Senior Pharmacy Assistant Pharmacy, Alex

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

This job is now closed

Job summary

Are you a pharmacy assistant looking to take the next step, within a part time role?We are looking for a enthusiastic and motivated pharmacy assistant to join our Stock Distribution Team at the Alexandra Hospital.

You will be an extremely valuable member of the Stock Distribution services pharmacy team, supervising the distribution of medicines across the county, the workflow and the staff.

You will be a strong confident team player,demonstrate professionalism at all times,act as a role model to all our assistants, with a strong commitment to staff training,and take responsibility for ensuring the prompt,effective distribution of medicines between all three Acute Hospital sites and also to acute clinics across the county.You will be directly involved in the inputting, issuing, picking and packing stock medicines, ward top ups services to wards and also the training of all staff undertaking these duties, to a high standard.

This is a part time role, worked on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 9am to 5pm, to partner with a second post working the remainder of the week, under the management of the Stock Distribution and Stores Manager and their Deputy.Good communication skills will be required to ensure maintaining the high level of service we provide.

There will also be a Saturday and Bank Holiday commitment on a rota basis. For an informal chat or arrange a visit please contact Tina Slaughter Chief Pharmacy Technician on email t.slaughter@nhs.net or telephone 01527 512067

Main duties of the job

To be the Senior Assistant for Countywide Stock Distribution service at the Alexandra Hospital providing an efficient and timely ward stock medicines supply services that includes minimizing waste through overstocking and stock issues as a result of stock outs and issues with external suppliers.

To co-ordinate work flow within the Distribution in conjunction with the Stock Distribution Manager.

To undertake a range of administration support duties and be responsible for producing all delegated reports and suggest and implement improvements to ensure targets are met.

To be a key member of the operational team, induct, train and supervise staff and function as the Lead assistant contact for Stock distribution.

To act as a role model for pharmacy assistants in all areas of work, supporting colleagues and liaising professionally with all members of the departmental management team to provide the best possible care for the patient.

To participate and plan the staff cover for the ward top up service.

To deputise and provide cover for other Pharmacy Assistant Team Leads in their absence

To maintain dispensing competency if not part of day-to-day role.

For further details see the full Job description attached to the advert

About us

Our purpose is simple - Putting Patients First. We are looking for exceptional colleagues who can help us achieve this.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester

Our workforce is nearly 6,800 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us to achieve our Vision - working in partnership to provide the best healthcare for our communities, leading and supporting our teams to move 4ward. Our 4ward behaviours, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Our objectives are simple:

Best services for local people
Best experience of care and best outcomes for our patients
Best use of resources
Best people

Better never stops, and our Clinical Services Strategy provides a clear future vision for our Trust, our hospitals, our services and our role in the wider health and care system.

We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

Date posted

30 April 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£22,816 to £24,336 a year Agenda For Change Pay Band 3

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9365-24-0394

Job locations

The Alexandra Hospital

Woodrow Drive

Redditch

Worcestershire

B98 7UB

Job description

Job responsibilities

Distribution Team Lead Role

To act as the Lead Assistant for Distribution, working closely with Stores and Distribution Manager and Training Leads to develop Distribution training for Assistants and Trainees, and to support the delivery of this by organising and assisting with the training delivery as delegated and appropriate.

Screen and input all ward requisitions onto EMIS to cost, issue and produce a picking ticket and also clarifying and endorsing with generic names and form of the drug after consulting the British National Formulary (BNF) and with senior ward staff, if information is unclear or omitted. Inform the ward staff if an item is not supplied by the pharmacy and refer them to the correct department. The work pattern is unpredictable and has constant interruptions from both telephone queries and third parties.

Refer requisitions to the Professional Checking pharmacist, any items that are: unlicensed drugs, high cost antibiotics or where the patients name is required (i.e. Non Stock).

To co-ordinate work flow within Distribution, ensuring all required tasks have been covered each day, and escalate any problems and issues as and when necessary to the Stores and Distribution Manager.

Accurately supply requisitioned stock medicines ordered by all wards, clinics, outside hospitals and external customers in a timely and appropriate way. Resolve supply problems when possible and inform customers accordingly. Where resolution is not immediate, swiftly communicate these issues to an appropriate member of ward/clinical department staff, having first referred to an appropriate member of staff for advice or a possible alternative solution if necessary.

Supervise staff and workflow within distribution, directing Pharmacy Assistants and Trainees according to workload. The post holder will be required to continually prioritise urgent requests ensuring that deadlines for supply are met and items are processed in order of priority.

To work with the lead technician and site lead to ensure all work required is complete by the end of each day, following the Distribution lead checklist paperwork.

To suggest and help implement once agreed any workflow transformation plans or new systems of work.

Supervise Pharmacy Assistants rostered to work in Distribution. This will include:

Ensuring staff follow SOPs and resolve basic issues as defined within them.Ensuring staff are appropriately delegated duties

Ensuring staff observe Health and Safety good practices especially in relation to load handling and COSHH within the Pharmacy Store.

Ensuring appropriate communications take place between Stores staff and the Distribution and Procurement teams across the county.

Ensuring appropriate communications take place between Distribution staff and Nursing Staff

Deal with non-routine issues relating to Stock Distribution as defined with SOPs, and problem solve within the limits of responsibility, escalating where necessary to a senior technician.

Work under pressure to meet set transport and portering times to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of medicines across the County organising additional transport when necessary.

Assist with any action plans relating to MRHA Medicine Recalls, or medicine shortages when required.

