Search

Releasing Officer

Production units provide controlled environments in which trained staff manufacture a range of products such as:

• Ready to Administer (RtA) products such as IV antibiotics.
• Systemic Anti-Cancer Treatments (SACT) such as chemotherapy.
• Parenteral Nutrition (PN).
• Cutting-edge treatments for both gene therapy and clinical trials.

Quality Control Inspectors examining pharmaceutical products on a production line.

What are NHS Technical Services

Technical services within the NHS are made up of the following services:

  • Aseptic Units: Carry out preparation and dispensing of patient-specific sterile medicines, including chemotherapy, parenteral nutrition (PN), central intravenous additive services (CIVAS) and clinical trials.
  • Production / Manufacturing Units: Carry out the manufacture of batches of medicines, including but not limited to chemotherapy, parenteral nutrition (PN) and central intravenous additive services (CIVAS), clinical trials and gene therapy.
  • Radiopharmacy: Carry out manufacturing and supplying radioactive substances used in nuclear medicine.
  • Quality Assurance (QA): Are responsible for ensuring that the final products conform to the appropriate quality. They are responsible for the creation and maintenance of the quality system used within technical services and are involved with the assessment of the quality of unlicensed medicines.
  • Quality Control (QC): Carry out a range of chemical and microbiological tests on medicines and materials to ensure they are safe to use.

The releasing officer role is a specific role to facilities operating within a Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Manufacturing Specials (MS) licence or Manufacture / Importation of licenced medicinal products (MIA) licence.

MS production units (also referred to as manufacturing units) manufacture or assemble batches under the responsibility of a Head of Production and a Head of Quality.

What is the Role?

As a Releasing Officer, you will be required to work closely with the Head of Quality to maintain the quality systems across, production, quality assurance and quality control as required by MS and MIA licences.

Within a production unit, it is most likely that the manufacture of products such as Systemic Anti-Cancer Treatments (SACT) including chemotherapy, Parenteral Nutrition (PN) and Ready to Administer (RtAs) products is carried out by a Manufacturing Operative or Manufacturing Technician.

To ensure the quality and sterility of these products, activities would be carried out within pharmaceutical-grade cleanrooms, isolators, and laminar flow systems by production operatives.

Production Operatives also carry out the assembly of over-labelled products for use at the ward level within a production unit.

What would you do in the role?

  • To be responsible for the approval or rejection of raw materials, manufactured finished products and packaging materials.
  • Responsible for the approval or rejection of all raw materials, and for writing their receipt of goods specifications.
  • To evaluate batch manufacturing records and batch packing records, before release or rejection of a batch.
  • To assist in the supervision and training of manufacturing/production staff.
  • Carry out line management duties for QA or QC staff.

Products are manufactured within production units for several reasons such as:

  • Ensures the quality of the products are fit for purpose.
  • Safe for the nursing teams as some products are hazardous to their health.
  • Reduce the risk of infection in patients.
  • The use of automated and semi-automated technologies can increase the output of products.
  • Products can be manufactured within small-scale batch sizes to realise manufacturing efficiencies.

Within a Production Unit, the team may consist of Pharmacy Assistants, Manufacturing Operatives, Manufacturing Technicians (including both Pharmacy Technicians and Science Manufacturing Technicians), Pharmacists and Scientists.

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

If you want to make an impact on patients’ lives but do not want to engage in patient contact this role is for you.

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

Responsibilities

  • To be responsible for the approval or rejection of raw materials, manufactured finished products and packaging materials.
  • Generate Certificates of Conformity and Certificates of Analysis for external clients.
  • To be responsible for the review of documentation and physical stock in the manufacturing unit.
  • Responsible for the approval or rejection of all raw materials, and for writing their receipt of goods specifications.
  • To evaluate batch manufacturing records and batch packing records, before release or rejection of a batch.
  • To be familiar with the chemical and microbiological testing carried out in the Quality Control Laboratory.
  • To be responsible for the development of staff through line management duties.

Skills

  • You must be able to demonstrate a high level of good manufacturing practice (GMP) and good laboratory practice (GLP).
  • You must have good communication skills, used within the delivery of training and regular quality meetings.
  • You must be able to demonstrate an ability to perform accurate and complex calculations.
  • You must be trustworthy, so that you are able to work unsupervised in a professional manner.

Salary

A Releasing Officer working within the NHS is generally a band 5 or 6 level, however, this is dependent on the size of the facility and the designated responsibility.

Band 5: £28,407 – £34,581

Band 6: £35,392 – £42,618

(Based on 2023/2024 pay scales)

More information on the pay, pensions and rewards, can be found on the NHS Employers website.

Working hours

A Releasing Officer working in the NHS will generally work 37.5 a week.

The working models of each NHS organisation may vary therefore you may have to work the following models:

  • 9-5 Monday to Friday
  • Shift working
  • 7-day working

Employers

NHS Organisations.

Similar roles are available outside of the NHS such as Quantum in Durham.

Work experience

Work experience in any area of the NHS would support you to access employment in your future career.

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

What to expect

You will be working in a very different environment, staff are required to wear cleanroom clothing, hair nets, beard nets, gloves and occasionally masks. Staff are not allowed to wear makeup, false nails, false eyelashes, jewellery when working within the cleanrooms to maintain the strictly controlled environment to project the products and patients.

A cleanroom lab

Cold room environment

You may have to work within a cold room environment (2°c-8°c) for a short period to carry out the final release of products. Appropriate clothing would likely be supplied to be able to undertake these activities.

Microbiologist is open the cleanroom door to enter

Career Progression

There are several career opportunities such as:

  • Senior Releasing Officer
  • Head of Quality
  • Head of QC
  • Qualified Person (QP)
  • Laboratory Manager
  • Quality Manager

Further training could also be gained in the form of:

  • MSc in Pharmacy Technology and Quality Assurance

A full range of roles can be found within the career escalator tool.

Routes to become a Releasing Officer

To become a Releasing Officer within the NHS you will likely need to be registered with a relevant professional body such as:

  • General Pharmaceutical Council
    • Pharmacist
    • Pharmacy Technician
  • Academy for Healthcare Science
    • Science Trainee Program (STP) graduate
  • Science Council
    • Science Manufacturing Technician (SMT)

To become a Pharmacist, you must have completed a Master’s Pharmacy (MPharm) degree and have completed the one-year foundation training post-qualification.

To become a Pharmacy Technician, you must have completed a two-year accredited pharmacy technician course. This is likely to be in the form of a level 3 apprenticeship.

To become a STP, you must have a 1:1 or 2:1 in either undergraduate honours degree or an integrated master’s degree, in a pure or applied science subject.

To become a SMT, you must have completed a two-year accredited science manufacturing technician course. This is likely to be in the form of a level 3 apprenticeship.

Useful links