Job summary
- Main area
- 317 Procurement and Homecare
- Grade
- Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent: from date of appointment
- Hours
- Part time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 317-2025-26-21-DR
- Employer
- The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal Victoria Infirmary
- Town
- 317 02 Royal Victoria Infirmary
- Salary
- £29,970 - £36,483 pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 14/07/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 30/07/2025
Employer heading
Pharmacy Technician Medicines Procurement
Band 5
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 15,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.6 billion.
We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.
We’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country, supporting people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts each day, delivering high standards of healthcare.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.
Job overview
We are delighted to be able to offer this exciting opportunity to join the Pharmacy Procurement Team. We have a 15 hours per week permanent position for a Clinical Pharmacy Technician to work within the Pharmacy Procurement Service. This area provides a specialist service for all patients treated at the Trust. The Clinical Technician would work alongside the pharmacy procurement team to provide a valued service bringing their clinical knowledge to the procurement process with the aims of managing shortages, promoting best value procurement and maintaining a patient centred approach.
We are looking for an enthusiastic team player who wishes to develop their existing skills and expertise in this area as well as integrating within the well-established team. This is a fairly new role and we are looking for an innovative, motivated person to join the team.
- Interview Date: 30 July 2025
- 15 Hours /Week - we can be flexible on days / how worked
- You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy.
NO AGENCIES PLEASE
Main duties of the job
Based in the Pharmacy Procurement team, you will collaborate with your team and the wider pharmacy professional team to deliver a person-centred approach to managing shortages and procuring medication for the Trust. You will undertake reviews of medication that we purchase to ensure that we are getting the best value procurement e.g. for unlicensed medication and over-labelled packs, involving the wider pharmacy clinical, distribution and medicines management teams as appropriate. There are opportunities to develop project management and audit skills.
You will be a team-player with excellent communication, prioritisation, influencing, problem solving and negotiating skills. No previous experience in pharmacy procurement is required, as full training will be provided.
Working for our organisation
Our staff oversee over 6,500 patient contacts every day, delivering high standards of healthcare from the following sites:
• Freeman Hospital
• Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)
• Health Innovation Neighbourhood (on the former Newcastle General Hospital and Centre for Ageing and Vitality site)
• Newcastle Dental Hospital
• Newcastle Fertility Centre
• Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria
• Northern Genetics Service
• Cramlington Manor Walks
These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.
We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.
Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under ‘Documents to download’ or ‘Supporting documents’.
For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To practice as an experienced pharmacy technician.
- To practice as a registered pharmacy technician
- Responsible for providing day to day support to the pharmacy procurement function of the directorate, including dealing with stock shortages, MHRA drug recalls and procurement related problems and enquires
- Effectively communicate with pharmaceutical wholesalers, manufactures, homecare companies and external agencies e.g., CMU, regarding the safe, efficient, and cost-effective procurement and supply of medicines
- Liaise with homecare providers, clinical teams, and patients to resolve queries, thus ensuring patients receive their medicines in a timely manner
- Deputise for the Pharmacy Purchasing Manager & Pharmacy Homecare Procurement Manager when necessary.
Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Person specification
KNOWLEDGE
Essential criteria
- Knowledge and understanding of all technical aspects of pharmacy patient services, supported by practical experience gained by practical experience of an approved training programme
- In addition, successful completion of an in-house competency-based training programme or previous relevant post qualification relevant clinical experience which provides an equivalent level of additional experience
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge and understanding of pharmacy procurement processes.
SKILLS
Essential criteria
- Excellent oral and written communication
- Excellent customer care
- Working knowledge of pharmacy, hospital and/or general practice computer systems
EXPERIENCE
Essential criteria
- Practical experience of working in a relevant clinical pharmacy environment.
Desirable criteria
- Practical experience of working as a designated checker
- Familiar with Medicines Information enquiry answering resources
QUALIFICATIONS
Essential criteria
- S/NVQ Level 3 in Pharmacy Services and approved underpinning knowledge e.g. BTEC in Pharmaceutical Science or equivalent recognised pharmacy technician qualification plus experience to degree equivalent.
- Registered with GPhC
Desirable criteria
- Medicines Management qualification.
- Formal management qualification
- NVQ Assessor qualification
- An Accredited Accuracy Checking Qualification
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
- Emily Pearson
- Job title
- Specialist Lead Technician - Pharmacy Procurement
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01912820964
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