriate training.
18. To be responsible for the management of the dispensing robots and ensure staff receive appropriate training.
19. To assist the Responsible Person in ensuring temperatures are both monitored and maintained in the Supply, ensuring alerts are investigated and closed timely, escalation any concerns.
20. To ensure the Emergency Cupboard is maintained to appropriate levels.
21. To monitor and manage staff performance.
22. To establish and maintain communications and relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.
23. To be responsible for the recruitment of all Supply staff.
24. To be responsible for ensuring the induction of pharmacy support assistants and pharmacy technicians, and 3 monthly reviews are completed with new starts.
25. To be responsible for the absence management of Supply staff, including holding informal and formal meetings where needed.
26. To provide pastoral support to staff and be able to signpost them to wellbeing services.
27. To be a role model for staff and an ambassador for the Pharmacy department
28. Support the sustainability agenda looking at the environmental impact of medicines within supply services
Person specification
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant demonstrable experience of UK hospital pharmacy
- Demonstrable experience of dealing with nursing and medical staff and other healthcare professionals
Desirable criteria
- Demonstrable experience of automated dispensing cabinets / dispensing robots.
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- City & Guilds BTEC or NVQ level 3 in pharmacy services
- Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council
- National Accredited Checking Pharmacy Technician qualification
- Mandatory CPD to maintain fitness to practice
Desirable criteria
- Educational Supervisor or equivalent training / coaching / mentoring qualification
Aptitude & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Good communication skills, written and verbal, with ability to demonstrate fluency, clarity and effectiveness at all levels.
- Ability to supervise other staff
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
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
- Steve Mumford
- Job title
- Head of Pharmacy Supply, Operations & Improvement
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01752 432043
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