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Job summary

Main area
Pharmacy Dispensing Assistant
Grade
Band 3
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
396-NN-7357334-ACS-AL-Z
Employer
Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Kingston Hospital
Town
Kingston
Salary
£29,651 - £31,312 pa incl of Outer London HCAS
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
10/09/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust logo

Pharmacy Dispensing Assistant

Band 3

Home, community, hospital

Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust offers a range of fantastic opportunities to grow your career across both hospital and community settings in south London. Whether you're looking to build new skills or take your experience to the next level, we are uniquely placed to provide the right environment to support your professional development. With colleagues working in people’s homes, in community clinics, and in our two hospitals, we have an outstanding breadth of knowledge and experience to draw from.

Our commitment to exceptional care is reflected in being the first trust of our kind in London to achieve an ‘Outstanding’ rating from the CQC for both overall quality and leadership. We exist to provide the best possible care for our patients and we do that by giving our colleagues what they need to be their best at work. We have won numerous awards from the HSJ and Nursing Times for the way we support our colleagues across all our services.

We are proud to be recognised for our outstanding cancer care, children's services, pioneering surgical teams, and exceptional rehabilitation services. Our maternity services have been rated the "Best in London" by women surveyed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), with parents travelling to Kingston to take advantage of our considerable experience and expertise.

Our Trust values

These words are important reminders, but it’s our behaviours that tell people who we are. We expect all colleagues to bring our values to life in their work.

  • Compassionate: We provide care with kindness, understanding, and empathy for all.
  • Inclusive: We embrace diversity and respect the unique contributions of every individual.
  • Collaborative: We foster teamwork across all levels, working together and with our partners to deliver the best outcomes.
  • Inspiring: We are committed to continuous improvement and excellence in patient care, staff development, and innovation.

 

Job overview

We are looking for an enthusiastic Dispensing Assistant who has gained, or has almost completed, their Level 2 Apprenticeship in Pharmacy Services, to join our friendly team.

 

This is a varied and interesting position which will be based in our busy dispensary at Kingston Hospital.  Experience will be gained in different aspects of hospital pharmacy and you will be given the opportunity to learn about Dispensing, Chemotherapy and Clinical Trials.

 

You must have customer service experience, be a good communicator on both a written and verbal basis and show a willingness to learn.  We offer the opportunity to enhance existing skills and develop new ones.

 

We are moving towards a 7-day working week service, including weekends, Bank Holidays and late duty and you would be expected to participate in this according to rotas.

We welcome community based dispensing assistants to apply for this position.

Main duties of the job

To dispense clinically screened prescriptions including labelling, preparation, assembly and dispensing accurately in a timely manner.

To dispense controlled drugs (CDs) for patient discharges and ward stock, and to manage stock levels.

To dispense chemotherapy for patients on our haematology day unit.

To assist with returns and destructions of medications from wards.

To develop effective communication between the staff in the pharmacy and on wards and departments.

To ensure that accurate records are maintained either electronically or in paper copy.

To ensure that sundry materials are available and ordered when necessary.

To file prescriptions and recover prescriptions when required, including end of day and end of month filing.

To correctly use the Prescription Tracking System (PTS) and monitor it throughout the day.

To act as the coordinator to manage telephones and e-mails and ensure deadlines are met.

To regularly complete stock and expiry date checks in the dispensary

Working for our organisation

Development and staff wellbeing

Your growth and personal happiness matters to us.  After all, we can’t expect the best from you if we don’t invest in your development and nurture your wellbeing.  From the moment you join us, we’re committed to fostering your professional and personal development within a supportive, empowering environment.  Whether you’re just starting your career or looking to advance further, we provide you with the tools and opportunities you need to succeed.  We actively support colleagues to take part in research, quality improvement and innovation, whatever their role or level in the organisation.

To support your wellbeing, we offer an extensive range of resources, including an on-site staff nursery at Kingston Hospital, wellbeing practitioners, regular wellbeing classes, dedicated staff physiotherapist, comprehensive occupational health services, 24/7 employee assistance programme, and a range of other support and activities.

We also take every opportunity to thank and recognise the work our teams do, through weekly ‘shoutouts’ and patient feedback, monthly and annual awards.

Wherever you work across our organisation, we look forward to welcoming you.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To work with the Pharmacy team to support the supply of medicines to patients and wards. To be involved in delivering an effective pharmacy service.

 

Duties will include but not limited to dispensing, stock management in dispensary, stores and wards, training and supporting junior/new staff.

 

Please refer to the attached job description for full duties and responsibilities. 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Level 2 in Pharmacy Services or equivalent qualification
  • Maths & English GCSE grade A-C or equivalent qualifications

Experience and Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Customer service experience in the work place
  • Pharmacy experience
  • Previous dispensing experience
  • Good communication skills on both a written and verbal basis
  • Accuracy and good attention to detail
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of using JAC

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardTrust IDCapital Nurse, LondonCommitted to being an Inclusive EmployerApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyLondon Living Wage is a voluntary commitment made by employers, who can become accredited with the Living Wage FoundationAge positivehttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/kickstart-scheme-employer-resources/kickstart-scheme-brand-guidelinesMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Our Health HeroesDisability confident employerCare quality commission - OutstandingNational Preceptorship for Nursing Quality MarkLondon HCSW Award - Sustainable RetentionNational Preceptorship Quality MarkDisability Advice Line

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.

Application numbers

This vacancy may have an application cap, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment. Ensure your supporting statement clearly shows how you meet the job specifications.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Rabjot Gill
Job title
Chief Technician
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
020 8934 2098
Additional information

For further information please contact Rabjot Gill, Chief Technician Dispensary Manager [email protected]

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