Pharmacy Assistant, Distribution & Stores (ATO) - Band 2

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Result Areas

Distribution

Ward Top-up service

• Regular visits to wards or clinics to check stock levels & re-order medicines where necessary according to a set stock list

• Check expiry dates

• Liaise with ward staff

• Return medicines no longer required to Pharmacy for credit or destruction

Supply of Medicines to wards & Departments

• Computer data entry of ward medicines order to produce picking list for supply

• Selecting & assembling drug order for checking by another pharmacy assistant

• Contacting porters to arrange for delivery of completed orders

• Assembling orders from picking lists in order to meet transport deadlines

• Checking orders assembled by other pharmacy assistants

• Preparing TTO packs according to approved worksheets

• Ensure that all orders for peripheral hospitals are completed in time for allocated transport

Return of unwanted medicines from wards & departments

• Emptying returned wards boxes of unused or returned items

• Assess stock for reuse and credit as appropriate

• Destroy medicines that are unsuitable for recycling

• Arrange for waste bin collection

Pharmacy Stores

• Unpack goods in the pharmacy stores

• Check received stock against delivery note and enter onto the Pharmacy computer or place into automatic dispenser.

• Put stock away in the correct location.

• Restock shelves in distribution area.

• Other duties as requested by Senior Technician purchasing and supplies.

• Deal with incoming telephone calls and take accurate messages as necessary.

• Transcribe fluid orders and book out the stock on the pharmacy computer system

• Assemble boxes of IV fluids in the fluid store

Reception Duties

• Answer the staff hatch and deal with requests or queries

• Pass on staff hatch queries to the appropriate members of staff

• Encourage pharmacists/ technicians to check items in the appropriate order to meet transport deadlines

• Make records of all medication sent on transports and to wards.

• Assemble all items in sealed labelled bags and boxes for drivers and porters to collect.

• Obtain signatures from porters/drivers/nurses when medicines are collected

• To take in prescriptions from outpatient hatch taking prescription charges when applicable.

General

Ensure the standard operating procedures are adhered to and Health and Safety procedures followed. There is a responsibility for stock control and security of medicines within daily duties.

Be responsible for managing self to organise own daily duties. Be willing to re-arrange duties and prioritise according to service need if required to cover for absence.

Shares advice & knowledge to train new assistants on the standard operating procedures within the working area.

Participate in internal audits and surveys of service delivery as required. Ensure the standard operating procedures within the working area.

Participate in internal audits and surveys of service delivery as required. Ensure the standard operating procedures are adhered to and Health and Safety procedures followed. There is a responsibility for stock control and security of medicines within daily duties.

Provide Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday cover as per rota (generally every 6-8 weeks).

Comply with the code of expectations & values that the trust expects

Communication and working relationships

Must be able to work well in a team or work alone when necessary.

Customer service skills and a cheerful, friendly outlook required forming contacts and relationships with patients, public and a wide variety of ward/department-based staff including nursing staff, porters and drivers both by phone or face-face on a daily basis.

It is essential that the post holder knows their own clinical limitations and who to refer to.

Post holder must demonstrate good communication and interpersonal skills as they will have daily contact/working relationships with the following people

Doctors

Nurses

Patients

Medical staff of General Practice

Other healthcare professionals

All the other Pharmacy Staff

Effective communication skills are essential, difficulties in communication maybe experienced due to language barriers, age or infirmity

Patient confidentiality will be maintained at all times as per trust guidelines

Safe Systems of Work

Accountable for own professional actions and activities, guided by legislation, national and local policies, procedures and protocols.

The post holder will be responsible for ensuring a safe working practice and environment through legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work Act and COSHH regulations, along with local policies and procedures including manual handling

Most challenging part of the role

To stay focused on task & be able to work accurately and unsupervised in a fast-paced, sometimes stressful environment

Physical Effort and Working Conditions

Frequent everyday use of VDUs.

Concentration required in all aspects of the role

Occasional exposure to distressing or emotional situations, e.g. dealing with the terminally ill, badly injured patient or cardiac arrest

Occasional exposure to aggressive or abusive patients and/or relatives

Exposure to potentially infective conditions, e.g. diarrhoea and vomiting

Working conditions may, rarely, result in unavoidable exposure to bodily fluids

Occasional manual handling skills are required e.g. for lifting and carrying of IV fluid boxes (12 litres per box) & bulky feeds. Trolleys are available for moving items around the department if required.

The temperature on wards can be very warm. The post holder will have to adjust to creating their own workspace in a crowded / busy ward environment.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Good level of literacy and numeracy

Desirable

• Entry Level qualification in principles of stock management (eg. Buttercups) or equivalent or willing to work towards qualification

Experience

Essential

• previous pharmacy experience
• previous experience of distribution & stores duties

Desirable

• previous pharmacy experience working in a hospital

Knowledge

Essential

• excellent communication skills
• understanding of written standard Operating Procedures
• ability to use a computer, basic skills to operate Pharmacy Systems

Desirable

• recent experience of implementing change or quality improvement
• highly IT literate

qualities

Essential

• excellent interpersonal skills
• Cheerful, friendly personality
• honesty and integrity
• professional appearance
• ability to perform manual handling tasks

Desirable

• capacity to work calmly under pressure
• ability to adapt working hours to suit service needs on a daily basis
• positive approach
• ability to work in a team or independently as necessary
• motivated and reliable

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Cheltenham General Hospital

Sandford Road

Cheltenham

GL537AN

Employer's website

https://www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)