Senior Pharmacy Assistant Technical Officer - Stores
At NNUH it is our privilege to provide healthcare to over one million people across Norfolk and surrounding areas. Our vision is to ‘provide the best care for every patient’, and if this inspires you and you share our values, we really want you to join our team.
NNUH is currently the busiest Trauma Unit in the East of England caring for almost 850 trauma patients annually many with complex care needs. We are enhancing our urgent and emergency care specialist services for patients with significant injuries as a result of trauma and have an ambition to become a Major Trauma Centre.
Our values support our vision and guide the behaviour of everything we do, these are:
People-focused
We look after the needs of our patients, carers and colleagues, to provide a safe and caring experience for all.
Respect
We act with care, compassion and kindness and value others’ diverse needs.
Integrity
We take an honest, open and ethical approach to everything we do.
Dedication
We work as one team and support each other to maintain the highest professional standards.
Excellence
We continuously learn and improve to achieve the best outcomes for our patients and our hospital.
Wish you were here? So do we.
We want all our staff to achieve a balance between work and personal life and understand how important flexible working can be. We welcome applications on a full or part time basis, various shift patterns and hybrid working, where roles allow.
At the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH), we know the benefits diversity can bring to our organisation such as creativity, innovation and compassion. All of which have a direct impact towards our staff and patient experience.We are committed to being a Hospital for All – being equitable and inclusive, and a place where all feel a sense of belonging. We therefore particularly encourage and welcome applications from candidates who are underrepresented in NNUH’s workforce.
These include people from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, people with diverse abilities and people within the LGBT+ community.
Job overview
The Pharmacy Department is one of the busiest in the country, reviewing and supplying medicines to patients across a seven-day service. We have approximately 180 members of staff working across the team and also Fred, our dispensing robot, to support dispensary and stores staff.We also have an aseptic production unit.
The NNUH is an acute teaching hospital and has a number of specialities including haematology/oncology, older people’s medicine, cardiology, urology and gastroenterology. We have close links with the University of East Anglia and the Norwich Research Park.All services are people-focussed whether this is directly with patients or supporting colleagues with medicines across the Trust.
The post of Senior Pharmacy Assistant, Stores and Ordering is split into two main roles. Firstly, the post holder will be required to undertake and be responsible for ordering pharmaceutical stock from suppliers and wholesalers, chasing orders and assessing stock ordering requirements.Ensuring the Pharmacy department and the Trust has the stock required on-hand to treat patients is a vital part of this role and experience of working in a hospital pharmacy environment is essential. The post holder will be expected to be able to identify different types of medicines and use their initiative and experience to prioritise ordering critical medicines.
Main duties of the job
The post will involve using different types of purchasing software, such as JAC and Powergate. The post holder will need to have a good standard of computer literacy, including experience using Microsoft Excel. The post holder will be expected to use various software platforms to place orders and to update ordering codes as necessary.
The second part of the role is to ensure that wards and the dispensary have appropriate supplies of medicines and sundries for patients’ use. Part of your role will be to visit ward areas, check stock and supply what is needed, ensure stock on wards is fit for use, and to receive and accurately book in stock delivered from suppliers.This is a busy and active role, and we are looking for someone who can pay close attention to detail and is able to work as part of a team.
The post is for full-time hours to be worked Monday to Friday. Part-time hours may be considered. There is also a requirement to work 1 in 10 weekends (09:00 – 17:00 Saturday and Sunday) with corresponding time off during the week and to participate in the bank holiday rota, currently minimum 1 per year (09:00 – 17:00).Rotas are subject to change at any time.
Interview date: 21st February 2025
Working for our organisation
Join us at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and be part of a workforce of over 10,000 staff!
The NNUH is one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK, providing first-class acute care for around one million people, living in Norfolk and surrounding areas. We are a teaching and research hospital, at the forefront of innovation, home to state-of-the-art facilities, such as the Quadram Institute.We are pleased to work closely with the University of East Anglia, providing teaching opportunities for our staff and placement opportunities for their students. We attract some of the best and leading professionals from across the country and are proud that our workforce represents 94 countries from across the world.
