Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust
Pharmacy Dispensing Assistant
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Company Description
Here at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, we are proud to provide expert, compassionate care for our local population. We are ranked as the third in the country for research, embedding education and training across the organisation. Our main hub is the Queen Alexandra Hospital, which is one of the largest hospitals on the south coast employing over 8,700 staff.
Our patients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes our hospital stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for getting it right for patients, colleagues, and our community, you will find a home at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.
Job Description
NHS Band 3 Salary: £25,760 - £27,476 per annum
Hours per Week: 37.5 full time
Contract Type: Permanent
Join a caring team that makes a difference every single day. If you’re ready for a practical career where attention to detail, teamwork and compassion matter, start your pharmacy journey with us.
Why this role matters
- You will be at the heart of patient care, safely preparing and supplying medicines that help people recover, stay well and manage long-term conditions.
- This role offers a meaningful, transferrable career path with clear training and progression into accredited pharmacy qualifications and technical roles.
- Work in a friendly, professional NHS environment that values teamwork, respect and continuous improvement.
What you’ll do
- Accurately label and dispense medicines from written and electronic prescriptions.
- Receive and check prescriptions, support reception and use the pharmacy computer systems.
- Help manage stock: order, receive, rotate and monitor expiry dates, assist with ward and departmental replenishment.
- Prepare pre-packed items and emergency drug boxes, support safe handling of controlled and specialist medicines.
- Support transport of medication between units and help coordinate supply with internal teams including oncology and manufacturing.
- Contribute to quality checks, tidy and efficient working areas, and assist in training pharmacy support staff.
- To support the pharmacy inpatient, oncology dispensaries and also the working in medicines management team to provide outstanding care to our patients
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Who we’re looking for
- Someone with good oral and written communication, basic numeracy and literacy and confidence using computers.
- A reliable team player who can work under supervision, be able to follow formal procedures and prioritise tasks.
- An attentive person who can tell apart similar products, use initiative and ask for guidance when needed.
Desirable:
- Experience in a customer-focused role, stock control experience or recent hospital pharmacy exposure.
What we offer
- A collaborative, supportive team culture with flexible working
- Opportunities to learn across different pharmacy areas and the satisfaction of helping patients every day.
- NHS benefits including pension, annual leave and access to workplace development
If you want a purposeful, practical career where every shift matters, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now with a CV and a few lines telling us why pharmacy interests you. You can start a career that puts patients first and builds real professional skills.
For additional information please see attached Job Description
Qualifications
- Pharmacy services Assistant apprenticeship or equivalent to meet the requirements of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- Evidence of numeracy and literacy at level 1
Desirable:
- Level 2 qualification/GCSE higher pass or above including maths, English and a science, or equivalent qualifications, or work experience that demonstrates comparable ability in a similar field.
Experience
Essential:
- Experience of team work
- Experience of Pharmacy or another customer-focused, caring field
- Working with formal procedures
- Compiling complex orders
- Experience of stock control/handling
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Desirable:
- Recent experience of hospital pharmacy.
- Pharmacy Counter Sales Qualification
- Proactive attitude to ongoing training and assessment
Skills & Knowledge
Essential:
- Good oral and written communication and interpersonal skills.
- Able to learn to advance own skills and knowledge.
- Computer skills
- Able to work flexibly and prioritise workload
- Able to distinguish accurately between similar products
- Able to use initiative whilst knowing when to refer
- Able to work safely and effectively under pressure and/or minimal supervision.
- Safety and Security awareness
- Able to work alone and/or flexibly in a team.
- Responsible and Professional behaviour
Desirable:
- Customer Care skills.
- Understanding of Stock control
Additional Information
- GPhC approved courses and recognised qualifications
The health and wellbeing of our staff is at the forefront of everything we do. We are proud to be able to offer our staff some fantastic benefits including our on-site Nursery, access to our free Beach Hut for those long summer days, our on-site Wellness Centre including a gym and a swimming pool, access to our fantastic staff networks including LGBTQ, Race Equality and Disability, and awards ceremonies to recognise your achievements. We believe we can offer support to all of our staff when they need it the most.
We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.
For more information, please see our People and OD Strategy 2026
Weekly Hours / Programmed Activities: 37.5
Salary Band: Band 3
Staff Group: Additional Clinical Services
Contract Type: Permanent
Job Area: Other Clinical
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