Job summary
- Main area
- Pharmacy
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (to be worked 50:50 between SWFT and GEH)
- Job ref
- 203-SS1176
- Employer
- South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Warwick Hospital
- Town
- Warwick
- Salary
- £27,485 - £30,162 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 23/03/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Pharmacy Audit Officer
Band 4
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is one of the top performing organisations within the NHS. Our staff think this is a great place to work and we hope you will agree. We have recently been rated as 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following our most recent inspection.
We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the whole county. This includes our Community Teams in North Warwickshire.
We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity. Over 6000 people work for the Trust and many of them have been here a long time. People find they don’t need to go elsewhere to find a fulfilling career in healthcare.
The first thing you will notice about us is how we take our values seriously. We believe that our values underpin everything we do. If you are interested in a role with us you need to make sure our values match your own.
Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are ‘Trusted to provide inclusive, safe, effective and compassionate care’. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn’t matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks
Many of the roles we advertise have a requirement for a DBS check to be carried out. If you are successful for a role and it requires a DBS check the Trust will carry out the initial check and subscription to the DBS Update Service, however successful candidates will be expected to cover the associated costs . Details of this will be sent to successful candidates in their offer letter.
Probationary Period
All new staff to the Trust will be subject to a standard 6 month probationary period, the details of which will duly follow in your contract of employment.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is committed to creating and sustaining a positive and inclusive working environment for all our employees. Our aim is to ensure that employees are equally valued and respected and that our organisation is representative of all members of society. We define diversity as valuing everyone as an individual – we value our employees, job applicants, students, patients and visitors as people. This is reflected within our values of being Inclusive, Safe, Effective, Compassionate and Trusted.
As part of our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion we encourage all applicants to complete a short survey. This can be accessed via the link below:
https://forms.office.com/e/ahWY3eAGM2
We appreciate you completing the survey.
Agile and Flexible Working
All our staff will have a work base. However the Trust operates as an Agile Working Team therefore staff may be working from home on a regular basis as required by the service. However, occasionally travel around Warwickshire and into your base will be required so access to your own transport would be helpful.
The Trust also welcome staff to work flexibly and we would welcome the conversation at interview regarding flexible working.
Staff Benefits
The Trust offer a wide range of additional benefits to staff. Anyone who joins us on a substantive basis can assess things such as the Lease Car Scheme, Electronics Scheme, Discounted Leisure and Travel, Cycle to work scheme amongst many others available.
Car Parking
The Trust currently have limited availability of car parking spaces, as such are operating a waiting list for new starters joining the organisation.
To keep up to date on our latest recruitment activity follow us on twitter @swftrecruit or look us up on Facebook (Recruitment - South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust).
Visa Sponsorship
The Trust will only consider sponsoring staff for certain roles, however this will be considered on a case by case basis in line with current legislation. As an employer we are unable to offer sponsorship to all roles in particular we cannot offer sponsorship for roles below Band 5.
Job overview
Are you a registered Pharmacy Technician or a qualified & experienced pharmacy support worker? Do you have an eye for detail and a commitment to medicines safety?
We are delighted to be offering an exciting opportunity to join our supportive, innovative and friendly pharmacy team in the provision of excellent hospital pharmacy services.
As the Pharmacy Audit Officer, you will be responsible for completing controlled drugs and safe handling of medicines audits across South Warwickshire University Foundation Trust and George Eliot Hospital Trust, identifying improvements or non-compliance and agreeing action plans with ward/department leads to drive improvement. You will need to be well organised and self-motivated, and a good communicator.
To apply, you must either hold current registration as a Pharmacy Technician with the GPhC, or hold a Level 2 qualification in Pharmacy Services or equivalent, plus significant post-qualification experience.
Main duties of the job
Responsible for completing medicines-related audits across South Warwickshire NHSFT, George Eliot NHST and any other healthcare partners as required. These are primarily quarterly ward controlled drugs audits and ward storage audits, but not limited to these. To assess compliance with medicines management standards as described in each audit, identifying non-compliant practice and formulating/agreeing written action plans to drive improvement. To record activities for review and management by the Lead Technicians for Medicines Safety & Governance & the Medicines Safety Officer.
Working for our organisation
Come and join a Trust rated Outstanding by the CQC. South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as outstanding following our latest inspection by the CQC and we are recruiting new staff to come and help us improve even further. In addition our staff survey results have placed us 4th in the country for recommended place to work.