We are a friendly, collaborative hospital, working with local services and home to N&N Hospitals Charity
We can offer you the full range of NHS benefits/discounts and in addition:
- Flexible working hours
- Fast Track Staff Physiotherapy Service
- Multi Faith prayer room
- Discounted gym memberships
- Excellent pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
- Wagestream - access up to 40% of your pay as you earn it
- Free Park & Ride service direct to NNUH site
- Free 24-hours confidential counselling support
- On-site Nursery
- On-site cafes offering staff discounts
- Support in career development
- Flexible staff bank
- Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars, Cycle to Work scheme and home electronics
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
As a Senior Pharmacy Assistant, Stores, you will be required to support the Stores Supervisor in the training of Pharmacy and Trust ward staff, including any Pharmacy and ward-based stock handling competencies.
You will also help with medicines that have been returned, ensure that they are disposed of appropriately and avoid waste.
Pharmacy Stores is split between the main pharmacy department and pharmacy bulk stores. The post holder will be required to be competent in both areas and includes the following responsibilities:
- Pharmaceutical stock ordering
- 1 To undertake and be responsible for the purchasing of:
- Medicines
- Medical gases
- Dietetic stock
- Bulk fluids
- Consumables
- Chemotherapy and parenteral nutrition
- 2 To provide advice and support to the department and Trust regarding stock shortages and supply chain interruptions.
- 3 To liaise with the Deputy Operations Manager, Pharmacy Support Services with stock discrepancies that require further analysis or escalation for continuity of supply.
- 4 To complete a weekly outstanding order analysis to ensure medicines are obtained and in stock when required.
- 5 To use multiple platforms or reports to assess stock requirements and place orders.
- 6 To receive and complete Wholesale Order requests within the remit of the department’s Wholesale Dealer’s Authorisation (Human) and adhering to MHRA regulations.
The Trust would not be able to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for this role.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- GCSE or equivalent passes in Maths, English and Science
- NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services
Experience
Essential criteria- Previous experience in a pharmaceutical environment
- Previous experience of forecasting and purchasing pharmaceutical stock
- Previous experience in a Stores environment
Attitude, aptitude
Essential criteria- Effective role model, demonstrating NNUH’s PRIDE values of People focussed, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Excellence
- Demonstrates understanding and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
The Job Description, which includes a Person Specification, provides a full outline of responsibilities and requirements for this role. Please use your supporting statement to demonstrate how you meet the person specification.
Visa and Immigration
If you are wishing to apply for this role and would require sponsorship (this includes if you are already in a sponsored post and looking to change employer), you can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for this post by assessing your circumstances against criteria specified on the gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/your-job.
Travelling to work
Staff parking is available onsite; however, this is limited during core working hours. We have more capacity in the evening and at weekends and can usually provide spaces during those hours.
We look to allocate these spaces fairly. Our Travel Office have a set of criteria that staff must meet in order to qualify. If you qualify for a space, you may be placed on a waiting list if we are at full capacity.
The NNUH is served by a number of public buses, and we offer generously discounted monthly passes with First Bus & Konect.
The Costessey Park and Ride runs regularly each day from 06:30 (from P&R) to 20:45 (from NNUH) and this service is free for NHS staff. There is a regular Thickthorn P&R service as well which is free. Applications to the Travel Office are required for this service.We also have a discounted service from the airport P&R if you purchase a bundle. Please see Konect website for further details.
The NNUH host multiple bicycle racks and a salary sacrifice scheme. We also benefit from a Beryl station onsite.
If you work at another Trust site, please discuss travel and parking arrangements at interview.
DBS
If this post involves working with children or adults the application form will ask for information regarding previous convictions as you will be required to undertake a Criminal Record and Barring Check known as a DBS check.
If you are a new employee or registering with the Staff Bank you will need to meet the cost of this unless your salary is less than point 9 of Afc
NHS Service
Should you be appointed to the post we will need to establish any previous NHS service via the ESR IAT and we will accept the submission of your application as your agreement to this.
UK Registration
You will need to have current UK professional registration where this is a requirement of the role.
Application
Following candidate feedback and to reduce our dependency on paper, all our communication with you regarding your application will be by email so could you please check your e-mails (and Spam) regularly.
We value equality in our team and recruit from all sections of the community. We recognise there is a wealth of talent among people who have a disability and if you meet the minimum criteria detailed in the person specification and have a disability, you may wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme by indicating this in the relevant section on your application.
We look forward to receiving your application and if you do not hear within the next four weeks this will usually mean that you have not been short-listed. However, if you wish to confirm this please contact the person indicated on the advert.
Flexibility
Whilst every effort will be made to recruit to the post as it is advertised, there may be occasions where we consider alternative working patterns, such as part time working, or contract types, such as secondments, depending on circumstances.Should you wish to work in a different working pattern to that stated in our advertisement, please indicate this in the supporting statement to your application.
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