Medicines Management Technician

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

1)To provide a clinical technical service to the POD wards, including the taking of comprehensive medication histories and to provide a cost-effective one-stop dispensing service involving accuracy checking patients own drugs and assessing their suitability for reuse.

2) To provide a cost-effective one-stop dispensing service to wards, involving accuracy checking patients own drugs and assessing their suitability for use, arranging re-supplies of patients drugs, liaising with G.P.s, nursing homes and ward staff, assessing patient concordance and providing counselling and education where necessary.

3)To provide a topping up service on wards for individual patient drug supplies under the direction of the Dispensary Manager or Senior Technicians and in accordance with procedures.

4) To support the clinical pharmacists on POD wards in the provision of complete pharmaceutical care for patients.

5) To liaise with GPs, nursing homes, doctors, ward staff and other healthcare professionals to provide complete pharmaceutical care for patients.

6) To interpret medical notes and test results, identify pharmaceutical and clinical problems and refer to the appropriate medical staff or clinical pharmacist.

7) To counsel and educate patients and carers on the correct use of their medication and assess their understanding of the medicines prescribed.

8) To assess patient concordance, identify patients requiring compliance aids and arrange provision of the necessary aids in both primary and secondary care.

9) To facilitate patient discharges to ensure timely and effective discharge supplies of medication are available for individual patients

10) To perform a final accuracy check on prescriptions and orders which have previously been clinically checked by a pharmacist and in accordance with Trust procedures, and ensure dispensing errors are corrected by the appropriate member of staff.

11) To develop, implement and manage a training package for technical staff in the systems used on POD wards and to assess, train and supervise other technical staff in the systems used on POD wards to ensure optimal and continuous service, adherence to procedures and safe systems of work and expansion of systems to other areas of the Trust.

12) To consult with ward managers and train nursing staff in the systems used on POD wards and provide pharmaceutical information and advice, and be prepared to give lectures on pharmaceutical topics to other healthcare professionals and patients where appropriate.

13) To carry out audit projects independently and in conjunction with other pharmacy staff to improve and develop service provision and to contribute to the review of existing systems and implementation of new procedural guidelines.

14) To co-ordinate and participate in the provision of a patient counselling course for technical staff and to assist with the education and training of all members of staff, other healthcare professionals and patients.

15) To participate in personal development review and appraise and perform personal development reviews on other staff members.

16) To assist in the provision of directorate financial information and analysis and the implementation of directorate service quality and cost improvement initiatives.

17) To attend any meetings relevant to the role and appropriate training courses for technicians, to encourage other staff to undertake further training and to

participate in such training schemes necessary to keep relevant pharmaceutical and clinical technical knowledge up to date.

18) To advice nursing staff on the correct storage of goods supplied by the pharmacy with regard to security and stability.

19) To contribute to the recording and reporting of clinical and non-clinical incidents.

20) To liaise and provide support for the Senior Technician Team in the management of ward service activities.

21) To act as a role model for student technicians and other members of technical and support staff and provide mentoring, assessing, induction and training of student technicians, pre-registration pharmacists, dispensing assistants and any other relevant members of the pharmacy team

22) To undertake Continuing Professional Development in order to keep pharmaceutical knowledge current, ensure best practice and comply with requirements for entry on the pharmacy technician register.

23) To carry out dispensing of prescriptions, including extemporaneous prescriptions, unlicensed drugs, controlled drugs, and in-patient and outpatient prescription in accordance with the agreed safe systems of work practice.

24) To co-operate in staff rotation within the pharmacy departments of the Trust including all dispensaries, the aseptic department and out patients and to participate in Saturday, Sunday, Bank holiday and late night duties as is considered appropriate by the Chief Pharmacist or other senior manager.

25) To observe the recommendations contained in the Guide to Good Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Practice and its supplements and to assist in ensuring that work carried out in the department is in accordance with these and any other recommendations which may be issued from time to time by the Department of Health or Medicines Inspectorate.

26) To observe the regulations in respect of the Health and Safety at Work Act and Data Protection Act.

27) To co-operate in the operation and development of computerised systems of stock control and medical speciality costing and to assist in maintaining reasonable stock levels, in accordance with the policies that are in force.

28) To assist in maintaining reasonable stock levels, in accordance with the policies that are in force, in the section of the pharmacy in which (s)he is currently employed and to assist in ensuring correct storage and turnover of stock to maintain quality and potency.

29) To answer telephone and face to face queries of a routine or technical nature from a wide range of staff groups, either in the pharmacy or on the ward, and refer appropriate queries to the relevant member of the pharmacy team when necessary.

30) To liaise with various members of the pharmacy team and ward staff when solving supply problems and ensuring the best service to patients.

To participate in pharmacy and ward based stock audits under the direction of the Senior Technicians.

32) To assist in the receipt and issue of goods in pharmacy and to check delivery notes and invoices if required.

33) To participate in pharmacy objectives set by the Trust, the National Patient Safety Agency, the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection, the Department of Health (including the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulation Agency) and others to meet clinical governance targets, develop patient care, improve clinical outcomes and ensure compliance with all standards expected for hospital pharmacy services and interface between primary and secondary care.

34) To provide accurate record keeping of controlled drugs kept in pharmacy including supplies to wards and departments, orders received into the pharmacy and regular audits of the accuracy of computer and paper records.

35) To dispense clinical trials in accordance with the dispensing protocol, ICH GCP guidelines and European Directive under the direction of the clinical trials technician/pharmacist.

36) To undertake special dispensing and manufacturing involving the use of aseptic techniques to a suitable standard in preparation of sterile products in accordance with aseptic procedures and under the direction of the Aseptic Services Manager.

37) To undertake cytotoxic reconstitution and dispensing in accordance with the recommendations contained in the Aseptic Production Manual and in accordance with the criteria set out under COSHH regulations and Regional and National standards.

38) To support equality and diversity.

39) To undertake any other related duties, which may be required

Please refer to the detailed Job Description attached

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Accredited Technical Accuracy Checking Qualification
• NVQ Level 3 in Pharmacy Services and BTEC Level 3 in Pharmaceutical Sciences with appropriate underpinning knowledge
• Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience with the Electronic Medicines Management systems, including file maintenance, standard and ad-hoc reporting
• Demonstrate Dispensing Experience
• Commitment to Continuing Processional Development
• Ability to understand role and service priorities
• Ability to train staff

Desirable

• Patient Counselling
• Experience of working on wards
• Demonstrable post qualification hospital pharmacy experience

Skills

Essential

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

Other

Essential

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

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

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Liverpool University Hospital

Mount Vernon Street

Liverpool

L7 8YE

Employer's website

https://www.liverpoolft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)