Senior Dispensing Assistant
At a glance
- Band
- Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Full-time
- Posted
- 01/09/2026
- Closes
- 13/09/2026
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Role summary
This role involves working as a Senior Dispensing Assistant within the Pharmacy team at Colchester Hospital. Key duties include dispensing medications for inpatients and outpatients, ensuring accurate labelling and packaging, and managing controlled drugs. The position requires formal Saturday, Sunday, and Bank Holiday commitments on a rostered basis. Pharmacy experience is essential for this role.
Essential criteria
- Previous experience of working in pharmacy (retail/hospital)
- Use of computers
- Basic Secondary Education - 'O' level/GCSE English, Maths & Science Grade C/4 or above
Desirable criteria
- NVQ Pharmacy Services Level 2 - optional units: relevant to pharmacy practice area or equivalent.
- Confidentiality issues working within pharmacy and on wards
- Previous experience of working in pharmacy (retail/hospital)
- Use of computers
- Basic Secondary Education - 'O' level/GCSE English, Maths & Science Grade C/4 or above
- NVQ Pharmacy Services Level 2 - optional units: relevant to pharmacy practice area or equivalent.
- Confidentiality issues working within pharmacy and on wards
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 3 at £24,625 – £25,674 a year, across England.
This advert: £25,760 – £27,476 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 6d ago · Closes in 7d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Senior Dispensing Assistant
The closing date is 13 September 2026
Job summary
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.
Details about our pharmacy service - https://esneft.pagetiger.com/csusdpr/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
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