Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Pharmacy Dispensing Assistant

The closing date is 01 March 2026

Job summary

Band 3: £24,937 - £26,598

Full time and part time hours available: minimum 21 hours, up to 37.5 per week

Permanent contract

Join a caring team that makes a difference every single day. If youre ready for a practical career where attention to detail, teamwork and compassion matter, start your pharmacy journey with us.

Main duties of the job

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.

About us

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.

Details

Date posted

18 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

REF1856A

Job locations

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Cosham

PO6 3LY


Job description

Job responsibilities

What youll 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

Who were 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, wed 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.

Job description

Job responsibilities

What youll 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

Who were 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, wed 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.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of team work
  • Experience of Pharmacy or another customer focussed, caring field
  • Working with formal procedures
  • Compiling complex orders
  • Experience of stock control/handling

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

Qualifications

Essential

  • 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.
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of team work
  • Experience of Pharmacy or another customer focussed, caring field
  • Working with formal procedures
  • Compiling complex orders
  • Experience of stock control/handling

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

Qualifications

Essential

  • 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.

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

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Address

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Cosham

PO6 3LY


Employer's website

https://www.porthosp.nhs.uk/work-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Address

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Cosham

PO6 3LY


Employer's website

https://www.porthosp.nhs.uk/work-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Pharmacy Operations Manager

Paul Rugman

p.rugman@nhs.net

Details

Date posted

18 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

REF1856A

Job locations

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Cosham

PO6 3LY


Supporting documents

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