Pharmacy Technician - Homecare (Band 4 to Band 5 progression)

Job overview

Are you looking for a new challenge and the opportunity to work within a vibrant thriving environment?

An exciting new opportunity has arisen for a Pharmacy Technician to join our growing Pharmacy Homecare team at Bedfordshire Hospitals. This cross-site role would be ideal for a Pharmacy Technician who is looking to gain experience of working within a specialist area of Pharmacy and aspiring to develop specialist skills relating to procurement, patient services and medicines supply.

The role will involve direct communication with patients, liaising with clinicians and other support staff within and outside of Pharmacy. The successful candidate will be working alongside a team of experienced technical, professional and Homecare administration staff, as well as clinical staff to help develop and maintain a high standard of Homecare provision to patients with often long-term and complex conditions that require specialist treatment.

You will be part of a busy but supportive and professional Homecare team. Comprehensive training and support will be provided to the successful candidate.

Please note this is a cross-site role and cross-site working will be required.

1. To support and assist the Principal Pharmacy Technician – Homecare and the Principal Pharmacy Technician – Procurement, Homecare and Stores & Distribution in cost effective procurement and effective supply of medicine to patients via Homecare providers for Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
2. In conjunction with the Principal Pharmacy Technician, to assist in the development of Homecare services for the safe and timely supply of medication to patients by establishing robust methods of managing workflow.
3. To support the Principal Pharmacy Technician with the efficient day-to-day running of the Homecare service, including the Bedford site when required.
4. To mentor and develop junior Homecare staff and act as a technical point of call for any queries and day to day service issues.
5. To counsel patients on the Homecare service, in Pharmacy or in clinic as required.
6. To work directly with clinical teams to enhance the delivery of Homecare services, review and improve existing services in association with the Principal Pharmacy Technician.

Working for our organisation

The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity and creating a culture that values differences.

Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the enclosed Job Description, Personal Specification and Functional Aspects of the role for more information.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council as a Pharmacy Technician
• Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Pharmacy Service Skills
• Level 3 Diploma in Pharmaceutical Science or equivalent experience
• GCSE English and Mathematics or equivalent
• ACPT qualification (if not, must be willing to undertake as part of B4 to B5 progression)

• In-house leadership training (or willing to undertake)

Experience

• Experience of working to deadlines
• Experience of data inputting – raising orders/invoicing
• Experience of patient medication counselling
• Experience of working in a customer orientated service
• Knowledge and understanding of medicine stock control systems
• Understanding of the need for confidentiality awareness at all times

• Previous experience of working with pharmaceutical products
• Previous Hospital Pharmacy experience
• Experience of working in a multidisciplinary environment
• Experience of using WellSky/JAC stock control system
• Knowledge of Homecare

Personal Skills

• Ability to supervise and support junior team members with day to day activity
• Ability to organise day to day work tasks for self and others
• Responsible for own actions, trustworthy and honest, and to be able to work within own competence
• Able to analyse problems and devise workable solutions
• Excellent, literary, numeric, and verbal communication skills
• Tact and persuasive skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Able to remain calm under pressure

• Experience of engaging with teams to communicate clinical information
• Proficient in use of IT, i.e. Microsoft office products, including Excel and working with databases
• Tutoring skills

Other

• Able to work with minimum supervision; self-reliant
• Willing to undertake in-house training on Pharmacy computer and automated commerce systems
• Able to cope with an occasional requirement for light physical effort
• Able to spend most of the day inputting data accurately into computer when necessary
• Able to regularly travel between Hospital sites

It is an exciting time to join the newly formed Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We run two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Our 7,500 staff provide high quality care for a growing population of around 700,000 across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas.

Travel between hospital sites may be required. We have state-of-the art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post.