Principal Pharmacy Technician - Procurement

Job responsibilities

PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT

1. To provide professional leadership to all staff working within the Procurement and the wider department.
2. To be responsible for the day-to-day running of staff activities and service to ensure effective operations of the medicine supply, co-ordinating and maintaining an efficient, pro-active medicines purchasing process which is in line with the Trust Procurement Strategy, Standing Financial Instructions and which fully implements nationally and regionally agreed contracts.
3. Working with internal and external colleagues to ensure that service level agreements andoperational partnership arrangements are negotiated and delivered effectively to ensure best value for money for the Trust.
4. To lead and ensure the team participates in high standards of practice as defined by the CQC, GPhC, and the MHRA.
5. To maintain close links with the East of England (EoE) Procurement Hub in areas of mutual interest and to represent the Pharmacy department at East Anglia and Shires Pharmacy Consortium meetings.
6. To be responsible for the management of the BOC oxygen cylinder contract and other medical gases, including cylinder tracking, auditing and cross-charging as appropriate when implemented.
7. To be responsible for sourcing and ordering of unlicensed medication, completing risk assessments and quotes for all new items for approval by the Senior Pharmacist or the Principal Technician.
8. To manage MHRA and manufacturer drug alerts, liaising with senior members of the Pharmacy team where appropriate, to ensure all actions are completed, documented and signed off.
9. To identify approved suppliers and/or medicines for local stock shortages.
10. To provide assurance that systems are in place to ensure that all off contract purchases are appropriate, recorded and excess costs are claimed back where possible.
11. To organise month-end financial reporting procedures, including ensuring computerised purchasing information is processed and reports generated according to departmental procedures.
12. To analyse purchasing information ensuring procurement KPIs are maintained, improvedand developed, producing reports as required
13. Leading the management of the stock control system to input correct information onto the relevant IT systems for new drug lines, supplier, CMU contract updates, drug shortages and amendments in a timely manner.
14. Monitor and report on the use of the stock control system using management reports, help identify trends and areas for improvement.
15. To participate in process mapping, audit and project work with a view to increasing efficiency and safe systems of supply and distribution from all sections of the department.
16. Support adoption of interoperability standards including maintaining mapping of medicines to the dm+d standard
17. To act as a super user for the Automated medication Dispensing system.
18. Act as an authorised signatory for the purchase of consumables and high value invoices.
19. To help writing policies and SOPs in conjunction with the Procurement, Homecare and Distributions Manager

MANAGEMENT

20. To line manage, train and develop staff working within the Procurement team. To ensure an ongoing programme of staff development and mentoring to meet the anticipated workforce needs of the future.

21. Ensuring all staff within the team is working collaboratively in support of the Bedfordshire trust values. Making sure staff within the team feels valued, included by having an open and honest relationship with them.

1. Supporting a well organised and supportive atmosphere.
2. To ensure that training records are developed and maintained for all staff working within Procurement.
3. To lead a continuous improvement ethos within the Procurement team which seeks to continually develop and implement systems for service provision to enhance the efficiency of the service. To help communicate and explain service operational procedures / changes to wards and departments to gain co-operation.
4. To co-ordinate and develop quality standards and key performance indicators for the Procurement, ensuring appropriate performance management data is collected, validated, reviewed and actioned. To continually audit the service performance.
5. To investigate errors or complaints involving the Procurement function, to help implement actions to minimise re-occurrence and further awareness and learning for staff.
6. To work with other section leads to integrate Procurement with other sections of the department, and to co-ordinate the rotation of PTPTs and assistants throughout the department.
7. To assist in training schemes for all grades of pharmacy staff, including pre-registration pharmacist competency assessments, NVQ and in house competencies with the support of other specialist pharmacy technicians.
8. To represent the Procurement function in the Pharmacy Senior Leadership Team.
9. To play an active role in recruitment for all sections of the pharmacy department.
10. To monitor the performance and carry out regular appraisal of directly accountable staff.

OTHER

1. To participate in dispensary duties as required, maintaining a working knowledge in current drug usage and dispensary procedures. This will include receiving prescriptions into dispensary and ensuring prescription charges are collected where appropriate, accurately labelling, assembling and dispensing individual in-patient, out-patient and discharge prescriptions including cytotoxic medicines, according to departmental policies and standard operating procedures. This may also involve solving problems arising from these procedures, including contacting other healthcare professionals.
2. To provide professional leadership to all staff working within the Pharmacy Department.
3. To offer support and guidance to junior members of staff working in all areas of the Pharmacy department.
4. To work as an Accredited Pharmacy Technician (ACPT).
5. To participate in departmental audit programmes.
6. To participate in the weekend, bank holiday and late dispensary shifts as appropriate.
7. To liaise with colleagues and professional staff in other disciplines.
8. To maintain an active CPD portfolio and to participate in departmental and regional education and training.
9. To participate fully in the Individual Performance Review and objective setting process of the Trust.
10. To undertake other duties as reasonably requested by the Chief Pharmacist.

Qualifications

Essential

• Level 3 Diploma in Pharmaceutical Science and Pharmacy Service Skills
• Registration with the GPhC as a Pharmacy Technician
• Accredited Checking Technician (ACPT)
• NVQ 3 in Leadership and Management or equivalent experience

Desirable

• Membership of APTUK
• CIPS level 3 certificate in purchasing and supply or willing to undertake
• Project management qualification or equivalent experience

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working to deadlines and managing own workload to meet the needs of a service
• Experience of data inputting - raising orders/invoicing
• Experience of formulating standard operating procedures
• Extensive experience in a Procurement Technician role
• Staff management including, performance, appraisal, sickness and HR procedures
• Ability to appropriately prioritise tasks of your own and others using suitable delegation skills

Desirable

• Experience of supporting project management and delivery
• Ability to use Refine / Define IT solutions to identify savings opportunities
• Use of Wellsky to issue and manage pharmaceutical products

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of sales and purchase ledger
• Awareness of medicine names
• Knowledge of trusts standing financial instruction
• Understanding of issues involved in stock control and how to resolve them
• oKnowledge of the NHS

Desirable

• Budget & Financial management experience

Communication skills

Essential

• Good written and verbal communication skills
• Able to communicate complex information to patients/carers in an appropriate manner to achieve understanding
• Ability to analyse complex problems
• Be able to plan and implement on-going training to develop team and others in the department
• Ability to plan an organise on going service delivery
• Good listening skills

Skills

Essential

• Adaptability
• Ability to use own initiative and be self-motivated
• Ability to work to deadlines and to achieve objectives in an organised manner
• Incident resolution
• Ability to plan and organise on-going service delivery
• Mentoring skills

Desirable

• Policy development

Personal Characteristics

Essential

• Able to thrive on development/change
• Able to work independently to meet agreed objectives
• Self-motivated and organised
• Able to work in a multidisciplinary team

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).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).