Job summary
Pharmacy Purchasing Officer
Band: 4 (£26,530-£29,114)
Hours: Part time (18.75 hours per week), Permanent
Base: You may be required to work in other designated locations of the Trust as well as your primary base. In particular, flexibility is required across the three main hospital sites (Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester General Hospital and Glenfield Hospital). If your initial location is one of these sites excess travel reimbursement would not apply for a permanent or temporary change of base. Your primary base will be LGH.
Reports to: Chief Pharmacy Technician Procurement
Accountable to: Chief Pharmacist
We are a relatively small team made up of pharmacy technicians and purchasing officers but interact with the wider pharmacy department plus external contacts such as wholesalers and manufacturers.
Main duties of the job
- To provide a pharmaceutical purchasing, stock control and procurement service to the University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) and the TrustMed Outpatient Pharmacies (TMP).
- To promote and maintain good working relationships with staff in all the pharmacy departments in the Leicester hospitals.
- To deal effectively with pharmacy staff and their stock related problems (determining the real nature and extent of the problem and providing a satisfactory solution).
- To learn how to use new technology to best effect improvements and efficiencies in the provision of a high quality purchasing service.
About us
Our new strategy, developed with the support and feedback of colleagues, patients, and partners, is our compass for the next seven years (2023-2030).
We have four primary goals:
- high-quality care for all,
- being a great place to work,
- partnerships for impact, and
- research and education excellence
And we will embed health equality in all we do - taking active steps to reduce the avoidable differences in healthcare that some people face, working in partnership with communities.
Our strategy is underpinned by new values and we will work to ensure they are an everyday reality for all:
- we are compassionate,
- we are proud,
- we are inclusive, and
- we are one team
This is an exciting moment as we look to the future with clarity on what we already do well and where we need to focus our energies to make an even bigger difference for the people we serve.
About the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust:
http://www.leicestershospitals.nhs.uk/aboutus/work-for-us/current-vacancies/
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Purchases pharmaceuticals for each of the pharmacy departments in accordance with local procedures and contracts, ensuring timely delivery and optimum order quantities.
- Manages accounts for patient supplies of home delivered medicines and therapies.
- Assists local pharmacy stores managers in ensuring effective stock control and maintaining appropriate stock levels to meet patients needs.
- Expedites orders for pharmaceuticals and obtains acceptable alternatives to unavailable items, keeping pharmacy departments informed, to maintain the clinical service.
- Assists in sourcing any new, unusual or alternative pharmaceutical products that may be required.
- Advises pharmacy staff on the availability of requested items and responds to urgent requests to ensure that patient therapy is not compromised and continuity of supply is maintained.
- Manages own workload and sets priorities, to ensure clinical service is not compromised.
- Measures procurement workload and assists in analysing performance indicators to improve efficiency.
- Responsible for maintaining proper financial control by ensuring prices paid and goods received are correct before authorising payment of invoices.
- Manages financial accounts with pharmaceutical companies, to minimise the trusts liabilities and to ensure all income is received.
- Responsible for ensuring UHL and TMP obtain maximum value for money on medicines purchases by keeping costs to a minimum, ensuring correct products are purchased, contracts adhered to and all due compensation is claimed.
- Responsible for keeping computer stock, supplier and financial records up to date and accurate, to maximise the efficiency of the purchasing service.
- Assists in the training of other staff groups in purchasing procedures.
- Ensures drug alerts and hazard recalls are implemented promptly to minimise risk to patients and staff.
- Assumes responsibility when necessary for the security of the district pharmacy building.
- To undertake such other reasonable duties as may be required from time to time.
- To participate in evening, weekend, bank holiday and on-call work in accordance with departmental rotas.
Please see attached job description for more information.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Purchases pharmaceuticals for each of the pharmacy departments in accordance with local procedures and contracts, ensuring timely delivery and optimum order quantities.
- Manages accounts for patient supplies of home delivered medicines and therapies.
- Assists local pharmacy stores managers in ensuring effective stock control and maintaining appropriate stock levels to meet patients needs.
- Expedites orders for pharmaceuticals and obtains acceptable alternatives to unavailable items, keeping pharmacy departments informed, to maintain the clinical service.
