Job summary
As an apprentice pharmacy technician, you will be trained across an acute care setting using both on and off the job learning. This will provide you with the underpinning knowledge and skill set necessary for you to dispense medications, receive and validate prescriptions, communicate with patients and other healthcare professionals and optimise patients' use of medications.
As an apprentice working within a hospital setting under the supervision of pharmacists and qualified pharmacy technicians, you will be trained to work as part of a multi-professional team, checking patients own medications, suppling medications to individuals, obtaining accurate drug histories for individuals and counselling patients for best practice on the use of their medications.
You will complete a 2-year course provided by the University of East Anglia which includes:
o Attending at mixture of face to face and online study days
o Completing online assessments
o Completing an e-Portfolio of work-based assessments and other evidence designed to meet the GPhC standards of initial education and training of pharmacy technicians
To support you in completing this work you will be provided with study time during working hours but will also be expected to commit to at least 8-10 hours of study per week outside of the workplace.
You will be allocated an education supervisor who will support you in the workplace, and a UEA tutor who will support you with the course.
Main duties of the job
Pharmacy Technicians manage the supply of medicines and devices in pharmacy, assist Pharmacists with advisory services and are responsible for carrying out both routine and specialist services, including highly complex activities requiring them to use their professional judgement. They are expected to work both individually and as part of a multi-disciplinary team. They are able to work with minimum supervision, with a high degree of autonomy, taking responsibility for the quality and accuracy of the work that they have undertaken and that of others.
As a Pharmacy Technician Apprentice, you will be trained with the knowledge and skills to optimise patients' use of medicines.
In the dispensary: Dispense medication, receive and validate prescriptions, communicate with patients and other healthcare professionals.
In the ward setting: Work as part of a multi-professional team to check patients own drugs and supply medications for individuals, take patient drug histories, undertake medicines reconciliation, counsel patients on the use of their medicines as required under supervision of a Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician.
About us
#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community
We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.
The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.
Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.
We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.
With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.
We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyone's voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.
Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attached Job Description and Personal Specification attached to view main responsibilities of role.
This position is not covered by the health and Social Care Visa; and does not meet the requirements for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker (Tier 2) visa.
Applicants must have been ordinarily resident within the UK for 3 years as training is funded by the UK Apprenticeship scheme.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attached Job Description and Personal Specification attached to view main responsibilities of role.
This position is not covered by the health and Social Care Visa; and does not meet the requirements for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker (Tier 2) visa.
Applicants must have been ordinarily resident within the UK for 3 years as training is funded by the UK Apprenticeship scheme.
Person Specification
Education & Qualifications
Essential
- oFour GCSEs grade C/level 4 or above (or equivalent qualification), including Mathematics, English Language, Science and one other
Desirable
- oLevel 2 in Pharmaceutical Science
- oTwo A levels (or working towards) or equivalent
- oExperience of working in a Pharmacy or Healthcare environment
Experience & Knowledge
Essential
- oGood IT skills
- oAbility to work as a team and under own initiative
Desirable
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- oExpected to deal with members of the public and other health care workers in a professional manner
- oClose liaison with co-workers in the department is vital
- oExpected to participate on Saturday, Sunday, Bank holiday and late rotas
Personal Qualities
Essential
- oGood team member
- oGood communications skills (both verbal and written)
- oAbility to work in an organised and calm fashion in a busy environment
- oFlexibility to work in different sections of the department
- oAbility to work to deadlines and to meet agreed objectives
- oAbility to lift, using appropriate lifting aids if necessary
- oHigh level of self-motivation
- oPositive attitude towards personal / self-development
- oGood time keeping
- oTrustworthy and reliable
- oAttention to detail
- oAble to accept direction
- oAble to demonstrate a commitment and understanding of the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect appropriate to their individual needs Show professional attitude and demeanour including courteous interaction with team members, managers, other staff members and patients.
Person Specification
Education & Qualifications
Essential
- oFour GCSEs grade C/level 4 or above (or equivalent qualification), including Mathematics, English Language, Science and one other
Desirable
- oLevel 2 in Pharmaceutical Science
- oTwo A levels (or working towards) or equivalent
- oExperience of working in a Pharmacy or Healthcare environment
Experience & Knowledge
Essential
- oGood IT skills
- oAbility to work as a team and under own initiative
Desirable
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- oExpected to deal with members of the public and other health care workers in a professional manner
- oClose liaison with co-workers in the department is vital
- oExpected to participate on Saturday, Sunday, Bank holiday and late rotas
Personal Qualities
Essential
- oGood team member
- oGood communications skills (both verbal and written)
- oAbility to work in an organised and calm fashion in a busy environment
- oFlexibility to work in different sections of the department
- oAbility to work to deadlines and to meet agreed objectives
- oAbility to lift, using appropriate lifting aids if necessary
- oHigh level of self-motivation
- oPositive attitude towards personal / self-development
- oGood time keeping
- oTrustworthy and reliable
- oAttention to detail
- oAble to accept direction
- oAble to demonstrate a commitment and understanding of the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect appropriate to their individual needs Show professional attitude and demeanour including courteous interaction with team members, managers, other staff members and patients.
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
