Job summary
Fixed term contract/secondment opportunity for 2 years
The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital is a modern forward thinking large teaching hospital employing 10,000 staff and offering a full medical service to a population of over 570,000. It has strong links with both the School of Pharmacy with onsite teacher practitioner posts and the Medical School at the nearby University of East Anglia.
The Pharmacy Department provides a fully comprehensive pharmaceutical service across the Trust and to several external community units. We are a large and very busy department with over 180 members of staff including pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy assistants, admin and clerical staff and apprentices. There are many varied roles, and we all work as a team to provide the different functions and services whilst maintaining a high level of patient care.
Our Trust values of People Focused, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Excellence are essential to a role working in the Pharmacy Department. We are a very busy, large department in a fast-paced teaching hospital; therefore, the ability to be able to work under pressure and respond to a frequently changing environment is essential.
If you are considering applying for this post on a secondment basis, please discuss with your Line Manager prior to applying to ascertain whether this could be supported.
Main duties of the job
This is an opportunity to work towards becoming a Pharmacy Technician, a qualified health care professional. The post holder will develop knowledge and skills that meet the General Pharmaceutical Council Initial Education and Training Standards for Pharmacy Technicians enabling them to be admitted to the Pharmacy Technician register on successful completion of the apprenticeship. The post holder will complete a higher-level apprenticeship, the level 4 Certificate of Higher Education Pharmacy Technician Practice through the School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia over a 2-year training period.
The requirements of the apprenticeship/post include:
- Become an integral part of our busy dispensary and become familiar with the pharmacy technician role at ward level
- Attend online and face-to-face study days and forums
- Complete self-directed learning and self-assessment
- Complete off the job learning including visiting other areas of the Trust and shadowing other Health Care Professionals
- Undertake and pass work-based practice assessments including validation of prescriptions, dispensing, final accuracy checking of medicines, medicines management at ward level including assessment of patients own medicines for re-use, drug history taking, and medicines related patient counselling
- Undertake and pass exams, write/deliver essays, reports, presentations, service evaluations and audits
About us
Join us at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and be part of a workforce of over 10,000 staff!
The NNUH is one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK, providing first-class acute care for around one million people, living in Norfolk and surrounding areas. We are a teaching and research hospital, at the forefront of innovation, home to state-of-the-art facilities, such as the Quadram Institute. We are pleased to work closely with the University of East Anglia, providing teaching opportunities for our staff and placement opportunities for their students. We attract some of the best and leading professionals from across the country and are proud that our workforce represents 94 countries from across the world.
We are a friendly, collaborative hospital, working with local services and home to N&N Hospitals Charity
We can offer you the full range of NHS benefits/discounts and in addition:
- Flexible working hours
- Fast Track Staff Physiotherapy Service
- Multi Faith prayer room
- Discounted gym memberships
- Excellent pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
- Wagestream - access up to 40% of your pay as you earn it
- Free Park & Ride service direct to NNUH site
- Free 24-hours confidential counselling support
- On-site Nursery
- On-site cafes offering staff discounts
- Support in career development
- Flexible staff bank
- Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars, Cycle to Work scheme and home electronics
Job description
Job responsibilities
Functions of the Pharmacy Department include the ordering, receipt, and supply of medicines to wards and departments throughout the Trust/external units. This includes dispensing for inpatients, outpatients, community units and supplying ward stocks averaging around 2,500 items a day. Wards and external units are provided with a clinical service with pharmacists and pharmacy technicians an integral part of the multidisciplinary team. The pharmacy provides Aseptic Services such as the preparation and supply of chemotherapy and other sterile products. We have a Quality Assurance team that works to ensure that our products are prepared and supplied to meet the highest quality standards.
The post holder will be allocated 20% off the job learning but is expected to undertake a large amount of studying in their own time. Dedication and resilience are required for this role due to the high demands and pressures of the apprenticeship alongside managing a full-time role in a very busy pharmacy whilst providing a high level of patient care. Excellent communication and team working skills are essential for working within a large pharmacy team and engaging with the multidisciplinary team as well as other students and teaching staff/tutors at the UEA. Ability to use different IT applications/platforms is essential to this role. Please note that all applications are subject to meeting apprenticeship funding rules.
Please note: Post holders must be available to complete apprenticeship documentation which must be submitted by 31 July 2023. Post holders must be available to commence the role on 11 September 2023 and to attend the course induction dates on 12 and 18 September 2023.
This is a full-time post of 37.5 hours per week. Post holders will be asked to work alternate weeks of earlies (9:00am to 5:00pm) and lates (10:00am to 6:00pm). All staff are required to participate in the weekend rota, currently 1 in 10, with corresponding time off during the week. All staff are required to undertake at least one public holiday duty per year.
- To undertake the dispensing and distribution of all medicines against a previously clinically checked prescription or request in line with departmental policies and procedures and the Medicines Act 1965 using the JAC computer system.
