Job Introduction
Make a real impact on inpatient care through medicines optimisation.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated Pharmacy Technician to join our Medicines Optimisation Team, supporting inpatient services within HCRG Care Group across BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire, based at Chippenham Community Hospital. This is a key role in delivering a safe, efficient, and high‑quality ward‑based pharmacy service within a community hospital environment.
You will play a pivotal role in supporting medicines optimisation in line with national and local policy, helping to improve patient outcomes through the safe, effective, and cost‑conscious use of medicines. The role includes supporting cost‑effective prescribing, assisting with medicines budget management, reducing medicines wastage, and contributing to medicines management services and service improvement initiatives. You will work independently within agreed guidelines, using initiative to support the wider medicines optimisation strategy.
Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will provide professional medicines‑related advice and support to clinicians, nurses, and patients. A key aspect of the role involves responding to daily medication requests and queries, requiring excellent communication skills, organisation, and a patient‑focused approach. This is an excellent opportunity for an enthusiastic and proactive Pharmacy Technician keen to make a tangible difference to inpatient care.
Key Responsibilites
- Support the delivery of a safe, efficient, and compliant pharmaceutical technical service, in line with legislation, local policy, and professional standards.
- Participate in ward‑based medicines management, supporting the safe and effective use of medicines under the direction of the pharmacist.
- Undertake medicines reconciliation and medication reviews in line with agreed competencies.
- Review inpatient prescription charts at ward level in preparation for clinical verification by a pharmacist.
- Ensure the timely supply of medicines, including expediting individual dispensed items to support patient care and discharge.
- Maintain accurate medicines stock control, monitor stock levels, and communicate medicines availability to relevant staff.
- Support the safe management of Controlled Drugs, including stock checks, audits, and adherence to statutory storage requirements.
- Counsel patients on the safe and effective use of medicines, including possible side effects, and support patient self‑administration where appropriate.
- Check returned medicines for re‑use where appropriate and ensure the safe disposal of unwanted medicines.
- Identify opportunities to reduce medicines waste and optimise pharmaceutical care within designated areas.
- Provide technical medicines advice and respond to routine enquiries, escalating non‑routine issues appropriately.
- Work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team, maintaining clear and effective communication with clinical staff and patients.
- Contribute to quality improvement initiatives, audits, incident reporting, and service development activities.
- Maintain a commitment to continuing professional development (CPD) and share learning to support service improvement.
Please see job description attached for full details of the role.
Package Description
As a Pharmacy Technician (Band 5) you will be part of our valued team at HCRG Care Group, receiving access to exclusive rewards and benefits including:
- £32,073 - £39,043 FTE (Band 5 AfC Salary) with NHS Pension and full Agenda for Change terms and conditions
- Membership of My Reward Hub, giving you access to discounts on every day purchases like grocery shopping as well as cashback and voucher offers for treats for you and those special to you
- Access to your wages as you earn them to help cover life’s emergencies and avoid overdraft fees or high interest rates
- Online and face to face help with your mental and physical wellbeing – from healthy recipes and activity challenges through to post trauma support, legal, debt and life management help, as well career coaching and counselling
- Access to eLearning, bespoke career pathways and opportunities for continuing professional development through our ‘Outstanding’ learning and development team, The Learning Enterprise
- An open, just culture where you’re encouraged to have and implement ideas which can help us deliver our purpose: changing lives through transforming health and care – backed up by at least £100,000 of ringfenced innovation funding each year
- The pride of working for an organisation committed to the highest clinical and quality standards: with the majority of our rated services holding “good” or “outstanding” ratings from the Care Quality Commission
Essential Criteria
- Registered Qualified Pharmacy Technician with NVQ Level 3 or equivalent relevant qualification
- Experience working in primary care, community, or hospital pharmacy
- Sound knowledge of pharmacy law, ethics, and current medicines legislation
- Ability to work autonomously and effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team
- Strong attention to detail, with the ability to work accurately and identify errors
- Well‑organised, with the ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines
- Full driving licence and access to a vehicle for daily use, with the ability to travel across BaNES
Skills & Professional Attributes
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with confidence liaising with patients and clinical staff
- Good IT and computer skills
- Effective decision‑making and prioritisation skills
- Professional, reliable, and able to maintain confidentiality at all times
- Commitment to continuing professional development and understanding of the evolving Pharmacy Technician role
- Positive team player with the ability to work independently when required
- Patient‑focused, conscientious, and enthusiastic about delivering high‑quality pharmacy services
- Desirable: medicines management checking qualification, medicines reconciliation training, and patient counselling experience
About the Company
We change lives by transforming health and care.
Established in 2006, we are one of the UK's leading independent providers of community health and care services, working with health and care commissioners and communities to transform services with a focus on experience, efficiency, and improved outcomes. We deliver and transform adult and children community health services, primary care services including urgent care, sexual health, dermatology and MSK services as well as adult social care and wellbeing services. Across England, we support communities of many millions and directly help more than half a million people each year - guided by our simple values: we care, we think, we do.
We're committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from a broad, diverse range of people who want to join our team. We’re a Disability Confident Committed company, so we work to provide facilities, work environment adjustments and technical solutions to be as inclusive of everyone.
While it doesn’t happen often, sometimes a role is very popular, and we’ll need to close it earlier than the date we’ve shown here. If you’re keen to join our team, we’d love to hear from you so please apply as soon as you can.
As you’d expect, safeguarding and protecting the children, young people and vulnerable adults that we work with is of the utmost importance so we have policies and procedures in place to promote safeguarding and safer working practices and everyone who joins the team is subject to a safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records and vetting checks.
Finally, we need to let you know that the company you’ll work for is part of HCRG Care Group Holdings Limited and by applying for this job we’ll need to process and hold information about you. If you would like to know a little more about how we use your information, please see our website's privacy policy.
