The James Cochrane Practice

Pharmacy Support Administrator

The closing date is 16 January 2026

Job summary

Are you enthusiastic, detail-oriented, and passionate about healthcare? We are looking for a Pharmacy Support Administrator to join our expanding Pharmacy team. The role is Part-time (22 hours per week) with the potential to increase to full-time (up to 37 hours per week) based on competencies demonstrated at interview.

As a key member of our Pharmacy team, youll provide vital administrative and operational support to our Clinical Pharmacists and Senior Pharmacy Technician. Your work will help strengthen our medicines management processes, ensuring they are safe, efficient, and consistent. This role requires a proactive self-starter with strong IT and numerical skills, excellent attention to detail, and a positive, can-do attitude.

Main duties of the job

What youll do

  • Support the pharmacy team with day-to-day administrative tasks.
  • Run regular searches to identify patients requiring medication reviews and ensure timely appointment scheduling.
  • Conduct audits and produce reports as requested by the Pharmacy team.
  • Liaise with hospital consultants and secretarial staff regarding discharge instructions.
  • Communicate with local pharmacies to resolve medication queries and implement changes.

About us

We are a 2-site, part-dispensing practice in Kendal with around 17,500 patients, keen to attract caring, motivated, and passionate colleagues. We are a training practice with an active frailty and care home support team. We offer a wide range of enhanced services including minor surgery, women's health and menopause, coil/implant fitting, as well as Dermatology and ENT GPwER clinics.

We strive for a good work / life balance while achieving high-quality patient care and offer a fair allocation of work across all the GP team. We have a Quality Improvement culture, and continually develop our systems to respond to the changing environment of primary care, aiming to minimise administration workload and maximise job satisfaction to the benefit of our patients and our team.

We are a GP registrar and medical student training practice, an accredited Veteran Friendly practice, and a parkrun practice.

Details

Date posted

02 December 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£13.20 an hour

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

A2946-25-0009

Job locations

Helme Chase Surgery

Burton Road

Kendal

Cumbria

LA9 7HR


Maude Street Surgery

Maude Street

Kendal

Cumbria

LA9 4QE


Job description

Job responsibilities

The Pharmacy Support Administrator plays a key role within our Pharmacy team, providing essential support to Clinical Pharmacists and the Senior Pharmacy Technician in the delivery of day-to-day operations.

Working under the guidance of the Senior Pharmacy Technician, you will ensure that data from searches and audits is collected accurately, efficiently, and on time. A core responsibility will be identifying patients who are overdue for medication reviews and contacting them via phone or email to arrange appointments. This will strengthen the Medicines Management process within the practice.

This role also involves liaising with consultants secretaries regarding medication queries and working with local pharmacies to resolve issues promptly and professionally.

The Pharmacy Support Administrator is responsible for providing comprehensive administrative support to the Pharmacy team. Key duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Assisting Clinical Pharmacists and the Senior Pharmacy Technician with day-to-day administrative tasks.

  • Processing and updating medication changes from hospital discharge summaries and consultant letters.

  • Liaising with secondary care providers and local pharmacies to resolve medication queries promptly, efficiently, and courteously.

  • Managing medications for newly registered patients, including assigning prescriptions to the appropriate GP, setting medication review dates, and removing redundant review dates.

  • Running medication review searches and supporting the Senior Pharmacy Technician in reducing overdue reviews.

  • Contacting patients to arrange medication review appointments.

  • Building and running searches and conducting audits accurately and efficiently under the guidance of the Senior Pharmacy Technician.

  • Processing prescription requests received online, by email, or in writing from patients, pharmacies, and appliance contractors in a timely and accurate manner.

  • Ensure patients are accurately linked to the pharmacy of their choice.

  • Relaying messages to patients as requested by clinicians.

  • Maintaining strict confidentiality at all times in accordance with data protection and practice policies.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The Pharmacy Support Administrator plays a key role within our Pharmacy team, providing essential support to Clinical Pharmacists and the Senior Pharmacy Technician in the delivery of day-to-day operations.

Working under the guidance of the Senior Pharmacy Technician, you will ensure that data from searches and audits is collected accurately, efficiently, and on time. A core responsibility will be identifying patients who are overdue for medication reviews and contacting them via phone or email to arrange appointments. This will strengthen the Medicines Management process within the practice.

