Pharmacy Technician

Job overview

We will welcome applications from Pharmacy Technicians currently working in all settings.

At LUHFT we are looking for registered pharmacy technicians who are keen to realise their potential and who can make the most of the scope this post offers to deliver a patient centred approach to our service delivery across all sites.

We are looking for enthusiastic and motivated Pharmacy Technicians, with good communication and teamwork skills. If you can work under pressure and keen to develop yourself, we would like to hear from you.

Please contact us to arrange a visit if you would like to look around.

Main duties of the job

With the support of the Senior Technicians in our dispensaries, you will be required to co-ordinate a team to ensure safe and efficient workflow of the section you are overseeing.

You will need excellent organisational skills to undertake this role. You must be able to work accurately, have a good eye for detail, and be able to prioritise your workload, meet deadlines and be committed to the delivery of high standards in a patient focused service.

You will be expected to share your skills and knowledge to train pharmacy assistants, trainee pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. We will enrol you on a mentor training program to support you in this role.

This is a full time (37.5hrs) position based across all LUHFT’s sites. The Pharmacy Department operates a 7-day service. The successful candidate will be required to participate in weekend, late night and bank holiday rotas.

Working for our organisation

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was created on 1 October 2019 following the merger of two adult acute Trusts, Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust.

The merger provides an opportunity to reconfigure services in a way that provides the best healthcare services to the city and improves the quality of care and health outcomes that patients experience.

The Trust runs Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital, Liverpool University Dental Hospital and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

It serves a core population of around 630,000 people across Merseyside as well as providing a range of highly specialist services to a catchment area of more than two million people in the North West region and beyond.

To hear more about our achievements click here [...]

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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

See Job Description for further details:

1. To carry out dispensing of prescriptions, including extemporaneous prescriptions, unlicensed drugs, controlled drugs, in-patient and out-patient prescriptions in accordance with the agreed safe systems of work practice.
2. To participate in the daily stock check processed, adjusting stock level as per local procedures and escalating significant discrepancies to the Senior Technical Team.
3. To participate in the daily “stock to-follows” processes; processing to-follow dispensing and liaison with stores staff for ordering and out of stock medicines.
4. To co-ordinate dispensing teams ensuring efficient workflow and prioritisation on critical medicines.
5. To accuracy check, assembled items e.g. cardiac arrest boxes and controlled drugs after satisfactory completion of the departmental competency training programme.
6. To co-operate in staff rotation within the pharmacy departments of the Trust including the Aseptic Department and out-patient area (site specific).
7. To observe the recommendations contained in the Guide to Good Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Practice and its supplements and to assist in ensuring that work carried out in the department is in accordance with these and any other recommendations which may be issued from time to time by the Department of Health or Medicines Inspectorate.
8. To undertake special dispensing and manufacturing involving the use of aseptic techniques to a suitable standard in preparation of sterile products in accordance with aseptic procedures and under the direction of the Aseptic Services Manager.
9. To undertake cytotoxic reconstitution and dispensing in accordance with the recommendations contained in the Aseptic Production Manual and in accordance with the criteria set out under COSHH regulations and Regional and National Standards.
10. To provide a ‘topping up’ service on wards for individual patient drug supplies under the direction of the Senior Technical Team and in accordance with procedures.
11. To assist in maintaining reasonable stock levels, in accordance with the policies that are in force, in the section of pharmacy in which (s)he is currently employed and to assist in ensuring correct storage and turnover of stock to maintain quality and potency.
12. To provide accurate record keeping of controlled drugs kept in the pharmacy including supplies to wards and departments, orders received into the pharmacy and regular audits of the accuracy of computer and paper records.
13. To answer telephone and face to face queries of a routine or technical nature from a wide range of staff groups, either in the pharmacy or on the ward, and refer appropriate queries to the relevant member of the pharmacy team when necessary.
14. To liaise with various members of the pharmacy team and ward staff when solving problems and ensuring the best service to patients.
15. To ensure appropriate instructions, demonstrations and counselling of patients with regard to their drug therapy, is offered and delivered in a professional manner as advised or directed by the supervising pharmacists and according to the prevailing departmental policies and procedures.
16. To dispense clinical trials in accordance with the dispensing protocol, ICH GCP guidelines and European Directive under the direction of the clinical trials technician/pharmacist (site specific).
17. To act as a role model for student technicians and other members of technical and support staff.
18. To provide mentoring, induction and training of student technicians, pre-registration pharmacists, dispensing assistants and any other relevant members of the pharmacy team.
19. To attend appropriate training courses for technicians, to encourage other staff to undertake further training and to participate in such training schemes as necessary to keep relevant pharmaceutical clinical and technical knowledge up to date.
20. To assist in the receipt and issue of goods in the pharmacy and to check delivery notes and invoices if required.
21. To participate in ward based stock audits under the direction of the Senior Technical Team.
22. To co-operate in the operation and development of computerised systems of stock control and medical speciality costing.
23. To participate in pharmacy objectives set by the Trust, the National Patient Safety Agency, the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection, the Department of Health (including the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulation Agency) and others to meet clinical governance targets, develop patient care, improve clinical outcomes and ensure compliance with all standards expected for hospital pharmacy services and the interface between primary and secondary care.
24. To undertake Continuing Professional Development in order to keep pharmaceutical clinical and technical knowledge current, ensure best practice and comply with requirements for entry on the pharmacy technician register.
25. To observe the regulations in respect of the Health and Safety at Work Act and Data Protection Act.
26. To undertake any other related duties, which may be required.

