Dispenser

Castlehead Medical Centre

The closing date is 11 May 2025

Job summary

We are looking for a dependable and flexible Dispenser to join our friendly dispensary team at Castlehead Medical Centre. This is a holiday cover role, offering an average of 12 annualised hours per week (FTE 0.32). Please note that working hours will vary from week to week, depending on staff annual leave, and may increase during periods of high cover demand. Over the course of the year, hours will balance to the contracted average.

This role supports the safe, accurate, and timely dispensing of medication to our patients, alongside stock control, prescription processing, and supporting dispensary operations in accordance with NHS and practice standards. Further Training could be provided to the right candidate.

Main duties of the job

The main duties include accurately dispensing medications, processing prescriptions, managing stock and inventory, handling patient queries, and supporting the day-to-day operations of the dispensary in line with practice policies and procedures.

About us

Located in the stunning Lake District town of Keswick, Castlehead Medical Centre is a friendly, forward-thinking GP practice with a strong community ethos and a strong focus on patient-centred care.

Were a close-knit team of 31, including GPs, practice nurses, healthcare assistants, pharmacists, admin, and support staff. Our team dynamic is one of our greatest strengths - we're supportive, approachable, and genuinely enjoy working together. Whether its sharing knowledge, celebrating wins, or helping each other through busy days, there's a real sense of camaraderie here.

We pride ourselves on maintaining a positive and professional atmosphere. Our work ethic is built around collaboration, respect, and continuous improvement. We are committed to high standards of care, and equally committed to looking after each other as colleagues.

Castlehead is a modern, well-equipped practice, and we embrace innovation where it enhances patient care and staff wellbeing. We are a training practice and value learning and development at every level, offering great opportunities for growth and support.

If you're looking for a rewarding role in a beautiful part of the country and a team that values what you bring, Castlehead Medical Centre might be just the place for you.

Date posted

09 April 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£12.21 an hour

Contract

Bank

Working pattern

Annualised hours

Reference number

A5149-25-0000

Job locations

Ambleside Road

Keswick

Cumbria

CA12 4DB

Job description

Job responsibilities

To process all relevant prescriptions as authorised by GPs where appropriate in accordance with the principles of good practice.

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.

Assist in the preparation and dispensing of prescriptions medicines/appliances in an accurate and timely manner

Assist with stock control, ordering and re-stocking of the dispensary

Job responsibilities -

Sorting prescriptions

Ordering and maintaining stock

DSQS responsible for completing own training in a timely manner and in accordance with the DSQS requirements. Assist the dispensary manager in all other administration for the completion of the annual DSQS declaration to ensure full financial achievement.

Significant event reporting using TeamNet and SIRMS as appropriate.

Finance, Purchasing of stock and stock control

Daily ordering of stock

Ensuring goods are correctly delivered

Check dispensary invoices against delivery notes

Maintain adequate stocks and ensure shelf stock is rotated in date order

Check out of date stock monthly, record, claim and destroy as per SOP

Ensure safe management of controlled drugs according to the practice SOP, CQC regulations and current law.

Receive payment for private work and inform finance department

Receiving, processing and ordering stock in accordance with Practice Policies and SOPs

Keeping the dispensary shelves and workstations clean and tidy, and contributing to stock checks and housekeeping.

Prescriptions and prescription monies

Daily: check prescriptions for signature/endorsements

Weekly: submit all unsigned prescriptions

Daily: cash up and balance prescription monies and any other payments taken

Destruction of drugs

Daily- returned medication from patients

Monthly- check on any uncollected medication

Quarterly- prepare returned drugs from patients for destruction

Six monthly- conduct out of date controlled drugs destruction with the appropriate officer from the CCG

Dispensing

Oversee/check colleagues dispensing

Dispensing acute prescriptions

Dispensing drugs in accordance with Practice Policy and SOPs

Dispensing drugs to a high level of accuracy

Processing repeat prescriptions

Collect prescription charges from patients

Prepare patient pill packs

Check for out of date repeats on patients prescription list and alert GP to review/remove

Accept prescription requests from Hospitals, chemists, any other allied professions for and on behalf of patients

Ensure workflow management of medication requests are completed and appropriate action is taken.

Ensure fridge temperatures are recorded daily.

Promote of online services to increase number of patients ordering medication online.

Ensuring that prescriptions are correctly issued, signed by the doctor and signed by the patient, in line with Practice Policy and SOPs

Ensuring that Drug Tariff knowledge is up-to-date by reading monthly amendments

Communication-

Handling telephone and general enquiries, referring urgent calls to appropriate lead

Liaising with muti-disciplinary team members where necessary

Dealing with all patient communication in a professional and polite manner

Attending Dispensary Team meetings and training afternoons

Communicate effectively with other team members

Communicate effectively with patients and carers

Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Administration-

Being responsible for security, including the opening and closing of dispensary and secure storage of items such as money received and prescriptions

Recording and reporting any Incident/Accidents/Near Misses in accordance with Practice Policies (ensuring that all drug related incidents are recorded in the dispensary/drug incident reporting book)

Contribution to the Implementation of Services-

The post-holder will-

Be responsible for preparing and updating standard operating procedures with the Dispensary Manager

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

Confidentiality-

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 implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management their own and others health and safety and infection control as defined in the practice Health & Safety Policy, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include (but will not be limited to):

Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines

Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory / contractual / professional requirements, and good practice guidelines

Correct use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Use and monitoring of the correct use of standard operating procedures for cleaning and infection control

Responsible for correct hand hygiene of self and others

Ownership of infection control and clinically based patient care protocols, and implementation of those protocols within the team

Active observation of current working practices across the team in relation to infection control, cleanliness and related activities, ensuring that procedures are followed and weaknesses / training needs are identified, escalating issues as appropriate

Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process

Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others across the full range of infection control and patient processes

Monitoring practice facilities and equipment in relation to infection control, ensuring that provision of hand cleansing facilities, wipes etc are sufficient to ensure a good clinical working environment. Lack of facilities to be escalated as appropriate.

Safe management of sharps procedures including training, use, storage and disposal

Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean and sterile, and safe way, free from hazards. Initiation of remedial / corrective action where needed or escalation to responsible management

Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised

Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, sterile, identifying issues and hazards / risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other sector managers

Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum twice annually)

Routine management of own team / team areas, and maintenance of work space standards

Waste management including collection, handling, segregation, container management, storage and collection

Spillage control procedures, management and training

Decontamination control procedures, management and training, and equipment maintenance

Maintenance of sterile environments

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 recognises 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

Ensuring that all training is completed for DSQS and CQC

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.