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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 Technician - REAS
NHS Lothian Pharmacy & Medicines Service
Royal Edinburgh Hospital
Band 4 | 1.0 WTE | 37 Hours
Fixed Term/Secondment | 24 Months
£31,537 - £34,303
(includes public holiday commitment, flexible working considered)
Are you a pharmacy technician ready to take the next step in your career by joining a dynamic and pro-active clinical technical team?
We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic and highly motivated pharmacy technician to join the clinical pharmacy technical team based at Royal Edinburgh Hospital. The post holder will be working both with the pharmacy and multidisciplinary teams in patient-facing roles across the in-patient setting, supporting the completion of medication histories, medicines management, and providing patient counselling.
About the Role
We are looking for a pharmacy technician to join the Royal Edinburgh Hospital team, someone who is detail-oriented and passionate about improving patient outcomes through safe and effective medicines use. The post will be based within the Royal Edinburgh Hospital and involves working closely with both pharmacy and multidisciplinary teams to ensure the safe, timely, and effective use of medicines. Your responsibilities will include:
- Taking comprehensive medication histories upon patient admission
- Supporting medicines management
- Providing counselling to patients to promote understanding and adherence to their medication regimens
- Working independently at times and liaising with wider pharmacy team to ensure patient care
Why Join Us?
This is an exciting time to join our Pharmacy team, where we are committed to service modernisation and value our staff experience. As part of our workforce plan, we are now recruiting talented and enthusiastic pharmacy technicians to join our diverse staff group. We are a growing service offering a variety of patient-centred roles across many specialist areas within Mental Health.
Here’s why this role could be perfect for you:
- Career progression: 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
Essential Qualifications and Experience:
- Registered Pharmacy Technicians with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), or
- Pre-Registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician (PTPT) looking to register as a pharmacy technician in by January 2026
- Possession of a National Certificate in Pharmacy Services and Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) Level 3 in Pharmacy Services, or equivalent
- A strong commitment to improving patient care through proactive, evidence-based pharmaceutical services
About NHS Lothian
NHS Lothian is the second-largest health system in Scotland, covering Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, and West Lothian. Our Pharmacy & Medicines Service is driven by a commitment to clinically led, person-centred care, ensuring every patient benefits from safe, effective, and efficient pharmaceutical services.
We foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and professional development, making NHS Lothian an exciting place to work and grow your career.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
For further information on what is included in the role and the skills/experience we’re looking for, please refer to the job description and person specification linked below. However, we understand that there's only so much a job pack can convey. That’s why we encourage you to reach out for an informal conversation to learn more about this exciting opportunity.
For internal candidates: Please ensure that you have discussed your application with your line manager and that a completed and signed 'Pharmacy Secondment Approval Form' has been authorised prior to attending your interview.
Contact:
Karen Drury - Clinical Pharmacy Technician 📧 Email: karen.drury@nhs.scot 📞 0131 537 6595
OR
Karen Millar - Clinical Pharmacy Technician 📧 Email: karen.millar@nhs.scot 📞 0131 537 6595
As from 1/4/26, the Agenda for Change full-time working week will be reducing from 37 to 36 hours per week. Part time hours will be reduced pro-rata. However, there will be a corresponding increase in the hourly rate so that pay will not be affected.
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.
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.
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. Further information on what NHS Scotland Boards are required to do to check this as well as what your responsibilities include can be found in the further information for this vacancy.
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Tip: Think of AI as a helper, not a substitute. We want to understand you—not an AI tool.
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.