Medicines Optimisation Pharmacy Technician
Job overview
We are seeking a friendly, enthusiastic and motivated Pharmacy Technician with a passion for supporting individuals with mental illness and learning disabilities to join our pharmacy team within Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the delivery of high-quality, patient-centred medicines optimisation services within mental health and learning disability settings. The post holder will work closely with Pharmacists, Prescribers and the wider multidisciplinary team to support safe and effective use of medicines.The role will include undertaking medicines reconciliation, supporting transfers of care, promoting adherence, and contributing to medicines safety initiatives.
The successful applicant will demonstrate excellent communication, organisational and time management skills, with the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team. You will be confident engaging with patients, carers and healthcare professionals, and committed to delivering compassionate, recovery-focused care.
Applications are welcomed from Pharmacy Technicians working in any sector of pharmacy, as this role offers opportunities to develop clinical skills within mental health and opportunities to undertake further training.
Main duties of the job
The successful applicant will work closely with our clinical teams and Pharmacists in providing a high-quality medicines optimisation service to clinical areas within LYPFT. Key areas of responsibility include:- Contribute to the development and delivery of medicines optimisation, concentrating on improving patient outcomes from medication.
- Completion of medicines reconciliation.
- To organise and ensure the timely supply of medicines to service users.
- Undertake final accuracy checks of dispensed medicines.
- Support the timely and smooth transfer of patient care at the point of discharge.
- Provide information to service users with regards to the safe and effective use of their medication.
- Participate in the training and supervision of new staff, trainees, and wider healthcare team.
- Work closely with Pharmacists, other Pharmacy Technicians, and other healthcare professionals as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- Undertake continued professional development, reflecting on practice and seeking feedback to improve performance.
- Work in line with departmental policies, professional standards, and relevant legislation (e.g. Health & Safety, Medicines Act).
Informal visits to the department to learn more about this opportunity can be arranged on request. A requirement to participate in weekend and bank holidays on a rotational basis will be necessary.
Working for our organisation
The Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT) is the main provider of Mental Health and Learning Disability services in Leeds. We also provide specialist inpatient services in York and some highly specialised services across the country.As a teaching trust with strong links to local universities, we are a centre of excellence for teaching, research and development.
There are many benefits of working for LYPFT including fantastic employee wellbeing support, 27 - 33 days annual leave, flexible working and remote working arrangements, the NHS Pension Scheme, coaching, support and opportunities for career development and training and education support alongside a range of exclusive discounts and payment schemes including for cars, extra leave days and more NHS Discount Offers.
We also have a bank department, offering variety of roles in nursing, allied health professions, healthcare support worker and administration clerical. Permanent employees are automatically added to bank.
Applicants should be aware that individuals requiring a visa to work in the UK, the Trust only provides sponsorship for registered healthcare practitioner roles (this does not include Healthcare Support Workers). This is an essential requirement, and the Trust is unable to offer you a role if you do not meet Trust requirements for sponsorship and Home Office requirements for a visa.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We recruit people based on their values and qualifications (where required) and believe that their lived experience is an advantage, this means that together we are as diverse as the communities we care for. Simply put, when we employ caring people who act with integrity and have the right skills, we can give those with mental health challenges, learning disabilities and neurodiversity high-quality care and support to live fulfilling lives, and make our staff feel purposeful, happy and valued.
All our information is available in accessible formats. Please contact the Recruitment team [email protected]
Attached to this advert is our candidates guide to values-based recruitment and supporting guidance on how to make a successful application.
If you require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Recruitment Team or see the attached candidate guide to reasonable adjustments.
To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need, look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading.
So that you’re even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, you’ll need to take time to read the Candidate Guide to Values Based Recruitment. This document provides you with information to help you apply.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- BTEC diploma in pharmaceutical science & NVQ level 3 diploma in pharmacy skills (or equivalent qualification)
Knowledge
Essential criteria- Demonstrate good knowledge of medicines management roles. o Medicines reconciliation. o Chart checking o POD’s o Self-administration
Skills
Essential criteria- Support service users in the safe and effective use of medicines.
- Has excellent oral and written communication skills
Experience
Essential criteria- Work based experience of working in a pharmacy environment.
Values
Desirable criteria- 1. Tell us about a time when you spotted something small going wrong and did something to stop it becoming a bigger issue
- 2. Tell us about a time when you realised a colleague or someone you know needed a bit of support and you offered to help.
- 3. Tell us about a time when you showed someone kindness or understanding.
Applications are welcomed from candidates who wish to apply for a position based on a smarter (Hybrid) or flexible working arrangement. Where candidates are successful at interview, flexible working arrangement requests will be taken into consideration and may be accommodated where the needs of the service allow.
Fixed Term Contracts for existing NHS Employees – temporary contracts for employees of LYPFT, or colleagues joining from another NHS Trust, will be offered on a secondment basis wherever possible. In the event this is not possible, an FTC would be issued and this would require a break in service of two weeks.
The purpose of a temporary is role could be for maternity cover, temporary funding or some other reason. At the end of which the need for the temporary work will cease. Temporary roles can stop, be extended and/or made permanent at any point during the period of work.Should the role become permanent then the post-holder will be informed of the process to be followed to convert the position to a permanent one.
All new employees are required to subscribe to the DBS Update Service.
Patient Safety is a priority at LYPFT with a focus on system-based improvement and creating opportunities for learning. We will ensure compassionate engagement with all those involved in an incident and all incidents are met with a proportionate response.LYPFT is committed to upholding its’ statutory responsibilities in relation to safeguarding adults and children. Please refer to job description for further information.
LYPFT is a member of the Disability Confident scheme and is committed to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process.
As part of the Trust's commitment to its Gold Standard Armed Forces Covenant status, members of the Armed Forces Community are entitled to a guaranteed interview subject to meeting the role criteria.
We welcome applicants with lived experience of providing unpaid care and/or support to a family member or friend with a disability, health condition, frailty, mental health problem, addiction or other health needs.
Please note that the Trust reserves the right to close the vacancy before the closing date if enough applications are received. It is in the candidate’s best interest to apply as soon as possible. In submitting an application form, you authorize Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the ESR IAT process should you be appointed to the post.
In applying for a role please ensure that you only declare qualifications that are relevant to the role itself. We reserve the right to check all declared qualifications on an application form, whether they are directly relevant to the role or not.
Please note: The Trust does not offer reimbursement of interview expenses.