Dispensary Counter Assistant

Job description

Job responsibilities

Post Title: Dispensary Counter Assistant

Location: Attleborough Surgeries

Supervised by: Senior Dispenser / Dispensary Manager

Responsible to: Practice Manager and Partners

Purpose of Post

The post-holder will project a positive and friendly image to dispensary patients and other visitors and deal with queries in a professional, courteous and efficient way.

Dispensary counter assistant will be the main contact for patients with medication queries, for both dispensing and non-dispensing patients. They will maintain the professional image of the practice while dealing with patient queries and assisting the dispensers with the general running of the dispensary.

Principle Responsibilities

Patient Support

Be the first point of call at the dispensary hatch for patients attending. Take in prescription requests, hand out medication and prescriptions and deal with queries.

Answer the dispensary phone line and deal with queries where possible or pass onto a dispenser.

Deal with post and emails for dispensary where possible

To phone patients for recall and data collection purposes and correctly record data in patients medical record.

Dispensing

Hand out fully dispensed and checked medication to patients who attend dispensary. Ensuring the safe and correct supply of items to patients.

Ensuring that all prescriptions are signed in a timely way by the GPs and ensuring that no item is given to a patient without a signed prescription.

Collect charges for medication when appropriate and process payment following practice operating procedures. Check exemptions and ensure documentation is correct.

Completing the backs of prescriptions.

Deal with returned medication from patients

Maintaining a full and accurate record of all dispensing transactions.

Prescriptions / Repeat prescribing

Take repeat prescription requests from patients attending the counter.

Give non-dispensing patients their prepared prescriptions when they attend the counter and resolve basic queries.

Encourage non-dispensing patients to sign up to Electronic Prescribing and process their nomination where appropriate.

Collecting and recording charges for private prescriptions.

Monitoring the collection of prescriptions and highlight to the GPs when vulnerable patients are not collecting their medication.

Deal with patient queries regarding their medication and resolve where possible or check with dispenser and/or task a GP where necessary.

Respond to tasks sent via the clinical system relating to dispensary and medication where appropriate to role. Including phoning patients to book in for review and informing patients about prescriptions prepared for collection.

Ensure patient data on the clinical system is up to date and correct at all times.

Act on admin notices and script notes on patients records where appropriate.

Liaise with the local pharmacies to ensure patients care is maintained at a high standard.

Liaise with nursing homes regarding medication queries for their patients.

Training and Development

Undertake any training that may be necessary to perform duties and responsibilities efficiently or to keep up to date with changes in working patterns and technology.

Maintain awareness of regulations regarding medication and controlled drugs.

Keep up to date with legislation changes and the legal requirements of the role.

Taking part in an annual appraisal and ensuring that compliance is maintained with all of the dispensary competencies.

General

Working to ensure the practice achieves the DSQS requirements.

Secure dispensary area when leaving the workspace.

Lock the dispensary at night.

Assist with cashing up of dispensary float.

Attend dispensary and staff meetings as necessary

Ensuring the dispensary area remains clean and tidy.

Clean and tidy shelves, work surfaces and cupboards as necessary, ensuring that all dispensary equipment is kept clean and kept in good working order.

To check emails both into own NHS net account and the generic and document management email addresses and action as appropriate.

Undertaking other reasonable duties within the framework of the post as directed by the Supervising dispenser.

General responsibilities:

Confidentiality:

To ensure that confidentiality is upheld at all time both by self and all staff working at the surgery. To have read, signed and understood the confidentiality policy.

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately

In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, Practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the Practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential

Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the Practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the Practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data

Health & Safety:

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health & Safety Policy, to include:

Using personal security systems within the workplace according to Practice guidelines

Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks

Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills

Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards

Reporting potential risks identified

Equality and Diversity:

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Practice procedures and policies, and current legislation Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues

Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/Professional Development:

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development

Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work

Quality:

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, and will:

Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk

Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision

Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance

Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs

Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

Communication:

The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

Communicate effectively with other team members

Communicate effectively with patients and carers

Recognize peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Contribution to the Implementation of Services:

The post-holder will:

Apply Practice policies, standards and guidance

Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work

Participate in audit where appropriate

This job description is intended as a guide to the range of duties to be employed and should not be seen as a definite specification. Both employer and employee have a mutual obligation to modify the description as and when changes in the work situation occur.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Good standard of general education - Minimum of 3 GCSEs or equivalent, including English and Maths
• Commitment to Continued Personal Dev.

Experience

Essential

• Use of Microsoft Office (word and excel)
• Experience of dealing with the public/patients
• Professional
• Polite
• Knowledge of confidentiality and ability to adhere to confidentiality protocols

Desirable

• Use of a GP clinical System
• Use of EMIS Web

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Customers service skills
• Advanced Numeracy Skills
• Excellent keyboard and computer skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to deal with money accurately
• Concise and articulate

Desirable

• Understanding of clinical protocols and terminology

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Attleborough Surgeries

Address

Station Road

Attleborough

Norfolk

NR17 2AS

Employer's website

https://www.attleboroughsurgeries.com (Opens in a new tab)