Senior Pharmacy Homecare Medicines Technician

Job overview

We need an experienced, enthusiastic pharmacy technician to join our pharmacy homecare team based in Aintree Hospital.

It is an exciting time to work in pharmacy homecare services, particularly for pharmacy technicians. There are significant techological developments just around the corner and several opportunities to deliver best value to the NHS.

The pharmacy homecare team at LUHFT already have good connections with the specialist teams that use pharmacy homecare services. We will build on these relationships to develop services and continue to improve the patient experience.

Main duties of the job

You will work closely with the homecare pharmacist, homecare technicians, assistants and clinical teams in Aintree Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital, Royal Liverpool Hospital and the Walton Centre as well as colleagues in the finance department to provide a comprehensive homecare medicines service for our patients.

Working for our organisation

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comprises Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital & Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

We are part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, formed on 1 Nov 2024 from the coming together of LUHFT and Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust. The Group was born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our patients.

UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond.

For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West.

Liverpool Women’s Hospital specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK’s largest single site maternity hospital each year. The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single bedrooms and focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.

For roles at Liverpool Women’s, visit their careers page.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. Co-ordinates, develops and maintains the pharmacy homecare service in accordance with Royal Pharmaceutical Standards – Professional Standards for Homecare in England, 2013, departmental procedures and the recommendations borne out of the Homecare Medicines - Towards a Vision for the Future report, 2011 (Hackett report) and ensures provision of a high quality service to patients and staff across LUHFT.
2. Assists in the set-up of all new homecare services, attending set-up meetings and working closely with relevant staff within the Trust.
3. Assists in the development of Standard Operating Procedures relating to homecare services and keeps them updated. This will include development and implementation of policies which may impact areas outside pharmacy.
4. Responsible for ensuring that all pharmacy homecare procedures are in place in advance of new homecare services becoming active.
5. Assists with invoicing and receiving of income generated by homecare schemes when necessary.
6. Ensures that all operational practices, procedures, records and financial controls comply with applicable legislation such as the Medicines Act, the Misuse of Drugs Act, Health & Safety at Work Act, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations and local procedures.
7. Assists with internal homecare services audit and reviews and liaises with homecare providers to enable external audits to be carried out where appropriate.
8. Represents the pharmacy department at relevant meetings both on and off site.
9. Ensures that Safe Systems of Work are in operation at all times in full compliance with the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988. Ensure the satisfactory completion of all records, checks and controls which may be required both by local procedures and by relevant legislation.
10. Participates in a system of accredited technician accuracy checking and provides necessary training for technical staff. This involves performing a final accuracy check on prescriptions and orders which have previously been clinically checked by a pharmacist in accordance with Trust procedures and ensures that dispensing errors are corrected by the appropriate member of staff.
11. Performs a clinical check on homecare prescriptions within an agreed framework. Prescriptions must be for continuation of treatment that has previously been checked by a pharmacist.
12. Ensures that all appropriate homecare information is communicated effectively to all pharmacy staff, relevant clinical staff and patients.
13. Participates in the recording of reported in-house errors, to identify training needs and ensuring safe practices are developed and maintained.
14. Liaises with the appropriate managers to ensure that any necessary amendments are made within the Pharmacy Computer System.
15. To be a primary point of contact within the Trust regarding Medicines home delivery service for Home Care companies, Pharmacists, Clinicians, and Finance.
16. Prioritizes and manages the workload to ensure problems are resolved.
17. Forges links nationally and regionally with other technicians in homecare services in order to share best practice and contribute to the development of homecare medicines management and policy.
18. Maintains high professional standards at all times and works independently to develop, review and implement procedures for the efficient functioning of the homecare medicines service within LUHFT.
19. Assists in research projects/pilot schemes relevant to the homecare medicines service, which may include new methods of providing the service or management of services not previously managed through homecare.
20. Resolves administrative problems or issues with regard to homecare medicines including price discrepancies, non-delivery issues, late deliveries, change of address, contract issues and updating of all relevant data bases.
21. Organises, maintains and assists in development of the homecare databases for efficient and accurate storage of records relating to patients registered for homecare medicines services.
22. Oversees and assists with invoice matching using the pharmacy computer system, databases and other homecare systems.
23. Manages the administration systems for the homecare medicines service including patient registration, prescriptions (when required), orders, receipts, invoices and resolves discrepancies.
24. Actively promotes the service, seeks out new users and champions service development.
25. Assists in the ongoing review of the service via audit, monitoring of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and collating feedback from service users.
26. Assists in producing reports on quality and financial indicators on all homecare medicine services.
27. Provide guidance and training to work colleagues regarding the home delivery service and its procedures. Assists in developing an induction and training package for the area.
28. Maintains and updates records of patients’ homecare medicines on the pharmacy computer system ensuring that all entries are accurate and timely.
29. Supports the use of the online clinical decision support tool Blueteq with regards to homecare medicines.

Person specification

Qualifications

• BTEC National Certificate in Pharmacy Services or recognised equivalent to the above
• NVQ level 3 in Pharmacy Services or recognised equivalent to the above
• Registered with the GPhC

• Management qualification

Experience

• Substantial experience as a qualified technician in acute hospital pharmacy
• Dispensary & ward based technical services
• Staff supervision

• Experience of pharmaceutical aspects of homecare

Knowledge

• Commitment to Continuing Professional Development
• Ability to understand role and service priorities
• Ability to train staff
• Knowledge of homecare
• Pharmacy computer systems

Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Smart and clean appearance
• Pleasant and helpful attitude
• Good customer service skills
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
• Good time management skills
• Computer literate

Other

• Ability to thrive in a changing environment
• Attention to detail and work accurately
• Flexible

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.