About this role
Job summary
Following investment in Pharmacy Production Services at Kettering General Hospital and across University Hospitals of Northamptonshire, we are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Aseptic Services Technician to join our expanding team.
You will work within our aseptic unit, preparing and supplying high-quality medicines that support patient care and helping deliver a safe, efficient and responsive service.
We welcome applications from:
- Qualified Pharmacy Technicians
- Qualified Science Manufacturing Technicians (SMTs)
- Those undertaking an SMT apprenticeship/training programme who expect to qualify within 12 months
Applicants who have not yet completed their SMT qualification but can transfer their training to Kettering General Hospital will initially be appointed as a Band 3 Aseptic Services Support Worker (job description available on request). On successful completion of the SMT qualification and required competencies, they will automatically progress to the substantive Band 4 Aseptic Services Technician post.
We are looking for people with excellent attention to detail who work well in a regulated, multidisciplinary environment, are committed to quality, patient safety and continuous improvement, and have an interest and experience in aseptic preparation, manufacturing and pharmacy services.
Join us and help develop aseptic services across UHN.
Main duties of the job
Be an integral part of the Pharmacy Team developing Aseptic Services for the patients and staff of this Trust and other local healthcare providers.
Participate in the provision of aseptically prepared intravenous medicines using technical skills.
Co-ordinate the day-to-day operations of aseptic services unit within pharmacy to ensure optimal workflow
About us
Please submit your application as soon as possible, as we reserve the right to close adverts once sufficient applications have been received.
We recognise that AI tools can support application writing; however, candidates are asked to keep their use to a minimum. Responses should reflect your own experience, skills and knowledge, as over-reliance on AI-generated content may result in generic answers that do not accurately represent your abilities.
University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN) brings together Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust. As a group, we are committed to improving services for our communities through collaboration, modernising care delivery and striving for excellence. Working together enables us to share expertise, strengthen services and create greater opportunities, and there may be a requirement to work across sites depending on service needs.
Our Excellence Values are Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Integrity and Courage. UHN welcomes applications from all backgrounds and is committed to an inclusive working environment. We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and hold the Gold Award under the Employer Recognition Scheme. Candidates who identify as members of the Armed Forces community and meet the essential criteria will be guaranteed an interview.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Assist in the provision of aseptically prepared pharmaceuticals (batches and patient specific). This will include the following tasks, all performed accurately and following SOPs:
Completes weekly rotas, assigning tasks to manufacturing team.
Co-ordinate the day-to-day workload, ensuring items are manufactured in a timely manner and colleagues are supported. This will involve regular communication with clinics and external customers regarding issues with and progress on production on patients' treatment, allocation of workload to each member of the team, taking go-aheads and authorisations for treatment
Assist in dealing with queries and issues raised by clinics/ customers which may require coping with time constrained or challenging situations Always follow good manufacturing practice (GMP) in line with MHRA and EU GMP regulatory guidelines as taught by internal and external sources.
Generate worksheets and labels, ensuring medicines are charged correctly using the pharmacy computer system.
In-process check worksheets and labels, ensuring medicines are charged correctly.
Assemble drugs, diluents, and consumables prior to aseptic dispensing.
Participate in in-process checks of drugs, diluents, and consumables prior to aseptic dispensing.
Assist with decontamination of products from the support room & cleanroom prior to preparation (spraying and wiping).
Check /prepare the isolators are ready for use before each session.
Prepare chemotherapy (including IV/SC/IM Cytotoxic preparations) using appropriate equipment (such as isolators) and aseptic techniques.
Aseptically dispense injections and infusions within the appropriate work zone.
In-process volume check injections and infusions.
Final pack and label prepared items and pass them to the final checking stage.
Dispense batched products, including product selection, labelling and packaging, including parental nutrition. Order and dispense outsourced patient specific items, including parental nutrition. Provide advice to other clinical professionals on available parenteral nutrition and processes to ordering and dispensing.
Be registered as a named person on the Intrathecal Chemotherapy register, in order to complete the above tasks for Intrathecal drugs.
Final check dispensed parental nutrition or other aseptic items manufactured by external suppliers.
Issue final checked and released manufactured items against authorised Chemocare prescriptions and validated prescriptions.
Final check batched aseptic items & take these to QA for release.
Support less experienced staff and students by demonstrating/ explaining duties to aid their training and engagement
Only complete the above tasks if validations and competencies have been completed and authorised, and to keep all validations and competencies for the above tasks in date.
Person Specification
Educations, Training and Qualifications
Essential
- Four GCSE's (or equivalent), at grade C or above; to include English and Maths.
- NVQ2 in Pharmacy Services or equivalent qualification
- Qualified Pharmacy Technician; NVQ Level 3 in Pharmacy Services, or equivalent qualification as a Pharmacy Technician OR Qualified Science Manufacturing Technician; Full Science Manufacturing Technician Level 3 Standard OR Bachelors degree in pharmacy, pharmaceutical science or related science subject.
Desirable
- Experience equivalent to NVQ Level 3 (on the job training will be provided).
- Professional registration with GPhC, Science Council or Royal Pharmaceutical Society
- Aseptic Preparation and Dispensing of Medicines
- NVQ A1 Assessor
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- In depth understanding of GMP.
- Knowledge of practice in hospital Aseptic Services.
- Training of other staff.
- Supervisory Role
Desirable
- Experience of counselling patients in the use of their medicines.
- Experience of final checking
- Experience of GCP / setting up clinical trials within an aseptic unit.
- Experience of creating debtor forms, dealing with invoice queries.
- Experience of conducting risk assessments and COSHH assessments.
- Experience in the set-up of electronic systems e.g. EQMS or EMIS
- Experience of implementing CAPA
- Experience of NVQ assessing
Skills
Essential
- Skills Good communication skills
- Computer skills (dispensing, stock control)
- Use of Microsoft office applications, e.g. excel, word
Key Competencies/Personal Qualities and Attributes
Essential
- Passionate and committed to bring our Dedicated to Excellence values to life, improving the way we work with each other, particularly focusing on empowerment, equality, diversity and inclusion of our staff, patients and service users.
- Both full time and part time candidates should have the ability to work shifts that will cover 7 days of the week
- Enthusiasm for the job
- Self-motivated
- Appearance of cleanliness and good personal hygiene
- Accurate
- Ability to work independently and in a team
- Good time management
- Ability to work effectively under pressure
- Evidence of good attendance record
Desirable
- Able to undertake aseptic manipulations in isolators
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Address
University Hospitals of Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Kettering
NN16 8UZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.kgh.nhs.uk/working-for-us (Opens in a new tab)