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Aseptic Pharmacy Technician (Hospital)

NHS hospital pharmacy aseptic services provide sterile, controlled environments in which highly qualified staff prepare injectable medicines for IV transmitted antibiotics, chemotherapy, and monoclonal antibodies, as well as nutrition and cutting-edge medicines for cell therapy and clinical trials.

A lab technician

As an Aseptic Pharmacy Technician, you will work in a hospital working in either specialist units such as an Oncology unit (some are purpose built) or in aseptic services units in hospital alongside a pharmacist and assistants. 

This is a little-known route and although there are some cross over responsibilities and aspects of what you would do with a general pharmacy technician there is a lot of differences too. 

What would you do in the role:  

  • Aseptic dispensing and preparation: overseeing and maintaining the facilities used to prepare sterile medicines, including chemotherapy, total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and central intravenous additive services (CIVAS). 
  • Production: testing new methods for the safe production of new medicines. 
  • Radiopharmacy: manufacturing and supplying radioactive substances used in nuclear medicine. 
  • Quality assurance and control: conducting a range of chemical and microbiological tests on medicines to ensure they are safe to use. (Health Education England) 

Providing these services involves making and quality checking products for patients whose needs cannot be met by standard products from the hospital dispensary. Specialist products include chemotherapy, parenteral nutrition bags, morphine pump refills and rehydration fluids. This avoids the need to produce these items on the wards, helping to reduce the risk of infection to the patient and the hazards of chemicals to staff. 

The sector is therefore vital to providing care to some of the most complicated patients and it is this that makes the job so worthwhile. 

For an example of a daily role, it may be specialist nutrition is needed for a premature baby or that a chemotherapy clinic needs medication preparing for the day’s patients. The day is varied! It is also however a day in PPE and in a highly controlled environment so not without challenges. 

Pharmacy technical services roles are great for those who like challenge and variety. 

There is also an opportunity to work on clinical trials. This is particularly gratifying when you see something you have been involved with as a trial drug become a licensed medicine. 

Responsibilities

  • Maintaining a sterile environment 
  • Aseptic dispensing and preparation: overseeing and maintaining the facilities used to prepare sterile medicines, including chemotherapy, total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and central intravenous additive services (CIVAS). 
  • Production: developing methods for the safe production of new medicines. 
  • Radiopharmacy: manufacturing and supplying radioactive substances used in nuclear medicine. (If this was the role you are working in) 
  • Quality assurance and control: conducting a range of chemical and microbiological tests on medicines to ensure they are safe to use. 
  • Maintaining records and paperwork. Quality assurance and control and checking with colleagues and Pharmacist re integrity of the medicines prepared. Accuracy is critical.

Skills

  • Honesty and transparency: you need to be confident to report issues and mistakes. This is true in all pharmacy roles and an attribute you will need. 
  • Methodical and logical: do you thrive on data and facts? Then it’s for you. You need to have a quite methodical mindset and pattern of working. 
  • Attention to detail and professionalism: you will not necessarily be working under direct supervision but the quality and accuracy of what you do is critical so you must understand the gravity of that. You must hold yourself accountable to high standards. 

Salary

Newly-qualified pharmacy technicians will usually start in the NHS at band 4.  

Aseptic technician roles advertised currently at £27,022-£32,934 

Working hours

Pharmacy technicians working in the NHS will work standard hours of around 37.5 a week which may include shifts.  

Employers

NHS

Companies who specialise in aseptic readymade services. For example, some intravenous feed is prepared and then checked rather than made up on site in hospitals. As again are some drugs in for example pumps. 

Quantum in Durham 

 

Work experience

Work experience in any area of pharmacy work would support you to access employment in your future career often its easiest to look at work experience in a community pharmacy setting. 

Asking to volunteer at a hospital too at an early stage in your career is also of great benefit.

What to expect

You will be working in a very different environment, a sterile environment. You will be wearing PPE as well as working within an aseptic model.  

You will be providing services which involves making and quality checking products for patients whose needs cannot be met by standard products from the hospital dispensary.  

Specialist products include chemotherapy, parenteral nutrition bags, morphine pump refills and rehydration fluids. This avoids the need to produce these items on the wards, helping to reduce the risk of infection to the patient and the hazards of chemicals to staff. The environment will be one to maintain safe processes and mange risks to patients but will not be without its challenges to work in. 

Career Progression

You could train to be a Pharmacist. You can do a 2 year full-time pharmacy foundation degree and then apply for year two of an accredited MPharm degree. Another option is to become a pharmacy assessor working with trainee pharmacy technicians.

Accredited MPharm Degree Accredited Pharmacy Foundation Degrees Pharmacist (Hospital) Pharmacist (Community)

Routes to become a Aseptic Pharmacy Technician:

  • an apprenticeship 
  • a trainee position

 

NHS Health Careers

Apprenticeship

You could do a pharmacy technician advanced apprenticeship. 

You can also train to be a pharmacy technician through an apprenticeship in the armed forces.

All of Buttercups’ pharmacy technician training courses can be studied online, and they include: 

  • Pharmacy Technician Training Programme 
  • Vaccination Training 
  • Accuracy Checking Pharmacy Technician Course 

The National Pharmacy Association also provide a variety of courses for people working at all levels of the profession. 

Entry requirements 

You’ll usually need: 

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship. 

 

Guide to Apprenticeships NHS Jobs Army Pharmacy Technican Buttercups

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