Job summary
We are looking to appoint a highly motivated, innovative and enthusiastic Senior Pharmacy Technician- Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (EPMA).
Your core role will involve working with the EPMA Pharmacist and Informatics Team to assist in developing, maintaining and upgrading our EPMA system and ensuring safe prescribing of medicines to our patients
This role requires excellent organisational and interpersonal skills, alongside sound knowledge of electronic prescribing. Relevant experience and good written and verbal communication skills are also essential.
In addition, you will support the Chief Pharmacy Technicians in undertaking final accuracy checking of prescriptions on a pre-defined rota and providing medicines management cover to clinical ward services and completing medicines reconciliation, as needed .
Interview date: w/c 4th September 2023
Main duties of the job
- The department operates a 7 day service to the Medical Care Group. Participation in the late night working, weekend and Bank Holiday rotas will also be required.
- The Pharmacy Department has over 100 staff operating across Whiston and St Helens Hospitals. We have established automated dispensing systems within the dispensaries at both sites. Both the Department and the Trust have a long-standing reputation for being a friendly and rewarding place to work. Our last Investors in People assessment recognised our Pharmacy as an outstandingly good department for staff support and development. A new e-prescribing facility has recently been launched.
- Both the Department and the Trust has a long-standing reputation for being a friendly and rewarding place to work. We were proud to have been awarded 'Team of the Year' at our annual staff awards in 2019.
About us
The Secretary of State has approved the partnership between St Helens & Knowsley and Southport & Ormskirk Hospitals.
From 1st July we have come together as a single organisation under the name Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
The Trust delivers acute hospital care, intermediate care, community, and primary care services to a population of over 600,000 people with a combined workforce of around 9000 dedicated and skilled staff from 17 locations including Whiston, Southport & Formby, St Helens, Ormskirk and Newton hospitals.
The Trust provides regional services for burns, plastic surgery and spinal injuries to more than 4 million people across Mersey and West Lancashire, Cheshire, the Isle of Man and North Wales.
Our Vision is to deliver 5 Star Patient Care:
- CAREthat is evidence based, high quality and compassionate
- SAFETY that is of the highest standards
- COMMUNICATION that is open, inclusive and respectful
- SYSTEMS that are efficient, patient centred and reliable
- PATHWAYS that are best practice and embedded, but also respect the individual needs of patients
Our achievements include:
- Trust rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
- Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
- Awarded National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for our Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme
Please see our Wellbeing & Benefits booklet for more information on our staff benefits. Accessible version available upon request.
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
- To support the Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (EPMA) Team to develop and manage the EPMA system
- To co-ordinate, plan and assist with any EPMA project activities, working alongside the project clinical team including the EPMA Lead Pharmacist, Digital Nursing Team and Informatics
- To resolve problems with the EPMA system and ensure the system is accurate and safe
- To be an EPMA champion and an advocate for EPMA across the Trust
- To deliver relevant training to Pharmacy staff for EPMA using specialist knowledge
- To participate in audit work relating to EPMA, produce reports and collate data to support the monitoring of performance targets
- To develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) relating to EPMA and suggest changes to any Trust policies impacted on, by using EPMA
- To act as an Accredited Checking Technician within the dispensary on a pre-determined rota
- To participate in the department rota to ensure a pharmacy service is provided efficiently over 7 days
- Line management support will be provided by the post holder to include appraisals and education and training when required.
CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Label and dispense medication as required including the accurate input of data into the pharmacy JAC computer system, extemporaneous dispensing and blister packs.
- To perform final accuracy checking on prescriptions and inpatient requisitions which have been clinically verified by a pharmacist in accordance with Trust procedures and ensure dispensing errors are corrected by the appropriate member of staff
- To counsel on the safe use of medicines when issuing prescriptions to service users
- Report any drug errors you detect to the Head of Pharmacy or their deputy. Ensure that the appropriate error form is completed.