Organise the replenishment and expiry date checking of the Emergency Drug cupboard as required.

Interpret and organise daily intravenous fluid orders from wards and clinical areas. Make decisions and what to supply when orders are placed after the pharmacy cut-off times with liaison with nursing staff.

Ensure that the daily paperwork is filed and archived correctly, so that they can easily be retrieved for any query.

Plan and review the staff rota for the topping up of medicines and related products on wards and departments.

Ensure that bulk IV fluids within the Pharmacy IV Fluid Store are rotated and adequate stocks are maintained to meet routine and non-routine service demands.

Provide support in the handling of Manufacturers Product Recalls, under the direction of the Stores and Distribution Manager. This will include identifying stock holding in pharmacy and on the wards and assisting in the recall of stock

Managerial Responsibilities

To function and act as a role model for Pharmacy Assistants at all times projecting professionalism in all areas of work and conduct, being approachable and supportive to colleagues and liaising with managers to support departmental policy, procedure, ethos and standards to the benefit of patients.

Assist in the review of SOPs in relation to the Team Lead role undertaken and, assist in the implementation and training of staff.

Liaise with lead technicians on a regular basis to ensure that all Assistant staff are allocated appropriately, and raise any issues in staffing or service delivery.

To express any concerns over the competency of team members in relation to the safe and accurate delivery of their duties, to the most appropriate member of the Operational Management team.

To provide cover for other Pharmacy Assistant Team Leads in their absence.

Assist in the training of pharmacy staff in manual handling, risk management and act as a departmental Fire Warden.

General Duties:Stock control

Ensure that stock is rotated and that adequate stocks are held to meet normal demands whilst preventing wastage due to over-stocking.

Check stocks on a regular basis to ensure that computer records are accurate. Obtain reports within EMIS Pharmacy Computer System as required, investigate and report any unexplained discrepancies to the relevant supervising Pharmacy Technician.

Undertake expiry date checking of stock on a rotational basis as appropriate.

Undertake appropriate housekeeping duties when necessary.

Dispensary: (i.e. providing relief cover when necessary)

Participate in the provision of reception duties within the Dispensary see full job description

Logging work in.

Assist in the assembly of dispensed items for in-patient, out-patient and take-home prescriptions within the dispensary as defined within the departmental SOPs. This will include labelling and dispensing of prescriptions.

Distribution Assistant role: (i.e. providing relief cover when necessary)

To supply stock and non-stock ad-hoc requests of drugs to wards and departments following SOPs.

To supply stock and non-stock ad-hoc requests to wards and departments where requested on pharmacy order sheets by ward based pharmacy technicians and pharmacists.

To input requirements onto the pharmacy EMIS computer system to cost the issue and produce a Picking Ticket.

To provide a cross-check of the accuracy of items assembled by other Pharmacy Assistants within the Distribution section when required.

To assist in the processing of returned items following SOPs.

Dispose of out of date, wasted and unwanted medicines by placing in the correct waste stream container.

Assist in the assembly of cardiac arrest (and related) boxes.

Check the Emergency Drug Room on a rota basis, issue and replenish stock that has been removed ensuring stock is issued on the EMIS system. Ensure the stock held in the cupboard is in date and the expiry dates are recorded.

Ensure that stock held in the Emergency Drug Room is in date and that expiry dates are recorded.

Ward Based Top Up service role: (i.e. providing relief cover when necessary)

Provide a Pharmacy top-up service to a ward or group of wards allocated to you. This will include:

Identifying top-up requirements by checking through the stock cupboards on the ward against the agreed stock list.

Inputting these requirements onto the pharmacy EMIS computer system to produce a Picking Ticket for issue purposes.

Identifying excess stock and non-stock items that are currently not in use within cupboards, removing these items and returning them to the pharmacy.

Checking expiry dates and storage conditions of drugs held on the ward removing any out-of-date or inappropriately stored items and returning them to pharmacy.

Liaising with Distribution team at Redditch re: out-of stocks and items that are owed from top-ups.

Assist Pharmacy Technicians in review of stock lists thereby ensuring that lists are kept up to date.

Seek advice from the appropriate Pharmacy Technician regarding non-routine issues relating to top-ups raised by ward staff, if unable to resolve self

Stores (i.e. providing relief cover when necessary)

Unpack deliveries from Suppliers and check goods against delivery documents enclosed.

Check delivery against the EMIS order and receive items onto the Pharmacy Computer System if correct.

Handle routine discrepancies and problems with deliveries appropriately. Escalate non-routine problems as appropriate.

Put receipted stock away promptly and accurately within the department according to departmental SOPs.

Assist in maintaining the pharmacy Archive Store including filing of paperwork.

Core responsibilities:

Participate in the Trusts Skills Development Review (PDR) process on at least an annual basis, preparing for and pro-actively contributing to the review with the manager.

Follow all departmental Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) at all times, where necessary identifying any aspect of an SOP which could be improved and/or amended to the Dispensary Manager or appropriate supervising Senior Technician.

Be personally responsible for keeping up-to-date with all relevant SOPs, policies and communiqués within the department and, where appropriate, the Trust as a whole.

Maintain patient confidentiality at all times according to Trust procedure and policy.

Act in a professional, caring and responsible manner at all times ensuring that the needs of patients and all customers of the Pharmacy Service are met.

Assist in the induction and training of new and less experienced staff members and students by demonstrating own duties.

To participate in the Departmental Bank Holiday rota.

To participate in weekend working.