Senior Pharmacy Technician, Dispensary Services

Job Summary

Band 5 Senior Pharmacy Technician, Dispensary. Full time (37.5 hours) per week (plus rotational weekends and bank holidays). An opportunity has arisen within the Pharmacy Department at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, for a motivated and enthusiastic pharmacy technician to join the University Hospital Lewisham dispensary team. This is an ideal opportunity for pharmacy technicians from hospital and/or community background with ACPT qualification and relevant experience looking for a challenge to develop their skills as a senior technician in dispensary and pharmacy operations.

We are recruiting pharmacy technicians, registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council.

• To organise the provision of all dispensary-based services, including inpatients, controlled drugs and clinical trials to agreed performance targets with guidance and support from the dispensary Lead Pharmacy Technician Dispensary Services and/or the Associate Chief Pharmacy Technician - Patient Services.
• To deputise for the Lead Pharmacy Technician Dispensary Services in their absence, taking responsibility for the smooth running of the dispensary and resolving problems as they arise.
• To use the right first-time procedure to manage the quality of dispensing in the dispensary, review in-process errors, address poor performance, and report progress to the Lead Pharmacy Technician Dispensary Services.
• To assist the Lead Pharmacy Technician Dispensary Services with stock control in dispensary, ensuring efficient use of resources, minimising waste, and encouraging reuse of medicines where appropriate.
• To cover, where appropriate, the duties of other senior dispensary staff in their absence.
• To assist with the dispensary rota ensuring sufficient staffing and resolution of any issues.
• To provide regular activity and quality monitoring information and use this information to maintain a quality service.
• To accurately dispense all prescriptions (inpatients, discharges, controlled drugs, clinical trials) including inputting patient details into the Ascribe computer system, producing dispensing labels, assembling items, and arranging for final checking by a pharmacist/accredited pharmacy technician.
• To deal with complaints and safety issues, informing the Lead Pharmacy Technician - Dispensary Services at the earliest opportunity.
• To answer queries from medical and nursing staff, in person or by telephone, seeking pharmacist input when necessary.
• To investigate stock level discrepancies within the dispensary in line with current procedures.
• To assist with/write standard operating procedures for the dispensary.
• To assist in distribution of FP10 prescription pads and ensure secure storage arrangements in the pharmacy and hospital.
• To assist with investigations into clinical incidents that occur in the dispensary.
• To ensure the daily workload for the dispensary is completed and information handed over to the pharmacist responsible for locking-up the department.
• To organise and conduct dispensary induction and training for staff as necessary.
• To manage dispensary workflow and ensure KPI targets are achieved.
• To investigate and report dispensary incidents and ensure smooth and efficient running of dispensary services, working with the Lead Pharmacy Technician Dispensary Services and other Senior Pharmacy Technicians.
• To ensure safe management of Controlled Drugs in the dispensary.

• Complete Accreditation (ACPT) according to CPPE scheme and local ACPT Policy.
• Conduct checking in dispensary in line with service needs.
• Provide constructive feedback when informing dispensers that they have made mistakes during dispensing.
• Report in-process errors using the Right First Time Procedure.
• Ensure that knowledge is up to date by reading all pharmacy procedures relevant to the accuracy checking of dispensed medicines and the ACPT Policy.
• Contribute to the quality management of dispensing by suggesting improvements to practice and procedures.

• To line manage staff, including regular appraisals, objective setting, and identification of training needs, personal development planning and evaluation.
• Ensuring that all HR policies, procedures and standards are understood and maintained.

• Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Pharmacy Service Skills QCF or equivalent.
• Professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
• Mandatory CPD to maintain fitness to practice.
• Accredited Checking Pharmacy Technician (ACPT) qualification or willing to undertake.

• GCP training.

• Post-registration experience in hospital pharmacy for at least 1 year or in a community pharmacy for at least 2 years.
• Working within a busy dispensary.
• Demonstrable experience of training others.

• Good communication skills, both written and oral, of specialist clinical information.
• Able to make interventions assertively and appropriately.
• Ability to work on own initiative and effectively as…