Pharmacy Assistant

Job overview

Are you ready to unlock your potential within a challenging, creative and fast paced work environment? Do you want to work with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past?

As part of the South West Prison Healthcare contract awarded to Oxleas NHS trust in 2022, we are able to expand recruitment and are looking for a compassionate, knowledgeable and motivated Pharmacy Assistant to join our friendly team at HMP Portland.

Our healthcare team have a real impact on promoting health and well-being to those in prison and we pride ourselves on using skills and strategies that instil hope for patients future resettlement back into the community. We directly deliver Mental Health, Physical Health, Pharmacy and Clinical Substance Misuse in an integrated healthcare delivery model to provide effective and responsive care to improve wellbeing and support better outcomes in the future.

As part of our pharmacy service (OPS), you will enjoy all the benefits of NHS AfC employment (inc pension) with the opportunity to work within a forward-thinking service, who encourage career and personal development to all staff to increase their clinical and interpersonal skills.

Important Sponsorship Information for this post: Due to service budget restrictions we are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post.

Main duties of the job

As a Pharmacy Assistant, you will contribute towards the smooth and efficient running of the pharmacy service on site within the prison. This will include all aspects of stock control (routine ordering, receipt of goods, computer input, storage of medicines), dispensing clinically screened prescriptions and dispensing weekly/monthly in possession medication to patients. You will work out of Medication Administration Points (Meds hatches) on the wings and in the healthcare department, acting as the second checker for controlled drug administration.

Ideally applicants will have an NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services, however we will accept applicants who have healthcare experience and are interested in being put through the NVQ L2 by Oxleas.

Wondering what its like to work within offender healthcare?

“I really enjoy working in the Pharmacy Service for Oxleas, my role is extremely varied and I work within a very supportive team. I find my role rewarding as it is all about enabling patient’s rehabilitation and I enjoy interacting with patients daily and building relationships with them. Oxleas are a good employer and there are plenty of opportunities to be supported through qualifications and training which then allows you to progress through different bands within the team.” Amanda - Pharmacy Tech.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To be responsible for the day-to-day ordering, receiving, and unpacking of pharmaceutical products from suppliers according to GDP and departmental SOPs
• To ensure that medicines are sourced in a timely manner.
• To accurately use the pharmacy computer system to receive goods into the pharmacy store according to departmental SOPs.
• To act as second checker for administration of Controlled Drugs by registered healthcare professionals.
• To carry out regular stock checks, expiry date checks and other monitoring procedures such as logging fridge and ambient temperatures and dealing with any anomalies in accordance with GDP and departmental procedure.
• To ensure high standards and accuracy of work and to ensure all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are read and adhered to.
• To ensure medicines returned from clinical areas, are sorted and either returned to stock or disposed of safely and appropriately in accordance with GDP, Trust guidelines and departmental procedures.
• To undertake administration of weekly and monthly In Possession medication to patients
• To ensure that all work carried out in procurement is done in accordance with current legislation, including GDP and departmental and Trust financial procedures.
• To manage work Medicines Optimisation work in treatment areas ensuring tasks are carried out in a timely manner and orders are received on time.
• To communicate with routinely with the Pharmacy/Healthcare department to place orders, chase receipt of goods and to query discrepancies.
• To deal with telephone queries and staff visiting the department, as first point of contact, dealing with them or referring to others if required according to SOPs.
• To communicate, as necessary, with external regulatory bodies, information pertaining to the WDL or other requests.
• Post holders will need to undertake a prison security check (level 2) prior to being employed, as well the standard NHS recruitment checks.

Oxleas Prison Services Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and provides the pharmacy services to the prison pharmacy contracts.  Due to the recent contract award from NHS England, we are now providing pharmacy services (OPS Ltd) and Healthcare Services (Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust) to the Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Devon and Dorset Prisons and are recruiting to newly established posts.

Oxleas Prison Services Ltd and Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust has a long history of innovation, with established prescribing guidelines, excellent relationships with medical staff, a strong culture of leading clinical audit and research projects and an excellent publication record.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION, PLEASE READ:

All applicants must be willing to undertake National Security Vetting in order to work in a Prison Setting. This will be completed as part of the pre-employment checks through Oxleas and the prison vetting team.

You will need to provide:

Proof of right to work documentation

Proof of ID, needs to include 1 photographic ID

Proof of address documentation

Non-UK passport holders will need to have correct documentation (right to work in the UK) and a Home office Share code.

Address History:

5 years address history will be needed.

Applicants that are not UK Passport holders who provide less than 5 years UK address history will need to provide a Police Certificate which must be in English from where they resided previously.

Applicants who are UK Passport holders who have lived abroad for a period of more than six months during the last three years will need to provide a certificate of good conduct or an overseas police check in English from the countries resided in or visited.

In order to assist you in obtaining a Police Certificate, guidance can be sought from:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants

If the country you have resided in is not listed here, you can obtain the necessary information by contacting the relevant Embassy or High Commission for that Country. Their contact details can be found on the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website (http://www.fco.gov.uk/en).