- To provide appropriate advice to doctors, nurses and other professionals as required
- Return unwanted or patients own Controlled drugs from the wards in accordance with the departmental policy and the Misuse of Drugs Act as required
- To maintain professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
- To participate in Continuing Professional Development as per department policy and national guidelines from the General Pharmaceutical council
- To work weekends and Bank Holidays according to rotas and the needs of the department
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
- To support the Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (EPMA) Team to develop and manage the EPMA system
- To co-ordinate, plan and assist with any EPMA project activities, working alongside the project clinical team including the EPMA Lead Pharmacist, Digital Nursing Team and Informatics
- To resolve problems with the EPMA system and ensure the system is accurate and safe
- To be an EPMA champion and an advocate for EPMA across the Trust
- To deliver relevant training to Pharmacy staff for EPMA using specialist knowledge
- To participate in audit work relating to EPMA, produce reports and collate data to support the monitoring of performance targets
- To develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) relating to EPMA and suggest changes to any Trust policies impacted on, by using EPMA
- To act as an Accredited Checking Technician within the dispensary on a pre-determined rota
- To participate in the department rota to ensure a pharmacy service is provided efficiently over 7 days
- Line management support will be provided by the post holder to include appraisals and education and training when required.
CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Label and dispense medication as required including the accurate input of data into the pharmacy JAC computer system, extemporaneous dispensing and blister packs.
- To perform final accuracy checking on prescriptions and inpatient requisitions which have been clinically verified by a pharmacist in accordance with Trust procedures and ensure dispensing errors are corrected by the appropriate member of staff
- To counsel on the safe use of medicines when issuing prescriptions to service users
- Report any drug errors you detect to the Head of Pharmacy or their deputy. Ensure that the appropriate error form is completed.
- To provide appropriate advice to doctors, nurses and other professionals as required
- Return unwanted or patients own Controlled drugs from the wards in accordance with the departmental policy and the Misuse of Drugs Act as required
- To maintain professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
- To participate in Continuing Professional Development as per department policy and national guidelines from the General Pharmaceutical council
- To work weekends and Bank Holidays according to rotas and the needs of the department
Person Specification
Other
Essential
- Self motivated with the ability to motivate others
- Manage complex and competing issues staying calm under pressure
- Team player
- Reliable
- Supportive of colleagues of all grades
- Willingness to travel between sites
Desirable
- Clean driving licence with appropriate insurance
Qualifications
Essential
- Practising Pharmacy Technician registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
- BTEC/NVQ level 3 in Pharmacy Services or an equivalent approved qualification
- Checking Technician Qualification.
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Substantial post registration experience within hospital pharmacy
- Working with pharmacy computer systems e.g. CMM (JAC) , ePMA
- Demonstrable experience of supervising and developing staff
Desirable
- Experience of managing change
- Experience of completing appraisals
- Experience of procedure writing
- Experience of providing clinical services to wards e.g. medicines reconciliation, counselling patients on discharge
Skills
Essential
- Good communication skills
- Ability to work unsupervised
- Ability to concentrate for long periods of time
- Demonstrable time management
- Computer literate with skills in pharmacy technology management
- Analysis and reporting of complex information
- Planning and service development skills
- Ability to liaise with patients, staff and other health professionals
- Well organised with good administrative skills
- Good written and oral communication skills
- Ability to work accurately and efficiently
Desirable
- Good motivational skills
- |Good negotiating skills
- Knowledge of Crystal reporting
- Demonstrable experience in audit
Person Specification
Other
Essential
- Self motivated with the ability to motivate others
- Manage complex and competing issues staying calm under pressure
- Team player
- Reliable
- Supportive of colleagues of all grades
- Willingness to travel between sites
Desirable
- Clean driving licence with appropriate insurance
Qualifications
Essential
- Practising Pharmacy Technician registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
- BTEC/NVQ level 3 in Pharmacy Services or an equivalent approved qualification
- Checking Technician Qualification.
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Substantial post registration experience within hospital pharmacy
- Working with pharmacy computer systems e.g. CMM (JAC) , ePMA
- Demonstrable experience of supervising and developing staff
Desirable
- Experience of managing change
- Experience of completing appraisals
- Experience of procedure writing
- Experience of providing clinical services to wards e.g. medicines reconciliation, counselling patients on discharge
Skills
Essential
- Good communication skills
- Ability to work unsupervised
- Ability to concentrate for long periods of time
- Demonstrable time management
- Computer literate with skills in pharmacy technology management
- Analysis and reporting of complex information
- Planning and service development skills
- Ability to liaise with patients, staff and other health professionals
- Well organised with good administrative skills
- Good written and oral communication skills
- Ability to work accurately and efficiently
Desirable
- Good motivational skills
- |Good negotiating skills
- Knowledge of Crystal reporting
- Demonstrable experience in audit
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).
