Job summary
- Main area
- Senior Pharmacy Technician - Aseptic Services
- Grade
- 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 216-AH-C7379268
- Employer
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Derriford Hospital
- Town
- Plymouth
- Salary
- £38,682 - £46,580 Per Annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 21/08/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Senior Pharmacy Technician - Aseptic Services
6
Job overview
We are excited to seek a Senior Pharmacy Technician to join our aseptic services team.
If you are an enthusiastic, motivated and dynamic pharmacy technician looking for a leadership role in aseptics we would love to hear from you.
You will directly manage a team of pharmacy technicians, specialist technical officers and support assistants and will be responsible for coordinating the daily operational delivery of aseptic services, under the supervision of the Aseptic Services Manager and Accountable Pharmacist.
You will support the Accountable pharmacist by checking & releasing aseptically prepared products & managing the Pharmaceutical Quality Systems to ensure compliance with good manufacturing practice.
This is an exciting time to join our team as we area a designated "pathfinder" site. We will be moving to a purpose built, off-site aseptic facility, significantly expanding our capacity to manufacture aseptic products under an MS license to supply the region. This will be in collaboration with Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, as part of a one hub, two-site regional aseptic hub facility.
Main duties of the job
- Be responsible for coordinating the daily operational delivery of aseptic services under the supervision of the Accountable Pharmacist and Aseptic Services Manager, ensuring the effective and efficient supply of aseptically prepared medicines, both prepared in-house and outsourced
- Delivery of a high quality specialised pharmacy aseptic service under Section 10 of the Medicines Act 1968 and compliant with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) to ensure the optimisation of medicines for patients attending and admitted to University Hospitals Plymouth.
- Directly manage a team of pharmacy technicians, specialist technical officers and assistants, including undertaking annual appraisals and 1:1 performance and development meetings.
- To engage with Quality Improvement and practice research projects.
- Support research within aseptic services and the wider UHP Trust.
***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.***
Working for our organisation
University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP) NHS is the largest hospital on the Southwest Peninsula providing comprehensive secondary and tertiary care to a population of around 2,000,000 people who can access our specialist services including bone marrow transplant, sarcoma surgery and hepatobiliary and pancreatic cancer surgery (not exhaustive) and the regional trauma Centre.
UHP is a lager tertiary centre, with an expanding clinical trial portfolio across cancer services. We hold JACIE accreditation for Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) and are one of NHS England’s Wave 3 CAR-T centres.
The pharmacy department has recently undergone an exciting refurbishment including the installation of state-of-the-art robots and automated controlled drug cabinets alongside the opening of a new outpatient pharmacy.
We are a team who are truly committed to the development of our staff both personally and professionally and would support you to attain your goals. You will be working with a Chief Pharmacist who is committed to you as an individual.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- Support the Aseptic Services Manager/Deputy and Accountable Pharmacist/Deputy to manage, lead and co-ordinate the aseptic services pharmacy team including junior pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy support assistants in the provision of a safe, effective and efficient pharmacy aseptic service in accordance with local and national standards and strategy and to ensure all members of the pharmacy team are trained and competent for their roles.
- Act as an Accredited Pharmacy Technician Product Approver, under the supervision of the Accountable Pharmacist, taking responsibility for the provision of aseptically prepared pharmaceuticals prepared under Exemption 10 of the Medicines Act 1968, ensuring compliance with 'Quality Assurance of Aseptic Preparation Services' to provide products that are fit for their intended use. - Ensure the initial check and preparation of medicinal products is undertaken according to local procedures.- Undertake the final check of these products taking responsibility for the final product approval of medicinal products to the patient.- Act as an advisor, within individual scope of practice to all staff if support or intervention is required.
- Authorise as deputy to the Aseptic Services Manager, in conjunction with the Accountable Pharmacist, standard operating procedures for use in Aseptic Services.
- Assist and support with the running and maintenance of the Pharmaceutical Quality Management System (QMS), internal and external audits.
- Ensure appropriate change control processes are followed regarding the implementation of any new product or processes.
- Ensure that safe and effective systems of work are followed within the unit in compliance with the COSHH (1988) Regulations.
- Assist in the validation and maintenance of computer programmes and systems used in named-patient preparation processes.
- Act as a role model and mentor for pharmacy technicians, trainee pharmacy technicians, specialist technical officers, pharmacy support assistants, junior pharmacists, and trainee pharmacists.
- Manage day to day technical queries related to the aseptic services provision.
- Ensure that expertise within your area is seen as a resource within and outside the Trust and form working partnerships with other health and social care service providers.
- Liaise with all levels of healthcare staff, patients and carers in all areas of work.
Person specification
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable specialist experience in aseptic preparation.
- Demonstrable practical experience of isolator and laminar air flow technology
- Good working proven knowledge of current legislation relating to the aseptic preparation of injectable medicines; including the quality assurance of aseptic preparation services, and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Good Manufacturing Practice guidance.
- Good proven understanding of COSHH regulations and the relationship with aseptic preparation
- Demonstrable experience of performance management and effectively managing staff
- Current proven evidence of CPD
Desirable criteria
- Leeds aseptic preparation and dispensing of medicines course
- Demonstrable Recruitment and selection experience
- Demonstrable final approval and release of aseptically prepared products
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Proven knowledge of pharmaceutical service procedures obtained through NVQ3, BTEC In pharmaceutical science plus theoretical study and practical demonstrable experience of managing staff, resources and additional specialist proven knowledge
- Registered pharmacy technician (with the GPhC).
- Mandatory CPD to maintain fitness to practice
- Dispensing Accuracy Accreditation or willing to complete
- Accredited Accuracy checking Pharmacy Technician or willing to complete (ACT)
- Pre and In-Process Checking course or willing to complete (PIPC)
- Product Approval Accreditation Programme or willing to complete (PAAP)
Desirable criteria
- Postgraduate Diploma in Pharmaceutical Technology and Quality Assurance (PTQA)
- A1 NVQ Assessor Award (or equivalent)
- Member of the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK)
- Educational supervisor for PIPC
- Educational supervisor for PAAP
- Educational supervisor for ACT
Aptitude and Abilities
Essential criteria
- Good communication skills, written and verbal, with ability to demonstrate fluency, clarity and effectiveness at all levels.
- Excellent organisational skills
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
- Amanda Horton
- Job title
- Aseptic Services Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01752 437447
- Additional information
For an informal discussion or to arrange a site visit please contact Amanda Horton, Aseptic Services Manager, [email protected] or Claire Rogers, Lead Pharmacy Technician, Aseptic Services, [email protected]
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