Pharmacy Production Assistant

As a Pharmacy Assistant working within Aseptics you will assist both Pharmacy and Science Manufacturing Technicians to ensure the smooth running of the Aseptic Unit.

You will participate in the cleaning and preparation of the Aseptic Unit and its equipment and supplies ready for the compounding of sterile products in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). Following appropriate training you will also prepare and supply RtA injectable medicines for patients.

These roles typically do not have any direct contact with patients.

Pharmacy Production Assistant is also known as Pharmacy Services Assistant, Pharmacy Support Worker, Science Manufacturing, Process Operative, Aseptic Pharmacy Assistant .

Role Characteristics

Assist in the provision of a high quality aseptic pharmaceutical dispensing service to all users of the service
Work unsupervised in a laboratory to mix and compound aseptic products such as cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs to create special chemotherapy products
Work closely with the Quality Assurance Unit to ensure compliance with laboratory systems and maintain high standards
Undertake day to day housekeeping tasks and other basic duties
Responsible for checking and processing special aseptic pharmaceutical products
Ensure that all stock transactions are appropriately recorded on the pharmacy computer system

Skills

Attention to detail
Following instructions
Operating equipment
Record keeping
Team work
Specialist skills

Day in the life

Watch the video to find out all about the Aseptic Unit in a hospital.

Routes into this role

Here are some example routes that can lead into this role.

Apply directly

GCSEs

BTEC

An apprenticeship

How to become

There are many routes into the role of an Pharmacy Production Assistant, these include apprenticeships or on the job training.

You will normally need 5 GCSEs including English, maths and sciences. However, volunteering and work experience is valued by employers.

You will need Entry Level: Level 1 Maths and English and an NVQ Level 2 Apprenticeship is available to entrants with no prior pharmacy qualifications.

It is important to check your preferred course provider's entry requirements for guidance.

Where can this role lead

No matter what role you start in or where you are in your career path, there are always opportunities to develop and progress in health and care.

With further experience and training you may be able to develop your career further in areas such as management, research or teaching. Healthcare Science staff are at the forefront of research and innovation and it is a very fast paced environment with a wide range of opportunities.