Specialist Pharmacist - Queen Mary's Hospital

Job overview

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is looking for an experienced and motivated Dispensary Manager to join our Pharmacy team at Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH).

As Dispensary Manager, you will lead the day-to-day operational delivery of the dispensary service, ensuring safe, efficient and patient-focused pharmacy services. You will manage and develop the dispensary team, oversee workload and staffing, support training and professional development, and drive improvements that enhance safety, efficiency and patient experience.

We are looking for a GPhC-registered Pharmacy Technician with substantial hospital dispensary experience. You will bring strong leadership, organisational and communication skills, together with experience managing teams and implementing service improvements.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in a busy pharmacy service while contributing to King’s commitment to outstanding care, innovation, inclusion and teamwork .

Main duties of the job

Main Duties of the Job:

• To be responsible for proposing and implementing policies in relation to the dispensary service that has an impact both within Patient Services and across the Trust

• To be responsible for the regular review of operational policies and procedures specific to the provision of the dispensary services.

• To support Patient Services, in the strategic developmental and planning of the dispensary services provision to the Trust.

• To deliver a customer-focused service to all patients who attend the Dispensary.

• To manage the Dispensary Service and all the staff who work in the dispensary.

• To be line manager for the Dispensary Services staff and take

• responsibility for all the following, according to the Trust procedures.

• Be responsible for dispensary stock control and in the return and recycling or safe disposal (as appropriate) of the drugs from wards and departments in liaison with the Distribution Manager and according to the agreed departmental policies and procedures.

Working for our organisation

The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. In June 2026, we launched our new strategy for 2026-31. Our vision is to transform healthcare, and we have agreed six strategic ambitions to help us improve care for patients, and the working lives of our staff.

Our six strategic ambitions are delivering high-quality patient care; creating a great place to work; leading pioneering research, innovation and education; building strong and successful partnerships; providing timely and efficient care; and ensuring long-term financial sustainability.

We have also agreed four new organisational values – Caring, Collaborative, Inclusive, Innovative – and these underpin everything we do, and how our teams interact with the patients under our care.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King’s is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone’s contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust’s carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Job Description and Main Responsibilities:

• To manage the dispensary service to ensure the safe, effective and economical use of drugs for all patients in the Trust.

• To be responsible for planning and allocating work for all dispensary and rotational staff to ensure that pharmacy dispensary services are delivered at PRUH.

• To propose changes to working practices and dispensing techniques that will maximize the potential for efficiency and safety in order to reduce waiting times while working in the dispensary

• To provide Patient Services staff with details of output, performance and activity at specified time intervals in a format agreed with Principle Technician Patient Services.

• To ensure that FP10 prescriptions are stored in a secure manner and are issued in accordance with agreed procedures to appropriate staff and to ensure that prescription pad issues are monitored and that they are re-ordered in a timely fashion.

• To ensure that all dispensary staff are trained in the use of any transactional equipment used in the collection of prescription charges (if appropriate).

• To ensure effective two-way communication amongst the dispensary staff, to the rest of the pharmacy department and across the Trust as necessary.

• To ensure all dispensary staff use pharmacy computer systems correctly, that data is entered accurately from transcription sheets, prescription forms and any other prescriptions written by others and that data is stored and archived appropriately in accordance with local and regionally agreed guidelines.

• To be a member of the PRUH Pharmacy Senior Staff meeting

• To ensure that drugs (including controlled drugs) are distributed efficiently and safely by the dispensary porters and to liaise regularly with the portering services manager.

• To assist the Education & Development Chief Pharmacy Technician to manage the development programme for all pharmacy technical staff during their dispensary rotation

• To ensure that all dispensary staff are trained in the use of Omnicell Controlled Drugs Cabinet and Controlled drugs are stored, maintained and dispensed as per the legal requirements and local policies

• To ensure timely issue of all relevant rotas

• To provide operational oversight to Beckenham Beacon & Orpington dispensary in the absence of the Principle Technician Patient Services.

• To ensure that the prescription tracking system is active at all times and that ward and pharmacy staff are adequately trained in its use.

• To deputise for the Principle Technician Patient services in his/her absence.

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of the requirements of national organisations involved in Pharmacy Dispensary Services e.g. DoH, Regional Pharmacy Services
• Relevant post registration (qualification) experience in a hospital Pharmacy in an area relevant to practice with assessed competencies
• Relevant experience in working within a hospital dispensary environment

Skills and Competencies

Essential criteria

• Be able to make sound judgments in relation to Pharmacy Dispensary Services issues
• Be able to communicate effectively in both written and verbal formats with staff and patients
• Be able to implement and manage change

Education and Qualifications

Essential criteria

• NVQ Level 3 plus accredited underpinning knowledge (BTEC in Pharmaceutical Science or equivalent) or equivalent.
• Professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Mandatory CPD to maintain fitness to practice

IMPORTANT

• Check your email account regularly as this is how we will communicate with you
• If you delete the job from any of your accounts, you may be prevented from accessing further communications
• To enquire about your application or inform us of any changes in your circumstances, please contact the named person on this advert
• Please provide email addresses for referees where possible
• Please review the documentation on our recruitment microsite, particularly the Trust’s criminal records checking policy
• All staff have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and for ensuring they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.
• Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. On occasion, we might close a vacancy early due to a high number of applications being received. You are advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

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• might not be specific or relevant enough to address the criteria in the recruitment profile
• often seem generic and not personalised enough – an AI response won’t show your unique voice and perspective
• could misrepresent information about you, such as your qualifications, skills and experience

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