Job Description

Have you got the enthusiasm to take up the challenge of this permanent post? We are looking for Senior Dispensing Assistants to join our Pharmacy team. You will work within most areas of the ESNEFT Pharmaceutical Service based at Colchester Hospital, providing dispensing support to qualified staff.
Duties will include dispensing for in-patients, outpatients and controlled drugs following standard procedures; a re-stocking service of pharmaceutical products to wards and departments.
Pharmacy experience is essential and a formal qualification is desirable, e.g. NVQ Level 2 or equivalent.
Formal Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday commitments are mandatory and will be on a rostered basis.
Please note this position is not eligible for a Health and Social Care Visa and does not meet the requirements for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa.
Details about our pharmacy service - https://esneft.pagetiger.com/buqzfou/1
Main duties of the job

• To dispense for inpatients and outpatients by calculating appropriate dosage and quantities required against prescriptions/requisitions, following departmental Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• To ensure that all customers receive the appropriate medicine in the correct form and in a timely manner.
• To ensure that all medicines are labelled and packaged appropriately, and all relevant patient information and compliance aids/sundries are supplied.
• To dispense controlled drugs for ward stock and named patients, following all relevant Pharmacy procedures and legal requirements.
• To perform a self-check on all dispensed items to ensure accuracy and quality prior to placing the item in the designated area for final checking.
• To receive in prescriptions from a wide range of outpatient clients and use listening and questioning skills to obtain appropriate information to enable effective service provision.
• To operate the cash till and debit/credit card machine to take payment for prescriptions.
• To ensure that the declaration of payment/exemption on outpatient prescriptions has been correctly filled in and clearly endorsed with grounds for exemption if a fee is not paid.
• To sell over the counter products under the supervision of a pharmacist.

About us
We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients' own homes
We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff
We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options
Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services
Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients
We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what's widely regarded as the world's best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients
If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you
Find out about living and working here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A
Details
Date posted
05 September 2025
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 3
Salary
24,937 to 26,598 a year per annum pro rata
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time, Part-time
Reference number
432-HR678-25
Job locations
Colchester Hospital
Turner Road
Colchester
CO45JL
Job description
Job responsibilities
For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description. Job description
Job responsibilities
For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Previous experience of working in pharmacy (retail/hospital)
• Use of computers

Qualifications
Essential

• Basic Secondary Education - 'O' level/GCSE English, Maths & Science Grade C/4 or above

Desirable

• NVQ Pharmacy Services Level 2 - optional units: relevant to pharmacy practice area or equivalent.

Knowledge
Essential

• Confidentiality issues working within pharmacy and on wards

Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Previous experience of working in pharmacy (retail/hospital)
• Use of computers

Qualifications
Essential

• Basic Secondary Education - 'O' level/GCSE English, Maths & Science Grade C/4 or above

Desirable

• NVQ Pharmacy Services Level 2 - optional units: relevant to pharmacy practice area or equivalent.

Knowledge
Essential

• Confidentiality issues working within pharmacy and on wards

Skills Required