Assistant Technical Officer (ATO)- Pharmacy Stores

Job overview

Come and join our forward thinking, highly skilled, friendly pharmacy team.

Working in a busy department and alongside a dedicated team of  pharmacy professionals you will be responsible for assisting Technicians and Pharmacists in the safe and effective  distribution of medicines to all wards and departments.

This vacancy is based in the  main Pharmacy Stores Department and will require frequent manual handling.

This is an Apprenticeship role, and the post holder will be required to gain substantial new knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) as part of the Apprenticeship Standard and undertake a range of duties relevant to the role.

The post holder will complete a Level 2 in Pharmacy Services Apprenticeship Standard with West Cheshire College and will study for at least six off-the-job (OTJ) hours of their working hours. This will include 1-2 hours per week of virtual learning with a tutor from West Cheshire College.

*Please be advised that the OTJ hours is a mandatory requirement for the Apprenticeship.

For those individuals joining the Trust to undertake an Apprenticeship, it is expected that the Apprenticeship be fully completed. If the post holder does not fully complete the Apprenticeship, including End Point Assessment (EPA) this would be in breach of both this agreement and the requirements for this role and the employment contract may be terminated.

If the candidate already holds an NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy services they do NOT need to complete the apprenticeship.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will undertake various housekeeping duties including dealing with queries, checking and filing documents, processing waste and excess medicines and other duties supporting the efficient and safe operation of the pharmacy department.

This post involves working in a busy pharmacy store receiving, processing, and delivering  IV fluids to wards so previous experience of manual handling would be beneficial.

An understanding of stock management is crucial to this role; this involves checking, receiving and storing medicines. Ensuring that medicines are stored appropriately and securely in pharmacy, participating in stock-taking and the checking of medicines is an important part of this role, so attention to detail is vital.

Previous pharmacy experience would be an advantage but is not essential as full training will be provided.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To receive drug deliveries into the pharmacy and to be responsible for checking the accuracy of the product, quantity, expiry date and recording batch numbers

To accurately update the electronic pharmacy stock control system with all deliveries on a daily basis

To ensure all delivered stock is stored correctly and rotated in line with expiry dates to include fridge lines, inflammable liquids and cytotoxics

To handle deliveries (<25kg) in line with Health and Safety regulations ensuring safe unpacking and storage.

To obtain an authorised signature for the delivery of Controlled Drugs and ensure immediate security of the product.

To issue and charge wards and departments for IV fluids, topical sterile solutions etc against requisitions using the pharmacy stock control system in a timely manner to ensure best service to the patient.

To follow regional guidelines for the receipt and quarantining of unlicensed specialist medicine

To obtain C of As and C of Cs for unlicensed medicines from suppliers in a timely manner

To receive deliveries of blood products and issue to the haemophilia unit ensuring accurate recording of expiry dates and batch numbers

To assist with weekly stock and expiry date checks in the pharmacy store in accordance with department procedures to ensure correct storage and turnover of stock to maintain quality and potency.

To participate in the pharmacy purchasing development meeting

To maintain general tidiness of the pharmacy store area and to dispose of waste according to department procedure

To assist in the reconciliation of orders, delivery notes and invoices ensuring accurate filing within the purchasing office

To assist in chasing up outstanding orders that haven’t been delivered.

To assist in the stock control of stationary items within the stores.

Ensure that all missing goods/returns are dealt with and the correct paperwork is completed