Job summary
We have an excellent opportunity for a dynamic individual with excellent leadership skills to join our friendly department and lead our pharmacy dispensary services.
Working hours are Monday to Friday - 9 to 5pm. Our pharmacy service does not currently work weekends, bank holidays or late duty shifts.
The postholder will lead on all dispensary-based activities to ensure efficient supply of medicines in a timely manner, smooth running of the pharmacy technician-led dispensary, safe and secure handling/safe transfer of all medicines and controlled drugs as well as procurement. The post-holder will have experience of education and training of pharmacy staff and being an accredited checking pharmacist technician (ACPT) facilitator as well as be experienced in leading on medicines safety initiatives within the pharmacy environment. The post-holder will be responsible for the maintenance of digital systems required in the pharmacy dispensary.
You will need to be adaptable to new situations, conscientious, have good attention to detail, excellent communication skills and be able to work alone and as well as part of a team prioritising the workload to ensure the needs of the patients, service and pharmacy are met in a timely manner. You will actively contribute towards on-going service development and will provide support and leadership to assistants, technicians and students.
Main duties of the job
- To be professionally and magisterially responsible for the pharmacy technical/support staff that work within the operational services
- To provide a specialist patient focused technical pharmacy service to teams
- To participate in the ongoing development of the pharmacy technician's role in Medicines Management at team level for both inpatient wards and community teams
- To undertake duties of a technical nature, including the dispensing, checking and supply of medication to individual patients
- To be an accredited accuracy checking pharmacy technician in a pharmacy technician-led dispensary
- To carry out medicines optimisation activities such as medicines reconciliation, patient counselling, audit
- The role also includes implementation of the Medicines Management model for technicians, monitoring and supervising the work of the pharmacy assistants in medication top-up, ensuring appropriate medicines storage on wards, team bases and outside units in line with Medicines Management policies and standards
You should have recent previous experience of medicines optimisation and should hold accreditations for both medicines management and accredited checking pharmacy technician (ACPT). Experience of working within mental health services and within a multidisciplinary team, good written and verbal communication, familiarity communication, familiarity with clozapine dispensing and supply services and knowledge of mental health medicines are also desirable.
About us
We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.
We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.
This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.
We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.
We offer flexible working, career development and a variety ofbenefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.
About our locations:
Springfield University Hospital, Tooting
Our largest, 19-ward site is in Springfield Village, created following our £150m investment into two new world class mental health facilities. A 32-acre public park, shops and cafes are coming soon. Close to shops, cafes and Tooting Bec on the Northern Line plus Earlsfield and Tooting rail stations and bus routes.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To be responsible for the deployment, management and training of pharmacy technicians, pharmacy support staff/assistants and the dispensary cover pharmacist, to ensure the efficient organisation of dispensary-based activities.
- Acts as a role model and is responsible for the professional leadership, strategic development and performance management of pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants employed at SWLStG.
- To assist and support the Chief Pharmacist to ensure that pharmacy services achieve objectives through strategic planning; general management; financial management; performance management; planning, policy and service development, including modernisation; service quality; workforce management; and information management. To manage complex concerns, complaints, and critical incidents and provides regular comprehensive advice, feedback and support to patients and colleagues, both internal and external.
- To manage dispensing and accuracy checking of medicines and management of the pharmacy dispensing service, including clinical trials, ensuring standard operating procedures are in place and up to date. To manage the supply and topping-up service at ward/team base level in accordance with agreed stock lists and non-stock items, in accordance with the changing clinical needs of the environment, minimising waste and reducing risk, and ensuring records are kept.
- To ensure the purchasing, receipt, processing, storage and stock control of medicines and other supplies are performed efficiently, safely and in accordance with SFIs and best practice and to monitor this.
- To maintain accreditation as an accuracy checking technician and perform the final accuracy check of prescriptions according to departmental protocols.
