Job summary
Senior Pharmacy Assistant, Patient Services (SATO), Band 3 (22.5 hours a week)
- Undertake general pharmaceutical duties under the supervision of a Section Manager or deputy, assisting in the provision of a safe and effective Pharmacy service in line with current policies, procedures and legal requirements.
- The Senior Pharmacy Assistant performs a wide range of duties within the Pharmacy Department, that help the Pharmacists & Technicians to provide a comprehensive dispensing and distribution service.
- Main duties are based in the Dispensary. It will include dispensing from a variety of prescription types and electronic systems. Dependent on service need, it may include visits to wards to top-up stock, transfer medicines from pharmacy into patient bedside lockers, transfer medicines from a patient's previous ward to their current ward, filling orders for wards and departments, reception duties covering hospital staff and patients, computer ordering, and general house-keeping duties.
Main duties of the job
- Dispensing for In-patients, out-patients and patients that are going home, according to standard operating procedures.
- Handing out completed outpatient prescriptions to patients or their representatives, according to standard operating procedures
- Co-ordinating the supply of items that are owed to patients and ensuring they are dispensed & onward transport is arranged in a timely fashion. Checking order levels are adequate for supply and resolving any supply issues.
- Dispensing controlled drugs according to standard operating procedures.
- Keep a regard to stock on the dispensary shelves, top up & tidy as required with backup stock from the stores.
- Expiry date check the medicines on the shelves regularly.
- Ensure that any out-of-date items are removed in-line with Standard Operating Procedures
- Assist at Staff and patient reception areas:
- Front Reception: Meet & greet the general public, receiving prescriptions and payment from the general public. There is a need to operate whatever equipment is provided to process transactions be it card machine or till.
- Direct any other business callers as required.
- To co-ordinate others to do this task if necessary.
- To answer the telephone and deal with routine enquiries regarding work in progress and communicating with the relevant member of staff for additional advice as required. Transfer calls to appropriately qualified staff if necessary
- Role may involve stock top-up to inpatient areas following thorough training
About us
Located just off the M5 between Birmingham & Bristol, and the beautiful Cotswolds and Forest of Dean, GHNHSFT is one of the largest NHS Trusts in the UK.
Our Pharmacy Department operates across two main sites; Cheltenham General Hospital and Gloucestershire Royal Hospital (Gloucester), and offers opportunities for cross-site working in a full range of clinical and technical specialities.
Our large friendly Pharmacy team provides extensive services including an MHRA-licensed manufacturing unit supporting a large cancer centre, Independent Prescribing posts, dedicated clinics, enhanced Medicines Optimisation Technician/ATO roles, and multidisciplinary teaching to under/post graduate Medics, Nurses and Pharmacists from Birmingham, Bristol, and Bath University.
At GHNHSFT Pharmacy, we are committed to delivering the very best care for our patients and we strive to provide the whole team with the necessary skills and ongoing support to make a real difference to patient care.
We work closely with our partners in Primary Care to maintain and promote a Countywide Joint Medicines Formulary, prescribing guidelines, and local treatment pathways and provide support via our Medicines Information Service in addition to several innovative collaborative public heath projects.
Come and join us, and see for yourself what a difference you can make to patient care.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Dispensary
Under the supervision of the Senior Pharmacy Technician or nominated deputy
- Dispensing for In-patients, out-patients and patients that are going home, according to standard operating procedures.
- Handing out completed outpatient prescriptions to patients or their representatives, according to standard operating procedures
- Co-ordinating the supply of items that are owed to patients and ensuring they are dispensed & onward transport is arranged in a timely fashion. Checking order levels are adequate for supply and resolving any supply issues.
- Dispensing controlled drugs according to standard operating procedures.
- Keep a regard to stock on the dispensary shelves, top up & tidy as required with backup stock from the stores.
- Expiry date check the medicines on the shelves regularly.
- Assist at Staff and patient reception areas:
- Front Reception: Meet & greet the general public, receiving prescriptions and payment from the general public. There is a need to operate whatever equipment is provided to process transactions be it card machine or till.
- Direct any other business callers as required.
- To co-ordinate others to do this task if necessary.
- To answer the telephone and deal with routine enquiries regarding work in progress and communicating with the relevant member of staff for additional advice as required. Transfer calls to appropriately qualified staff if necessary.
Working alongside the Stores & Distribution team and dependent on service need:
- May be required to provide a top up service to wards, keeping the assigned wards fully stocked with medicines, ensuring they are rotated and expiry dates are checked, as stated in the top up standards.