This role also involves liaising with consultants secretaries regarding medication queries and working with local pharmacies to resolve issues promptly and professionally.

The Pharmacy Support Administrator is responsible for providing comprehensive administrative support to the Pharmacy team. Key duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Assisting Clinical Pharmacists and the Senior Pharmacy Technician with day-to-day administrative tasks.

  • Processing and updating medication changes from hospital discharge summaries and consultant letters.

  • Liaising with secondary care providers and local pharmacies to resolve medication queries promptly, efficiently, and courteously.

  • Managing medications for newly registered patients, including assigning prescriptions to the appropriate GP, setting medication review dates, and removing redundant review dates.

  • Running medication review searches and supporting the Senior Pharmacy Technician in reducing overdue reviews.

  • Contacting patients to arrange medication review appointments.

  • Building and running searches and conducting audits accurately and efficiently under the guidance of the Senior Pharmacy Technician.

  • Processing prescription requests received online, by email, or in writing from patients, pharmacies, and appliance contractors in a timely and accurate manner.

  • Ensure patients are accurately linked to the pharmacy of their choice.

  • Relaying messages to patients as requested by clinicians.

  • Maintaining strict confidentiality at all times in accordance with data protection and practice policies.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Ability to work under appropriate supervision to provide a safe, effective, and efficient service within a high-functioning team
  • Strong IT skills
  • Evidence of good secondary education, particularly in Maths and English
  • Competent in the use of Office and Outlook

Desirable

  • Experience of working in a primary care environment
  • Understanding and knowledge of healthcare provision in GP practices.
  • Experience of data collection and analysis

Skills

Essential

  • Strong attention to detail and accuracy in data handling.
  • Ability to prioritise and organise routine daily tasks using own initiative and manage deadline.
  • Problem solving and analytical skills
  • Knowledge of IT systems, including the ability to use word processing skills, emails, and the internet to create simple plans and reports
  • Effective time management
  • Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure
  • Ability to work both independently and part of a team
  • Clear and professional communication skills, both written and verbal.
  • Good interpersonal skills

Desirable

  • Ability to communicate sensitive information effectively with people at all levels by telephone and email.

Qualifications

Essential

  • GCSE (AC) or equivalent in Maths and English
  • Desire to learn and develop within the role
  • DBS check and pre-employment clearance
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Ability to work under appropriate supervision to provide a safe, effective, and efficient service within a high-functioning team
  • Strong IT skills
  • Evidence of good secondary education, particularly in Maths and English
  • Competent in the use of Office and Outlook

Desirable

  • Experience of working in a primary care environment
  • Understanding and knowledge of healthcare provision in GP practices.
  • Experience of data collection and analysis

Skills

Essential

  • Strong attention to detail and accuracy in data handling.
  • Ability to prioritise and organise routine daily tasks using own initiative and manage deadline.
  • Problem solving and analytical skills
  • Knowledge of IT systems, including the ability to use word processing skills, emails, and the internet to create simple plans and reports
  • Effective time management
  • Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure
  • Ability to work both independently and part of a team
  • Clear and professional communication skills, both written and verbal.
  • Good interpersonal skills

Desirable

  • Ability to communicate sensitive information effectively with people at all levels by telephone and email.

Qualifications

Essential

  • GCSE (AC) or equivalent in Maths and English
  • Desire to learn and develop within the role
  • DBS check and pre-employment clearance

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

The James Cochrane Practice

Address

Helme Chase Surgery

Burton Road

Kendal

Cumbria

LA9 7HR


Employer's website

https://www.jamescochranepractice.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

The James Cochrane Practice

Address

Helme Chase Surgery

Burton Road

Kendal

Cumbria

LA9 7HR


Employer's website

https://www.jamescochranepractice.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Senior Pharmacy Technician

Emily Armer

emily.armer1@nhs.net

01539760760

Details

Date posted

02 December 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£13.20 an hour

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

A2946-25-0009

Job locations

Helme Chase Surgery

Burton Road

Kendal

Cumbria

LA9 7HR


Maude Street Surgery

Maude Street

Kendal

Cumbria

LA9 4QE


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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