Job summary
We are seeking a motivated and enthusiastic individual for this exciting post to support the Pharmacy Aseptic Services in the provision of chemotherapy to patients within the Trust.
We are looking for a qualified technician to join our small friendly team. You will have recent aseptic experience, excellent communication skills, and an excellent knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practice. You will also have experience of leading a team, staff supervision, training others and work planning.
The Department is hugely supportive and actively encourages creative thinking to improve services, patient experience and to develop new roles, drawing on strengths and experiences of the team.
Main duties of the job
Please see the Job Description and the Persons Specification for further details about the job role. If you are unable to access the PDF, the details of the job description can also be found in the 'Detailed Job Description and Main responsibilities' section.
About us
Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Keytasks will include the following:
To assist and supervise, to a high quality, the provision of a chemotherapy compounding service and ensure the safe accurate provision of supportive medication. To support the roles of and work under the supervision of the Chief Technician & Accountable Pharmacist.
Mainduties
- To manage and co-ordinate all aspects of the day-to-day delivery of technical sterile and non-sterile services from the production unit.
- To ensure aseptic duties are carried out according to national standards and in line with recognised guidance governing aseptic practice.
- To ensure appropriate monitoring is carried out in the unit for regulatory requirements to be met, ensuring prompt escalation and appropriate corrective action taken when necessary.
- To write, develop, and assure implementation of policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- To ensure SOPs are adhered to and production records and training documents are completed appropriately.
- To supervise the work of the technical services team within the production unit, ensuring daily capacity is monitored according to SOPs, to ensure appropriate staffing levels.
- To supervise the work of the technical services team to ensure that all products are prepared in accordance with current guidelines.
- To ensure that all activities, documentation, and procedures within the unit meet current legislation such as GMP, GCP, Health and Safety and COSHH.
- To ensure and supervise the safe handling of cytotoxic, hazardous, and toxic materials.
- To be responsible for stock control for consumable items, drugs, and raw materials and the appropriate charging of all outgoing items.
- To assist the Chief Pharmacy Technician Production with the ordering of outsourced products including chemotherapy, TPN, and other Specials from commercial suppliers, and to ensure appropriate stock levels of these are maintained.
- To assist the Chief Pharmacy Technician Production, in collecting data for the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) reports, and Quality Indicators (QIs).
- To assist in the internal and external audits of the aseptic service, and the subsequent approved action plans.
- To assist in the production aspects of clinical trials in liaison with the clinical trials team, and Good Clinical Practice (GCP).
- To prepare aseptic products within the isolator according to approved local SOPs, maintaining personal aseptic technique and validations.
- To promote and encourage reporting and learning from near-misses and errors within the service.
- To investigate errors in the unit, make recommendations and implement approved changes to practice in order to reduce the likelihood of reoccurrence.
Please see the Job Description and the Persons Specification for further details about the job role.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Keytasks will include the following:
To assist and supervise, to a high quality, the provision of a chemotherapy compounding service and ensure the safe accurate provision of supportive medication. To support the roles of and work under the supervision of the Chief Technician & Accountable Pharmacist.
Mainduties
- To manage and co-ordinate all aspects of the day-to-day delivery of technical sterile and non-sterile services from the production unit.
- To ensure aseptic duties are carried out according to national standards and in line with recognised guidance governing aseptic practice.
- To ensure appropriate monitoring is carried out in the unit for regulatory requirements to be met, ensuring prompt escalation and appropriate corrective action taken when necessary.
- To write, develop, and assure implementation of policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- To ensure SOPs are adhered to and production records and training documents are completed appropriately.
- To supervise the work of the technical services team within the production unit, ensuring daily capacity is monitored according to SOPs, to ensure appropriate staffing levels.
- To supervise the work of the technical services team to ensure that all products are prepared in accordance with current guidelines.
- To ensure that all activities, documentation, and procedures within the unit meet current legislation such as GMP, GCP, Health and Safety and COSHH.
- To ensure and supervise the safe handling of cytotoxic, hazardous, and toxic materials.
- To be responsible for stock control for consumable items, drugs, and raw materials and the appropriate charging of all outgoing items.
- To assist the Chief Pharmacy Technician Production with the ordering of outsourced products including chemotherapy, TPN, and other Specials from commercial suppliers, and to ensure appropriate stock levels of these are maintained.
- To assist the Chief Pharmacy Technician Production, in collecting data for the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) reports, and Quality Indicators (QIs).
- To assist in the internal and external audits of the aseptic service, and the subsequent approved action plans.
- To assist in the production aspects of clinical trials in liaison with the clinical trials team, and Good Clinical Practice (GCP).
- To prepare aseptic products within the isolator according to approved local SOPs, maintaining personal aseptic technique and validations.
- To promote and encourage reporting and learning from near-misses and errors within the service.
- To investigate errors in the unit, make recommendations and implement approved changes to practice in order to reduce the likelihood of reoccurrence.
Please see the Job Description and the Persons Specification for further details about the job role.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ3
- Professional registration as a Pharmacy Technician with the GPhC
Desirable
- ACPT and/or PAAP accreditation
- Management/Leadership qualification
- Other courses and qualifications related to Technical Services
Skills
Essential
- Able to work well in a team
- Able to train others
- Problem solving skills
- Computer/IT skills
- Clear and literate writing skills
- Attention to detail
- Ability to contribute to planning of service developments, and to manage change
Desirable
- Experience with using Chemocare and/or CMM (JAC)
- Experience of providing education and training to pharmacy staff, nursing staff and doctors.
Experience
Essential
- Recent hospital or aseptic unit experience
- Experience of manufacturing aseptically prepared products in an isolator, including validations
- Proven track record in leading a team, managing time and managing resources to deliver timely outcomes.
- Experience and knowledge of the safety aspects of handling cytotoxics and other hazardous products.
- Proven track record of maintaining good relationships with team members and the wider healthcare team.
- Proven track record in leading a team, managing time and managing resources to deliver timely outcomes
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of cytotoxic handling
- Knowledge of all legislation relating to the procurement, storage, supply, and use of medicines
- Knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
- Working knowledge of pharmacy procedures, practices and legislation including Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
Desirable
- Knowledge of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) in relation to clinical trials.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ3
- Professional registration as a Pharmacy Technician with the GPhC
Desirable
- ACPT and/or PAAP accreditation
- Management/Leadership qualification
- Other courses and qualifications related to Technical Services
Skills
Essential
- Able to work well in a team
- Able to train others
- Problem solving skills
- Computer/IT skills
- Clear and literate writing skills
- Attention to detail
- Ability to contribute to planning of service developments, and to manage change
Desirable
- Experience with using Chemocare and/or CMM (JAC)
- Experience of providing education and training to pharmacy staff, nursing staff and doctors.
Experience
Essential
- Recent hospital or aseptic unit experience
- Experience of manufacturing aseptically prepared products in an isolator, including validations
- Proven track record in leading a team, managing time and managing resources to deliver timely outcomes.
- Experience and knowledge of the safety aspects of handling cytotoxics and other hazardous products.
- Proven track record of maintaining good relationships with team members and the wider healthcare team.
- Proven track record in leading a team, managing time and managing resources to deliver timely outcomes
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of cytotoxic handling
- Knowledge of all legislation relating to the procurement, storage, supply, and use of medicines
- Knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
- Working knowledge of pharmacy procedures, practices and legislation including Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
Desirable
- Knowledge of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) in relation to clinical trials.
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
