Patient Services Senior Pharmacy Technician - Dispensary Team Leader

Transformationunitgm; Bedford; On-site; GBP 31,000 - GBP 38,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare organization is seeking a Senior Pharmacy Technician in Bedford to lead the Dispensary Team. This role offers an opportunity to manage a busy pharmacy operation, ensure high standards of patient care, and oversee staff training. The ideal candidate will hold relevant qualifications, be registered with the GPhC, and demonstrate leadership capabilities. This is a full-time position with a salary range of £31,049 - £37,796 per annum, under a fixed-term contract of 12 months, focusing on delivering exceptional patient experience.

Benefits

Access to training and development programs

Friendly and high-performing team environment

Qualifications

• Must be registered with the GPhC as a Pharmacy Technician.
• Leadership skills required.
• Experience in supervising staff.

Responsibilities

• Perform the accuracy check on dispensed prescriptions.
• Supervise junior pharmacy technicians and assistants.
• Support delivery of dispensary Key Performance Indicators.

Skills

Ability to analyse problems and devise workable solutions

Good interpersonal skills

Leading a team

Customer orientated services

Experience of supervising staff

Experience of contributing to SOP development

Education

Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

BTEC + NVQ level 3 in Pharmaceutical Sciences

Membership with ATPUK

Leadership Qualification

Tools

Pharmacy computer systems

Standard Office IT programs

Job description

Main area Pharmacy Grade NHS AfC: Band 5 Contract Fixed term: 12 months (Maternity cover) Hours 37.5 hours per week (Full time with late night and weekend working) Job ref 418-DTO8527-KA

Employer Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Luton and Dunstable Hospital Town Luton Salary £31,049 - £37,796 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 24/02/2026 08:00 Interview date 10/03/2026

Patient Services Senior Pharmacy Technician - Dispensary Team Leader

NHS AfC: Band 5

Job overview

We are looking for an enthusiastic Senior Pharmacy Technician to work as a key part of the pharmacy team within our modern automated, dispensary area. This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced registered pharmacy technician to work as an ACPT and gain skills in staff management and service development in a busy hospital pharmacy department.

Alongside the accuracy checking responsibility, the post holder will have a leadership role which includes supporting with the day to day smooth running of the dispensary, training staff through supervision and monitoring performance.

This position requires a proactive and dynamic individual to work closely with peers and dispensary management to uphold the high standards of patient care and medicines optimisation. You must be able to demonstrate an enthusiasm for trying new roles, supporting innovation and delivering an excellent patient experience.

The successful candidate must be registered with the GPhC and have an accuracy checking qualification or be due to complete imminently. Further training will be provided on staff management.

The L&D Pharmacy is a 7 day service and some weekend shifts will be required.

This is a one year fixed term contract or a secondment opportunity. If you are applying for a secondment please speak to your Line Manager first and visit the Trust's Secondment Policy.

Main duties of the job

To perform the technical accuracy check on dispensed prescriptions.

To undertake day-to-day supervision of junior pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants within the Team.

To support delivery of dispensary Key Performance Indicators.

To provide training in dispensary procedures and pharmacy computer use to all members of staff.

To mentor and develop pharmacy assistants

To act as a professional role model for pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians, junior pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants, actively demonstrating integrity, ownership and leadership in all aspects of the role.

To manage a defined area of responsibility within the prescribed medication supply chain.

Working for our organisation

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To perform the final technical accuracy check on dispensed prescriptions which have been clinically screened by a pharmacist. This may include prescriptions in both the Main dispensary and in the Satellite dispensaries

To lead a team of junior and PTPTs and Pharmacy assistants in the dispensary, organising and directing their work in a fluid manner to ensure an efficient and responsive service to patients and wards

To support the Principal Pharmacy Technician in managing and developing staff within their Team, monitoring performance and supporting on-going professional development.

To assist the Principal Pharmacy Technician, Dispensary in providing ‘hands on’ induction and on-going training of members of dispensary staff and other pharmacy staff in dispensary procedures including use of the pharmacy IT system. This will include NVQ assessments at level 2 and 3 and competency assessments for pharmacist pre-registration trainees.

To support the Principal Pharmacy Technician in maintaining continuous improvement and efficiency within the dispensary by managing discrete projects and/or areas of responsibility within the prescribed medication supply chain and being responsible for achieving defined outcomes.

To assist the Principal Pharmacy Technician, Dispensary in the co-ordination of dispensing of medicines for in-patients, out-patients and ward use. This will include when necessary, personally receiving prescriptions into dispensary and ensuring prescription charges are collected where appropriate, accurately labelling, assembling and dispensing individual in-patient, out-patient and discharge prescriptions including cytotoxic medicines, according to departmental policies and standard operating procedures. It will involve solving problems arising from these procedures, including contacting other healthcare professionals.

To counsel individual patients regarding correct use of medicines when appropriate. To include counselling / demonstration of inhaler and other medical device techniques. This may include counselling of patients at ward level at discharge. To contribute to the provision of information on medicines and general health care to out-patients through the use of posters and leaflets.

To assist the Senior Pharmacy Technician, Clinical Trials, in cascading the procedures required for the dispensing of clinical trial medicines. This includes ensuring all appropriate paperwork is maintained.

To support the Principal Pharmacy Technician, Dispensary in overseeing the safe and secure storage and dispensing of controlled drugs, ensuring all statutory registers are maintained accurately.

To ensure all appropriate patient medication history data and prescription data is entered accurately onto computerised and manual databases. This will include maintaining databases of prescribing of unlicensed medicines and non-formulary prescribing.

To support the co-ordination of efficient stock control within the Dispensary, through a rolling programme of stock reconciliation checks and expiry checks on a regular basis. This includes organising safe destruction of drug waste and investigating wrong stock levels and problem solving.

To liaise with relevant pharmacy and other healthcare staff to ensure an efficient, responsive service to directorates. To implement systems for service provision which enhance the efficiency of the dispensaries

To regularly formulate, review, update and implement standard operating procedures for the dispensaries.

To participate in the dispensary till cashing-up rota

Please see job description and person specification provided. If further information is required, please speak to our contact on advert.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) as a Pharmacy Technician
• BTEC + NVQ level 3 in Pharmaceutical Sciences or equivalent qualification
• Membership with ATPUK
• Leadership Qualification

Knowledge

• Knowledge of use of Pharmacy computer systems
• Familiarity with standard Office IT programs

Skills

• Ability to analyse problems and devise workable solutions
• Good interpersonal skills
• Leading a team
• Customer orientated services
• Experience of supervising staff
• Experience of contributing to SOP development

Communication Skills

• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Experience of patient medication counselling
• Empathetic communication skills

It is an exciting time to join the newly formed Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We run two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Our 7,500 staff provide high quality care for a growing population of around 700,000 across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas.

You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. Travel between hospital sites may be required. We have state-of-the art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.

Name Lianne Eldridge Job title Dispensary and Outpatient Services Manager Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 01582 497115

Additional information

Point of contact: For further information or to arrange an informal visit, please contact Lianne Eldridge, Dispensary and Outpatient Services Manager on 01582 497115

If you have problems applying, contact

Address Luton & Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust
Lewsey Road
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU4 0DZ
Telephone [phone]