- Assists in sourcing any new, unusual or alternative pharmaceutical products that may be required.
- Advises pharmacy staff on the availability of requested items and responds to urgent requests to ensure that patient therapy is not compromised and continuity of supply is maintained.
- Manages own workload and sets priorities, to ensure clinical service is not compromised.
- Measures procurement workload and assists in analysing performance indicators to improve efficiency.
- Responsible for maintaining proper financial control by ensuring prices paid and goods received are correct before authorising payment of invoices.
- Manages financial accounts with pharmaceutical companies, to minimise the trusts liabilities and to ensure all income is received.
- Responsible for ensuring UHL and TMP obtain maximum value for money on medicines purchases by keeping costs to a minimum, ensuring correct products are purchased, contracts adhered to and all due compensation is claimed.
- Responsible for keeping computer stock, supplier and financial records up to date and accurate, to maximise the efficiency of the purchasing service.
- Assists in the training of other staff groups in purchasing procedures.
- Ensures drug alerts and hazard recalls are implemented promptly to minimise risk to patients and staff.
- Assumes responsibility when necessary for the security of the district pharmacy building.
- To undertake such other reasonable duties as may be required from time to time.
- To participate in evening, weekend, bank holiday and on-call work in accordance with departmental rotas.
Please see attached job description for more information.
Person Specification
Training & Qualifications
Essential
- Minimum of four GCSE passes including English and Maths
Desirable
- European Computer Driving Licence or other computing qualification NVQ Level 3 Purchasing or Business Administration or equivalent, or Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) Foundation level Knowledge of contract law, negotiation skills and contract management eg through NHS PaSA short courses
Experience
Essential
- Proven/previous experience of the following: Customer services - particularly dealing with a variety of people using the telephone Using computer systems Office organisation, team working Purchasing and Invoicing procedures
- Proven/ previous experience working in a Pharmacy environment, using medical terminology and drug names.
- Word processing. Use of simple spreadsheets
Desirable
- Proven/previous experience working in an NHS hospital
Communication & Relationship Skills
Essential
- Inter-personal communication skills and ability to deal with people at all levels
Analytical & Judgement Skills
Essential
- Flair for problem analysis and solution Literate and numerate
Physical Skills
Essential
- Ability to think clearly and logically under pressure Enthusiasm for and willingness to learn about new technology and systems of work Word processing Use of simple spreadsheets
Planning & Organisation Skills
Essential
- Organisational skills including the ability to prioritise effectively, especially one's own work
Other Requirements
Essential
- Drug nomenclature Purchasing and Invoicing procedures Stock control systems
Desirable
- Trust Standing Financial Instructions Contract Law Medicines Act - in respect of purchase of medicines
Person Specification
Training & Qualifications
Essential
- Minimum of four GCSE passes including English and Maths
Desirable
- European Computer Driving Licence or other computing qualification NVQ Level 3 Purchasing or Business Administration or equivalent, or Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) Foundation level Knowledge of contract law, negotiation skills and contract management eg through NHS PaSA short courses
Experience
Essential
- Proven/previous experience of the following: Customer services - particularly dealing with a variety of people using the telephone Using computer systems Office organisation, team working Purchasing and Invoicing procedures
- Proven/ previous experience working in a Pharmacy environment, using medical terminology and drug names.
- Word processing. Use of simple spreadsheets
Desirable
- Proven/previous experience working in an NHS hospital
Communication & Relationship Skills
Essential
- Inter-personal communication skills and ability to deal with people at all levels
Analytical & Judgement Skills
Essential
- Flair for problem analysis and solution Literate and numerate
Physical Skills
Essential
- Ability to think clearly and logically under pressure Enthusiasm for and willingness to learn about new technology and systems of work Word processing Use of simple spreadsheets
Planning & Organisation Skills
Essential
- Organisational skills including the ability to prioritise effectively, especially one's own work
Other Requirements
Essential
- Drug nomenclature Purchasing and Invoicing procedures Stock control systems
Desirable
- Trust Standing Financial Instructions Contract Law Medicines Act - in respect of purchase of medicines
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).
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).
