Pharmacy Assistant - Aseptic Unit
Job overview
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.
Working for our organisation
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.
Detailed job description and main 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 criteria- 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
- 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 criteria- GCSE minimum grade c in English and Maths or equivalent
- NVQ 2 in pharmaceutical science or equivalent
We’ll contact you by e-mail to update you on the progress of your application so please check the e-mail account that you applied from (including spam/junk) regularly.
We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership, neurodiversity or veteran status are encouraged to apply for this post.Our Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders is available Here
To support you in your application process we’ve created a What we can offer you guide that shows what you can expect when you join our hospitals. The guide includes links to our strategic aims and objectives as well as our values, development support and rewards and benefits.To help you get the best from your application we’ve also put together two guides to help you make your application the best it can be. Just click here and here to go through them, or have them open as you complete your application.
We recognise that the recruitment process may present barriers for some and you may need personal adjustments to enable you to participate in our recruitment process. Please make contact with the recruitment team at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications
If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for.There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information.
AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice.Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.
We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.
Supporting Information
The supporting information section is an opportunity for you to showcase how your qualifications, knowledge, skill and experiences align with the requirements and criteria outlined in the job description and person.
Our recruiting managers score applications based on the criteria listed in the person specification. They will be looking for evidence of how you meet these criteria. To increase your chances of securing an interview, provide examples of how you have applied your skills and knowledge in real-life situations.Share work-related successes and challenges you’ve navigated that align with the criteria. These could be from various aspects of your life, including work, education, and personal experiences.
Consider structuring your supporting information section with clear headings or bullet points. This approach will help both you and the recruiting manager navigate through your application more effectively.
Working Smarter pledge
We are reminded everyday of how important life is, so as part of our Working Smarter pledge we offer a variety of flexible working options and wellbeing support to enable our people to find and maintain the right work-life balance.
Secondments
If you are applying for a secondment role please ensure you have agreement from your current line manager prior to attending an interview. Also please ensure you have read the LTHTR Secondment Policy. A copy of this can be found on the intranet or by contacting [email protected]
Young People
Please note a young person must be in part-time education or training until they’re 18. therefore if you are under 18 we are unable to employ you on a full time basis, unless it is in an apprenticeship role.
Disclosure and Barring Service checks
If the role you’ve applied for requires a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check we will administer this on your behalf and the cost will be recovered from your salary, either as a one-off payment, or over 3 months. The level of check required depends on the role that you have been offered.Currently the charges are - Basic DBS check £26.40 Standard DBS check £26.40 and Enhanced DBS check £54.40. You should be aware that if you are successful in obtaining a position that requires a DBS check but later withdraw your application, you may be required to reimburse the cost of the DBS check.
DBS checks remain free of charge for volunteer positions. The DBS Code of Practice can be accessed here.
In line with guidance from United Kingdom Health Security Agency, all staff and volunteers are required to comply with Trust Infection Prevention and Control processes in relation to safe working. This includes mask wearing and adherence to social distancing at all Trust sites.
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We look forward to hearing from you soon!