- To dispense all controlled drugs (CDs) against a recognised order or previously clinically checked prescription in line with departmental policies and procedures and the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 using the JAC computer system.
- To maintain documentation to support the dispensing of all medicines including CDs.
- To assist in the replacement of Dispensary stock including the ordering, receipt and maintenance of stock records.
- To provide, in conjunction with the appropriate Clinical Pharmacist and Pharmacy Technicians, a medicines management service on specified wards.
- To check patients own drugs (PODs) in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures to ascertain suitability for use and to ensure a continued supply.
- To ensure that medicines are supplied to allocated wards as required for specific patients according to Standard Operating Procedures.
- To undertake drug history taking in conjunction with the appropriate Clinical Pharmacist on specified wards.
- To escalate any discrepancies to the appropriate Clinical Pharmacist.
- To be responsible for ensuring timely supply of appropriate discharge medication for specified wards.
- To have awareness of the following processes relating to stock control: the ordering, receiving, issuing, storage and distribution of stock items to wards, departments and to external customers.
Please see the attached job description for full details.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Functions of the Pharmacy Department include the ordering, receipt, and supply of medicines to wards and departments throughout the Trust/external units. This includes dispensing for inpatients, outpatients, community units and supplying ward stocks averaging around 2,500 items a day. Wards and external units are provided with a clinical service with pharmacists and pharmacy technicians an integral part of the multidisciplinary team. The pharmacy provides Aseptic Services such as the preparation and supply of chemotherapy and other sterile products. We have a Quality Assurance team that works to ensure that our products are prepared and supplied to meet the highest quality standards.
The post holder will be allocated 20% off the job learning but is expected to undertake a large amount of studying in their own time. Dedication and resilience are required for this role due to the high demands and pressures of the apprenticeship alongside managing a full-time role in a very busy pharmacy whilst providing a high level of patient care. Excellent communication and team working skills are essential for working within a large pharmacy team and engaging with the multidisciplinary team as well as other students and teaching staff/tutors at the UEA. Ability to use different IT applications/platforms is essential to this role. Please note that all applications are subject to meeting apprenticeship funding rules.
Please note: Post holders must be available to complete apprenticeship documentation which must be submitted by 31 July 2023. Post holders must be available to commence the role on 11 September 2023 and to attend the course induction dates on 12 and 18 September 2023.
This is a full-time post of 37.5 hours per week. Post holders will be asked to work alternate weeks of earlies (9:00am to 5:00pm) and lates (10:00am to 6:00pm). All staff are required to participate in the weekend rota, currently 1 in 10, with corresponding time off during the week. All staff are required to undertake at least one public holiday duty per year.
- To undertake the dispensing and distribution of all medicines against a previously clinically checked prescription or request in line with departmental policies and procedures and the Medicines Act 1965 using the JAC computer system.
- To dispense all controlled drugs (CDs) against a recognised order or previously clinically checked prescription in line with departmental policies and procedures and the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 using the JAC computer system.
- To maintain documentation to support the dispensing of all medicines including CDs.
- To assist in the replacement of Dispensary stock including the ordering, receipt and maintenance of stock records.
- To provide, in conjunction with the appropriate Clinical Pharmacist and Pharmacy Technicians, a medicines management service on specified wards.
- To check patients own drugs (PODs) in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures to ascertain suitability for use and to ensure a continued supply.
- To ensure that medicines are supplied to allocated wards as required for specific patients according to Standard Operating Procedures.
- To undertake drug history taking in conjunction with the appropriate Clinical Pharmacist on specified wards.
- To escalate any discrepancies to the appropriate Clinical Pharmacist.
- To be responsible for ensuring timely supply of appropriate discharge medication for specified wards.
- To have awareness of the following processes relating to stock control: the ordering, receiving, issuing, storage and distribution of stock items to wards, departments and to external customers.
Please see the attached job description for full details.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- 4 GCSEs or equivalent at Grade C/level 4 or above to include English, Mathematics and science
- NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services or a GPhC accredited pharmacy assistant programme
Experience
Essential
- Previous pharmacy experience
- Previous dispensing experience in a hospital, community pharmacy or dispensing doctor's practice
Skills
Essential
- Articulate and numerate with excellent written and oral communication skills
Attitude, aptitude
Essential
- Able to work under pressure
- Effective role model, demonstrating NNUH's PRIDE values of People focussed, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Excellence
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- 4 GCSEs or equivalent at Grade C/level 4 or above to include English, Mathematics and science
- NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services or a GPhC accredited pharmacy assistant programme
Experience
Essential
- Previous pharmacy experience
- Previous dispensing experience in a hospital, community pharmacy or dispensing doctor's practice
Skills
Essential
- Articulate and numerate with excellent written and oral communication skills
Attitude, aptitude
Essential
- Able to work under pressure
- Effective role model, demonstrating NNUH's PRIDE values of People focussed, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Excellence
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).
