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Job summary

Main area
Pharmacy
Grade
Apprenticeships: Apprenticeship Band 4 Annex 21
Contract
24 months (Fixed Term)
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (09:00-17:30 Monday to Friday, Providing weekend, Bank Holiday and Late cover as per rota)
Job ref
318-25-T0704
Employer
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
Town
Gloucester
Salary
£22,308 - £23,874 (pa pro rata if part-time)
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
27/11/2025 23:59
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust logo

Pre-Registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician, Band 4 (Annex 21)

Apprenticeships: Apprenticeship Band 4 Annex 21

At Gloucestershire Hospitals, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As the county’s largest employer, we are proud to provide high-quality acute, elective, and specialist services to more than 650,000 people across our county. Our care is delivered across Gloucestershire Royal, Cheltenham General and Stroud Maternity Hospital.

With over 9,000 employees representing more than 95 nationalities, bringing together a mix of cultures and experiences to the care that we deliver. Whether you’re beginning your NHS journey or looking to take the next step in your career, this is an exciting time to join us. We’re investing heavily in innovation, research, and transformation, with more than 100 active clinical studies and major developments underway across our hospitals.

We take pride in working as one team, driven by a shared ambition to grow, develop, and continually improve. Every contribution is valued and by combining our collective strengths, we support not only our diverse communities but one another. You can expect a warm, supportive culture and colleagues who are passionate about teamwork, professional development and delivering exceptional care. We offer structured development programmes, mentoring and leadership opportunities to help you progress in your career.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong. By joining our Trust, you will benefit from a comprehensive package that includes flexible working opportunities, generous annual leave, the NHS pension scheme, competitive bank rates, local discounts, access to on-site nurseries, reduced public transport costs, reward and recognition schemes and a wide range of health and wellbeing initiatives.

Be part of Gloucestershire Hospitals, explore your future with us today.

Job overview

As a Pre-Registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician you’ll develop the skills, knowledge, and behaviours required to register with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). Working within the team  to gain hands-on experience across the pharmacy. Under supervision and through structured training and assessment, you’ll build the competence and confidence to perform a wide range of duties essential to the pharmacy service.

Pharmacy Technicians provide both routine and specialist services that demand professional judgement, accuracy, and attention to detail. You’ll work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team, communicating effectively with patients, carers, and healthcare professionals while upholding confidentiality and professionalism.

Duties include supplying medicines and medical devices, assembling and labelling prescriptions, managing stock, supporting dispensary operations, and offering advice to patients and colleagues, referring queries to pharmacists when needed.

This two-year, split-site training programme alternates between Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and Cheltenham General Hospital. You’ll follow a structured plan while completing the Advanced Pharmacy Technician (Integrated) Level 3 Apprenticeship with an approved training provider. Supported by induction, ongoing training, and regular feedback, you’ll gain the skills needed to succeed. Upon completion and passing the End Point Assessment, you’ll be eligible for GPhC registration.

 

Main duties of the job

Dispensary Responsibilities

Assist with dispensing prescriptions  ensuring accuracy and adherence to procedures. Prepare compliance aid packs and provide basic medicine information to patients, referring complex queries when needed. Process prescriptions, payments, and private sales via the pharmacy system. Support controlled drug processes including register entries, stock checks, and discrepancy reporting, and occasionally help prepare simple extemporaneous medicines.

Telephone & Reception Duties

Respond to calls and enquiries  handling questions about prescriptions, availability, and missing charts. Escalate complex issues to pharmacists or departments as appropriate. Take verbal orders from authorised staff, record details accurately, and prioritise urgent or discharge-related requests.

Ward-Based Duties

Work with Medicines Optimisation Technicians and pharmacists to deliver patient-focused care. Communicate with patients and carers, assess patients’ own medicines, reconcile medication histories, and process supply needs. Support efficient discharge planning by ensuring timely medicine provision.

Distribution Duties

Assist with ward stock top-ups management and storage. Promote efficient medicine use and manage returns or disposals. Support order processing, data entry, and delivery receipt checks.

General & Rotational Responsibilities

Attend all required training and undertake rotations across specialist areas to gain pharmacy experience.

 

Working for our organisation

We take pride in placing people at the centre of everything we do, working together as a united team. Driven by a shared ambition to continually grow, develop, and learn, we recognise and value every contribution. By combining our experience and skills, we not only support our vibrant, diverse communities, but also support one another.

With a team of over 9,000 employees, we are proud to be the largest employer in Gloucestershire and rank among the top 10 largest Trusts in the South West region. By joining our Trust, you will benefit from an excellent package that includes exclusive benefits, flexible working opportunities and the chance to gain valuable experience in one or both of our innovative hospitals.

As well as generous annual leave allowance, you will have access to the excellent NHS pension scheme, competitive bank rates, discounts at local shops and restaurants, access to two on-site nurseries, discounted public transport, reward and recognition and a range of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Additional working pattern details: 09:00-17:30 Monday to Friday, Providing weekend, Bank Holiday and Late cover as per rota

Please see the attached Job Description for further information on this role and a full person specification.

Person specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential criteria
  • Minimum of 4 GCSE’s (or equivalent) including English Language, Mathematics, two science subjects or Double Science at Grade A* to C or 9 to 4)
Desirable criteria
  • Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office Word and email programmes

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria
  • A desire to work in a hospital environment with a focus on Pharmacy ensuring you treat people with kindness, compassion and with dignity and respect
  • Ability to work on own initiative, independently and as part of a team
  • Good interpersonal skills to convey information and work effectively with patients and colleagues, and maintain good working relations with other healthcare staff
  • Have responsibility for their personal development and completion of the Level 3 Pharmacy Technician (Integrated) Apprenticeship
  • Strong communication skills and able to work as part of a team
Desirable criteria
  • Ability to manage own time and prioritise workload
  • Further academic qualifications (eg A Levels)

Experience

Desirable criteria
  • Experience of pharmacy-based work
  • Previous experience in a healthcare environment/with medicine

Personal Attributes

Essential criteria
  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Cheerful, friendly personality
  • Honesty and integrity
  • Professional appearance
  • Positive approach Motivated and reliable
Desirable criteria
  • Able to perform manual handling tasks
  • Capacity to work calmly under pressure.
  • Ability to adapt working hours to suit service needs on a daily basis.
  • Positive approach
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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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Tracey Colcombe
Job title
Senior Pharmacy Technician - Education & Training
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0300 422 5510

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