Specialist Pharmacy Technician - Pharmacy Procurement and Homecare

Job responsibilities

Pharmacy Procurement

To manage the provision of general procurement duties in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures and the legal framework for the supply of medicines: including placing orders via phone/fax/internet/e-ordering portal, receiving goods using the stock control system and processing authorised invoices for payment.

To management medicines shortages and supply problems under the direction of the Principal Pharmacist Supply Services and in liaison with Medicines Information and the relevant Clinical Pharmacists. The role will involve sourcing acceptable alternatives and liaison with colleagues in Trusts throughout the South West as appropriate.

Approving medicines orders up to £30 000 under the Trusts financial scheme of delegation.

Ordering and receipting stationery and equipment on the Unit 4.

Responsible for developing and maintaining department operational policies.

Maintaining professional relationships with staff and suppliers using vendor rating to feedback performance and suggest improvements.

Monitor inventory levels to achieve optimal service performance.

Monitor supplier performance; implement improvements to rectify poor performance.

CPD, attending local meetings to keep updated with ongoing changes and new systems.

Booking and taking part in meetings with company representatives. Exchanging information, agreeing levels and prices under the supervision of the Lead Procurement Technician.

Undertake Good Distribution Practice (GDP) training to ensure procurement activities are in line with our responsibilities as a wholesale distributor.

To assist in the set up of new medicines profiles on the RCHT pharmacy stock control system to ensure accurate files are maintained in an efficient and consistent manner.

Assist in the reporting of purchasing data locally, regionally and nationally.

Ensure medicines are purchased in the most cost-effective manner within the constraints of contracting agreements.

Ensure all procurement of medicines is within Trust policies, complying with regional and national contracts.

Manage invoice query resolution promptly an efficiently. Liaising with the supplier and finance staff regarding queries and payment problems.

Support the outsourced outpatient unit with sourcing appropriate products and pricing.

Act as a superuser on the pharmacy automated dispensing machine (robot)

Act as an administrator on the pharmacy stock control system

Act as an administrator on the pharmacy e-commerce portal.

Contract Management

To deputise for the Chief Technician Procurement at South West/Peninsula Purchasing Supply Alliance (PPSA) meetings and tender adjudications.

Support colleagues in tenders which relate to medicines and medical gases. Support in other contract management for items/services in relation to pharmacy needs.

Liaising with other procurement officials via email to keep all current/future information up-dated. PPSA and Commercial Medicines Unit (CMU) officials.

To represent RCHT at wholesaler service review meetings to assess performance against key performance indicators (KPIs) and suggest remedial action needed and escalate concerns in supplier performance to Chief Technician Procurement/Principal Pharmacist Supply Services.

To meet regularly with key account managers for pharmaceutical companies on behalf of RCHT to ensure compliance with volume commitments and monitor services and contract details.

Managing the procurement department and its staff. Delegating duties and keeping staff updated with training issues. Training students and covering certain duties to cover absence of the Procurement Officer

Produce Carter procurement metrics and submit on a monthly basis to the Regional Medicines Procurement Specialist (South West)

Monitor and log Wholesaler issues and report to Procurement Lead

Responsible for overseeing the daily stock checks and High Cost Drug monthly print and ensuring all discrepancies are rectified in a timely manner

Collate KPI information for the Chief Pharmacist

Responsible for the ordering and documentation of drugs with special order conditions/ PAS schemes (for example Iressa and Apremilast)

Ensure National, Regional, Peninsula and Trust procurement contracts and agreements are up to date and maintained on the Pharmacy computer system.

Homecare and High Cost Drugs

To actively support clinicians to manage the switch to Biosimilar Biologics.

To maintain databases for all Homecare patients on adalimumab

To be accountable for the day to day management of switch of homecare services for Adalimumab acquired by the Trust and provide assurance to the Chief Pharmacist, the responsible person, for all Biologic homecare services in accordance with the Hackett report. Guidance provided by peers and / or external reference points.

To actively support service level review meetings for all therapy areas currently using Biologics in homecare.

Collate the required data to ensure third party providers for homecare and out-patient services meet the agreed KPIs.

To liaise with the homecare suppliers, undertake audits and data collection as necessary to enable a review of services.

To advise the Chief Pharmacist and assist in the strategic development of new homecare services.

