Job Description

Company Description

Here at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, we are proud to provide expert, compassionate care for our local population. We are ranked as the third in the country for research, embedding education and training across the organisation. Our main hub is the Queen Alexandra Hospital, which is one of the largest hospitals on the south coast employing over 8,700 staff.

Our patients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes our hospital stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for getting it right for patients, colleagues, and our community, you will find a home at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.

Job Description

Band 2: £25,272

Full time: 37.5 hours

Pharmacy Support Assistant (Band 2)

Permanent Contract

Are you looking for an exciting career with opportunities to learn, develop and progress? Would you like to join a friendly, hardworking team and begin a rewarding career in healthcare? If so, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust and Isle of Wight NHS Trust would love to hear from you.

We are recruiting Pharmacy Support Assistants to join our expanding Pharmacy Dispensary and Distribution team at the Queen Alexandra Hospital. This is an excellent opportunity to gain valuable experience within a busy hospital pharmacy environment while making a real difference to patient care every day.

As a Pharmacy Support Assistant, you will be part of a large and diverse team that provides medicines and pharmacy services to over 1,000 inpatients, outpatients and clinic patients each day. This is a varied and fast-paced role where you will develop excellent organisational, communication and teamwork skills whilst supporting the safe and effective supply of medicines across the Trust.

We are committed to investing in our staff and helping them reach their full potential. Successful candidates will be supported to undertake the Level 2 Pharmacy Support Worker qualification, providing the knowledge and skills needed to build a successful career within pharmacy.

This role is an ideal stepping stone into the pharmacy workforce. At Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust and Isle of Wight NHS Trust, we are proud of our "grow our own" approach to workforce development. Many of our colleagues have started their careers in support roles and progressed within the profession. This post can lead to further development opportunities, including training to become a Level 3 Pharmacy Assistant and, for those wishing to continue their professional journey, progression towards becoming a Registered Pharmacy Technician.

This is an active role that involves regular walking, lifting and moving stock, including pharmacy supplies and bulk IV fluids. It is not a desk-based position, making it ideal for someone who enjoys being on the go and working in a hands-on environment.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Ordering, receiving and managing pharmacy stock and bulk IV fluids.
• Supplying medicines and pharmacy products to wards and departments across the hospital.
• Supporting dispensing activities using our pharmacy robot and automated dispensing cabinets.
• Assisting at the pharmacy reception area and providing excellent customer service.
• Delivering medicines and pharmacy supplies throughout the hospital.
• Working closely with pharmacy colleagues to ensure patients receive the best possible care.

For further information about the role please refer to the Job Description

Qualifications

Essential

• Evidence of numeracy and literacy at level 1
• Level 2 qualification/GCSE higher pass or above including maths, English and a science, or equivalent qualifications, or work experience that demonstrates comparable ability in a similar field.

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Good oral and written communication and interpersonal skills.
• Able to learn to advance own skills and knowledge.
• Computer skills
• Able to work flexibly and prioritise workload
• Able to distinguish accurately between similar products
• Able to use initiative whilst knowing when to refer
• Able to work safely and effectively under pressure and/or minimal supervision.
• Safety and Security awareness
• Able to work alone and/or flexibly in a team.
• Responsible and Professional behaviour

Additional Information

GPhC approved courses and recognised qualifications

The health and wellbeing of our staff is at the forefront of everything we do. We are proud to be able to offer our staff some fantastic benefits including our on-site Nursery, access to our free Beach Hut for those long summer days, our on-site Wellness Centre including a gym and a swimming pool, access to our fantastic staff networks including LGBTQ, Race Equality and Disability, and awards ceremonies to recognise your achievements. We believe we can offer support to all of our staff when they need it the most.

We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.

For more information, please see our People and OD Strategy 2026