Pharmacy Assistant - Aseptic Unit

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 09 May 2025

Job summary

Are you good at practical tasks? Would you like a role in the NHS that prepares medicines for patients? Here we will fully train you to become Aseptic Unit Pharmacy Assistants where your rewarding role will be to prepare a range of injectable medicines.

You will work as a member of a friendly, highly skilled team of people all working to deliver products that are consistently produced and controlled to a particular quality standard (Good Manufacturing Practice GMP).

You will have good literacy and numeracy skills in addition to good dexterity to handle syringes and needles for accurate measurements of injections, working to procedures at all times. There are opportunities for further training and development.

Pharmacy experience is not essential as full training for the role is provided

You will be required to work some evenings and bank holidays on a rota.

Main duties of the job

The role will involve the preparation of a wide range of injectable products such as; chemotherapy, parenteral nutrition, antibiotics. To do this requires the use of specialist equipment and working within clean rooms. Adhering to strict clothing and personal hygiene procedures is essential and you will have to meet the highest standards of discipline, attention to detail and clean room behaviours.

There is also the opportunity to work in other areas such as Radio Isotopes, oral medicines preparation, re-packing and over-labelling of tablets and assembly of resuscitation boxes.

Medicines are manufactured under the Trust's 'Specials' Licence granted by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The Manufacturing units operate under the name of Preston Pharmaceuticals (PP), and include Non Sterile Medicines Manufacture, Radiopharmacy and Aseptic Services, and an Extemporaneous Dispensing Service.

About us

We have 10,000 fantastic people working hard to deliver quality services to our patients. Whatever your role, you help look after 370,000 people in our local area & give specialist care to 1.5 million people across Lancashire & Cumbria.

Working with us gives you the knowledge and sense of pride that every activity you do genuinely does make a difference to support our patients & staff, ensuring we keep thriving & delivering outstanding healthcare right across our local towns.

You'll have access to varied development opportunities, learn new skills, meet fab people & do things you'd never have done. You'll learn about working in a hospital, interacting with people from all different roles to build skills & enhance your career path.

You'll make an impact, be challenged to think differently, be bold & help innovate to keep improving things. Everything we do centres around patient care and enhancing their experience which means your role is pivotal and something really to be proud of.

Date posted

25 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 2

Salary

£24,169 a year Per Annum, Pro Rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

438-PB2945

Job locations

Royal Preston Hospital

Sharoe Green Lane

Preston

PR2 9HT

Job description

Job responsibilities

Duties will include but not be limited to:

To communicate routine Information effectively; verbally, in writing and where appropriate using electronic formats, with colleagues and internal staff on the manufacture of sterile products.
Use technical and analytical skills to support several quality assurance aspects of the service.
You will be required to follow a work plan but also to work flexibly to support the changing priorities within the department on a day to day basis.
To operate Aseptic production, Radio Pharmacy and office equipment. Move and handle equipment and materials using agreed procedures
Contribute to error monitoring and will be required to document deviations via a non conformance form and errors via use of the Trust Datix incident reporting system in a timely manner
Following Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and documented Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS) at all times the post holder will undertake a range of duties involved in the Aseptic manufacture of pharmaceutical products, including: Cleanroom gowning and cleaning (cleanrooms and equipment), labelling, measuring, calculating and compounding

What this Opportunity means:

Full and extensive training
A friendly and safe working environment (See our Trust Values)
Staff support, Health and Wellbeing, occupational Health

Job description

Job responsibilities

Duties will include but not be limited to:

To communicate routine Information effectively; verbally, in writing and where appropriate using electronic formats, with colleagues and internal staff on the manufacture of sterile products.
Use technical and analytical skills to support several quality assurance aspects of the service.
You will be required to follow a work plan but also to work flexibly to support the changing priorities within the department on a day to day basis.
To operate Aseptic production, Radio Pharmacy and office equipment. Move and handle equipment and materials using agreed procedures
Contribute to error monitoring and will be required to document deviations via a non conformance form and errors via use of the Trust Datix incident reporting system in a timely manner
Following Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and documented Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS) at all times the post holder will undertake a range of duties involved in the Aseptic manufacture of pharmaceutical products, including: Cleanroom gowning and cleaning (cleanrooms and equipment), labelling, measuring, calculating and compounding

What this Opportunity means:

Full and extensive training
A friendly and safe working environment (See our Trust Values)
Staff support, Health and Wellbeing, occupational Health

Person Specification

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

Awareness of Good Manufacturing and Laboratory Practice and the regulations surrounding Pharmaceutical Manufacture.
COSHH Regulations and Health & Safety at Work Act.
Experience of following written instructions

Desirable

Experience of Pharmaceutical Manufacture in either a hospital or industrial environment or aseptic dispensing services.
Knowledge of clean room design and functioning
Use of Computer systems for data management and storage

Qualifications & Education

Essential

GCSE minimum grade c in English and Maths or equivalent

Desirable

NVQ 2 in pharmaceutical science or equivalent

Person Specification

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

Awareness of Good Manufacturing and Laboratory Practice and the regulations surrounding Pharmaceutical Manufacture.
COSHH Regulations and Health & Safety at Work Act.
Experience of following written instructions

Desirable

Experience of Pharmaceutical Manufacture in either a hospital or industrial environment or aseptic dispensing services.
Knowledge of clean room design and functioning
Use of Computer systems for data management and storage

Qualifications & Education

Essential

GCSE minimum grade c in English and Maths or equivalent

Desirable

NVQ 2 in pharmaceutical science or equivalent

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.