Dispensing Assistant

Job responsibilities

ROLE DEFINITION:

The post-holder will:

• Project a positive and friendly image to dispensary patients and other visitors and deal with queries in a professional, courteous and efficient way.

• Assist in the preparation, dispensing and sale of prescriptions and assist with stock control, ordering and re-stocking of the dispensary.

• Provide quick, efficient and accurate dispensing of medication to the patients and to assist in ensuring effective financial control of the dispensary.

• Process all relevant prescriptions as authorised by GPs in accordance with the principles of good practice.

  Dispensary Duties:

• Issuing stock items and prepared prescriptions.
• Dispensing acute, repeat and private prescriptions
• Ensuring that all medicines and appliances dispensed are checked against the prescription and whenever there is doubt about the appropriateness of the item, or about the dose or labelling instructions to check with the authorising doctor or duty doctor.
• Collecting all due prescription charges and ensure that the patient declaration on the reverse of the FP10 is duly filled in and signed by the patient.
• Ensuring that all monies received or handled on behalf of the practice are appropriately stored and banked, and a record kept of all financial transactions.
• Maintaining full and accurate records of all dispensing transactions.
• Operating efficient stock control appropriate to the needs of the practice, with the objective of ensuring continuity of supply for patients and minimising wastage through out of date stock.
• Ensuring that drugs are received and stored in an appropriate manner in accordance with the accompanying instructions.
• Ensuring that refrigerated items are stored at the appropriate temperature and assist in maintaining the temperature control record/logbook.
• Ensuring that shelves and all work surfaces are regularly cleaned to maintain a high level of hygiene within the dispensary and that all dispensary equipment is kept clean and is in good working order.
• Taking prompt action in response to any drug alert bulletins that may be received from time to time.
• Maintain the appropriate controlled drugs records with reference to the SOP
• Carry out stock control checks including those required for controlled drugs
• Assist in the collation of the documentation for submission to the PPA to ensure that the deadlines for submission are met.
• Assist in the receipt of medication from the wholesaler
• To ensure that patients are received assisted and directed appropriately in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way.
• Provide general assistance to the practice team and project a positive and friendly image to patients and other visitors, either in person or via the telephone.

Telephone Duties:

• Receiving calls, taking messages and dealing with them in an appropriate and accurate manner
• Making telephone calls as requested, including ordering ambulances
• Follow the procedure to divert the telephone system as and when necessary
• Divert calls and take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery

Patient notes and correspondence:

• Retrieve and re-file records as required, ensuring strict alphabetical order is adhered to

• Ensure records are kept in good repair with all necessary information on the outside cover clearly visible

Premises:

• Open up premises at the start of the day when first to arrive and make all necessary preparations to receive patients

• When last to leave at the end of the day, ensure that the building is totally secured, internal lights are off and the alarm activated.

• Extract medical records for appointments, visits, clinics or as requested
• To be available to the clinical staff during surgery hours to ensure the smooth running of surgery
• Operation of computer for appointments system, etc.
• Maintaining tidiness and general maintenance of working areas, consulting, waiting areas and immediate garden areas

Computer Duties:

• Ensure all prescriptions are processed accurately and available to doctors to check and sign prior to and on completion of surgery
• Ensure all tasks identified by Clinical staff and Practice Managers are processed accurately
• To report IT and telephone faults and rectify as appropriate

Confidentiality:

• In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately
• In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential
• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data

Health & safety:

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the practice Health & Safety Policy, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include:

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards
• Actively reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
• Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holders role
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)
• Reporting potential risks identified

Equality and diversity:

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

• Acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
• Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/Professional development:

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work

Quality:

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:

• Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
• Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
• Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

Communication:

The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

• Communicate effectively with other team members
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers
• Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Contribution to the implementation of services:

The post-holder will:

• Apply practice policies, standards and guidance
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
• Participate in audit where appropriate

Qualifications

Essential

• Minimum of 4 GCSE's or equivalent

Desirable

• GCSE Maths and English
• NVQ Level 2 Certificate in Pharmacy Services (or equivalent)

Experience

Essential

• No previous experience is necessary as full training and support would be provided

Desirable

• Experience of dispensing
• Experience of working with the public
• Experience of handling cash and card machine
• Experience of working within a GP Practice

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Keyboard and computer skills

Desirable

• Experience of using EMIS Web clinical system
• Experience with the use of Microsoft Office software

Qualities & Attributes

Essential

• Willingness to learn
• Ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness and common sense
• Ability to work as part of an integrated multi-skilled team
• Pleasant and articulate
• Flexible

Desirable

• Ability to work without direct supervision and determine own workload priorities
• Able to work under pressure
• Able to work in a changing environment

Other

Essential

• Flexibility
• Enthusiasm
• Sense of humour

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).