- To ensure that the wards stock medicine supply needs are met and that the stock is used cost-effectively with minimum waste, liaising with Ward Sisters and Ward Pharmacists as required. This will include sorting returned medicines for re-use, counting them and returning to stock via the computer system.
- Process & assemble orders for wards & departments. Involves data entry and correct selection of goods, paying heed to Pharmacy stock control systems and ordering.
- Assist in sorting returned & waste medicines.
- Assist in keeping records of workload e.g. filing, photocopying.
- To ensure the patient services section always has a readily available supply of sundry items e.g. bottles, bags to use, by topping up daily and checking status of orders as required.
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. Senior Pharmacy Assistants will sometimes co-ordinate cover for duties & oversee/train less experienced staff.
- 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 Late night, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday cover as per rota.
- Comply with the code of expectations & values that the trust expects
Job description
Job responsibilities
Dispensary
Under the supervision of the Senior Pharmacy Technician or nominated deputy
- Dispensing for In-patients, out-patients and patients that are going home, according to standard operating procedures.
- Handing out completed outpatient prescriptions to patients or their representatives, according to standard operating procedures
- Co-ordinating the supply of items that are owed to patients and ensuring they are dispensed & onward transport is arranged in a timely fashion. Checking order levels are adequate for supply and resolving any supply issues.
- Dispensing controlled drugs according to standard operating procedures.
- Keep a regard to stock on the dispensary shelves, top up & tidy as required with backup stock from the stores.
- Expiry date check the medicines on the shelves regularly.
- Assist at Staff and patient reception areas:
- Front Reception: Meet & greet the general public, receiving prescriptions and payment from the general public. There is a need to operate whatever equipment is provided to process transactions be it card machine or till.
- Direct any other business callers as required.
- To co-ordinate others to do this task if necessary.
- To answer the telephone and deal with routine enquiries regarding work in progress and communicating with the relevant member of staff for additional advice as required. Transfer calls to appropriately qualified staff if necessary.
Working alongside the Stores & Distribution team and dependent on service need:
- May be required to provide a top up service to wards, keeping the assigned wards fully stocked with medicines, ensuring they are rotated and expiry dates are checked, as stated in the top up standards.
- To ensure that the wards stock medicine supply needs are met and that the stock is used cost-effectively with minimum waste, liaising with Ward Sisters and Ward Pharmacists as required. This will include sorting returned medicines for re-use, counting them and returning to stock via the computer system.
- Process & assemble orders for wards & departments. Involves data entry and correct selection of goods, paying heed to Pharmacy stock control systems and ordering.
- Assist in sorting returned & waste medicines.
- Assist in keeping records of workload e.g. filing, photocopying.
- To ensure the patient services section always has a readily available supply of sundry items e.g. bottles, bags to use, by topping up daily and checking status of orders as required.
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. Senior Pharmacy Assistants will sometimes co-ordinate cover for duties & oversee/train less experienced staff.
- 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 Late night, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday cover as per rota.
- Comply with the code of expectations & values that the trust expects
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Good level of literacy and numeracy.
- NVQ Level 2 in Pharmaceutical services or equivalent or evidence of willingness to work towards qualification.
Desirable
- Proven picking/dispensing accuracy
Experience
Essential
- Previous pharmacy experience
Desirable
- Previous pharmacy experience working in a hospital
- Previous responsibility for carrying out ward stock top-up
Knowledge
Essential
- Excellent communication skills
- Understanding of written Standard Operating Procedures
- Ability to use computer, basic skills to operate electronic Pharmacy Systems
Desirable
- Recent experience of implementing change or quality improvement
qualities
Essential
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Cheerful, friendly personality
- Honesty and integrity
- Professional appearance
- Able to perform manual handling tasks
Desirable
- Capacity to work calmly under pressure
- Positive approach
- Ability to work in a team or independently as necessary
- Motivated and reliable
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Good level of literacy and numeracy.
- NVQ Level 2 in Pharmaceutical services or equivalent or evidence of willingness to work towards qualification.
Desirable
- Proven picking/dispensing accuracy
Experience
Essential
- Previous pharmacy experience
Desirable
- Previous pharmacy experience working in a hospital
- Previous responsibility for carrying out ward stock top-up
Knowledge
Essential
- Excellent communication skills
- Understanding of written Standard Operating Procedures
- Ability to use computer, basic skills to operate electronic Pharmacy Systems
Desirable
- Recent experience of implementing change or quality improvement
qualities
Essential
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Cheerful, friendly personality
- Honesty and integrity
- Professional appearance
- Able to perform manual handling tasks
Desirable
- Capacity to work calmly under pressure
- 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
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital (cross-site working may be required as per service change)
Gloucestershire
GL1 3NN
Employer's website
https://www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
