Pharmacy Dispenser

Job description

Job responsibilities

About the Role

Join our dedicated pharmacy team as a Pharmacy Dispenser, where you'll combine technical expertise with excellent customer service to deliver outstanding pharmaceutical care. This is a varied and rewarding role that places you at the centre of patient care, working as part of a collaborative team committed to excellence.

Reporting directly to the Pharmacy Manager, you'll take responsibility for the accurate dispensing of medicines, patient interactions, and contributing to the overall success of our pharmacy service. We're looking for someone who combines attention to detail with a genuine passion for helping people someone who understands that every prescription dispensed and every patient interaction matters.

Your Key Responsibilities

Dispensing Excellence

You'll be responsible for the accurate and efficient dispensing of prescriptions, working under the supervision of registered pharmacy professionals. This means successfully completing dispensing assessments, accurately labelling medicines, and maintaining meticulous records. You'll ensure all dispensing activities comply with our standard operating procedures, always prioritising patient safety.

Your role includes communicating effectively with pharmacy colleagues, patients, and prescribers to resolve queries and maintain our high service standards. You'll contribute to optimal stock management, including regular date checking to ensure medication quality and safety.

Patient Interaction and Support

A significant part of your role involves direct patient contact. You'll greet patients warmly, receive prescriptions, and gather the information our dispensing team needs to safely prepare medicines. You'll handle payments efficiently, verify exemption entitlements, and hand out dispensed medicines with appropriate counselling within your competence level.

Whether communicating face-to-face, by telephone, or electronically, you'll ensure every interaction is polite, professional, and patient-centred. You'll know when to refer queries to senior colleagues and will work within the boundaries of your knowledge and skills whilst continually developing your expertise.

Over-the-Counter Medicines and Retail

Supporting our retail operation, you'll assist customers with over-the-counter medicine purchases, providing safe and accurate information about symptoms and products. You'll complete recognised Medicines Counter Assistant training and maintain current knowledge relevant to OTC sales. This includes taking payments, managing retail stock, merchandising goods attractively, and ensuring our retail area always looks professional with accurate pricing.

Quality and Safety

Patient safety is paramount. You'll actively participate in our governance activities by recording and reviewing all near misses and dispensing incidents, undertaking necessary corrective actions, and contributing to continuous improvement. You'll attend patient safety meetings, providing feedback and implementing required changes.

Your responsibility extends to identifying potential risks in pharmacy activities and promoting safe working practices. We encourage you to speak up about concerns and suggest corrective actions your insights are valued.

Professional Development and Team Contribution

We're committed to your professional growth. You'll take ownership of your learning and training, including mandatory training requirements. We expect you to contribute to inducting and training new team members, sharing your knowledge and skills generously.

You'll have opportunities to champion specific areas within the pharmacy, taking accountability for their performance. Under guidance from the Pharmacy Manager, you may conduct or supervise clinical and organisational audits, ensuring learning translates into tangible improvements.

Service Excellence

Contributing to our high-quality outpatient service, you'll work collaboratively with dispensing assistants, technicians, pharmacists, and managers across both our sites. You'll help ensure medicines are stored appropriately with proper temperature monitoring, and that we have robust procedures for safely disposing of returned or expired medications.

You'll assist in updating patient information leaflets, posters, and promotional materials, ensuring our communications are always current and helpful. Your interactions with patients, relatives, carers, prescribers, and healthcare colleagues will consistently reflect our high standards.

Business Awareness

Understanding our key performance indicators and business objectives is important. You'll contribute to achieving targets and maintaining excellent performance standards. We expect you to use resources effectively and contribute to our financial success through mindful spending and maximising appropriate sales opportunities.

You'll participate in quality improvement initiatives, working with pharmacists and managers to implement improvements that enhance patient care and service efficiency.

Working Arrangements

Our pharmacy operates over five days to ensure accessibility for our community. We work hard to balance business needs with staff preferences, and we believe in fair and transparent rota planning.

