Medicines Management Pharmacy Technician Band 4 to 5

Job summary
As part of the ongoing expansion in clinical care at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, we have a vacancy for full-time Medicines Management Pharmacy Technician Band 4/5 progression to join our friendly team at the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.*

Queen Elizabeth Hospital would be your base site.

If you are qualified (or you are soon to qualify) with Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians, Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Pharmacy Service Skills (or equivalent) and you would like to start / develop your career as a clinical pharmacy technician this could be the post for you. You would join a highly motivated ward based clinical pharmacy team working to the highest standards of patient centred care.

You will be working as part of a team of dedicated medicines management pharmacy technicians, where there are lots of opportunities to develop your clinical skills, help to improve medicines management on our inpatient wards and to progress your career.

PLEASE NOTE: We are unable to offer sponsorship for this post

Main duties of the job

• Accurately dispensing prescriptions
• Counsel patients on their medication in accordance with departmental standards
• Work on the ward in a medicines management role, which will include confirming patients' drug histories, assessing their medicines and transcribing for supply. This will also involve supporting with ward based dispensing and dispensing for discharge initiatives.
• Participate in Continual Personal Development (CPD)
• To be an Accredited Checking Pharmacy Technician (ACPT) and perform the duties accompanied to this role.

This is an excellent opportunity to be part of our progressive friendly pharmacy team and contribute to our Medicines Optimisation and Pharmacy Services Strategy. We strive for excellence and aim to provide the highest standards of care for our patients. You will be supporting a highly motivated and innovative ward based clinical pharmacy team.

About us
Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:

• Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
• Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
• Improving the experience of staff with disability
• Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
• Making equalities mainstream

Job responsibilities
Job Summary:
-
To be a key member of Pharmacy team and rotate across the following areas within the department: Dispensary, Technical Services, Stores, and ward based Medicine Management teams.

Key Result Areas & Performance:

Dispensary

• Accurately dispense and check prescriptions for inpatients and outpatients using manual and automated services. Prescription types will include: outpatients, inpatients, discharges, controlled drugs and clinical trials. This will involve inputting of patient details into the Ascribe computer system and subsequently produce dispensing labels. The label, prescription and product are collected together and assembled. Any additional items such as spoons, bags etc, are also added. The prepared items are checked for accuracy and passed to the pharmacist/accredited technician for final checking.
• To receive prescriptions from the inpatient hatch and record details in the dispensary logs.
• To successfully complete competencies covering the dispensing of medication over a range of prescriptions for inpatients, outpatients and TTAs.
• To help investigate stock level discrepancies within the Dispensary in line with current procedures.
• To perform the stock check of the emergency cupboard ensuring correct temperature and medicine expiry dates.
• To issue completed prescriptions and controlled drug supplies to ward staff.
• To remove any prepared prescriptions that have not been collected and return them to stock/destroy in accordance with Pharmacy procedure.
• To supply stock controlled drugs, and related controlled stationary to wards and departments.
• To perform controlled drugs stock checks, to audit and report any discrepancies to the Dispensary Manager or the Deputy Dispensary Manager.

Ward Based Duties Medicines Management

• To compile and verify electronically or on paper a patients drug history by communicating with the patient, carers, GPs and other health professionals.
• To endorse electronic or paper prescription charts with relevant medicine related information following trust policies and procedures.
• To document allergies to medicines.
• To undertake a review of patients own drugs to accurately assess the suitability of continued use while the patient is in hospital.
• To participate in the discharge planning of patients with ward staff and other healthcare professionals both in secondary and primary care.
• To give out patient medication to patients and counsel the patient on their medication to promote adherence. This will include the name of the medication, dosage, common side-effects and administration details including use of devices. In addition, resolve any queries or concerns a patient may have about their medications.
• Document consultations where appropriate in the patients records.
• To minimise delays in discharge by ensuring that medication is available at the appropriate time.
• To dispense prescriptions if required.
• To assess patients to see if a compliance aid is required to help concordance.
• To provide verbal and written medicines related advice and information for patients and/or carers regarding prescribed medication and their devices with the primary aim of improving patient outcomes through medicines optimisation.
• To assist with stock control and stock management of medicines on designated wards in communication with the ward pharmacist, ward managers, medicines management pharmacy assistants and rotational pharmacy assistants/apprentices.
• To assist with the workload on designated wards in communication with the ward pharmacist, ward managers, Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy, Technicians, medicines management pharmacy assistants and rotational pharmacy assistants/apprentices and Preregistration Pharmacists.
• To identify and return unwanted or out of date medicines to Pharmacy for disposal or for safe return to Pharmacy stock in accordance with local procedures.
• To arrange the supply and return of controlled drugs from the wards in an efficient manner.
• To transcribe and order medication that are clinically screened or awaiting a clinical screen by a pharmacist in accordance with trust policy.
• To support the implementation of self-administration by patients and/or carers where possible
• To support the efficient transfer of medicines between wards.
• Ensure the safe and secure handling of medicines during medicines management visits; identify issues and feedback to ward/team managers.
• To communicate with external organisations as necessary for admission and discharge processes (e.g. community pharmacies, GP surgeries).
• To undertake and complete the relevant sections of the Medicines Optimisation Program or its equivalent.
• Obtains consent from patient for all appropriate actions.
• To carry out and record daily monitoring of fridge and ambient temperatures for where medicines are stored, e.g. satellite rooms, and escalate any issues to the appropriate senior member of staff.

Accredited Checking Pharmacy Technician (ACPT) duties:

• Complete Accreditation (ACPT) according to CPPE/HEE LaSE scheme and local ACPT Policy.
• Conduct checking duties in dispensary or in a ward dispensing setting for a minimum of 8 hours per month.
• Provide constructive feedback when informing dispensers that they have made mistakes during dispensing.
• Report in-process errors using the Right First Time Procedure.
• Arrive promptly for arranged checking sessions.
• Ensure that your knowledge is up to date by reading all pharmacy procedures relevant to the accuracy checking of dispensed medicines and the ACPT Policy.
• Contribute to the quality management of dispensing by suggesting improvements to practice and procedures.
• Inform the ACPT facilitator on your base site before your accreditation expires, so that they can arrange for your reaccreditation.

Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential

• NVQ Level 3 in Pharmacy Service Skills or equivalent
• Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• ACPT or willingness to undertake
• MMPT or MOPs accreditation or willingness to undertake
• BTECH level 3 in Pharmaceutical science

Experience
Essential

• Dealing with the public
• Use of computers
• Dispensing experience

Desirable

• Have worked in Hospital pharmacy, minimum 2 years' experience.
• Supervising and training others

Knowledge & Skills
Essential

• Good communication skills
• Team player
• Able to work from written procedures
• Able to self organise and meet deadlines
• Ability to work under pressure
• Use of initiative
• Accurate dispensing

Desirable

• Able or willing to give presentations using relevant materials
• Experience of using electronic prescribing systems

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