We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the county. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity.
Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are ‘Trusted to provide safe, inclusive, effective and compassionate care’. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn’t matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.
As part of our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion we encourage all applicants to complete a short survey. This can be accessed via the link below:
https://forms.office.com/e/ahWY3eAGM2
We appreciate you completing the survey.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Main Job Summary
To plan an audit schedule to ensure all relevant audits are completed within prescribed timeframes with sufficient opportunity for corrective action and escalation as appropriate.
To carry out compliance audits in clinical areas with approved healthcare professionals against national standards and legal frameworks, using regionally-approved audit templates.
To formulate action plans and agree these with approved healthcare professionals to drive improvement within set timescales.
To monitor completion of agreed actions, respectfully challenging noncompletion, ascertaining appropriate support and escalating to senior level as appropriate.
To assess the impact of agreed actions on compliance against audited outcomes, agreeing further actions and escalating to senior level as appropriate.
To accurately input audit data into approved systems.
Through this role supports formulation of and adherence to the Medicines Management and Controlled Drug Policies whilst in pharmacy and on wards
To provide regular progress reports to the Lead Technicians for Medicines Safety & Governance.
To identify areas of concern during the audit process, and bring these to the attention of senior healthcare professionals, the Lead Technicians for Medicines Safety & governance, the Medicines Safety Officer and the Controlled Drugs Accountable Officer as appropriate.
Dispensary based duties:
Carry out dispensing of drugs, medicated dressings, enteral feeds, and drug-related devices for outpatients, in-patients, and clinical trial patients, from the dispensary as required.
Give routine pharmaceutical advice to healthcare staff within limitations of the role, referring to a pharmacist if required.
To ensure in-process dispensing errors are recorded, and to participate in the Trust Incident Reporting process as appropriate.
Within limitations of the role, counsel all out-patients when issuing drugs, and in-patients as appropriate, in order to ensure the safe and effective use and storage of their medicines.
Monitor the continued suitability of pharmaceutical stock on wards and in departments and to arrange the appropriate removal/destruction in accordance with environmental regulations. Audits include checking stock and storage arrangements (stock checks will include checking inhaled anaesthetics supplies and flammable liquids)
Registered Pharmacy Technicians Only - undertake the final accuracy checking (as an Accuracy Checking Pharmacy Technician ACPT) of dispensed prescriptions in the dispensary in accordance with pharmacy departmental policies and procedures. Ensure the timely and supportive notification to dispensers, of any error found when checking.
Special Requirements
The post holder will be required to undertake any other duties considered appropriate to the post and grade by the line manager.
The post-holder will have Warwick Hospital as their main base but may be required to work at and/or visit other hospitals in the Trust, or the Trusts we serve.
This job description does not form part of the contract of employment, is not exhaustive and serves as a guide to the main tasks, envisaged at the time of drafting. As such this job description will change and evolve in accordance with the Pharmacy Services’ needs.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- BTEC National certificate/NVQ level 3/City and Guilds or equivalent
- Registration as a Pharmacy Technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council
- OR Level 2 qualification in Pharmacy Services or equivalent, plus significant post-qualification experience and demonstrated learning to level 3 standard
Experience
Essential criteria
- Hospital Pharmacy experience
- Leadership experience
- Management experience to support need for negotiating / challenging action plans.
Desirable criteria
- Ward-level experience
- Aseptic services
Skills
Essential criteria
- Basic computer skills
- Good communication skills (written and oral)
- Organisational Skills
- Accurate dispensing skills
- Accurate numeracy skills
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of all rotational technician roles including dispensary and ward-based duties
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
- Enthusiastic
- Motivated
- Reliable
- Team worker
- Good personal presentation
- Flexible
- Able to use initiative
- Able to deal with angry/upset/ill patients
- Able to create a rapport
Other
Essential criteria
- Able to participate in weekend & Bank holiday working
- Committed to CPD (where appropriate)
- Able to travel around the county
- Requirement to stand/sit for long periods.
- Able to use a VDU
- Capable of occasional moderate lifting (<13kg)
- Able to observe COSHH
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
- Kanishka Dissanayake
- Job title
- Lead Technician - Medicines Safety & Governance
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
Tel: 01926 495321 ext. 4446
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