Job summary
- Main area
- Pharmacy
- Grade
- Band 2
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 430-CC25-535A
- Employer
- Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Pharmacy (Dept)
- Town
- Milton Keynes
- Salary
- £24,465 - £26,598 Per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 09/12/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Pharmacy Assistant - Progression role
Band 2
At Milton Keynes University Hospital, you will be welcomed into a friendly and supportive environment where teamwork and respect are at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to live our Trust values and behaviours every day, creating a culture where everyone feels heard and valued.
MKUH staff's Motivation and Involvement scores are among the highest in our peer group, showing that our people feel inspired and included in decision-making (Staff Survey, 2024).
Our benefits
We believe in recognising and rewarding the amazing contribution of our staff and that is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, work-life balance, and professional growth, including:
- Free on-site parking including EV charging
- Complimentary refreshments
- Flexible working arrangements
- Discounted gym membership
- Salary sacrifice car scheme
- Generous annual leave, with the option to bank holiday entitlement
- Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme
- On-site nursery (charges apply)
- A wide-ranging staff health and wellbeing programme including EAP
- VIVUP products to support your mental, physical, and financial Wellbeing
Job overview
Pharmacy Assistant – Cancer and Aseptics
Pharmacy
Band 2 – 3 Progression
Hours: 37.5 per week
(all MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working)
Progression from Band 2 to 3
The intention of the role is to progress Pharmacy Assistants into a Band 3 role once performance targets have been achieved.
You will be given support and training to complete set competencies in order to become a Band 3. The expected timeframe to undertake and complete relevant competencies is between 12 to 18 months. Tasks which must be completed to progress include:
· Level 2 Pharmacy qualification completed via external training programme Completion of in-house validations including handwashing, transfer sanitisation and broth test.
· Completion of all in-house training knowledge training modules
· Completion of all dispensing activity logs
If successful, you be joining a supportive team that encourages both professional and personal development. Are you the person to help us make this happen? If so, we look forward to hearing from you.
Interview date: 12.12.2025
Main duties of the job
We care We communicate We collaborate We contribute
''NHS Survey, 2024'' 7.10 out of 10 feel they experience a safer workplace and focus on wellbeing, supporting one another and prioritising over all wellbeing, this scoring has increased from last year.
We are a department of over 100 staff providing pharmacy services through team-working and prioritising the needs of those we serve. Based in the Aseptic Unit you will provide an excellent service to the trust ensuring prompt and efficient production and supply of medicines.
Duties will include:
· Prepare a range of aseptic products when required.
· Carry out environmental monitoring and cleaning of the aseptic unit.
· Accurately dispense or check outsourced IV treatment, oral and concurrent medications.
· Dispensing for Inpatients, Outpatients and Discharge.
· Participating in the Pharmacy Weekend and Bank Holiday rotas.
Working for our organisation
Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting-edge research and education. With a “Good” rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.
As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.
We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025 we opened our state-of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre.
Further investment is underway, including the construction of Oak Wards – a new ward block featuring two 24-bed wards – and the recently approved Women and Children’s Centre, set to open by 2030.
Visit our website to explore the latest news and opportunities at MKUH - News - Milton Keynes University Hospital -
For further information about Milton Keynes please visit - Visit Milton Keynes
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Trust Responsibilities
- To be part of the pharmacy team and work with staff within the pharmacy department and across the Trust to enable the objectives of the Trust to be achieved.
- To contribute to the Trust compliance with Medicines Management standards and the Clinical Governance and Risk Management agendas.
- To prevent avoidable wastage within pharmacy to help reduce the cost the trust pays resulting from wasted medicines.
On Completion of In-House competencies
- To carry out and log the isolators pressures and room pressure readings daily reporting any anomalies to the Aseptic Services Manager or Accountable Pharmacist, as directed
- To clean the isolators, clean room and preparation area as defined in the appropriate standard procedures.
- To maintain the appropriate quantity of sterile equipment and raw materials required for use within the clean room and preparation area.
Professional Responsibilities
- To ensure the Pharmacy department is compliant with relevant statutory and professional standards on Health & Safety, COSHH, Clinical Governance, and Medicines Management by ensuring your actions take account of all guidance provided.
- To fulfil the duties assigned from time to time as required to meet the needs of the Trust, its patients, staff and visitors; to participate in rotas and flexible arrangements to maintain the services required as defined by the chief pharmacist or pharmacy staff to whom those decisions are delegated
Operational Responsibilities
- To be an active part of the cancer & aseptic services team providing timely medications to patients.
- To contribute to pharmaceutical stock control within the department and for wards & departments to which the pharmacy provides a service; duties to include
- To receive prescriptions for inpatients and outpatients via the dispensary reception and undertake other relevant reception duties to complement and supplement the work of our staff.
Miscellaneous
- To co-operate with staff in other disciplines to help ensure the safe, effective and economic use of drugs.
- To participate in providing services on weekends, bank holidays and end of day, undertaking duties assigned according to training, experience and competence, according to a planned rota to ensure continuity of pharmacy services.
Please refer to the job description for further details.
Person specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Essential criteria
- Education Supervisor / Train the trainer or equivalent
Desirable criteria
- GCP Training (or willing to undertake).
- NVQ level 2 Pharmaceutical Sciences (or BTEC, City and Guilds equivalent).
Experience
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working in a Pharmacy aseptic environment.
- Education and training of staff.
- Experience of working in a hospital pharmacy department.
- Experience of using the JAC Computer system.
- Experience in stock control management
Skills
Essential criteria
- IT Skills for dispensing, monitoring performance and reporting/audit
- Dedication to high quality patient care
- Flexible to meet service and patient need
- Meeting deadlines
Desirable criteria
- Good training skills
- Team builder skills
- Evidence of analytical and judgemental skills when faced with facts or situations requiring analysis e.g. managing urgent requirements or prioritising work to meet patient and organisational need
- Evidence of effective support for less experienced staff
- Evidence of implementing policies and/or proposing changes to practices or procedures for own area with an impact beyond own area and contributes effectively to wider policies and service developments
Personal and people development
Essential criteria
- Positive Commitment to CPD
- Polite and courteous
- Professional attitude
- Initiative
- Self motivated and team player
Communication
Essential criteria
- Good Communication skills, written and verbal.
- Evidence of ability to communicate clearly with patients, carers, hospital/ward staff and primary care or community health services and other organisations about medicines management or other technical information
Specific requirements
Essential criteria
- Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Amandeep Sandhu
- Job title
- Aseptic Services Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
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