Pharmacy Technician

Job summary
** This vacancy is currently only open to internal applicants from Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust **

Are you a registered pharmacy technician with proven hospital pharmacy experience looking to further develop your career. Or a pre registration pharmacy technician qualifying by March 2027

We have an exciting development opportunity for qualified or due to qualify pharmacy technicians to join our motivated friendly forward thinking team in a developmental role .

Our technicians help to support medicine supply throughout the trust in dispensary , aseptics and medicines management within our ward based teams.

You will be an excellent communicator caring and passionate about patients and be able to adapt to working with other colleagues of all levels.

You must be registered or be able to register with the General Pharmaceutical council(GPHC) and hold a Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practise for Pharmacy Technicians or an equivalent recognised GPHC qualification

The rotational posts provide an opportunity for a band 4 registered technician to progress to a band 5 technician typically achieved in 12 months following a development pathway included in this advert to ensure you develop the necessary skills to excel in this role.

You will be supported in developing your skills as a registered pharmacy technician, building on skills to become able to undertake Leadership duties and roles.

Main duties of the job
The post holder will successfully meet set competencies designed to develop the qualities skills and knowledge expected to progress to a band 5 technician within 12 months. Length of competency training will be dependant on qualification /experience achieved already.

The post holder will ensure that the Medicines Management, Aseptics Dispensary and Distribution services are delivered in a safe, effective, economic and timely manner .

Main duties

• Accurately safely and promptly label and assemble prescriptions for in-patients, out-patient and TTOs in accordance with departmental SOPS and dispensing standards.
• Undertake the final accuracy check on dispensed medication prior to release after completion.
• Counsel patients on take home medications to assist patients in obtaining the most from their medicines.
• Act as the lead technician in dispensary/distribution coordinating and managing staff to ensure effective work flow.
• Complete the relevant sections of the in house Medicines Management training if not already undertaken , supporting the delivery of near patient pharmacy services by completing Drug Histories, POD checking, counselling, dispensing TTOs and supplying inpatient medications to prevent missed doses and completing DMS referrals.
• Complete SASH audit training
• Professionally screen ward/clinic requisitions confirming discrepancies and escalating any supply issues.
• Resolve stock discrepancies
• If required participate in the sterile preparations of medicines in the aseptic unit.

About us
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 more than 7,000 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. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Being open and honest
Ensuring people feel cared for
Showing respect to everyone

We are committed to developing a culture of continuous improvement by embedding the principles of our Improvement 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.

DBS Checks and Costs
Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check (at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in Supporting Information section for more details on DBS checks and costs.

Job responsibilities
Please see Job description attached to the advert for a full list of duties

Core Responsibilities:

• Undertake a mutually agreed range of technical duties in the department, on rotation where required, meeting required departmental standards at all times. It is expected that the post holder will complete any in-house training and internal and/or external accreditation required prior to undertaking these duties. This training will be appropriate to both the competency required to deliver the role and the level of skill and experience demonstrated by the post holder.
• 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
• Follow departmental Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) at all times, and provide comment and feedback where appropriate, commenting on elements of SOPs relevant to own duties and communicating any arising queries, concerns or issues to the appropriate Lead Specialist Technician or the Chief Technician as appropriate.
• Maintain patient confidentiality at all times according to Trust policy.
• To participate in the training of Pre-registration Technicians, Pharmacy Assistants, Pre-registration Pharmacists according to departmental standards and requirements. Pre-registration Pharmacy Technician and Pharmacy Assistant training will require an understanding of NVQ (or equivalent) training requirements.
• Participation in the induction and training of all new staff as appropriate.
• Act in a professional, caring and responsible manner at all times to ensure that the needs of patients and other customers of the Pharmacy Service are met.
• Work weekends and participate in the operational Bank Holiday rotas.

Dispensing Services:

• Participate in Dispensary coordination activities where appropriate
• Undertake dispensary reception duties when necessary
• Interpret prescription stationary and accurately and clearly label and dispense prescriptions, ensuring that patients receive comprehensive directions on how to take and get the most from their prescribed medicines.
• Accurately and safely dispense prescriptions for both in-patients and out-patients in a timely and prompt manner. This will include the dispensing of unlicensed medicines, clinical trial material and specialist products, completing paper records of the patient and the drugs supplied, according to departmental procedure. Immediate reporting of out of stock issues to either the patient or an appropriate member of dispensary staff.
• Provide the final pharmacy check on dispensed medication (accuracy check) for both in-patient, discharge medicines, out-patient prescriptions and stock supplies of controlled drugs, ensuring that the prescription has been labelled and assembled correctly by other members of pharmacy staff. This does not include any form of clinical check on the prescription content. Errors or omissions made during the dispensing process should be highlighted to dispensing staff in a constructive manner and the corrective action required should be explained and supervised. Where concerns or doubts of the accuracy of another member of staff are identified by the post holder, these must be communicated promptly and appropriately to either the Dispensary Manager, Chief Technician or Chief Pharmacist
• Handout dispensed prescriptions to patients and carers ensuring that, where delegated, appropriate counselling on prescribed medicines is given to patients, in line with departmental standards, to improve compliance and knowledge of their therapy including dosage, frequency and other directions. This may require the counselling of patients and carers with sight or hearing problems and may involve occasional contact with patients with terminal illness or palliative care needs, to ensure that patients are able to get the most from their medicines.
• Receive, issue and maintain register entries and any appropriate associated documentation for controlled drugs according to legal and departmental standards, reporting any discrepancies to the Dispensary Manager or Chief Technician
• Identify and refer any formulary related computer issues to the attention of the duty pharmacist to assist in the implementation and enforcement of the Trust Formulary.
• Promptly bring problems relating to the dispensing of prescriptions, including owing items, to the attention of an appropriate member of staff.
• Deputise for the Dispensary Manager within the dispensary when required.
• Comply with the Trust policy on the use of patients own medicines (PODs) and any associated cost containment policies in relation to appropriate quantities of medicines for discharge. This will include assessing PODs for suitability of re-use on discharge, in conjunction with the discharge prescription, and relabelling if appropriate.
• Ensuring that prescription stationary is fully endorsed with the origin of the medicines supplied, the quantity supplied and where appropriate, the strength of the dispensed medicines, according to departmental policy.
• Weigh, measure, compound and prepare medicines for patients where accuracy is of the utmost importance.

