Senior Pharmacy Technician - Clinical Trials and Research
Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust Liverpool £37,338 - £44,962/year
Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is a provider of specialist health care and has a presence in community outreach sites and, in collaboration with other providers, our clinicians help deliver care closer to patients’ homes by holding local clinics at locations from Cumbria to Shropshire, in Wales and the Isle of Man.
The Trust also provides inpatient care for children with complex mental health needs at our Sunflower House building newly relocated, and opened on the hospital site.
We currently have more than 4,000 staff working across our community and hospital sites. We’re also a teaching and training hospital providing education and training to around 540 medical and over 500 nursing and allied health professional students each year.
As black and minority ethnic (BME) employees are currently under-represented in this area, we particularly welcome applications from members of our BME communities. All appointments will be made on merit.
You can expect a warm welcome at Alder Hey Childrens NHS Foundation Trust, our staff are friendly and welcoming. We listen to each other and work together to embed our Trusts values and behaviours. At Alder Hey we appreciate our staff and reward them with an outstanding benefits package including:
- Great flexible working opportunities
- Lease car scheme and Home Electronics Scheme
- Generous annual leave and pension scheme
- Extensive staff health and well-being programmes
Job overview
An exciting opportunity is available for an enthusiastic and forward thinking technician to take on the role of senior technician for clinical trials and research.
The candidate will work with the lead pharmacist for clinical trials to move the pharmacy clinical trials and research service forward. They will have day to day ownership of the CRF pharmacy and help to set up and run clinical trials from a pharmacy perspective.
Main duties of the job- To lead, organise and manage the provision of the pharmacy dispensing service to the CRF.
- To develop a safe and effective CRF pharmacy service to ensure the timely provision of medicines including assisting in the set up of trials at Alder Hey
- To support and deputise for the lead pharmacist for clinical trials as required and appropriate.
- To work collaboratively with the Trust CRF and research leads to improve services for users.
Working for our organisation
As one of Europe’s biggest and busiest children’s hospitals, at Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, we treat everything from common illnesses to highly complex and specialist conditions. In addition to our main hospital site, we offer paediatric services at a number of community sites and hold local clinics across Merseyside, Cumbria, Shropshire, Wales and the Isle of Man.We also provide specialist inpatient care for children with complex mental health needs in our recently relocated and newly opened state of the art facility.
Alder Hey has a thriving research portfolio and leads research into children’s medicines, infection, inflammation and oncology. We are becoming recognised as one of the world’s leaders in children’s healthcare and research. We contribute to public health, lead cutting-edge research and teach the next generation of children’s specialists.Alongside this is our Innovation Hub, a dedicated space where clinicians and industries can come together to create new products and technologies.
We know that a children’s hospital is different and that our job is more than just treating an illness. To us, every child is an individual. As well as giving them the very best care, we set out to make them feel happy, safe and confident as they play, learn and grow.At Alder Hey we are here to look after a child and their family and that includes mums, dads, brothers and sisters.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Communication- To actively contribute as a member of the pharmacy management team and provide regular feedback and updates to other members of the pharmacy department on the structure, demands and delivery of the CRF service.
- Support the lead pharmacist for clinical trials to ensure the to organise other meetings to support the CRF Dispensary service as required.
- To develop positive working relationships with all staff in all areas of work to ensure the safe and effective use of medicines.
- Network with pharmacy technicians from other hospitals regarding services provided to improve communication links, to improve service provision, and to help expand the role of pharmacy technicians.
- Liaise with the Chief Pharmacy Technician to ensure sufficient Technical staff are available to fulfil the staff rotas. This will involve adjusting rotas when required in order to ensure the effective continuation of the service.
- To check for prescribing errors within the limits compatible with technician training using knowledge and relevant supporting literature such as Medicines for Children and the BNF, and using tact, discuss any discrepancies with prescribers referring any problems to a pharmacist.
- To carry out the final accuracy check of clinically screened complex paediatric prescriptions dispensed by others in accordance with safe systems of work practice ensuring the maintenance of records and information.
- To answer queries of a complex and sensitive technical nature from service users referring to a Pharmacist where necessary.
- Contribute to the department’s pharmacy improvement plan, identifying service developments,carry out future resource planning and continue to develop the CRF and research service, as appropriate.
- In conjunction with the Chief Pharmacy Technician plan, prioritise and manage daily service needs ensuring the effective and appropriate use of resources
- Under the supervision of the lead pharmacist for clinical trials set up the pharmacy aspect of clinical trials for dispensing in the CRF
- To carry out and monitor the dispensing and issuing of prescriptions, including in-patients, outpatients, discharge, unlicensed and Controlled Drugs in accordance with the safe systems of work procedures within the department. This will include the dispensing of complex prescriptionse.g. Oncology, Renal and Haematology.
- To carry out and monitor the dispensing and issuing of clinical trial prescriptions including all associated paperwork
- To liaise with other healthcare professionals, patients and carers to provide specialist advice toensure the safe and effective use of medicines and the resolution of identified pharmaceutical care issues. This may involve
- answering queries of a complex and sensitive technical nature from service users referring to a Pharmacist where necessary.
- To work collaboratively with all nursing/medical leads in research areas to improve services and increase patient experience.
- To support the development, implementation and management of safe and effective systems forTechnician Accuracy Checking and to ensure in-house competencies are maintained.