To support the processing and validating of all invoices for Biologics homecare

Provide the Lead Technician with monthly reports on all Patient Access Schemes medicines used within RCHT and maintain reporting databases as required

Identify any potential CIPs on high cost medicines.

To prepare reports for RCHT and local commissioners to demonstrate savings made on high cost drugs

To co-ordinate the homecare work process in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures, safe working systems and the legal framework for the supply of medicines.

To assist and implement new systems of work in response to developments in service provision and liaise with other departments, directorates and Trusts to develop the role of pharmacy, in particular, technical and support staff.

To support the development and maintenance of systems for reporting on the utilisation of patient assess schemes and homecare services.

To investigate patient or staff led complaints involving or relating to biologics homecare

To undertake prescription screening on homecare prescriptions completed by pharmacists prescribers working to protocols.

Participate in the departmental audit programs

Advising patients via the homecare helpline on subjects such as antibiotic usage and out of temperature medicines using a written protocol.

Human Resources

To deputise for the Chief Pharmacy Technician when required, managing the procurement team.

To line manage and appraise assigned staff.

To attend relevant training to manage staff

To participate in staff recruitment and retention in line with HR processes

To provide professional leadership and motivate and inspire other staff inside and outside of the pharmacy service to act as a role model.

Support colleagues in tenders which relate to medicines and medical gases. Support in other contract management for items/services in relation to pharmacy needs.

Liaising with other procurement officials via email to keep all current/future information up-dated. PPSA and Commercial Medicines Unit (CMU) officials.

To represent RCHT at wholesaler service review meetings to assess performance against key performance indicators (KPIs) and suggest remedial action needed and escalate concerns in supplier performance to Chief Technician Procurement/Principal Pharmacist Supply Services.

To meet regularly with key account managers for pharmaceutical companies on behalf of RCHT to ensure compliance with volume commitments and monitor services and contract details.

Managing the procurement department and its staff. Delegating duties and keeping staff updated with training issues. Training students and covering certain duties to cover absence of the Procurement Officer

Produce Carter procurement metrics and submit on a monthly basis to the Regional Medicines Procurement Specialist (South West)

Monitor and log Wholesaler issues and report to Procurement Lead

Responsible for overseeing the daily stock checks and High Cost Drug monthly print and ensuring all discrepancies are rectified in a timely manner

Collate KPI information for the Chief Pharmacist

Responsible for the ordering and documentation of drugs with special order conditions/ PAS schemes

Ensure National, Regional, Peninsula and Trust procurement contracts and agreements are up to date and maintained on the Pharmacy computer system.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Pharmacy Technician
• Pharmacy Technician Certificate through City and Guilds, Apothecaries Hall, BTEC or NVQ level 3 in Pharmaceutical Science
• Working towards or willing to work towards (if developmental role) Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) Advanced Certificate or equivalent

Desirable

• Accredited checking pharmacy technician or equivalent checking accreditation in Medicines Homecare

Experience

Essential

• Experience involving the supply and/or purchase of medicines
• Previous experience in hospital or community pharmacy involving purchasing.
• Experience in using Microsoft office.

Desirable

• Experience in supply and technical services (dispensary and aseptics/chemo-therapy)

Practical and intellectuals skills (including any specilaist knowledge)

Essential

• Numerate and with excellent interpersonal skills
• Negotiating skills
• Able to interpret complex financial information concerning contract offers, evaluate and present options
• Knowledge of contracting process
• Understanding of formulary processes

Desirable

• Knowledge and experience of using pharmacy software systems (ie Wellsky, CMM)
• Knowledge and experience of using PowerGate or Medecator

Disposition

Essential

• Able to lead and work as part of a team
• Able to set own priorities

Training

Essential

• Mandatory training
• Willingness to learn new skills

Physical make-up

Essential

• Able to meet the demands of role

Mental effort

Essential

• High levels of concentration and accuracy required against a background of frequent interruptions
• Urgent nature of some requests requires a high degree of mental effort
• Able to cope with occasional distressing situations involving patients' relatives
• Able to cope with anxious staff concerning urgent supplies and suppliers

Other requirements

Essential

• Able to work the hours required and Saturdays and Bank Holidays if requested.
• A Disclosure and Barring Service check satisfactory to the organisation.
• Post-holder must comply with professional code of conduct and / or code of conduct for NHS managers where applicable

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

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