NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.
Pharmacy Support Worker, Higher Level
NHS Lothian Pharmacy & Medicines Service
Royal infirmary of Edinburgh
Band 3 | 1.0 WTE | 36 Hours
£29,103 - £31,409
(including evening, weekend and public holidays commitment)
Looking for your next challenge in healthcare? Join our supportive pharmacy team, develop advanced skills, and help deliver safe, effective patient care.
About the Role
We are currently seeking a motivated Pharmacy Support Worker (Higher Level) to join our dynamic clinical pharmacy team.
In this key role, you will contribute to the safe, effective, and efficient delivery of medicines management across inpatient wards. You will work closely with both clinical and pharmacy teams to support patient care and service improvement. You will also have a daily commitment to the department in either Dispensary or Stores.
Key responsibilities:
- Oversee medicines management on the ward, ensuring timely ordering and receipt of medications, rotating stock, educating nursing staff on medication supply and storage, and maintaining medicine availability to support seamless patient care.
- Undertake advanced responsibilities, such as checking patients’ own medications for suitability, ensuring continuity of supply, ordering inpatient medicines, reducing missed doses, and facilitating prompt discharges.
- Contribute to team development by supporting the training and progression of Pharmacy Support Workers, helping maintain high standards of service delivery.
- Contribute to the pharmacy team's operations in the dispensary including labelling and dispensing medications for both inpatient and outpatient services.
- Contribute to the pharmacy team's operations in stores, including processing ward stock orders, picking and packing stock, stock maintenance duties, and receiving orders.
Full training and ongoing support will be provided to help you develop the necessary skills.
Why Join Us?
When you join NHS Lothian’s Pharmacy & Medicines Service, you’re joining a team that values professional growth, innovation, and collaboration. Here’s why this role could be perfect for you:
- Career Development: Gain advanced skills through structured training and expand your scope of practice.
- Supportive Environment: Work with a friendly, professional team that is committed to helping you succeed.
- Impactful Work: Contribute to the efficient supply of medicines, directly supporting high-quality patient care.
About you
To be successful in this role, you should demonstrate:
- Excellent organisational and communication skills.
- A proactive and professional approach to patient care.
- Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- Previous experience in a pharmacy or healthcare setting is essential.
- Qualifications:
- National 4 (or equivalent) in English, Mathematics, and a Science subject (Biology or Chemistry).
- Educated to SCQF Level 6 and willing to undertake an in-house competency-based Group Award qualification within 12 months. Full support will be provided to complete this qualification while in post, if not already held.
Personal values should align with NHS Lothian’s core values: quality, teamwork, care, compassion, dignity, respect, openness, honesty, and responsibility.
About NHS Lothian
NHS Lothian serves a population of 900,000 across Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, and West Lothian. As Scotland’s second-largest health system, we are one of four teaching Boards, fostering strong partnerships with universities and research institutions. Our Pharmacy & Medicines Service is dedicated to delivering clinically led, person-centred care, ensuring the best possible outcomes for our patients.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
For more details about the role, including the full job description and person specification, please refer to the link below.
If you’d like to learn more about this opportunity, we warmly encourage you to get in touch.
For further information please contact the following:
Adele Stinear, Lead Clinical Pharmacy Technician
📞 0131 242 2908 adele.stinear@nhs.scot
or
Peggy Sorin, Lead Clinical Pharmacy Technician
📞 0131 242 2908 | peggy.sorin@nhs.scot
Please note: we anticipate a high level of interest in this position and may close the vacancy early once a sufficient amount of applications are received. Therefore, please make sure you complete and submit your application at an early stage.
We cannot accept late applications so please ensure your application is submitted early.
The email address you provide will be used for notifications. Please check your Junk and Spam inboxes as notifications may go directly to these.
We will fully support disabled candidates, and candidates with long-term conditions or who are neurodivergent by making reasonable adjustments to our recruitment policy and practices.
To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service.
As part of the pre-employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre-settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website here.
For specific types of post, if you do not have the necessary eligibility to work in the UK, it might be possible (though not guaranteed) to secure sponsorship via a UK Skilled Worker/Health & Care Worker Visa. However, this is only possible if the employer is a licenced Sponsor, and if the post does not fall below the current minimum salary threshold or ‘going rate’. Further information on these criteria can be found here.
It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored BEFORE submitting your application form.
This post requires the post holder to have a PVG Scheme membership/record. If the post holder is not a current PVG member for the required regulatory group (i.e. child and/or adult) then an application will need to be made to Disclosure Scotland and deemed satisfactory before they can begin in post.
Due to legislative changes from 1 April 2025, this post may require a different level of criminal records check done than is currently the case. If the post is assessed as a "regulated role", your appointment will be subject to joining the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. If there is any change to what is currently required, this will be confirmed by either the Hiring Manager or the Recruitment Team. For more details on these changes please visit: Disclosure Scotland Changes.
