Band 5 Pharmacy Technician

Job summary

Are you a Band 5 Pharmacy Technician looking for your next opportunity to provide outstanding care on behalf of the Ministry of Defence? If 'Yes' then we may have the position for you.

We are pleased to announce we have a position at the Sennelager Medical Centre which is offered at 37.5 hours per week.

Cyber & Specialist Operations Command

Cyber & Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) generates and operates specialist capabilities, ready to fight across all domains to make the UK secure at home and strong abroad.

Always on, we are across every UK operation, delivering the capabilities you don’t usually see - or those you can’t.

From cyber warriors and medics to intelligence analysts, special forces, educators, and Defence attachés, our collective expertise delivers the warfighting edge Defence needs to deter threats and secure the nation today, and prepare for tomorrow.

CSOC unites Defence’s cyber and specialist capabilities under a single, military command alongside the Royal Navy, British Army, and the Royal Air Force - acting as the UK’s fourth Military Command. For more information, please see here.

Job description

As a Band 5 Pharmacy Technician, you will be responsible for supporting the safe, effective, and compliant supply of medicines within a doctors’ dispensing practice, ensuring high standards of patient care, medicines governance, and operational efficiency in the overseas setting in accordance with Medicines Act 1968, the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Misuse of Drugs Act 1973 safe custody and to dispense and supply medicines in accordance with Human Medicines Regulations 2012 in line with Defence Primary Healthcare (DPHC) and regulatory requirements.

All Pharmacy Technicians employed within Defence Primary Health Care (DPHC) are to be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) in order to maintain their employment. Personnel who have not registered are no longer permitted to carry out the duties of a Pharmacy Technician and use the role name as it is a protected title.

For this role you will need to have:

• High level of accuracy and attention to detail
• Effective communication skills (written and verbal), including ability to explain medicines to patients
• Good organisational and time management skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team (MDT)
• IT literacy e.g. Microsoft Office (clinical systems & email systems such as MODNET with the appropriate training)

Person specification

Duties of this role include but are not limited to:

• Providing a safe and accurate dispensing service to patients under the care of the Senior Medical Officer (SMO) and DPHC.
• Assisting in the delivery of an effective medicine’s management service under the care of the Senior Medical Officer and DPHC.
• Communicating information as needed to patients, parents and carers regarding prescribed medicines, further supplies and prescription payments.
• Managing medicinal products supplied by nurses under Patient Group Direction (PGD) and combat medical technicians (CMTs) under Medication Issuing Protocols (MIPs) as authorised by the SMO.
• Assist SMO with High Risk Medicines management monitoring and searches.
• Providing in-service training on pharmacy related issues to practice staff, doctors, nurses and Defence Medics as needed within professional scope of competence.
• Acting as an ambassador for the pharmacy profession always in accordance with the code of ethics of the General Pharmaceutical Council.

A full description of responsibilities is available in the attached Terms of Reference Document.

Memberships

General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) Pharmacy Technician

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• NHS Core – NHSC1 – Communication
• NHS Core – NHSC2 – Personal & People Development
• NHS Core – NHSC4 – Service Improvement
• NHS Health & Wellbeing – HWB1 – Promotion of Health & Wellbeing
• NHS Information & Knowledge – NHS IK1 – Information Processing
• NHS Health & Wellbeing – HWB10 – Products

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An inclusive working environment with options to enable flexible working.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Free parking
• Access to gym
• Hairdresser/ Barber
• Cost of Living Allowance
• Subsidised housing and utilities

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

Essential Criteria

• National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 3 in Pharmaceutical Sciences or equivalent.
• Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working in a pharmacy or dispensary setting (community, hospital, or military)
• Experience of dispensing medicines accurately and safely
• Exposure to stock control and ordering processes
• Experience working within standard operating procedures (SOPs) and governance frameworks
• Good understanding ofMedicines legislation and safe handling of medicines
• Good understanding of Dispensing processes and accuracy checking (within scope)
• Good understanding of Controlled drugs requirements
• Good understanding of Clinical governance, audit, and risk management
• Good understanding of Awareness of DPHC or NHS standards (desirable exposure to military healthcare systems)
• Experience in a doctors’ dispensing practice or primary care setting
• Previous work within Defence Medical Services (DMS) or MOD
• Experience supporting audit, service improvement, or governance activities
• Understanding of Military healthcare systems and operational requirements
• Understanding of Medicines supply challenges in remote/overseas environments
• Experience using electronic prescribing/clinical systems
• Ability to contribute to training or supervision of junior staff

Further Information:

• This post also attracts COLA (Cost of Living Allowance) which is payable based on personal circumstances and marital status and also offers full relocation expenses to the successful candidate.

Selection Process

At application stage you will be assessed against the following:

CV:

• Please ensure you demonstrate that you have the required skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications and memberships in your CV and that you have saved it, making sure that any reference to your personal details have been removed from your CV prior to submitting your application.

• Please provide information of how you meet the criteria set out in the Terms of Reference. You may wish to further include examples of how you have tackled similar tasks or demonstrated the skills outlined in the job advert.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

At interview you will be assessed against the following:

Technical skills:

• NHS Core - NHSC1 - Communication
  
• NHS Core - NHSC2 - Personal & People Development
• NHS Core - NHSC4 - Service Improvement
• NHS Health & Wellbeing - HWB1 - Promotion of Health & Wellbeing
• NHS Information & Knowledge - NHS IK1 - Information Processing
  
• NHS Health & Wellbeing - HWB10 - Products
  

The interview will consist of a mix of direct questions and clinical situation-based scenarios.

https://www.msg.scot.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/KSF-Handbook.pdf

Please see the link to our YouTube channel for advice preparing your best responses with some hints and tips on answering behaviour-based questions. Hints and tips such as: Your behaviours can be based on situations from work, volunteering or home; match your situation to the behaviour requested and how to use your 250-word limit.

Are you applying for a job in Civil Service? - YouTube

The sift will be completed within 10 working days of the vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed via MS Teams.

All employees joining Ministry of Defence who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

Access to the NHS pension scheme is available to the successful candidate.

If found successful for this position, you will be required to provide evidence of your immunity to Hepatitis B. Please note that evidence of your vaccination is not a proof of your immunity, but your serology levels will be required. Failure to provide sufficient evidence may result in the offer of employment being withdrawn.

To be considered for this role, qualifications and memberships detailed must be held in full, prior to submitting your application.

The posting will be for 3 years initially with the potential option to extend (maximum 5 years in total). It will be subject to approval and Policy.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

This vacancy is part of the A Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. Making the Civil Service a Great Place to Work for Veterans - GOV.UK

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

There may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all DCS candidates that meet the minimum criteria for the job. For example, in certain recruitment situations such as a high volume of applications, seasonal demand, or peak periods, the employer may wish to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both DCS and non-DCS applicants.

If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact dbscivpers-sgdmsresourcing@mod.gov.uk.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Erin Connelly-Alcock
• Email : erin.connelly-alcock101@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-SGDMSResourcing@mod.gov.uk

Further information

For the departments complaints process please refer to the additional documentation.

Attachments

Terms of Reference Opens in new window (pdf, 544kB)20250910-Candidate_Pack-compressed (2) Opens in new window (pdf, 697kB)