Senior Pharmacy Assistant - Patient Services (SATO), Band 3

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB PURPOSE

Undertake general pharmaceutical duties under the supervision of a Section Manager or deputy, assisting in the provision of a safe and effective Pharmacy service in line with current policies, procedures and legal requirements.

The Senior Pharmacy Assistant performs a wide range of duties within the Pharmacy Department, that help the Pharmacists & Technicians to provide a comprehensive dispensing and distribution service.

Main duties are based in the Dispensary and Distribution area. It will include dispensing from a variety of prescription types, visits to wards to top-up stock, transfer medicines from pharmacy into patient bedside lockers, transfer medicines from a patients previous ward to their current ward, filling orders for wards and departments, reception duties covering hospital staff and patients, computer ordering, and general house-keeping duties

Pharmacy Dispensing Services

Under the supervision of the Senior Pharmacy Technician or nominated deputy

- Dispensing for In-patients, out-patients and patients that are going home, according to standard operating procedures.

- Co-ordinating the supply of items that are owed to patients and need posting ensuring they are dispensed & posted in a timely fashion. Checking order levels are adequate for supply and resolving any supply issues.

- Dispensing controlled drugs according to standard operating procedures.

- Keep a regard to stock on the dispensary shelves top up & tidy as required with backup stock from the stores.

- Expiry date check the medicines on the shelves regularly.

- Ensure that any out of date items are removed to the Pharmacy Stock Controller.

- Working alongside the medicines optimisation pharmacy technicians to:

- Transfer of medicines from pharmacy into patient bedside lockers.

- Transfer of medicines from a patients previous ward to their current ward

- Troubleshooting missed medication issues

- Assist in reception as necessary. This includes:

- Staff Reception: Keeping the porter area tidy & organised with delivery boxes in pigeon holes. Deal with hospital staff and porters.

- Front Reception: Meet & greet the general public, receiving prescriptions and payment from the general public. There is a need to operate whatever equipment is provided to process transactions be it card machine or till.

- Direct any other business callers as required.

- To co-ordinate others to do this task if necessary.

- To answer the telephone and deal with routine enquiries regarding work in progress and communicating with the relevant member of staff for additional advice as required. Transfer calls to appropriately qualified staff if necessary.

- Working alongside the Stores & Distribution team to:

- Provide a top up service to wards, keeping the assigned wards fully stocked with medicines, ensuring they are rotated and expiry dates are checked, as stated in the top up standards.

- To ensure that the wards stock medicine supply needs are met and that the stock is used cost-effectively with minimum waste, liaising with Ward Sisters and Ward Pharmacists as required. This will include sorting returned medicines for re-use, counting them and returning to stock via the computer system.

- Process & assemble orders for wards & departments. Involves data entry and correct selection of goods, paying heed to Pharmacy stock control systems and ordering.

- Assist in sorting returned & waste medicines:

- Assist in keeping records of workload e.g. filing, photocopying.

- To ensure the patient services section always has a readily available supply of sundry items e.g. bottles, bags to use, by topping up daily and checking status of orders as required.

- Participation in top up service, keeping the assigned wards fully stocked with medicines, ensuring medicines are stock rotated and expiry dates checked, as stated in the top up standards. Each ward is visited once a week.

General

- Ensure the standard operating procedures are adhered to and Health and Safety procedures followed. There is a responsibility for stock control and security of medicines within daily duties.

- Be responsible for managing self to organise own daily duties. Be willing to re-arrange duties and prioritise according to service need if required to cover for absence. Senior Pharmacy Assistant will sometimes co-ordinate cover for duties & oversee less experienced staff.

- Shares advice & knowledge to train new assistants on the standard operating procedures within the working area.

- Participate in internal audits and surveys of service delivery as required. Ensure the standard operating procedures are adhered to and Health and Safety procedures followed. There is a responsibility for stock control and security of medicines within daily duties.

- Provide Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday cover as per rota.

- Comply with the code of expectations & values that the trust expects

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Good level of literacy and numeracy.
• NVQ Level 2 in Pharmaceutical services or equivalent or evidence of willingness to work towards qualification.

Desirable

• Proven picking/dispensing accuracy

Experience

Essential

• Previous pharmacy experience

Desirable

• Previous pharmacy experience working in a hospital
• Responsibility for carrying out a ward top-up.

Knowledge

Essential

• Excellent communication skills
• Understanding of written Standard Operating Procedures
• Ability to use computer, basic skills to operate electronic Pharmacy Systems

Desirable

• Recent experience of implementing change or quality improvement.

Qualities

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Cheerful, friendly personality
• Honesty and integrity
• Professional appearance
• Able to perform manual handling tasks

Desirable

• Ability to adapt working hours to suit service needs on a daily basis
• Positive approach
• Ability to work in a team or independently as necessary
• Motivated and reliable

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Gloucestershire Royal Hospital

Great Western Road

Gloucester

GL1 3NN

Employer's website

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