Senior Pharmacy Receptionist

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Information:

This job is now closed

Job summary

We are looking for an enthusiastic Senior Pharmacy Receptionist to work as a key part of the pharmacy team within our modern automated, dispensary and distribution area. You will work on our busy Pharmacy Reception in main Pharmacy dealing with patients and members of the Healthcare team.You must be able to demonstrate an enthusiasm for supporting innovation and delivering excellent patient experience.

Main duties of the job

  1. To maintain and supervise others in providing an efficient, effective and courteous reception service to patients and hospital staff in line with dispensary procedures, receiving and responding to queries from patients and staff
  2. To contribute to the overall management of workflow coming into and leaving the dispensary, ensuring that appropriate prioritisation takes place and issues are escalated to senior dispensary staff in a timely manner
  3. To ensure that data in the Prescription Tracking System (PTS) is up-to-date and is an accurate reflection of the "live" workload in the dispensary
  4. To train and supervise the work of volunteers and trainees at Dispensary reception

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics.

You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career.

We have state-of-the art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. Please ensure that you make your application as soon as possible.

All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required.

Please review all documents attached to this advert to ensure you familiarise yourself with all requirements of the job.

Date posted

25 January 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£21,730 to £23,177 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

418-COR8757-RA

Job locations

Bedford Hospital

Kempston Road

Bedford

MK42 9DJ


Job description

Job responsibilities

  • As one of the first points of contact for the dispensary service to behave in a courteous manner towards patients and other staff at all times.
  • To receive prescriptions and other requests into the pharmacy according to the agreed procedures and liaise with patients, their carers and hospital staff to resolve problems, escalating more complex issues to senior dispensary staff.
  • To ensure that prescriptions received into Pharmacy are complete in terms of patients demographic details, allergy status and weight if appropriate.
  • To ensure patients claiming an exemption from prescriptions charges complete fully the appropriate statement on the reverse of the prescription, to request proof of exemptions and to issue an unpaid form if no evidence is shown.
  • To assist patients with using the payment kiosk when needed, helping them where possible and escalating more complex issues to senior dispensary staff.
  • To use the pharmacy stock control system to ensure less commonly medicines prescribed on outpatient prescriptions are in stock and advising patients if they may need to be ordered.
  • To signpost patients with FP10 prescriptions to community pharmacies if appropriate.
  • To ensure that prescriptions are booked onto PTS in a timely manner and escalate to senior dispensary staff if this cannot be done.
  • To ensure that prescriptions past or approaching their target completion time are flagged up to the appropriate staff to prioritise and assist if appropriate.
  • To liaise with patients and ward staff to communicate any delays in processing their prescriptions.
  • To provide induction to new volunteer staff who work in Pharmacy.
  • To provide training on Customer Service and Reception duties for other Pharmacy staff.
  • To organise the collection of outpatient prescriptions, ward prescriptions, Day Treatment Unit prescriptions and other clinic prescriptions in an effective and efficient manner, ensuring timely collection and minimisation of holdings.
  • To file prescriptions at regular intervals throughout the day, ensuring it is all up to date by the end of the working day.
  • To complete other daily duties as required and set out by the dispensary management team.

Job description

Job responsibilities

  • As one of the first points of contact for the dispensary service to behave in a courteous manner towards patients and other staff at all times.
  • To receive prescriptions and other requests into the pharmacy according to the agreed procedures and liaise with patients, their carers and hospital staff to resolve problems, escalating more complex issues to senior dispensary staff.
  • To ensure that prescriptions received into Pharmacy are complete in terms of patients demographic details, allergy status and weight if appropriate.
  • To ensure patients claiming an exemption from prescriptions charges complete fully the appropriate statement on the reverse of the prescription, to request proof of exemptions and to issue an unpaid form if no evidence is shown.
  • To assist patients with using the payment kiosk when needed, helping them where possible and escalating more complex issues to senior dispensary staff.
  • To use the pharmacy stock control system to ensure less commonly medicines prescribed on outpatient prescriptions are in stock and advising patients if they may need to be ordered.
  • To signpost patients with FP10 prescriptions to community pharmacies if appropriate.
  • To ensure that prescriptions are booked onto PTS in a timely manner and escalate to senior dispensary staff if this cannot be done.
  • To ensure that prescriptions past or approaching their target completion time are flagged up to the appropriate staff to prioritise and assist if appropriate.
  • To liaise with patients and ward staff to communicate any delays in processing their prescriptions.
  • To provide induction to new volunteer staff who work in Pharmacy.
  • To provide training on Customer Service and Reception duties for other Pharmacy staff.
  • To organise the collection of outpatient prescriptions, ward prescriptions, Day Treatment Unit prescriptions and other clinic prescriptions in an effective and efficient manner, ensuring timely collection and minimisation of holdings.
  • To file prescriptions at regular intervals throughout the day, ensuring it is all up to date by the end of the working day.
  • To complete other daily duties as required and set out by the dispensary management team.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • GCSE English or equivalent skill level

Desirable

  • Level 2 NVQ units in relevant Pharmaceutical area or equivalent

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working to deadlines
  • Experience of data inputting
  • Customer orientated services

Desirable

  • Experience of working with pharmaceutical products
  • Experience in an NHS setting

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to organise own day to day work tasks
  • Ability to prioritise ad-hoc work tasks
  • Standard keyboard skills
  • Good written and verbal communication skills
  • Excellent telephone manner
  • Ability to supervise the work of others
  • Accurate inputting of data
  • Problem-solving skills

Knowledge

Essential

  • Understanding of customer care
  • Understanding of the need of confidentiality awareness at all times
  • Basic knowledge of hospital dispensary business

Desirable

  • Awareness of medicine names
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • GCSE English or equivalent skill level

Desirable

  • Level 2 NVQ units in relevant Pharmaceutical area or equivalent

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working to deadlines
  • Experience of data inputting
  • Customer orientated services

Desirable

  • Experience of working with pharmaceutical products
  • Experience in an NHS setting

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to organise own day to day work tasks
  • Ability to prioritise ad-hoc work tasks
  • Standard keyboard skills
  • Good written and verbal communication skills
  • Excellent telephone manner
  • Ability to supervise the work of others
  • Accurate inputting of data
  • Problem-solving skills

Knowledge

Essential

  • Understanding of customer care
  • Understanding of the need of confidentiality awareness at all times
  • Basic knowledge of hospital dispensary business

Desirable

  • Awareness of medicine names

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Additional information

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Bedford Hospital

Kempston Road

Bedford

MK42 9DJ


Employer's website

https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/working-here/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Bedford Hospital

Kempston Road

Bedford

MK42 9DJ


Employer's website

https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/working-here/ (Opens in a new tab)


For questions about the job, contact:

Lead Pharmacy Technician, Patient Services

Lianne Watson

lianne.watson@bedfordhospital.nhs.uk

01234355122

Date posted

25 January 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£21,730 to £23,177 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

418-COR8757-RA

Job locations

Bedford Hospital

Kempston Road

Bedford

MK42 9DJ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)