- To be the pharmacy stock control systems manager, ensuring drug files are maintained, regular systems management tasks are performed and regular reports are generated.
- To be the Prescription Tracking System manager, ensuring the system is maintained, regular systems management tasks and upgrades are performed and regular reports are generated
- To be the robot super user and undertake specialist and advanced fault finding of problems within these systems, taking corrective action where appropriate.
- To liaise with external suppliers of pharmacy robot maintenance contract and pharmacy IT systems support.
- To support the digital pharmacy team with maintenance of medicines electronic systems including maintenance of drug files, automated real time temperature monitoring, etc. in accordance with Trust policy.
- To ensure the clozapine supply service is managed efficiently and that safe practices, as detailed in departmental SOPs, are adhered to.
- To be responsible for ordering & procurement of pharmaceuticals & medical gases in line with standard operating procedures.
- To ensure safe and secure handling of medicines, clinical trials and controlled drugs in the dispensary setting.
- To be an authorised signatory for requisitioning supplies items.
- To counsel patients attending the pharmacy department on the use of their medicines, as appropriate.
- To respond to enquiries and requests from staff, patients and carers in accordance with individual competence and departmental policy.
- To ensure that a regular full stock take is performed, in liaison with Finance colleagues, that stock levels are reconciled and any significant discrepancies are promptly investigated and brought to the attention of the Chief Pharmacist.
- To ensure disposal of waste in accordance with statute and departmental standing operating procedures.
- To carry out and train other members of staff on ward/team based activities including medicines reconciliation, counseling of medicines and checking of patient own medicines and deputise for the Principal medicines optimisation technicians (Inpatient and Community) where required to manage the medicines optimisation service at ward and team level in accordance with the changing clinical needs of the environment, minimising waste and reducing risk.
- To ensure adequate stocks of medical gases and emergency medicines are available at all times, and are handled by pharmacy staff in an appropriate manner.
- To manage dispensary technicians and assistants, including the appraisal & identification of their training needs in order to ensure high professional standards of practice and to deal with performance issues as necessary
- To be responsible for the preparation, implementation and monitoring/auditing of dispensary standard operating procedures
- To be proactive in improving patient safety by implementing safe systems of work, ensuring that errors are identified, promptly acted upon and the learning is shared, in liaison with the Medication Safety Officer/deputy
- To act as a NVQ Assessor for student pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants as required
- To be a member of the Pharmacy leadership team, participating in the effective management of the department via input/attendance at the Pharmacy Leads Governance Meetings.
- To use pharmacy and other Trust computer systems in the course of performing these duties.
Human Resources Management
- Line manage and support the pharmacy technician staff and pharmacy support staff/assistants ensuring they each have a job plan, regular supervision sessions, annual appraisal and personal development plan, which is reviewed regularly and in line with department objectives.
- To provide direction and support to the clinical supervisors responsible for leading the training of pre-registration pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistant NVQ level 2.
- Manages the daily supervision and co-ordination of the pharmacy dispensary team including roster planning, staff appraisal, performance management, sickness absence, disciplinary and grievance issues.
- Ensures that strategies are developed and implemented in collaboration with other members of the healthcare management team, to recruit and retain staff.
- Leads recruitment processes in designated area of responsibility.
- Ensures that pharmacy technicians and pharmacy support staff/assistants develop to meet the changes brought about by service review, modernisation and changes to medicines legislation. To lead of the development and implementation of training plans and competencies for all grades of staff within area of responsibility.
- Resolves conflict and complaints and be well versed in all Trust policies and complaints procedures relating to these issues.
- Fosters a culture of lifelong learning to include post registration education and CPD.
Financial and Information Management
- Responsible for supporting the procurement, monitoring and maintenance of equipment in area of designated responsibility.
- Is an authorised signatory for pay and non-pay expenditure. Complies with Trust financial instructions for the service.
