JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE: DISPENSARY COUNTER ASSISTANT
REPORTS TO: PATIENT SERVICES MANAGER / PRACTICE MANAGER
HOURS: FULL TIME – 37.5 hours a week – Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm
SALARY: Based on National Living and National Minimum Wage along with experience and qualifications.
Closing date: 31st August 2026
Interview Date : 8th September 2026
This role is for a 1 year fixed term.
Job summary:
Receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the dispensary services in a courteous, efficient and effective way.
Provide general assistance to the practice team and project a positive and friendly image to patients and other visitors, either in person or via the telephone
Job responsibilities:
- To have a thorough knowledge of all practice procedures.
- To work in accordance with written protocols
- Greeting patients at the dispensary desk and finding out what their query is.
- Distributing medication or prescriptions as required
- Handling payment for prescriptions in line with protocol and cashing up the till at the end of your shift.
Computer
- Computer data entry and updating medical records as required.
- Process patients' information using the EMIS clinical system
Telephone
- Have a working knowledge of the telephone; be able to answer the telephone in a polite and helpful manner.
Other Tasks
- Undertake any other tasks allocated by your manager.
Confidentiality:
- In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately
- In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential
- Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data
Health & safety:
The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others’ health, safety and security as defined in the practice health & safety policy, the practice health & safety manual, and the practice infection control policy and published procedures. This will include:
- Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
- Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
- Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
- Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards
- Actively reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
- Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holder’s role
- Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)
- Reporting potential risks identified
Equality and diversity:
The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:
- Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of people’s rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
- Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
- Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings, priorities and rights.
Personal/professional development:
The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:
- Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
- Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work
Quality:
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:
- Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
- Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
- Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the team’s performance
- Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
- Effectively manage own time, workload and resources
Communication:
The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
- Communicate effectively with other team members
- Communicate effectively with patients and carers
- Recognize people’s needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly
Contribution to the implementation of services:
The post-holder will:
- Apply practice policies, standards and guidance
- Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
- Participate in audit where appropriate
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Dispensary Counter Assistant – Person Specification
Qualifications and Experience
Essential
- IT literate
- GCSE Maths and English
Desirable
- Experience of working in a dispensing practice or pharmacy
- Experience of EMIS clinical system
- Experience of dealing with the public
Practical skills
Essential
- Excellent attention to detail
- Telephone skills
- Customer service skills environment
- Ability to work as part of an integrated multi-skilled team
- Ability to project a positive and friendly image to patients and visitors
Desirable
- Experience of handling cash
- Listening skills
- Ability to work in a changing environment
Innate Abilities and Enthusiastic
Essential
- Enthusiastic
- Quick Learner
- Flexibility of working hours
- Able to use own initiative
- Team worker
- Calm and self reliant
Desirable
- Able to be firm without appearing rude
- Ability to work under pressure
Pay: £8.00-£12.71 per hour
Application question(s):
- Please review the Person Specification document and include answers to these points within your application.
Work Location: In person
