Pharmacy Technician - Palliative Care

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. Clinical Practice

o To minimise the anxiety and uncertainty of patients and their families who have been referred for hospice care through the provision of information about the services, the environment, and the options available.

o To be responsible for the safe and secure ordering, handling, storage, administration, and destruction of medicines in accordance with national and local guidance and legislation.

o To ensure effective and efficient stock ordering and stock rotation systems are developed and monitored; to include regular updating of medicine stock lists and expiry dates to reduce wastage.

o To ensure that effective technical operational medicine management systems are developed to assist and support the throughflow of medications in a safe manner.

o To assess, and as necessary, review patient needs pre-admission liaising with ward management to prioritise medication requirements.

o To set up and maintain standard operating procedures to ensure the safe storage of medicines, including the storage of patients own medications where necessary.

o To review and monitor standard operating procedures to ensure efficiency.

o To provide a standard operating procedure which focusses on the reduction of wastage of medications.

o To assist with information requirements in the event of audit or inspections; to maintain the pharmacy service in accordance with best practice locally, nationally, legally and in accordance with the requirements set out by HIW.

o To support pre-admission visits to the Hospice for patients and family members in regard to medications, expectations and ensuring the continuation of medications where possible.

o To communicate with patients and family members to ensure a high level of understanding of the medications prescribed and the administration process supporting the pharmacy services, considering medicine supply, verbal and/or written changes to prescription.

o To provide an effective and efficient pre-admission reconciliation of medications of the patients accessing the Hospices services. Ensure that medications are documented accurately, and any actions or concerns are clearly communicated to the appropriate person.

o Take responsibility for follow up on actions agreed from MDT meetings where medication is discussed, advised, or required, to ensure correct medications are prescribed.

o To advise the clinical team of any medication shortages impacting availability in a proactive manner to ensure the continuity of care to patients.

o Assess medications prescribed, in conjunction with the clinical team as part of the admission and discharge service.

o To carry out duties in an efficient and effective manner, whilst adhering to timescales and standard operating procedures at all times.

2. Clinical Governance

o In collaboration with the clinical team, evaluate the impact of the role, identify areas for improvement and initiate change where required.

o To audit medicine management processes and engage in appropriate improvement audits and projects as agreed by the Director of Clinical and Patient Services.

o To support excellent clinical governance through the administration and delivery of pharmacy services.

o Provide management information as and when required in regard to patients and their medications, in addition to the storage, ordering and delivery of medications.

o Analyse data from audit/research and disseminate findings through presentation to professional groups and publication as appropriate.

o Contribute to the production of a quarterly clinical report and contribute to an annual governance report of hospice activities circulating it widely and appropriately.

o Participate in a regular service delivery review monitoring activity levels and data collection.

o Promote peoples equality, diversity, and rights.

o Be involved as necessary in the investigation and response to complaints regarding pharmacy services and medications provided.

o Weekly auditing and analysis of:

Medicine reconciliation and transcribing

o Monthly auditing and analysis of:

Patient Group Directions

Clinical refrigerator temperature recordings

Safe storage of medicines

o Assist the Responsible Person with a three monthly controlled drugs audit.

o Participate in the Appraisal and Personal Development Plan process.

3. Education and Training

o Provide informal education, information and support for patients and their relatives/carers regarding hospice and pharmacy services.

o Using intermediate IT skills design and produce information and learning resources.

o Participate in the education of pre-and-post registered nurses and doctors and in development of the pharmacy services.

o To support and give guidance to non-medical prescribers.

o Keep up to date with developments in specialist palliative care to ensure excellent pharmacy practice and education programmes representing current best practice.

o Address specific health targets e.g., NICE, Health Care Standards, NSF related to own area of practice through education.

4. Personal development

o Participate in annual personal development reviews to identify individual needs for on-going education and development.

o Maintain holistic assessment skills through regular reflection and supervision discussions.

o Ensure own compliance with regard to mandatory training and revalidation requirements.

o Identify appropriate opportunities for continual academic professional development in line with organisational goals.

5. Key Targets and Objectives

o Respond to requests from referrers to visit and assess patients newly referred/re-referred to hospice care.

o Working with the clinical team, review and redesign pharmacy documentation.

o Develop an effective system or database to collect and collate pharmacy data to ensure high level of knowledge used for decision making and auditing purposes.

o Working with the Director of Clinical Services to identify stakeholders and agree role and input into communication and engagement plan.

o Gather feedback from patients/families regarding the experience and quality of pharmacy service.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• A reasonable amount of demonstrable experience in a similar role
• Experience with undertaking medicines reconciliation
• Working knowledge of a broad range of medicines and their safety issues
• Previous experience of working and communicating directly with patients and their family members and/or carers
• Previous experience of implementing and supporting change
• Previous experience of auditing services and systems
• Understanding of the legal responsibilities of the profession

Desirable

• Previous experience of working and communicating directly with palliative patients and their families
• Previous experience of teaching or education
• Experience with transcribing medication
• Previous experience of writing and reviewing medicine management standard operating procedures (SOPs)

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered as a Pharmacy Technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• Level 3 BTEC or NVQ (QCF) Diploma in Pharmacy Service Skills or Level 3 SVQ Pharmacy Services
• Qualified Checking Technician
• Commitment to Continuous Personal Development (CPD) and regular updating of skills by self-directed learning and attendance at courses that will assist in personal and service development

Desirable

• Dispensary checking technician qualification
• Experience in and the ability to demonstrate an understanding of the issues pertaining to palliative care and a palliative pharmacy service

Skills Knowledge and Behaviour

Essential

• Good pharmaceutical knowledge, and understanding of legislation/guidance relating to medicines usage
• Ability to interpret complex data

Desirable

• Knowledge and understanding of National Health Policy, NHS structure and relevant NHS services

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Nightingale House Hospice

Address

Chester Road

Wrexham

Clwyd

LL11 2SJ

Employer's website

https://www.nightingalehouse.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)