Job summary
We are looking for an experienced, highly competent and motivated Chief Pharmacy Technician with excellent organisational, managerial skills and communication skills to lead on developing our services.
You will be responsible for driving the strategic leadership of hospital pharmacy and technical services across the Trust and will be an inspirational individual and skilled communicator with experience of transforming technical services.
You will have line management responsibility for Dispensary Managers who are based at the Haywood Hospital in Stoke on Trent, the Redwood Centre in Shrewsbury and St Georges Hospital in Stafford, and the Lead Technician for Clinical Trials and Medicines Information based at Haywood Hospital. You will work in conjunction with the Chief Pharmacy Technician - Community Services & Medicines Safety to develop our technical workforce embracing new and innovative ways of working.
If you are a change agent with emotional intelligence and determination then this is a great role for you.
Main duties of the job
- To provide strategic leadership and operational guidance for the provision of hospital pharmacy technical and support services across the Trust.
- To support the delivery of a safe, timely, effective, and high quality pharmacy service to patients/service users and staff.
- To work with stakeholders across care groups to promote cost-effective and safe prescribing practice.
- To work effectively as a member of the Heads of Service within the pharmacy department.
- To work with the senior pharmacy team and the Digital Transformation Lead Pharmacy Technician.
- To participate in the pharmacy service out of hours provision
- To be responsible for the development of strategies, policies and standard operating procedures in relation to medicines optimisation.
About us
By joining Team MPFT, you will be helping your communities and in return for this, we will support you by;
- Supporting your career development and progression
- Excellent NHS Pension scheme
- Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave
- Options for flexible working
- Up to 27 days annual leave (increasing with service up to 33 days) and the opportunity to purchase additional leave
- Extensive Health and Wellbeing support and resources
- If you work in our community teams, we pay for your time travelling between patients
- Lease car if you complete more than 500 business miles per annum, fully insured and maintained (including tyres), mileage paid at lease car rate
- Salary sacrifice car - fully insured and maintained (including tyres), your gross pay is reduced by the cost of the vehicle before tax, NI and pension deductions are calculated, mileage paid at business rates
- Salary sacrifice bikes up to £2k
- Free car parking at all trust sites
- Free flu vaccinations every year
- Citizens Advice support linked with a Hardship Fund for one off additional support up to £250 (if the criteria is met)
And more. We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive organisation and there is a choice of staff networks that help you meet like-minded people.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key areas of responsibility:
Management
- Line management of the Dispensary Managers to ensure the delivery of technical services that are in line with current practice and supports expanded roles for staff. This will include appraisal of pharmacy staff, workload allocation and performance review.
- Line manage the Lead Technician Clinical Trials and Medicines Information.
- The post holder will lead the strategic and operational decisions concerning all areas of the pharmacy hospital technical service, in order to provide a safe, timely, effective, and high quality pharmacy service to patients and staff.
- Responsibility for overseeing recruitment for technical members of staff across inpatient services focusing on values based recruitment. The role will include writing of job descriptions and personal specifications as well chairing interview panels as necessary.
- To develop and monitor key performance indicators in relation to efficiency and quality of the technical service provision service in accordance with own objectives and Trust standards.
- To be actively involved in the Medicines Optimisation Committee, Medicines Safety Group and Medical Devices Committee and other committees as deemed necessary.
- To support the implementation and monitoring of the trust formulary, policies/ procedures and prescribing budgets.
- To plan and chair monthly meetings with the dispensary managers to review dispensing, clinical trials, homecare, procurement, education/training, operational medicines management, and workforce issues. To maintain communication on day-to-day issues and provide a link with senior pharmacy management.
Governance
- To work in conjunction with the Chief Technician Community Services & Medicines Safety to review incidents in relation to hospital services and where appropriate to oversee appropriate remedial actions and the implementation of any necessary changes to practice.
- In conjunction with the Chief Technician- Community services to lead on the development and support of safe and secure handling of medicines audits, including controlled drugs to maximise safety, in line with clinical governance principles, and with the support of the Trust clinical audit team where appropriate.
Leadership
- To be responsible for implementing changes for pharmacy technical service delivery across inpatient services based on national and local policy drivers.
- To introduce organisational redesign of operational roles across pharmacy technical services. To review working in line with strategical planning and working practices that will enable technical staff to deliver medicines optimisation initiatives leading to improved patient care.
- To support the development of new services and commercial opportunities across the Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation Department.
- To introduce organisational redesign of operational roles across pharmacy technical services. To review working in line with strategical planning and working practices that will enable technical staff to deliver medicines optimisation initiatives leading to improved patient care.