Working Conditions

This is an active role requiring you to stand or move around for extended periods. You'll regularly lift, bend, and stretch. While there are opportunities to sit when using computers, much of your day will be spent on your feet.

The working environment can be busy and unpredictable, with periods of high demand requiring sustained concentration amidst background noise and distractions. You'll need excellent focus to maintain accuracy whilst multitasking.

Patient-facing work occasionally involves stressful situations or exposure to verbal aggression, though we provide full support for managing challenging interactions professionally.

Our Values in Action

Everything we do is underpinned by our core values, which we expect you to embrace:

We treat people how we would like to be treated listening with respect, maintaining dignity, and making everyone feel valued through politeness, honesty, and friendliness.

We do what we say we're going to do being clear in our communications, making time to care, and explaining honestly when something isn't possible.

We focus on what matters most listening without assumptions, making difficult decisions when they're right, and using resources responsibly.

We are one team and we are best when we work together maintaining professionalism, setting common goals, and communicating effectively.

We are passionate and creative in our work valuing ideas, seeking innovative solutions, and celebrating achievements.

Additional Responsibilities

You'll maintain the pharmacy environment to high standards of cleanliness and organisation, uphold legal and professional standards, and comply with all policies and procedures. You're responsible for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children, following infection prevention and control policies, and maintaining strict confidentiality in accordance with GDPR and Data Protection legislation.

This role offers genuine variety, real responsibility, and the satisfaction of knowing your work directly improves patient care. If you're ready for a rewarding pharmacy career where you'll be supported, valued, and challenged, we'd love to welcome you to our team.

Person Specification

Pressure Management and Organisation

Essential

• - Ability to work effectively under pressure whilst maintaining quality standards
• - Strong organisational skills with ability to manage own time to meet deadlines
• - Competent at multitasking and prioritising workload in unpredictable environments
• - Works at appropriately fast pace whilst maintaining safety and accuracy

Professional Attitude and Continuous Development

Essential

• - Responsible and professional approach to all duties with self-motivation
• - Responsive to feedback with willingness to reflect and implement changes
• - Genuine commitment to own learning and professional development
• - Demonstrates reliability, punctuality, and common sense in decision-making

Communication and Customer Service Excellence

Essential

• - Strong verbal and written communication skills with ability to interact professionally with patients, colleagues, and healthcare professionals
• - Excellent patient-focused approach with genuine commitment to delivering outstanding customer service
• - Ability to explain information clearly and adapt communication style to different audiences

Experience

Essential

• - Demonstrable experience of working in a community pharmacy setting
• - Understanding of near misses and dispensing incident procedures
• - Experience handling prescriptions and interacting with patients

Desirable

• - Experience counselling patients on their medicines within appropriate boundaries
• - Previous involvement in training or supporting new team members
• - Understanding of comprehensive pharmacy services beyond dispensing
• - Experience in stock management and inventory control

Accuracy and Attention to Detail

Essential

• - Meticulous attention to detail in all aspects of work, particularly dispensing activities
• - Ability to work with diligence and maintain high degree of accuracy even under pressure
• - Demonstrated ability to maintain concentration in busy, distracting environments
• - Systematic approach to checking work and identifying potential errors

Teamwork and Flexibility

Essential

• - Proven ability to work effectively as part of a team, supporting colleagues and contributing to team goals
• - Willingness to adapt to change and embrace service improvements
• - Collaborative approach with positive attitude towards shared responsibilities
• - Passionate about pharmacy and patient care with enthusiasm for the role

Qualifications

Essential

• - NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services or equivalent qualification recognised by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

Desirable

• - Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to pharmacy practice
• - Recognised Medicines Counter Assistant qualification

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Helmsley Medical Centre

Address

Carlton Road

Helmsley

York

YO62 5HD

Employer's website

https://www.helmsleymedicalcentre.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)