Job summary
We have a fantastic opportunity for an enthusiastic and highly motivated pharmacy technician with an interest in mental health to join our Medicines Management Team. Our Team has secured a significant amount of additional investment to enable the transformation and expansion of clinical inpatient and dispensary services.
It is a great time to join us and help influence the future provision of pharmacy services to our Secure Care Division. Our new model positions pharmacy technicians alongside pharmacists as clinicians and fully integrated members of the multidisciplinary team, optimising medicines for our patients.
This role provides an excellent opportunity for pharmacy technicians seeking a clinical ward-based managerial role as part of a team of pharmacists, technicians and support staff. You will be encouraged to use your skills to influence and improve patient care. You will have the opportunity to develop your expertise in mental health pharmacy in one of only three Trusts in England to provide services to High, Medium and Low secure services.
While this role is predominantly ward-based, you will be expected to maintain your dispensing accuracy checking competencies. You will be required to participate in our weekend and bank holiday rotas. Weekend/Bank Holiday opening hours are 9:30 am-13:30pm and the rota is 1 in 8-12 weeks, depending on staffing numbers.
Shortlisting is planned for 22 October 2024
Interview is planned for 28 October 2024 (exact date TBC)
Main duties of the job
To deliver a high-quality medicines optimisation and pharmaceutical care service to all patients, carers and healthcare professionals.
To support medicines reconciliation, providing a timely discharge service, working alongside the ward and pharmacy team
To be actively involved in providing a seven-day pharmacy medicines management service.
To have managerial responsibility for the day-today operation of ward based technical services, to ensure patients receive their medicines accurately and safely, in a timely manner.
To develop a technician-led clinical ward-based service, including implementing innovative approaches to manage ward-based supply of dispensed medicines.
To ensure optimum use of allocated pharmacy technicians and assess training needs
To support the development and review of ward-based policies and procedures.
To plan and organise ward-based audits and implement any education and training deemed necessary.
To lead or participate in departmental meetings and represent the Medicines Management team at appropriate meetings.
The post-holder will be obliged to participate in our weekend and bank holiday rotas. Weekend/Bank Holiday opening hours are 10am-2pm and the rota is 1 in 8-12 weeks, depending on staffing numbers.
For full information regarding required qualifications and experience please refer to the job description and person specification.
About us
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.
Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles."
Job description
Job responsibilities
- On a daily basis, to manage a team of dedicated pharmacy staff in the supply of dispensed medication for inpatients and outpatients, including discharge, weekend leave, self-medication, community prescriptions and the supply of compliance aids and patient information leaflets.2. To act as a leader within the ward setting.3. To manage the ordering and supply of controlled stationery e.g., FP10, NMP and FP10MDA-SS to ensure a safe and secure service.4. To act as a final accuracy checker for individually dispensed prescriptions.5. To ensure optimum use of the technicians who are allocated to inpatient and community mental health services duties via direct supervision, in order to provide atimely, effective and safe ward-based service.6. To assess the training needs of the pharmacy technical staff allocated to community mental health and inpatient areas and as part of professional development planning provide competency based training, furthermore to work with the pharmacy training team to ensure that induction and on-going training provided to administrative and support staff, technicians and pharmacists (including foundation pharmacists and undergraduate students) is of the highest quality with regard to community mental healthand inpatient services.7. To develop an innovative approach to managing the ward-based supply of dispensedmedicines. This will include optimising the supply of short-term leave medication and the re-use of medication, where appropriate.8. To develop a technician-led clinical ward-based service. This may include counselling of service users and carers.9. To develop, review and maintain ward-based policies and procedures.
Please refer to the job description for more details.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- On a daily basis, to manage a team of dedicated pharmacy staff in the supply of dispensed medication for inpatients and outpatients, including discharge, weekend leave, self-medication, community prescriptions and the supply of compliance aids and patient information leaflets.2. To act as a leader within the ward setting.3. To manage the ordering and supply of controlled stationery e.g., FP10, NMP and FP10MDA-SS to ensure a safe and secure service.4. To act as a final accuracy checker for individually dispensed prescriptions.5. To ensure optimum use of the technicians who are allocated to inpatient and community mental health services duties via direct supervision, in order to provide atimely, effective and safe ward-based service.6. To assess the training needs of the pharmacy technical staff allocated to community mental health and inpatient areas and as part of professional development planning provide competency based training, furthermore to work with the pharmacy training team to ensure that induction and on-going training provided to administrative and support staff, technicians and pharmacists (including foundation pharmacists and undergraduate students) is of the highest quality with regard to community mental healthand inpatient services.7. To develop an innovative approach to managing the ward-based supply of dispensedmedicines. This will include optimising the supply of short-term leave medication and the re-use of medication, where appropriate.8. To develop a technician-led clinical ward-based service. This may include counselling of service users and carers.9. To develop, review and maintain ward-based policies and procedures.
Please refer to the job description for more details.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- BTEC level 3 in pharmaceutical science, or equivalent qualification
- Level 3 NVQ in pharmacy service skills, or equivalent qualification
- Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
- BTEC Level 4 in dispensing accuracy checking or equivalent qualification (or willingness to work toward)
Desirable
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Management experience within pharmaceutical services
- Experience or knowledge of medicines management services within an NHS context
- Understanding of the working of organisations
- Clear understanding of all relevant legislation and guidance relating to dispensary services
- Experience of multi-disciplinary working
- Experience of staff, budget and resource management
- Experience of change management
Desirable
- Experience of managing staff and services across different locations
- Experience of operating at a strategic level
Values
Essential
- Continuous Improvement
- Accountability
- Respectfulness
- Enthusiasm
- Support
- High professional standards
- Responsive to service users
- Engaging leadership style
- Strong customer service belief
- Transparency and honesty
- Discreet
- Change oriented
Skills
Essential
- Ability to work individually and to work as a team leader
- Problem-solving skills
- Excellent communicator
- Excellent organisational skills
- Good IT skills
- Ability to work under pressure
- Ability to prioritise workload and manage time effectively to meet specified deadlines
- Self-motivated and able to use initiative
- Ability to work flexibly
- Understanding of business planning and report/proposal writing
- Decision making skills
- Recognition of own limitations and ability to ask for support when necessary
- Professional manner
Desirable
- Project management skills
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- BTEC level 3 in pharmaceutical science, or equivalent qualification
- Level 3 NVQ in pharmacy service skills, or equivalent qualification
- Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
- BTEC Level 4 in dispensing accuracy checking or equivalent qualification (or willingness to work toward)
Desirable
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Management experience within pharmaceutical services
- Experience or knowledge of medicines management services within an NHS context
- Understanding of the working of organisations
- Clear understanding of all relevant legislation and guidance relating to dispensary services
- Experience of multi-disciplinary working
- Experience of staff, budget and resource management
- Experience of change management
Desirable
- Experience of managing staff and services across different locations
- Experience of operating at a strategic level
Values
Essential
- Continuous Improvement
- Accountability
- Respectfulness
- Enthusiasm
- Support
- High professional standards
- Responsive to service users
- Engaging leadership style
- Strong customer service belief
- Transparency and honesty
- Discreet
- Change oriented
Skills
Essential
- Ability to work individually and to work as a team leader
- Problem-solving skills
- Excellent communicator
- Excellent organisational skills
- Good IT skills
- Ability to work under pressure
- Ability to prioritise workload and manage time effectively to meet specified deadlines
- Self-motivated and able to use initiative
- Ability to work flexibly
- Understanding of business planning and report/proposal writing
- Decision making skills
- Recognition of own limitations and ability to ask for support when necessary
- Professional manner
Desirable
- Project management skills
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).
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
