Pharmacy Automation Coordinator

Pharmacy Automation Coordinator Great Ormond Street Hospital London, UK

Job overview

The Pharmacy Automation Coordinator will play a key role in the management, maintenance, and optimisation of automated systems within the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Pharmacy Department and wards.

This role will oversee the efficient operation of automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs), robotic dispensing systems, and the Aerocom pneumatic tube system, ensuring seamless medication storage, dispensing, and distribution across the hospital.

Working closely with Pharmacy, IT, and clinical teams, you will support system improvements, training, troubleshooting, and compliance with regulatory standards to enhance patient safety and operational efficiency.

The role involves investigating automation incidents, ensuring robust governance, accurate supply of medicines and continuous improvement. Whilst maintaining high professional standards in line with legal, professional, and organisational requirements.

As a line manager you will lead, supervise and support a team of Pharmacy Technicians, Assistants and Porters within distribution, taking responsibility for recruitment, induction, appraisals, rota planning and managing performance and attendance to deliver a high quality, patient focused service.

Main duties of the job

• Maintain distribution SOPs, specifically those associated with automation. Ensuring the SOPs and policies align with Trust objectives, national guidance, and regulatory standards.
• Create and manage distribution staff rotas and keep HealthRoster records up to date (leave, sickness, etc.).
• Coordinate day-to-day distribution workflow with the Pharmacy Procurement, Homecare and Distribution Lead Technician and Procurement and Distribution Senior Technician.
• Provide professional leadership, and training on automation to the wider pharmacy team.
• Use effective communication to allocate tasks, resolve queries and influence to support a safe, efficient team environment.
• Ensure continuous service development and optimisation of intelligent storage systems within the Trust, through completion of audits and review of governance
• Be the main link between Pharmacy, ICT and suppliers for the role out of new automation devices and software.

Working for our organisation

We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as the communities we serve, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including people with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic heritage, people with a disability, and people from LGBTQ+ communities. By growing an ever more diverse workforce, we’ll have a greater range of perspectives and knowledge, meaning that we can provide the children and young people at our hospital with even better care.

Our hospital is committed to creating an environment that is open and inclusive. Our staff are encouraged to engage with colleagues through the following networks: REACH (Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage) ENABLED (Enhancing Abilities & Leveraging Disabilities Network), PRIDE and Women’s networks; all of which are sponsored by a member of our Executive Management Team.

We want to ensure that all of our people, regardless of their background, are seen and heard. We want to attract applicants that share our commitment to inclusion and that understand diversity is a strength that is embraced and valued.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. For both documents please view the attachment/s below.

Combined Values

• Combined Values
• BTEC and NVQ Level 3 in Pharmaceutical Sciences or NVQ Diploma in Pharmacy Service Skills (QCF) Level 3 (City and Guilds) and Level 3 Diploma in Pharmaceutical Science (QCF) or equivalent qualification supported by Pharmacy work experience.
• Educational Supervisor
• Accredited checking technician (ACPT)

Experience/Knowledge

• Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
• Dispensing and Distribution stock control systems
• Proven experience in training and assessment of junior staff
• Operation of Automated Dispensing Robot & Intelligent Storage Systems
• Use of medicines in specialist area of paediatrics
• EPIC Computer system including Electronic Prescribing

Skills/Abilities

• Problem and decision-making skills
• Methodical approach to work and good attention to detail
• Adaptable and able to respond to changing demands
• Ability to function calmly and efficiently when under pressure
• Patient focused and sensitive to patient needs
• Good patient counselling skills & proficient in providing advice to patients/parents

Full-time