- Ensures the development, provision, management and implementation of appropriate Information Management and Technology systems to collect and analise data to support strategic objectives and Healthcare Standards, ensuring that all data systems comply with Caldicott, and other governance and statutory requirements.
- Identifies key trends and changes from complex data and summarises these in a meaningful and succinct manner to inform reports and developments. Develops and produces regular statistical reports for the division to inform pharmacy service planning and decision making, ensuring that this information is accurate, timely, relevant, and user friendly.
- Regularly produces reports from the pharmacy stock control and electronic prescribing and administration system and manipulates and interprets extracted data to produce financial and medicines use reports.
- Takes responsibility for managing the budget for pharmacy support staff, ensuring that the budget is kept within agreed targets, whilst maintaining appropriate staff skill mix to be able to provide a safe and effective service. Monitors expenditure on waste / expired medicines within the Trust and implements systems and processes to ensure the most efficient use of stock so that waste is kept to a minimum.
- Provides statistical reports to inform service planning and decision making, using a range of presentation formats and data analysis tools to summarise the most relevant points for pharmacy and medicines management.
- Analise purchasing data to ensure adherence with Procurement Contracts, ensuring the Trust is obtaining value for money and cost effective purchasing is maintained.
- Ensures the safety and confidentiality of information held both manually and electronically, encompassing both patient and staff held records.
Research & development
- To lead/undertake relevant departmental and participate in Trustwide quality audits and quality improvement projects to monitor and improve compliance with Medicines policies
- To identify areas of service in need of development and plan and implement changes, auditing them as necessary.
- To assist with the implementation of clinical trials undertaken by the pharmacy department.
- To participate in any pharmacy related service development projects
Other
- To chair dispensary team & technician development meetings, ensuring good business practice
- To participate in and attend departmental CE and medicines optimisation meetings, as required and deputise as Chair where necessary
- To maintain high professional and technical standards by adopting and enforcing good dispensing practice and by implementing and monitoring safe systems at work
- To assist in setting and measurement of performance indicators of the service provided, including workload data, error rates and service quality information.
- To develop, update and implement changes to pharmacy procedures as necessary.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To be responsible for the deployment, management and training of pharmacy technicians, pharmacy support staff/assistants and the dispensary cover pharmacist, to ensure the efficient organisation of dispensary-based activities.
- Acts as a role model and is responsible for the professional leadership, strategic development and performance management of pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants employed at SWLStG.
- To assist and support the Chief Pharmacist to ensure that pharmacy services achieve objectives through strategic planning; general management; financial management; performance management; planning, policy and service development, including modernisation; service quality; workforce management; and information management. To manage complex concerns, complaints, and critical incidents and provides regular comprehensive advice, feedback and support to patients and colleagues, both internal and external.
- To manage dispensing and accuracy checking of medicines and management of the pharmacy dispensing service, including clinical trials, ensuring standard operating procedures are in place and up to date. To manage the supply and topping-up service at ward/team base level in accordance with agreed stock lists and non-stock items, in accordance with the changing clinical needs of the environment, minimising waste and reducing risk, and ensuring records are kept.
- To ensure the purchasing, receipt, processing, storage and stock control of medicines and other supplies are performed efficiently, safely and in accordance with SFIs and best practice and to monitor this.
- To maintain accreditation as an accuracy checking technician and perform the final accuracy check of prescriptions according to departmental protocols.
- To be the pharmacy stock control systems manager, ensuring drug files are maintained, regular systems management tasks are performed and regular reports are generated.
- To be the Prescription Tracking System manager, ensuring the system is maintained, regular systems management tasks and upgrades are performed and regular reports are generated
- To be the robot super user and undertake specialist and advanced fault finding of problems within these systems, taking corrective action where appropriate.
- To liaise with external suppliers of pharmacy robot maintenance contract and pharmacy IT systems support.
- To support the digital pharmacy team with maintenance of medicines electronic systems including maintenance of drug files, automated real time temperature monitoring, etc. in accordance with Trust policy.
