Senior Pharmacy Assistant in Wakefield

Job Summary

The Pharmacy Department at South West Yorkshire Partnership are seeking to recruit a Senior Pharmacy Assistant to support our procurement and dispensing service based at Fieldhead Hospital. The successful candidate will play a key role in ensuring we procure, supply and distribute medicines safely, effectively and efficiently within the organisation.

We are looking for a highly motivated, committed, and dedicated individual who is a strong team player with excellent time management, interpersonal, and organisational skills. You must be able to work well under pressure, have strong attention to detail and be an excellent communicator.

As a department our key focus areas for development are aimed at our medicines optimisation and sustainability agenda, including near patient dispensing, supporting transfer of care, and ensuring service users receive their medication safely and efficiently.

The postholder will be at the forefront of supporting us to achieve these priorities and our commitment to sustainability through procurement and dispensary service provision.

In return you will be working within a friendly and supportive team. We will support your development through a comprehensive induction, on the job training, training frameworks, and ongoing development specific to your area of responsibility.

As a flexible employer encouraging work/life balance, we will also consider part-time and flexible working opportunities for all positions.

Other Key Result Areas

• Dispensing a wide range of prescription types methodically, accurately and efficiently.
• Supporting the ordering, receiving and invoicing of pharmacy stock.
• Ensure that stock is maintained in line with manufacturers guidance, including temperature monitoring, good stock rotation and expiry date checking.
• Provide a stock top up service to inpatient units.
• Support the training and development of all staff members with regards to dispensary related activities.
• Support the Lead Pharmacy Technician for Dispensary and Procurement through leading and co-ordinating dispensary workflow.
• Ensure service users receive information regarding their medicines.
• Reception duties such as answering the hatch and receiving and triaging phone-calls within the dispensary.

Job Responsibilities

To assist the Technical services manager in the provision of an efficient dispensing/stores & distribution service following SOPs. Responsibility includes the day to day management and supervision to our pharmacy assistant team.

Key Result Areas

• The post holder will be responsible for the day to day running of the pharmacy assistant team, planning own tasks and those of the team as outlined in department policies/SOPs or by Lead Technician.
• The post holder will ensure that routine information is communicated to the team, department or other stakeholders when relevant.
• The post holder will be expected to provide leadership for the ATO team, looking at innovative new ways of working and embracing new technology.
• The post holder will be responsible for the recording of ATO staff sickness and ensuring cover of the rostered tasks for the individual as per department policy/SOP. You will be expected to interview all return to work absences, reporting any concerns/issues to line manager.
• The post holder will be involved in other management duties as expected including helping with recruitment and carrying out appraisals of ATO team as per department policy/SOP and in conjunction with Technical Services Manager.
• Responsible for organising the staff and ensuring rotad tasks are covered as per department policy/SOP.
• The post holder will be expected to assist in carrying out the day to day duties of an ATO, covering other sections of the department, whenrequired, and help cover basic and augmented ATO tasks during their absence. Visiting the wards on all sites and carrying out ward stock checks and controls will be also expected.
• The post holder will be involved in data entry including inputting ward requests and ensuring stock is supplied in a timely manner.
• The post holder will be the named lead on the Pharmacy computer software for stores functions, looking in to day to day house-keeping and answering queries, communicating with the company when necessary.
• The post holder will take partin the dispensary rota maintaining dispensary competencies.
• The post holder will be involved in sorting, counting, checking, distribution and booking back stock through computer system (including destruction of unwanted medicines). You will be expected to be able to deal with emergency stock issues or similar problems.
• The post holder will be expected to answer the telephone and deal with queries regarding work in progress and communicating with relevant members of staff offering additional advice as required.
• Assist in keeping shelves clean and tidy, expiry date checks. The post holder will be involved in stock control and rotation.
• The post holder will be expected to comment on department policies/SOPS which will affect the role/team.
• Be involved in carrying out surveys, audits as necessary for own work including customer satisfaction surveys and top up surveys or as identified by Technical Services Manager.
• The post holder will be involved in helping the Technical Services Manager deliver and manage Health and Safety requirements for the department carrying out risk assessments, manual handling and other mandatory training.
• The post holder will look to investigate and report back to Technical Services Manager any identified risks.
• You will be expected to receive visitors to the department and stock deliveries if necessary.
• Assist with the training of new and present staff to ensure skills are up to date.
• Responsible for daily temperature monitoring using current processes.
• Any other reasonable duties, including participation in training, to fully develop the post.

The postholder will take part in the Weekend and Bank Holiday rota for the department.

Our Commitment

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

Visa and right to work

At the time of advertising, this role does not meet the minimum requirements (salary threshold or occupational requirements) set by UK Visas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK. For this reason, unfortunately we are unable to sponsor anyone on a visa for this role at this moment in time.

We are happy to accept applications from candidates who can prove their right to work in the UK or via alternative visa routes. Such applications will be considered alongside all other applications.

Application policy

We are aware that an increasing number of applicants are using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job application forms. Over reliance on AI-generated content in application forms is strongly discouraged and we will conduct a thorough screening process before selecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI to enhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs application form.

Other Policies

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to have their up-to-date flu vaccination to protect staff and patients.

Details

Date posted: 27 July 2026

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 3

Salary: £25,760 to £27,476 a year Pro Rata

Contract: Fixed term

Duration: 9 months

Working pattern: Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number: C9378-QA01497

Job locations: Fieldhead Hospital, Ouchthorpe Lane, Wakefield, WF1 3SP, United Kingdom

Person Specification

Training

• Information Governance.
• Hospital dispensing and stock control.

Special Knowledge & Skills

• Accurate, numerate.
• Ability to prioritise work.
• keyboard skills and computers.
• Ability to train other staff.
• Operation of production equipment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 GCSEs.
• NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services, Buttercups or equivalent grandparenting.
• Level 3 qualification in pharmacy or equivalent experience.

Physical Attributes

• Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).

Experience

• Demonstrable experience as Pharmacy Assistant.
• Experience of stock ordering and distribution SOPs.
• Dispensing in busy environment.
• Organising workload.
• Supervising or mentoring staff.

Desirable

• Knowledge of Pharmacy software and IT skills.
• Use/knowledge of Mobile technology.

Personal Attributes

• Team player.
• Methodical.
• Flexible.
• A Current driving licence and access to a car during the working day is essential (reasonable adjustments will be considered for any applicants who are unable to drive due to a disability).

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name: South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

Address: Fieldhead Hospital, Ouchthorpe Lane, Wakefield, WF1 3SP, United Kingdom

Employer's website: https://www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)