Person specification

Qualifications

• B/TEC in Pharmaceutical Sciences and NVQ level 3 in Pharmacy Services (or equivalent)
• Registration with GPHC (or in application process)

• Accredited Technical Checking

Experience

• Ability to train staff

Knowledge

• Dispensing & final checking processes
• Pharmacy computer systems use
• Stock control procedures

• Modern hospital pharmacy processes including those on wards

Skills

• Dispensing a varied range of medicines
• Stock control management
• Prioritising dispensary workload

• Final Dispensing Checking
• Audit work
• Patient counselling
• Managed a service development project
• Extemporaneous dispensing

Other

• Clear communication - English language
• Excellent time management skills
• Good written communication skills
• Attention to detail/Ability to work accurately
• Ability and willingness to adapt to change
• Team working

Please ensure you check the email account (including junk/spam boxes) from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.

Posts advertised to ‘internal staff’ are open to employees of hospitals within University Hospitals of Liverpool Group and you should confirm your employment within your application form.

Only those applicants who demonstrate clearly how they meet our person specification will be shortlisted for interview.

We reserve the right to close any vacancies from further applications when we have received a minimum number of applications from which to make a shortlist. Please ensure you apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.

Candidates applying for the role of Healthcare Assistant on the staff bank should note that due to the nature of the role, workers must be aged 18 or above when commencing in post. Applicants are therefore welcome from those aged over 18 or within 3 months’ of their 18^th birthday.

Not all roles are suitable for every flexible working opportunity all of the time. Flexible working options may include reduced hours, compressed hours, fixed shifts, time back in lieu and home working.

The Trust is committed to promoting equality and diversity; we value the contribution of individual talent, skills, knowledge and experience and aim for a workforce demography representative of the local community. We encourage applicants from the following groups that are currently under-represented in our workforce black, Asian and minority ethnic, lesbian, gay, bisexual and Transgender (LGBTQ+), disabled, male and age 16-24.

Bank posts require upfront payment. DBS applications submitted from 2nd December will be subject to the new DBS fee of £26.50 (standard) and £54.50 (Enhanced).

From April 2017, Skilled visa applicants and their adult dependant(s) will be required to provide a criminal record certificate from each country they have lived in consecutively for 12 months or more in the past ten years.

Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website - https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.

This organisation has a zero-tolerance approach to the abuse of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All staff must ensure they adhere to the organisations safeguarding children and adults’ policy and comply with the Local Safeguarding Children and Adult Board procedures.

Staff should be mindful of their responsibility to safeguard children and adults in any activity performed on behalf of the organisation in line with the requirements of statutory guidance and legislation.

All employees (and volunteers)are expected maintain their safeguarding knowledge and skills by completing mandatory safeguarding training which includes understanding and recognising the signs of abuse and neglect and taking appropriate action.

As an organisation, we have adopted the Merseyside Domestic abuse workplace scheme which supports our staff who are experiencing Domestic Abuse /any forms of sexual violence.

If you have any personal requirements that will enable you to participate in our recruitment process please contact a member of the Recruitment Services by phone on 0151 706 4666 at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post.

Please note: new entrants to the NHS will commence on the first pay point of the relevant band.