- To ensure the clozapine supply service is managed efficiently and that safe practices, as detailed in departmental SOPs, are adhered to.
- To be responsible for ordering & procurement of pharmaceuticals & medical gases in line with standard operating procedures.
- To ensure safe and secure handling of medicines, clinical trials and controlled drugs in the dispensary setting.
- To be an authorised signatory for requisitioning supplies items.
- To counsel patients attending the pharmacy department on the use of their medicines, as appropriate.
- To respond to enquiries and requests from staff, patients and carers in accordance with individual competence and departmental policy.
- To ensure that a regular full stock take is performed, in liaison with Finance colleagues, that stock levels are reconciled and any significant discrepancies are promptly investigated and brought to the attention of the Chief Pharmacist.
- To ensure disposal of waste in accordance with statute and departmental standing operating procedures.
- To carry out and train other members of staff on ward/team based activities including medicines reconciliation, counseling of medicines and checking of patient own medicines and deputise for the Principal medicines optimisation technicians (Inpatient and Community) where required to manage the medicines optimisation service at ward and team level in accordance with the changing clinical needs of the environment, minimising waste and reducing risk.
- To ensure adequate stocks of medical gases and emergency medicines are available at all times, and are handled by pharmacy staff in an appropriate manner.
- To manage dispensary technicians and assistants, including the appraisal & identification of their training needs in order to ensure high professional standards of practice and to deal with performance issues as necessary
- To be responsible for the preparation, implementation and monitoring/auditing of dispensary standard operating procedures
- To be proactive in improving patient safety by implementing safe systems of work, ensuring that errors are identified, promptly acted upon and the learning is shared, in liaison with the Medication Safety Officer/deputy
- To act as a NVQ Assessor for student pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants as required
- To be a member of the Pharmacy leadership team, participating in the effective management of the department via input/attendance at the Pharmacy Leads Governance Meetings.
- To use pharmacy and other Trust computer systems in the course of performing these duties.
Human Resources Management
- Line manage and support the pharmacy technician staff and pharmacy support staff/assistants ensuring they each have a job plan, regular supervision sessions, annual appraisal and personal development plan, which is reviewed regularly and in line with department objectives.
- To provide direction and support to the clinical supervisors responsible for leading the training of pre-registration pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistant NVQ level 2.
- Manages the daily supervision and co-ordination of the pharmacy dispensary team including roster planning, staff appraisal, performance management, sickness absence, disciplinary and grievance issues.
- Ensures that strategies are developed and implemented in collaboration with other members of the healthcare management team, to recruit and retain staff.
- Leads recruitment processes in designated area of responsibility.
- Ensures that pharmacy technicians and pharmacy support staff/assistants develop to meet the changes brought about by service review, modernisation and changes to medicines legislation. To lead of the development and implementation of training plans and competencies for all grades of staff within area of responsibility.
- Resolves conflict and complaints and be well versed in all Trust policies and complaints procedures relating to these issues.
- Fosters a culture of lifelong learning to include post registration education and CPD.
Financial and Information Management
- Responsible for supporting the procurement, monitoring and maintenance of equipment in area of designated responsibility.
- Is an authorised signatory for pay and non-pay expenditure. Complies with Trust financial instructions for the service.
- Ensures the development, provision, management and implementation of appropriate Information Management and Technology systems to collect and analise data to support strategic objectives and Healthcare Standards, ensuring that all data systems comply with Caldicott, and other governance and statutory requirements.
- Identifies key trends and changes from complex data and summarises these in a meaningful and succinct manner to inform reports and developments. Develops and produces regular statistical reports for the division to inform pharmacy service planning and decision making, ensuring that this information is accurate, timely, relevant, and user friendly.
- Regularly produces reports from the pharmacy stock control and electronic prescribing and administration system and manipulates and interprets extracted data to produce financial and medicines use reports.
