Job summary
Band 6 Specialist Pharmacy Technician - Medicines Value & Formulary Support
We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic Specialist Pharmacy Technician (Band 6) - Medicines Value & Formulary Support to join our team and help improve how medicines are used across the Trust.
This is a varied and dynamic role that combines flexible, desk-based work with ward-level involvement, giving you the opportunity to work both behind the scenes and directly with clinical teams. You will support the safe, effective, and cost-efficient use of medicines, helping to ensure patients receive the best treatment while making the best use of NHS resources.
You will play a key role in formulary management and medicines optimisation, including supporting work on high-cost medicines and cost-saving initiatives. The role also involves using data to track medicines use, supporting audits and reports, and helping to ensure prescribing follows agreed guidelines.
As a senior technician, you will also support the day-to-day running of the service, contribute to improvements, and help develop other pharmacy staff.
You will play a key role in delivering high-quality, patient-centred medicines management services across the Trust.
This is a great opportunity for a Pharmacy Technician who wants a flexible, hands-on role with variety, and the chance to make a real difference to patient care and how medicines are used across the Trust.
Main duties of the job
Working closely with senior pharmacists and the wider multidisciplinary team, you will:o Work collaboratively within the medicines value team to deliver safe, effective, and value-based use of medicines, with a strong focus on medicines optimisation.o Support and coordinate medicines value initiatives, including high-cost drugs, cost-effective prescribing, and optimisation programmes.o Monitor and report on medicines usage, expenditure, and savings opportunities, using data to support decision-making and improvement.o Maintain and manage data systems, tracking tools, and reporting processes to support medicines value and performance monitoring.o Support and coordinate formulary processes, ensuring medicines use aligns with Trust guidance, policies, and national recommendations.o Provide day-to-day support to the medicines value and formulary service, helping to manage workloads, priorities, and operational processes.o Support governance and documentation, including audits, reports, SOPs, and assurance activities.o Work with clinical teams at ward level and across the Trust to resolve medicines-related queries and support best practice.o Contribute to service improvement and quality improvement projects, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, value, and patient care.o Line manage and support the development of pharmacy staff, maintaining high professional standards.
About us
The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest District General Hospitals in the country. The hospital achieved Foundation Trust status on 1st June 2006. It was the first Foundation Trust in the South Central Strategic Health Authority.
The Trust has a successful track record of delivering high-quality acute medical and surgical services for 500,000 patients across West Berkshire, an area extending from Newbury in the west to Henley-on-Thames in the east, including Wokingham and parts of Hampshire to the south and parts of Oxfordshire to the north. The Trust is Reading's biggest employer.
Reading sits on the River Thames and is served by great road and rail links to London, Oxford, and Southampton. With excellent leisure and shopping facilities, and a thriving cultural scene, Reading is a wonderful place to live, work, and play and provides excellent facilities for families, including some of the best state and private schools in the UK.
The CQC rated the care provided by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust as Good.
Our "CARE" values:Compassionate,Aspirational,Resourceful,Excellent, reflect the type of Trust we aspire to be and you can join our dedicated and talented staff to make this happen.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details of the job role.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details of the job role.
Person Specification
Education, Qualifications & Training
Essential
- Professional registration as a Pharmacy Technician through Technician membership of the General Pharmaceutical Council
- NVQ level 3, BTEC, or recognised equivalent qualification which will comply with the General Pharmaceutical Council's requirements for Registered Pharmacy Technicians
- Educational Supervisor, Practice Supervisor, Internal Verifier, NVQ assessor qualification or equivalent.
- Evidence of continuing professional development
Desirable
- Leadership or Management Experience
- Educational Supervisor, Practice Supervisor, Internal Verifier, NVQ assessor qualification or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Significant post-registration experience in medicines management / optimisation roles
- Experience of leading / supporting medicines savings or switch programmes (e.g. biosimilar).
- Previous experience supervising or line-managing direct reports including appraisal
- Experience of implementing new services and procedures
- Experience of working with staff and organisations external to Pharmacy
- Handling non-routine/complex issues and applying judgement
- Experience in audit, KPI monitoring, performance reporting
- Experience in governance processes, policy/SOP maintenance, or audit
Desirable
- Experience of using the JAC Pharmacy computer system
- Experience in developing Pharmacy services
- Experience with homecare services
- Experience in policy development or implementation
- Experience in patient-facing roles, including helplines or counselling.
Person Specification
Education, Qualifications & Training
Essential
- Professional registration as a Pharmacy Technician through Technician membership of the General Pharmaceutical Council
- NVQ level 3, BTEC, or recognised equivalent qualification which will comply with the General Pharmaceutical Council's requirements for Registered Pharmacy Technicians
- Educational Supervisor, Practice Supervisor, Internal Verifier, NVQ assessor qualification or equivalent.
- Evidence of continuing professional development
Desirable
- Leadership or Management Experience
- Educational Supervisor, Practice Supervisor, Internal Verifier, NVQ assessor qualification or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Significant post-registration experience in medicines management / optimisation roles
- Experience of leading / supporting medicines savings or switch programmes (e.g. biosimilar).
- Previous experience supervising or line-managing direct reports including appraisal
- Experience of implementing new services and procedures
- Experience of working with staff and organisations external to Pharmacy
- Handling non-routine/complex issues and applying judgement
- Experience in audit, KPI monitoring, performance reporting
- Experience in governance processes, policy/SOP maintenance, or audit
Desirable
- Experience of using the JAC Pharmacy computer system
- Experience in developing Pharmacy services
- Experience with homecare services
- Experience in policy development or implementation
- Experience in patient-facing roles, including helplines or counselling.
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).