Patient care
- To provide leadership and effective line management to the Lead Technician Clinical Trials and Medicines Information and the Dispensary Managers in support of the day-to-day operation of the medicines optimisation technical service in accordance with relevant professional, ethical, strategic, legal, local and nationally agreed guidelines and standards.
- To lead on the development of technical service delivery (including policy and procedural development and review) with service leads external to the pharmacy department to ensure improved service delivery with follow-up audits and evaluation to determine the impact of the changes.
- To oversee the delivery of seamless pharmaceutical care during admission and on discharge, working with the clinical pharmacy team and dispensary managers to ensure that agreed standards are maintained.
Communication
- Provide or receive complex sensitive information in relation to medicines incidents and acts by liaison with a range of stakeholders to identify solutions to problems, which will include the generation of written reports which aim to improve and shape understanding of these complex issues.
- Communicate with Heads of Service across the Pharmacy Department, service lead pharmacists, dispensary managers, senior pharmacists and the senior pharmacy team with regard to issues impacting on the Trust hospital services.
- To communicate with the Chief Technician - Community Services & Medicines Safety and where appropriate senior technical staff and senior pharmacists with regard to issues impacting on community based services and to provide solutions to address any identified shortcomings in service delivery or workforce.
- Work within local and national legislative frameworks to interpret localised meaning for the Trust, which will require the provision of written and verbal advice for clinical and non-clinical staff to ensure compliance with national legislation.
- To provide advice and support in the negotiation with contracted providers/external suppliers to ensure the delivery of a safe and cost-effective medicines optimisation service.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key areas of responsibility:
Management
- Line management of the Dispensary Managers to ensure the delivery of technical services that are in line with current practice and supports expanded roles for staff. This will include appraisal of pharmacy staff, workload allocation and performance review.
- Line manage the Lead Technician Clinical Trials and Medicines Information.
- The post holder will lead the strategic and operational decisions concerning all areas of the pharmacy hospital technical service, in order to provide a safe, timely, effective, and high quality pharmacy service to patients and staff.
- Responsibility for overseeing recruitment for technical members of staff across inpatient services focusing on values based recruitment. The role will include writing of job descriptions and personal specifications as well chairing interview panels as necessary.
- To develop and monitor key performance indicators in relation to efficiency and quality of the technical service provision service in accordance with own objectives and Trust standards.
- To be actively involved in the Medicines Optimisation Committee, Medicines Safety Group and Medical Devices Committee and other committees as deemed necessary.
- To support the implementation and monitoring of the trust formulary, policies/ procedures and prescribing budgets.
- To plan and chair monthly meetings with the dispensary managers to review dispensing, clinical trials, homecare, procurement, education/training, operational medicines management, and workforce issues. To maintain communication on day-to-day issues and provide a link with senior pharmacy management.
Governance
- To work in conjunction with the Chief Technician Community Services & Medicines Safety to review incidents in relation to hospital services and where appropriate to oversee appropriate remedial actions and the implementation of any necessary changes to practice.
- In conjunction with the Chief Technician- Community services to lead on the development and support of safe and secure handling of medicines audits, including controlled drugs to maximise safety, in line with clinical governance principles, and with the support of the Trust clinical audit team where appropriate.
Leadership
- To be responsible for implementing changes for pharmacy technical service delivery across inpatient services based on national and local policy drivers.
- To introduce organisational redesign of operational roles across pharmacy technical services. To review working in line with strategical planning and working practices that will enable technical staff to deliver medicines optimisation initiatives leading to improved patient care.
- To support the development of new services and commercial opportunities across the Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation Department.
- To introduce organisational redesign of operational roles across pharmacy technical services. To review working in line with strategical planning and working practices that will enable technical staff to deliver medicines optimisation initiatives leading to improved patient care.
Patient care
- To provide leadership and effective line management to the Lead Technician Clinical Trials and Medicines Information and the Dispensary Managers in support of the day-to-day operation of the medicines optimisation technical service in accordance with relevant professional, ethical, strategic, legal, local and nationally agreed guidelines and standards.
- To lead on the development of technical service delivery (including policy and procedural development and review) with service leads external to the pharmacy department to ensure improved service delivery with follow-up audits and evaluation to determine the impact of the changes.
- To oversee the delivery of seamless pharmaceutical care during admission and on discharge, working with the clinical pharmacy team and dispensary managers to ensure that agreed standards are maintained.
Communication
- Provide or receive complex sensitive information in relation to medicines incidents and acts by liaison with a range of stakeholders to identify solutions to problems, which will include the generation of written reports which aim to improve and shape understanding of these complex issues.
- Communicate with Heads of Service across the Pharmacy Department, service lead pharmacists, dispensary managers, senior pharmacists and the senior pharmacy team with regard to issues impacting on the Trust hospital services.
- To communicate with the Chief Technician - Community Services & Medicines Safety and where appropriate senior technical staff and senior pharmacists with regard to issues impacting on community based services and to provide solutions to address any identified shortcomings in service delivery or workforce.
- Work within local and national legislative frameworks to interpret localised meaning for the Trust, which will require the provision of written and verbal advice for clinical and non-clinical staff to ensure compliance with national legislation.
- To provide advice and support in the negotiation with contracted providers/external suppliers to ensure the delivery of a safe and cost-effective medicines optimisation service.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Knowledge of pharmaceutical service procedures obtained through NVQ3, BTEC in pharmaceutical science plus theoretical study and practical experience of managing staff, resources and additional knowledge to post-graduate diploma or equivalent level
- Registered as a Pharmacy Technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
- Supervisory/Management qualification or equivalent experience (e.g. ILM Level 5)
- Specialist knowledge across a range of work procedures and practices which require expertise within the specialism or specialist knowledge across a range of areas underpinned by theoretical or practical knowledge or experience
Desirable
- Foundation degree and/or Management qualification and/or clinical diploma or working towards
- Nationally recognised accredited checking technician certificate.
- Ascribe super user
- Prince 2
Experience
Essential
- Considerable hospital experience in a wide range of settings
- Experience in managing pharmacy technicians and support staff
- Experience in dealing with discipline and performance management
- Experience in dealing with short- and long-term staff sickness
- Experience of working with senior stakeholders across different multidisciplinary teams
- Representation of Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation at a health economy system level
- Experience in leading service transformation and evaluation
- Demonstrated ability to plan, organise and deliver medicines optimisation training.
- Experience in project management
Desirable
- Experience of mental health pharmacy service delivery, such as clozapine dispensing
- Experience in management of Homecare and Blueteq.
Skills
Essential
- Self-motivated and able to motivate others.
- Enthusiastic and hard working
- Ability to lead and be approachable Professional and reliable
- Treats others with respect & dignity
- Good team-building skills
- Demonstrate emotional intelligence maintaining confidence and discretion in relation to information of a sensitive nature
- Ability to manage conflict
Desirable
- Use of Health Roster and experience in dealing with annual leave requests
Personal attributes
Essential
- Self-motivated and able to motivate others.
- Enthusiastic and hard working
- Ability to lead and be approachable
- Professional and reliable
- Treats others with respect & dignity
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Knowledge of pharmaceutical service procedures obtained through NVQ3, BTEC in pharmaceutical science plus theoretical study and practical experience of managing staff, resources and additional knowledge to post-graduate diploma or equivalent level
- Registered as a Pharmacy Technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
- Supervisory/Management qualification or equivalent experience (e.g. ILM Level 5)
- Specialist knowledge across a range of work procedures and practices which require expertise within the specialism or specialist knowledge across a range of areas underpinned by theoretical or practical knowledge or experience
Desirable
- Foundation degree and/or Management qualification and/or clinical diploma or working towards
- Nationally recognised accredited checking technician certificate.
- Ascribe super user
- Prince 2
Experience
Essential
- Considerable hospital experience in a wide range of settings
- Experience in managing pharmacy technicians and support staff
- Experience in dealing with discipline and performance management
- Experience in dealing with short- and long-term staff sickness
- Experience of working with senior stakeholders across different multidisciplinary teams
- Representation of Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation at a health economy system level
- Experience in leading service transformation and evaluation
- Demonstrated ability to plan, organise and deliver medicines optimisation training.
- Experience in project management
Desirable
- Experience of mental health pharmacy service delivery, such as clozapine dispensing
- Experience in management of Homecare and Blueteq.
Skills
Essential
- Self-motivated and able to motivate others.
- Enthusiastic and hard working
- Ability to lead and be approachable Professional and reliable
- Treats others with respect & dignity
- Good team-building skills
- Demonstrate emotional intelligence maintaining confidence and discretion in relation to information of a sensitive nature
- Ability to manage conflict
Desirable
- Use of Health Roster and experience in dealing with annual leave requests
Personal attributes
Essential
- Self-motivated and able to motivate others.
- Enthusiastic and hard working
- Ability to lead and be approachable
- Professional and reliable
- Treats others with respect & dignity
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).
