Advert
We are a small, friendly GP Practice looking to appoint a Dispensary Assistant within our Dispensary team.
Job Description: GP Dispensary Assistant
Job Title: Dispensary Assistant
Responsible to: Dispensary Manager / Practice Manager / GP Partners
Location: GP Practice Dispensary located at Ashwell Surgery
Hours: 25 per week
Mondays 14.00-18.00
Tuesdays 08.30-13.30
Thursday 09.00-18.00
Friday 09.00-18.00
Job Purpose
To assist in the safe, accurate, and efficient dispensing of medicines to registered dispensing patients of the practice. To provide excellent patient service, support the clinical team in medicines management, and ensure compliance with dispensing protocols, NHS regulations, and practice policies.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- Accurately dispense prescriptions under the supervision of the dispensary manager or pharmacist.
- Ensure prescriptions are checked, prepared, and issued in line with practice protocols and legal requirements.
- Provide advice to patients on the safe use of medicines within the limits of training and competence.
- Manage stock, including ordering, receiving, rotation, and monitoring expiry dates.
- Support the dispensary team in controlled drug procedures, including record-keeping and stock checks.
- Process repeat prescription requests in line with practice policy.
- Liaise with GPs, nurses, and practice staff regarding patient prescriptions and queries.
- Handle patient enquiries in person and over the phone professionally, maintaining confidentiality.
- Assist in maintaining accurate patient records on clinical IT systems (e.g., EMIS / SystmOne).
- Participate in audits, quality improvement, and dispensing error reporting.
- Ensure the dispensary environment is safe, clean, and well-organised.
- Undertake training and maintain competence in line with NHS and practice requirements.
Person Specification: GP Dispensary Assistant
Essential Criteria
Qualifications & Knowledge
- GCSEs (or equivalent) including English and Maths.
- Knowledge of dispensing processes (or willingness to learn in-practice).
Skills & Competencies
- Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
- Good organisational and time management skills.
- Effective communication skills with patients and healthcare staff.
- Ability to follow written protocols and standard operating procedures.
- Competent in using IT systems for dispensing and records management.
Personal Qualities
- Reliable, responsible, and professional.
- Patient-focused, empathetic, and approachable.
- Ability to work calmly under pressure.
- Willingness to undertake further training (e.g., NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services).
- Commitment to confidentiality and safeguarding principles.
Desirable Criteria
- Previous experience in a GP practice dispensary or community pharmacy.
- NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services / Dispensing Assistant, or working towards it.
- Familiarity with GP clinical systems (SystmOne).
- Understanding of NHS prescribing and repeat prescription processes.
- Experience in stock control and medicines management.
Any other duties
· Any other duties commensurate with skills and responsibilities
Confidentiality and information Governance
- 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
- The post holder will manage, process, store and / or use the data held only in line with the Practice information governance policy and will report any breaches / incidences where patient confidentiality has been broken to the Practice Manager or Information Governance lead as soon as they are aware. The post holder will also participate and undertake annual information governance / confidentiality training as directed by the information governance lead and / or Practice Manage.
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, free from hazards
- Actively reporting 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
- Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
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 recognises 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 that 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, with 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 recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
- Communicate effectively with other team members
- Communicate effectively with patients and carers
- Recognise 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
Pay: From £12.75 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