Provision of Stock Distribution Services:

• Accurately supply requisitioned stock medicines ordered by all wards, clinics, outside hospitals and external customers in a timely and appropriate way. This will require continual prioritisation by the post holder to ensure that deadlines for supply are met and urgently required items are processed as a priority.
• Meet set transport and portering times to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of medicines across the County.
• Promptly bring any issues, delays or problems with medicines supply in distribution to the attention of the supervising technician. Where resolution is not immediate, swiftly communicate these issues to an appropriate member of ward/clinical department staff, having referred to an appropriate member of pharmacy staff for advice or a possible alternative solution.
• Organise the replenishment of the Out of Hours drug cupboard (EDC) as required.
• Interpret and organise daily intravenous fluid orders from wards and clinical areas.

Provision of Aseptic Services:

• Work within aseptic unit SOPs, policies and procedures at all times.
• Reconstitute or prepare cytotoxic and monoclonal antibody medicines according to the unit rota, calculating quantities of raw materials required according to worksheets.
• Participate in the cleaning rota for the aseptic suite sterile and non-sterile areas - according to departmental policy and procedure.
• Undertake monitoring and validation of the Unit in line with departmental policy according to the rota.
• Ensure stock levels of required drugs are maintained, ordering extra supplies according to agreed stock levels, when necessary
• Co-ordinate and manage stock list reviews on a defined regular basis to ensure that the ward area has a comprehensive, rational and appropriate stock of medicines that reflects ward usage and need. Changes should be negotiated with the lead pharmacists and ward managers for the post-holders area.

Stock Control Duties:

• Ensure that stock is rotated according to departmental procedure and that adequate stocks are maintained to meet normal service demands
• Check stocks on a regular basis (including Annual Stock Takes) Cross-reference stock on shelves against computer stock records to ensure that computer records are accurate. Use computer facilities to obtain reports, and refer any unexplained discrepancies to the relevant Lead Specialist Pharmacy Technician or pharmacist as delegated.
• Check return items for suitability to credit and re-issue, booking them back into departmental stock when approval to do so given, according to departmental procedure.

Provision of Ward-based Technical Services:

• Complete the relevant sections of the in-house training and accreditation programme in technical ward-based services to support the advanced level and Lead Specialist Technicians in the delivery of near-patient pharmacy services. This may include:
• Interviewing patients on admission, obtaining consent to use their own medicines (PODs), assessing these for suitability for use and referring any identified problems to the Lead Specialist Technician or Senior Pharmacist
• Analysing prescription stationery for all patients allocated, to identify any other medicines they will require during their stay and to label and dispense these medicines in a form ready for discharge (one stop dispensing)
• Regularly reviewing the contents of patients bedside medicine lockers, as required by the Lead Specialist Technician, to ensure that all prescribed medicines are available at the correct time for administration by nursing staff.
• To assist the Lead Specialist Technician in the accurate and timely completion of patients discharge medicines from the ward, according to agreed discharge times and Trust bed pressure

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• NVQ Level 3 and BTEC in pharmaceutical science or equivalent or due to complete by March 2027
• Registered with the GPHC as a pharmacy technician or due to be registered in 2027
• Holds ACT qualification or enrolled onto buttercups or due to complete qualification by March 2027

Desirable

• Holds medicine management accreditation qualification or has relevant experience
• Evidence of continuing professional development

Experience
Essential

• Experience working as a qualified pharmacy technician in hospital/community or as a pre registration pharmacy technician

Desirable

• Current experience of delivering ward based technical medicines management services as a qualified pharmacy technician or pre registration pharmacy technician
• Current experience of undertaking medication histories utilising SCR and other approved sources
• Knowledge of lead technician duties within dispensary
• Current experience of aseptic services.
• Relevant experience of supervising technical staff or students

Knowledge and Skills
Essential

• Standard keyboard skills including pharmacy computer systems and MS office.
• Proven ability to accurately dispense medications
• Patient counselling skills.

Desirable

• Knowledge of Omnicell systems

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is committed to developing a culture of continuous improvement and is proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation.