Job responsibilities
1. Management Responsibility
To provide professional leadership and management to the technical/support staff that work within the operational services section of the Pharmacy. Ensuring that working practices meet requirements of medicines legislation, professional, local and national guidelines and that medicines are available in the appropriate quantities, places and times to meet the clinical needs of all patients.
Organise and Co-ordinate the activity of technical staff to solve operational & clinical service issues concerning all sections, in conjunction with all the section managers, using resources and information available to meet the needs of the service.
Organise and co-ordinate the weekend rota in conjunction with the Chief Pharmacy Technician for Clinical Services.
Provide expert advice regarding current and anticipated demands on operational services and the staffing capacity required to deliver a safe level of service to patients. Preparing business plans for service development, presenting reports and findings at management meetings as required.
Complete required reports from the senior pharmacy team.
To contribute to developing policies, strategies and plans to ensure that pharmacy operational services meet quality standards and KPIs as defined in the Pharmacy service specification.
To continually review pharmacy operational services, undertaking analysis and identifying requirements for improvements in service provision and patient care promoting excellence and best practice. Playing an active role within the Pharmacy Management Team to develop the Pharmacy strategy by contributing suggestions for improvement and managing associated change.
To be professionally responsible for adherence to the GPhC MHRA (WDA), and RPS standards relating to operational services and compliance required for CQC and CD Home Office inspections.
To ensure that the security of medicines is maintained at a departmental level and promoting good practice regarding the security of medicines during transit.
To ensure the department are kept up to date with any relevant information regarding Pharmacy strategy, training strategy, service development and performance.
Work closely with other Chief Pharmacy Technicians within the department and Senior Pharmacists across the department and sites, in planning human resources at a strategic level to improve & develop Pharmacy Services.
To work with relevant Senior Pharmacist Patient Services to ensure that operational Services provided are safe, efficient, cost effective, offer value for money and are achievable within service agreements.
Ensure the safety of patients is maintained by involvement in PSEG, undertaking Datix investigation, monitoring error auditing and any other safety issues.
Co-ordinate with service leads the management of staff including recruitment, induction, appraisal, attendance management, performance review and management, discipline & grievance, work and annual leave allocation.
Ensure requirements for the Wholesalers dealers Authorisation and Fraudulent Medicines Directive are met. Work closely with the Responsible person to ensure that the trust retains its Wholesale Dealers Authorisation by ensuring all criteria outlined in the guideline to good Wholesale dealing are met.
Act as Health & Safety lead for the department, attending departmental and Divisional Health and Safety meetings, deciding and participating in actions to solve health & safety issues and reduce areas of risk within the department.
2. Dispensary, Distribution and Systems Management
Act as line manager of the Senior Pharmacy Technicians for the Dispensary, Stores & Distribution, Systems Management & Quality Assurance.
Fulfil ACT commitment to the dispensary as per operational requirements.
Communicate with the Senior Pharmacy Technicians and Patient Services Pharmacists about the day-to-day management of technical staff, and dispensary and distribution activities.
Report, monitor and act upon sickness, annual leave and time off in lieu according to trust guidelines ensuring staff re-directed to cover as required.
Help and support with disciplinary issues lead on where required.
Organise and delegate where appropriate rotas for dispensary cover alongside the top up cover, taking account of the skill mix available.
Ensure that top up standards are followed and upheld. Participate in discussions and actions concerning a strategy for safe use of medicines & education about Datix incidents trust wide.
3. Education & Training Management
Act as line manager to the Senior Pharmacy technicians for Education and Training and oversee technical/ support staff training requirements for the Pharmacy department as a whole.
To ensure the training needs of staff are met by co-coordinating/delivering suitable training to enable them to safely and confidently perform their duties.
To organise, facilitate and deliver the training and development of: Pharmacy Technicians and their roles as Medicines Optimisation technicians (MOTs) and Accredited Checking Technicians (ACTs); Pre-registration trainee pharmacy Technicians and their QCF (NVQ) 3 assessment; Pharmacy assistants and their NVQ 2 programmes.
To manage the provision of training and the competency of all operational staff within the facility, specifically to include: Good Distribution practice of Medicinal products for Human use and Falsified Medicines training; implementation of specialist IT systems; compliance to relevant procedures. To ensure that training is provided to new staff upon induction, and rotational and permanent staff. To ensure that all staff within procurement complete their formal training requirements, as appropriate; this must include the delivery and completion of NVQ training. To ensure that all staff are aware of their role and responsibilities. To provide training, awareness and escorted tours of the facility to service users, whenever appropriate.
To make recommendations and take an active part in the development of training packages to enhance the training of Pharmacy staff.
Maintain up to date records of all Pharmacy staff training.
Lead in the support of mandatory training for the department.
Provide education and information to patients and their carers on safe and effective use of medicines working in partnership to achieve concordance.
To perform the role of Educational Supervisor.
To undertake all relevant personal training to support this role, demonstrate and maintain commitment to CPD and be informed of current issues in Pharmacy practice. Support staff to be aware of CPD requirements with the GPhC, and circulate any developments.
To design and implement audits related to training services - collect data, analyse and present findings/recommendations.
Leading on looking into possible future roles of technical staff in all sections of the department and training required. Attend courses & training, meetings & seminars to ensure skills, knowledge & pharmacy practise are current and up to date. This may be identified at appraisal and/or CPD.
Member of the countywide Pharmacy education & training group, planning the education & training strategy across the trust looking at future requirements.
4. Medicines Management / Optimisation
Work with minimal supervision to provide an admission, supply and discharge service to nominated wards. Liaising directly with pharmacists, doctors and nursing staff over clinical issues as appropriate.
On admission, checking that the medicines prescribed for each patient conform with information from the patient, SCR, GP letter and/or Nursing Home and taking detailed medication histories.
Assessing whether any medicines brought in by the patient are fit for use and removing (with patients permission) any medicines not needed.
Ordering all medication that the patient has not brought into hospital.
Counselling patients to use their medication and providing written information as required.
Prioritising and organising daily workload to ensure that all required tasks are completed within allocated timescale.
5. Dispensary
Final accuracy check prescriptions, orders and Controlled Drugs carrying out all tasks required to maintain checking technician status.
Use the Pharmacy IT system to label and dispense medication against prescriptions, orders and Controlled Drug requests according to any prescriber instructions.
Organise, label and prepare compliance aids (Dosette boxes).
Use the prescription tracking system to book in and track prescriptions at each stage in the process, logging work collected by the porters or ward staff.
Undertake manual top-up of non-robot medication, obtaining stock from Stores and storing on appropriate shelving in the Dispensary.
6. Health & Safety
Act as Health & Safety lead for the department.
Attend departmental and Divisional Health and Safety meetings.
Decide and participate in actions to solve health & safety issues and reduce areas of risk within the department.
7. Responsibilities fir people and Training
Responsible for the line management of Senior Pharmacy technicians for Education and Training, Senior Pharmacy Technicians for the Dispensary, Stores & Distribution, Systems Management & Quality, including recruitment, induction, appraisal, attendance management, performance review and management, discipline & grievance, rostering and annual leave allocation.
Ensure all sickness reviews are completed and policy followed for technical staff under working line.
8. General Duties
Maintain safe systems of work at all times, being responsible for the quality and accuracy of all work undertaken.
Be one of the escalation points for medical gas queries and authorised signatory on Variation forms and Leavers forms.
