Job responsibilities
Operational Management
Ensure the effective and efficient operation of the dispensary at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital (Chelsea Site) providing dispensed medicines to in-patients across the range of specialities including, Medicine, Surgery, HIV/GUM and Women & Childrens Directorates.
Responsible for staff being allocated to respond to workload and ward delivery requirements, including:
- Ensure that all rotas within the dispensary are drafted
- Reorganise late duty / weekend rotas as needed when problems occur e.g. sickness/absence
Responsible for developing, co-ordinating, maintaining and participating in the delivery of the dispensary induction and training programme and the safe storage and archiving of the relating documentation.
Continuously review the skill mix within the dispensary, ensuring that workload is being distributed to the most appropriate staffing group.
Maintain and develop operational dispensary policies, procedures and standards and ensure that all staff are aware of their responsibilities within them.
Ensure that these are regularly updated ahead of the expiry date and on the any change to practice
Ensure that the are monitored for compliance and action taken in the case of non-compliance
Ensure they comply with external standards e.g. Good Dispensing Practice guidance from the RPSGB.
Develop systems for service provision, which enhance the efficiency of the dispensary in order to expedite TTO completion, improve accuracy and support staff development.
Effectively contend with informal or verbal complaints in the first instance before appropriate referral to line manager if appropriate. Support the Associate Chief Pharmacist (Operations) in the investigation of formal complaints.
Support the development of quality standards ad key performance indicators and ensure that appropriate performance management data is collected, validated and reviewed and that action required is agreed and implemented in order to minimise risk in the dispensing process.
Support the development of a dispensary capacity plan in order to agree core functions and safe staffing levels for the workload.
Staff Management
Take the lead in recruitment of all technical staff permanently based in the dispensary and input into the recruitment of rotational technicians where needed.
Be responsible for the appraisal and development review for all staff line managed and deal with any disciplinary or performance issues as necessary.
Ensure that rotational pharmacy technicians, trainee pharmacists, resident pharmacists and assistants complete their training and support their development on rotation through the dispensary, providing effective feedback and completion of the necessary paperwork.
Ensure that all dispensary staff members undertake the required accreditations relative to their grade and responsibilities.
Effectively contribute to departmental initiatives to investigate extended roles for technical and support staff.
Be a role model for junior technical staff and actively promote the role of the technician.
Lead on technician involvement in the London Regional Checking Accreditation Scheme.
Act as a National Vocational Qualification assessor for specified units relating to the dispensary.
Support the professional role of the dispensary pharmacists including locum staff and provide input into their development on rotation through the dispensary
Liaise with heads of other pharmacy sections in order to develop and make the most effective and efficient use of staff.
Ensure Trust policies on recruitment, sickness absence, equal opportunities, Health and Safety and other national legislation are followed and understood by staff
Authorised signatory for bank and agency staff within the dispensary.
Dispensary Operational Management
Ensure that both internal and external procedures relating to good dispensing practice are followed in order to maintain high standards and orderly methods of working.
Identify and deal with problems identified on a day-to-day basis within the operational dispensary function.
Encourage the support of Trust and local prescribing policies in order to enhance good practice and cost effective prescribing.
Maintain high quality of data input of patient information into the pharmacy computer system in order to ensure excellent labelling standards for dispensed medicines.
Be accredited and efficiently maintain accreditation as a checking technician as part of the London Region scheme in order to participate in the dispensing and checking of inpatient, outpatient and clinical trial prescriptions.
Actively liaise with the Specialist Pharmacist - Operations and Discharge Support and participate in the dispensary audits in order to ensure that professional standards are achieved in the dispensary.
Be a robot Superuser in order to troubleshoot complex problems and maintain efficient systems within the dispensing process.
Review, investigate and agree actions in response to assigned incidents on Datix and complete the necessary documentation in line with Trust policy.
Effectively manage Dispensary Controlled Drug stock levels by carrying out regular audits, responding to any queries relating to stock discrepancies, undertaking the necessary investigations and completing the necessary paperwork in line with Trust Policy.
Effectively manage general medicine stock ensuring stock is rotated regularly stock rotation and expiry dates are checked frequently.
Actively manage assigned Datix incidents, undertaking the necessary investigations, agreeing and implementing resulting actions/change in practice and completing all necessary paperwork in line with Trust policy.
Provide effective and appropriate advice to patients on medication use in order to ensure their understanding of their medication regime.
Responsible for the monitoring and development of patient medication counselling guidelines for technical staff.
Education and Training
Ensure and effectively participate in all aspects of competency based development programmes relevant to the dispensary, including resident pharmacists and all technical staff.
Ensure that a written record of Continuing Personal Development (CPD) is maintained for review at appraisal.
Liaise with Chief Education and Training Technician to provide training support to student and rotational technicians and dispensary assistants within the dispensary
Act as a Practice Supervisor in line with Health Education England and Trust expectations.
Other Responsibilities
Responsible for the receipt of prescription charges from patients and ensuring all staff adhere to the procedures.
Organise the appointment bank and agency technical staff and authorise payment for hours worked.
Effectively communicate departmental business in line with staffing structure to staff, patients and other service users including healthcare professionals.
Any other duties as reasonably required by the Chief Pharmacist.