- To lead, manage and develop the CRF Pharmacy service
- To lead, manage and promote the service to ensure that a high quality and efficient pharmacy service is provided to users.
- Create, maintain and develop policies, procedures and standards and ensure all dispensary technical staff adhere to these.
- To lead and manage an effective CRF pharmacy service ensuring good stock control through regular monitoring of stock levels.
- Be an authorised signatory for medicine supply orders up to a value of £5000
- To support the monitoring of dispensary stock is maintained including the investigation of stock issues and subsequent escalation if necessary
- To support the technical team in dealing with any alarms or issues identified by the Trust temperature monitoring system and action or escalate where necessary.
- To support the Chief Pharmacy Technician – Patient Services by ensuring daily and annual stock checks are completed all CRF Pharmacy areas.
- To monitor dispensary staff sickness absence on a day to day basis and to take appropriate action where necessary: this includes carrying out, and accurately documenting, return to work interviews and formal stage discussions.
- To review, authorise and monitor technical/support staff annual leave and flexitime including any appointment requests
- To monitor, verify and keep a record of all ‘flexi’ sheets for Dispensary and Ward based technical staff, escalating any discrepancies to the Chief Pharmacy Technician.
- To support the Chief Pharmacy Technician – Patient Services with aspects of their role when necessary.
- To participate in responding to incidents; meet with staff to discuss any issues, provideappropriate support with reflection tools, and produce action plans where necessary.
- To assist in managing the recruitment and selection of Technical staff including Agency, NHSP, and ‘at risk’ Trust staff. Chair recruitment panels and complete relevant pre and post interview documentation. This may include the review and update of technical job descriptions.
- To participate in PDPs/appraisals for technical and support staff identifying strengths and development needs and ensuring that mandatory training programmes are up to date.
- To support the Chief Technician in dealing with any performance issues if and when they occur.
- To encourage staff to record all drug interventions and medication errors.
- Dispense clinical trials and reconcile medicines maintaining appropriate records in accordancewith the dispensing protocol and ICH GCP guidelines.
- To support the technical team in dealing with any alarms or issues identified by the Trust temperature monitoring system and action or escalate where necessary.
- Verify, monitor, and record compliance with the Trust’s ‘Flushing Log.’
- To ensure that appropriate statistics are maintained and regularly reviewed to ensure accurate data is available to inform ideas and suggestions for service improvements.
- To organise and carry out local service audits on CRF Pharmacy services to identify improvements or developments needed. This may include waste, waiting times, customer satisfaction, errors.
- Create, maintain and develop CRF Pharmacy policies, procedures and standards and ensure all Dispensary technical staff adhere to these.
- To liaise with the Senior Pharmacy Technician – Education & Training to ensure the development, co-ordination and implementation of competency- based training packages for Dispensarytechnical staff are in place
- To undertake Continuing Professional Development in order to keep pharmaceutical clinical andtechnical knowledge current, ensure best practice and comply with requirements for entry on the pharmacy technician register.
- To advise and support registered technical staff in Continued Professional Development and ensure registration is maintained.
- To maintain professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
- To remain registered as a BTEC Accredited Accuracy Checking Technician. Successfully complete the ‘in-house’ accuracy checking re-accreditation within specified timeframes.
Person specification
Education and Training
Essential criteria- NVQ Level 3 Diploma in Pharmacy Service Skills
- BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Pharmaceutical Science or equivalent
- Registered Pharmacy Technician with GphC
- BTEC Level 4 Diploma Accredited Checking Technician
- Train the Trainer and/or Leadership training qualification
Experience
Essential criteria- Extensive previous experience and knowledge of working in a hospital pharmacy environment
- Extensive working knowledge of safe dispensing practices
- Extensive experience of a Pharmacy service
- Multidisciplinary teamwork
- Experience of Paediatric Pharmacy
- Previous experience of completing department projects and audits
- Managing pharmacy aspects of clinical trials
Knowledge
Essential criteria- Outpatient Dispensary services
- Clinical Trials
- IT systems and processes
- Dispensing in the community e.g. OTC sales and any restrictions that apply
Skills
Essential criteria- Excellent organisation and prioritisation skills
- Excellent supervisory skills
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Ability to motivate self and others
- Reliable, proactive and conscientious
- Ability to review and adapt plans as circumstances dictate
- Ability to solve complex technical problems
- Ability to work effectively within various teams
- Ability to use IT programmes and packages to support role
- Ability to manage and complete projects in a timely manner
Personal Attibutes
Essential criteria- Accurate and methodical – good attention to detail
- Lead by example – positive and optimistic
- Be forward thinking and show an enthusiasm for developing service
- Ability to work alone and as a team member.
- Commitment to Continuous Professional Development
- Pro-active approach to training
- Be punctual, flexible, assertive and diplomatic
We reserve the right to close vacancies without notice when we have received a sufficient number of applications from which to make a shortlist. Please ensure you apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.
Please ensure you check the email account from which you apply regularly as we will contact you using this regarding your application. All candidates will be notified via email whether or not they have been shortlisted.
Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We are committed to creating a well-managed, flexible working environment that supports staff and promotes their welfare and development.We actively promote equality and diversity and operate a Zero Tolerance policy to aggression, violence, bullying and harassment.
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