Senior Pharmacy Support

Job Overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for the detailed job description of the role.

This post is only open to internal applicants

Main duties of the job

UHS hospital pharmacy employs over 300 staff and around a third of them are Pharmacy Support Workers who are fundamental in supporting the provision of pharmacy services in a range of roles.

We have an excellent track record of supporting staff development and career progression and many of our support workers progress to more advanced positions within the department, including trainee technician posts and senior support worker posts.

If you are a hard-working, reliable person who is keen to learn and progress to a new, then this is a fantastic opportunity for you to advance your pharmacy career!

Working for our organisation

University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.

Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

At UHS we’re committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.

At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We’re committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

We are looking for a senior pharmacy support worker to work in the inpatient dispensary at Southampton General Hospital.

The pharmacy dispensary provides inpatient and discharge medicines to a variety of patients at Southampton General Hospital. You will be joining a multi-disciplinary team of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy support workers, who work together to provide an excellent service to our patients. Excellent communication skills are essential, as is the ability to work accurately under pressure.

Our support workers work Mondays to Fridays, typically starting at 9am and finishing at 5.15pm. Support workers in Southampton General dispensary also work at least one late shift per week, starting later in the morning and finishing by 7pm.

Our support workers also work on weekends on a rota basis; currently no more frequent than one shift in six weeks.

Your Main Tasks In The Dispensary Would Include

Supervising and training pharmacy support workers.

Producing labels and dispensing medicines for patients to use in hospital and on discharge.

Working on the pharmacy reception, helping nurses and patients with queries and passing on information to the relevant persons (pharmacists/technicians)

Contributing to the department’s stock management, such as ordering, receiving and maintaining the medicines used by the dispensary.

Use of the dispensing robot to retrieve medicines.

There may also be an opportunity to work at a second site at Royal South Hants Pharmacy.

Applicants must have, or be working towards, a GPhC approved qualification (level 2+).

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position.

Person specification

Trust Values

Essential criteria

• Patient First
• Always Improving
• Working Together
  
  

Qualifications, Knowledge And Experience

Essential criteria

• 2 GCSE’s or equivalent grades A* - C or 4-9 in English and Maths (If qualifications gained outside the UK evidence of equivalent standards must be demonstrated at interview)
• NVQ 2 in Pharmacy or other Level 2 approved GPhC qualification for pharmacy support staff
• Supervisory qualification or equivalent demonstrable experience of supervision
• Previous pharmacy experience (hospital or community) or supervisory experience
• Must be able to commit to completing ‘in-house’ training programme within 6 months of starting. Opportunities to progress are available but may require additional qualifications to meet eligibility criteria to undertake additional qualifications
• Must be able to work late evenings, bank holidays and weekend working according to rota requirements
• Health and physical abilities sufficient for the post (if necessary with reasonable adjustments with respect to the Equality Act/Disability Discrimination Act).
• Required to lift and handle packages, weighing up to 15kg on a repetitive basis. (Reasonable adjustment may be made) Required to move pallets weighing between 500 and 600kg using an unpowered pallet truck daily (Receipts posts only)
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Other healthcare qualifications
• GCSEs in science-based or other role specific relevant subjects
• Previous experience in health or social care (if not pharmacy)
• Experience in stock control i.e., receiving, maintaining and / or issuing stock