- Takes responsibility for managing the budget for pharmacy support staff, ensuring that the budget is kept within agreed targets, whilst maintaining appropriate staff skill mix to be able to provide a safe and effective service. Monitors expenditure on waste / expired medicines within the Trust and implements systems and processes to ensure the most efficient use of stock so that waste is kept to a minimum.
- Provides statistical reports to inform service planning and decision making, using a range of presentation formats and data analysis tools to summarise the most relevant points for pharmacy and medicines management.
- Analise purchasing data to ensure adherence with Procurement Contracts, ensuring the Trust is obtaining value for money and cost effective purchasing is maintained.
- Ensures the safety and confidentiality of information held both manually and electronically, encompassing both patient and staff held records.
Research & development
- To lead/undertake relevant departmental and participate in Trustwide quality audits and quality improvement projects to monitor and improve compliance with Medicines policies
- To identify areas of service in need of development and plan and implement changes, auditing them as necessary.
- To assist with the implementation of clinical trials undertaken by the pharmacy department.
- To participate in any pharmacy related service development projects
Other
- To chair dispensary team & technician development meetings, ensuring good business practice
- To participate in and attend departmental CE and medicines optimisation meetings, as required and deputise as Chair where necessary
- To maintain high professional and technical standards by adopting and enforcing good dispensing practice and by implementing and monitoring safe systems at work
- To assist in setting and measurement of performance indicators of the service provided, including workload data, error rates and service quality information.
- To develop, update and implement changes to pharmacy procedures as necessary.
Person Specification
EXPERIENCE
Essential
- oDemonstrable significant experience of working in a hospital pharmacy
- oSignificant previous experience co-ordinating and leading a NHS hospital dispensary team
- oPrevious experience line-managing direct reports including appraisal
- oExperience managing and maintaining pharmacy stock control
- oPrevious experience managing HR processes
- oPrevious evaluated experience of contribution to the review and development of SOPs.
Desirable
- oMental health Trust experience
- oExperience implementing and monitoring quality standards
TRAINING & QUALIFICATIONS
Essential
- oNVQ Level 3, BTec, or similar nationally recognized qualification in pharmaceutical sciences
- oManagement training or equivalent experience
- oNVQ A1 Assessor/Facilitator qualification
- oACT Facilitator qualification
- oAccredited Accuracy Checking Technician qualification
- oRegistration as a pharmacy technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council
- oAIMMS accreditation (or equal)
Desirable
- oNVQ V1 Internal Verifier qualification
- oMember of the APTUK
- oMember of the CMHP
- oNHS Leadership training underpinning knowledge e.g. CPPE Leading for Change, Edward Jenner, Mary Seacole or equivalent
Person Specification
EXPERIENCE
Essential
- oDemonstrable significant experience of working in a hospital pharmacy
- oSignificant previous experience co-ordinating and leading a NHS hospital dispensary team
- oPrevious experience line-managing direct reports including appraisal
- oExperience managing and maintaining pharmacy stock control
- oPrevious experience managing HR processes
- oPrevious evaluated experience of contribution to the review and development of SOPs.
Desirable
- oMental health Trust experience
- oExperience implementing and monitoring quality standards
TRAINING & QUALIFICATIONS
Essential
- oNVQ Level 3, BTec, or similar nationally recognized qualification in pharmaceutical sciences
- oManagement training or equivalent experience
- oNVQ A1 Assessor/Facilitator qualification
- oACT Facilitator qualification
- oAccredited Accuracy Checking Technician qualification
- oRegistration as a pharmacy technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council
- oAIMMS accreditation (or equal)
Desirable
- oNVQ V1 Internal Verifier qualification
- oMember of the APTUK
- oMember of the CMHP
- oNHS Leadership training underpinning knowledge e.g. CPPE Leading for Change, Edward Jenner, Mary Seacole or equivalent
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).
