Pharmacy Assistant - Aseptic Services
Job overview
An exciting and unique opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic, dynamic and self-motivated professional to join our aseptic team at the Sutton site of the Royal Marsden. You will be part of a team consisting of Pharmacists, Technicians and Assistants, who are always striving for excellence in all aspects of our work.We are working collaboratively as part of a Multi-Disciplinary Team to ensure we always deliver outstanding care to our patients.
This is an exciting time to join the Royal Marsden Hospital Aseptic Department. Our service is built around providing a high-quality service to our patients and staff of the Trust. The department works closely with the Institute of Cancer Research and the post-holder will be supporting the development of innovative new cancer medicines as these drugs enter early phase clinical trials.The Oak Cancer Centre (a new, state-of-the-art treatment and research facility) was opened in June 2023 in Sutton which will speed up the translation of world-leading research into breakthroughs in treatment and care, transforming the lives of cancer patients at The Royal Marsden and beyond.
The hospital introduced the EPIC digital health record system in March 2023– and are looking to use the full capabilities of this system to support the pharmacy aseptic service and become a truly paperless department early 2025.
Main duties of the job
The Job Description outlines the roles of the Assistant Aseptic Services. You will provide support to the Chief/Deputy Chief Technicians and other senior Aseptic Services staff. You will be carrying out tasks such as, stock control, cleaning, and monitoring of the aseptic facility.You will also work in the support areas of the aseptic suite setting up product trays and decontaminating these before the products can be made.
Full training will be given in all aspects of the role.
Working for our organisation
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a world-leading cancer centre. Our role is to offer our patients the best cancer care available anywhere in the world, and to continue to make a global contribution to finding better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer.We employ over 4,500 staff in a diverse range of careers including nursing, medical, science, radiography, pharmacy, occupational therapy, finance and administrative services. We have two hospitals – one in Chelsea, London, and one in Sutton, Surrey – as well as a Medical Daycare Unit in Kingston Hospital.
At The Royal Marsden, we deal with cancer every day, so we understand how valuable life is. When people entrust their lives to us, they have the right to demand the very best. That's why the pursuit of excellence lies at the heart of everything we do.
At the heart of the hospital is our dedicated team. We offer a stimulating and dynamic working environment, a wide range of staff benefits, learning and development opportunities and clear career pathways. There are opportunities to work flexibly across a range of areas and specialities and we welcome flexible working requests from point of hire to support employees work life balance.We are looking for employees who aspire to excellence, share our values and can play a crucial role in our on-going achievements.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification:-- Assist in the maintenance of Technical Services facilities as defined in Good Manufacturing Practice
- Become familiar with Standard Operating Procedures for Technical Services.
- Dispose of Technical Services waste appropriately according to SOP.
- Cleaning of the aseptic unit environment and equipment as required (all staff).
- Help with efficient stock control of medicinal products and consumables correct ordering, storage and rotation.
- Carry out environmental monitoring and validation.
- Recording essential monitoring data, filing and reporting.
- Participate in the action plan generated in response to quality audits.
- Deal with telephone queries in a competent and professional manner.
- Delivery of products to treatment areas.
- The post holder will be expected to be flexible and able to work on both Royal Marsden sites when required.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- GCSE level (Grade A-C in English and Maths) or Numeracy and Literacy functional skills level 2 (or equivalent).
- NVQ level 2 in Pharmacy Practice
Experience
Desirable criteria- Experience of working in a hospital, laboratory or science environment
- Experience of handling anti-cancer products
- Previous satisfactory performance in a busy team-orientated environment
Skills
Essential criteria- Communication Skills; ability to communicate effectively with members of the public and with other health care professionals
- Interpersonal Skills; ability to work effectively as part of a team and with staff at all levels
- Time Management/organising/problem solving Skills; ability to prioritise own workload and that of others and to manage own time effectively
- Computer skills: ability to use Microsoft Office applications e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook
Other requirements
Essential criteria- Ability to work under pressure whilst maintaining accuracy and attention to detail
- Adaptable; must be flexible and able to adapt to changes for example in procedures and practices
- Patient Care; must be committed to safe and effective patient care
- Reliable with a good attendance record
- Demonstrate initiative: proactive and selfmotivated
- Ability to successfully pass hand wash, gowning, transfer, room clean and cabinet clean validations as per the unit SOPs
Physical
Essential criteria- Able to work on both sites and to be flexible to meet the needs of the role
- Capable of walking to wards, sitting for long periods, standing for long periods, preparing medication
- Must be physically fit and able to move light to moderate weights e.g., stock and materials
- Must be manually dextrous to participate in production activity
- Able to put on and wear protective clothing and equipment and work in a cleanroom environment.
The Royal Marsden values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities.
As a Disability Confident Employer, we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential. We are committed to this because we know that greater diversity and inclusion will lead to an even greater positive impact for the people we serve.
Due to the high volumes of applications we receive, we reserve the right to close any adverts before the published closing date once we have received a sufficient number of applications. We advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment.
All applicants will be contacted by email to the address supplied on your application. Applicants are advised to check their email accounts regularly and to ensure that email filters are set to allow our emails.
Flu Vaccination – What We Expect of our Staff
At The Royal Marsden we have an immune compromised patient population who we must protect as much as we can against the flu virus. Each year, seasonal flu affects thousands of people in the UK. Occurring mainly in winter, it is an infectious respiratory disease capable of producing symptoms ranging from those similar to a common cold, through to very severe or even fatal disease.
The wellbeing of our staff and patients is of the upmost importance to us, and it is the expectation of The Royal Marsden that all patient-facing staff have an annual flu vaccination, provided free of charge by the Trust.