Medicines Management Pharmacy Technician

Job overview

An opportunity has arisen for a qualified and experienced pharmacy technician to join our established, friendly, and dynamic medicines management team at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

The post holder will support the safe, effective, and timely supply of medicines to patients and end users across the Maudsley and Lambeth Hospitals, and will also cover some dispensary services on both sites.

Main duties of the job

• To participate in the provision of pharmaceutical care initiatives to ensure the safe, appropriate and cost effective use of medicines.
• To provide safe, timely, cost effective appropriate and high quality pharmaceutical services for patients and staff.
• To act as a role model to junior staff and provide support and training
• To assist in ensuring that key processes and procedures are in place
• To supervise Pharmacy Technicians, Assistant Technical Officers and, where appropriate Pre Registration Trainee Pharmacy Technicians (PTPT)

You will be a registered pharmacy technician with an NVQ level 3 in pharmaceutical sciences or equivalent. You will be an accredited checking technician, although applications will be considered from those who are working towards accreditation. Education and training is encouraged and support is provided by the education and training Chief Technician.

As part of the medicines management team , you will have responsibility for the delivery of a high quality service to both inpatients and outpatients at SLaM. This post provides the opportunity to use your skills providing patient care at ward level, as well as delivering an efficient, technician led dispensary service.

The post involves working alongside our clinical pharmacists providing an integrated delivery of pharmaceutical care initiatives for patients in the Trust to ensure safe, appropriate and cost-effective use of medicines.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To provide a comprehensive pharmaceutical Medicines Management service to patients.
• To work as an Accredited Checking Technician and be able to check clinically screened prescriptions.
• To be able to act independently in following department SOPs
• To dispense medication accurately and be able to decide when it is necessary to refer to the Senior Clinical Pharmacists.
• To participate in the provision of patient counselling to patients and their carers
• To participate in the provision of Medicines Reconciliation and PODs service to wards and community units.
• To be carry out stock checks / stock top ups on wards and/or community units.
• To order non-stock items from electronic prescription charts (EPMA) for supply by pharmacy
• To assess and credit returned drugs, following the Pharmacy returns policy
• To provide teaching and support to other health care professionals regarding good dispensing practice, medicine usage and storage, both internally and externally.
• To assist day to day organisation of staff in the dispensary and to facilitate efficient running of service ensuring that procedures relating to good dispensary practice are followed.
• To participate in research and audit undertaken in pharmacy
• To guide and act as a practice supervisor to Pharmacy Assistants, pre-registration pharmacy technicians and Trainee Pharmacists as appropriate in medicines management and dispensary techniques.
• To ensure that the principles of safe and secure handling of medicines are adopted and to take part in quality assurance systems for pharmaceutical services.
• To attend and participate in departmental education and training meetings.
• To maintain a Continuing Professional Development portfolio.
• To communicate clearly and sensitively about patient medication issues both internally and externally.
• To participate in the dispensary cover rota. This includes taking in prescriptions and verify personal details; take a current drug history from the patient or carer to identify any drug allergies, drug interactions or problems with the medication prescribed; to give out patient medication to patients and counsel the patient on their medication to promote concordance. This will include the name of the medication, dosage, common side-effects and administration details including use of devices. In addition, resolve any queries or concerns a patient may have about their medications.
• To provide accurate record keeping of controlled drugs kept in the pharmacy including supplies to wards and departments and orders received into the pharmacy
• To undertake any other duties as may be reasonably requested by the Director of Pharmacy consistent with the responsibility of the post
• To take part in annual pharmacy stocktake
• To participate in Saturday and Bank Holiday working, when required