Job summary
Oxleas Prison Services Ltd
Prison Services Pharmacy Technician, Band 4 to Band 5
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust is a mental health and community trust that provides a wide and growing range of services across the boroughs of Bexley, Greenwich, Bromley, Kent and the South West of England. Oxleas Prison Services Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and provides the pharmacy services to the prison pharmacy contracts.
Prisons healthcare can be one of the most challenging, yet rewarding professions to work in. The pharmacy department has a long history of innovation, with established policies and procedures in line with National Guidelines governing patient care within a prison setting.
As a Pharmacy Technician, you will be required to support the delivery of Pharmacy Services which will be part be of a comprehensive healthcare package with direct patient contact, based on the prison service's needs. Working on the prison wings, you can expect to be involved in everything from medicine management, dispense medications, screening drug charts and patient counselling.
If you're looking for a role where you can develop your existing skills in medicines management and administration work in a prison setting, then this position could be for you! Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and OPS Ltd believe in supporting the development of staff to their full potential.
Main duties of the job
Key Tasks and Responsibilities
- To (1) provide a medicines management service to allocated prison(s), (2) administer medicines on the house blocks against valid prescriptions to offenders and (3) work in the dispensary, as required.
- To provide a Medicines Management service to the allocated prison(s) on a weekly basis with the professional support of a prison services pharmacist
- To oversee the ordering/supply of repeat prescriptions
- To supervise assistants, when in the dispensary in providing dispensing services for all the prisons
- To dispense prescriptions and stock items when in the dispensary
- To work towards accreditation as a checking technician and/or medicines administration to provide final dispensing checks and medicines administration services, if not already achieved
- To ensure high standards of work in the dispensary and when out on prison visits and to ensure all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are read and adhered to.
About us
Oxleas - About Us
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.
We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.
Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:
We're KindWe're FairWe ListenWe Care
Job description
Job responsibilities
Management Responsibilities
- To manage own workload when providing medicines management services.
Clinical
- To provide weekly clinical visits to the allocated prison(s), under the professional supervision of a pharmacist. On these visits the post-holder will:
- undertake a stock top-up service for all areas in which medicines are stored.
- review the expiry dates and storage facilities for all such medicines and report any deficiencies to the prison service pharmacist for that prison
- assist the prison service pharmacist to provide advice to prisoners and staff about the appropriate use of medicines
- undertake 3-monthly controlled drugs stock checks and report any issues to the prison service pharmacist for that prison
- Promote healthy lifestyles for offenders in line with local and national guidelines or promotions.
- Administer medicines to offenders against a valid prescription on the house blocks
- To demonstrate on-going continual professional development (CPD) and be responsible for self-development and learning within the field of pharmacy or other specialty where appropriate.
Research
- To participate in clinical and departmental audits as required.
Other
- Post holders will be subjected to an advanced DBS check, a prison security check (level 2) and CTC clearance prior to being employed.
- To appreciate the secure environment you are working in and to adhere to all prison procedures as necessary.
- To undertake any other tasks at the request of the Lead Prison Services Pharmacist.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Management Responsibilities
- To manage own workload when providing medicines management services.
Clinical
- To provide weekly clinical visits to the allocated prison(s), under the professional supervision of a pharmacist. On these visits the post-holder will:
- undertake a stock top-up service for all areas in which medicines are stored.
- review the expiry dates and storage facilities for all such medicines and report any deficiencies to the prison service pharmacist for that prison
- assist the prison service pharmacist to provide advice to prisoners and staff about the appropriate use of medicines
- undertake 3-monthly controlled drugs stock checks and report any issues to the prison service pharmacist for that prison
- Promote healthy lifestyles for offenders in line with local and national guidelines or promotions.
- Administer medicines to offenders against a valid prescription on the house blocks
- To demonstrate on-going continual professional development (CPD) and be responsible for self-development and learning within the field of pharmacy or other specialty where appropriate.
Research
- To participate in clinical and departmental audits as required.
Other
- Post holders will be subjected to an advanced DBS check, a prison security check (level 2) and CTC clearance prior to being employed.
- To appreciate the secure environment you are working in and to adhere to all prison procedures as necessary.
- To undertake any other tasks at the request of the Lead Prison Services Pharmacist.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ level 3 Pharmacy Services or equivalent
- Registration with GPhC as a pharmacy technician
- Evidence of CPD
Desirable
- Working towards Accredited Checking or MM Technician Certificate
Experience
Essential
- 2 years' experience of working in a pharmacy
Desirable
- Previous prison or mental health pharmacy experience
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Good knowledge of working within a set of SOPs
- Ability to use (or learn to use) computer packages including Pharmacy Manager/ JAC and Microsoft
Desirable
- Ability to use initiative to problem solve
- Some understanding of mental illness and substance misuse and their treatment
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ level 3 Pharmacy Services or equivalent
- Registration with GPhC as a pharmacy technician
- Evidence of CPD
Desirable
- Working towards Accredited Checking or MM Technician Certificate
Experience
Essential
- 2 years' experience of working in a pharmacy
Desirable
- Previous prison or mental health pharmacy experience
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Good knowledge of working within a set of SOPs
- Ability to use (or learn to use) computer packages including Pharmacy Manager/ JAC and Microsoft
Desirable
- Ability to use initiative to problem solve
- Some understanding of mental illness and substance misuse and their treatment
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
