Pharmacy Technician - Accuracy Checker

Job overview

We are looking for experienced and proactive Accuracy Checking Pharmacy Technicians to join our Pharmacy Teams.

Your role will involve delivering a high standard of medicines optimisation at ward level, where you will be carrying out medicines reconciliation, ordering medicines for inpatients and helping to facilitate safe and efficient discharge, as well as working in our busy dispensaries.

You will need to have excellent organisational skills, be able to work accurately and prioritise your workload to help us deliver 5 start patient care to our patients.

The role is based at Whiston and St Helens Hospitals, with participation in the evening, weekend and bank holiday rotas to provide a 7 day service.

To apply you must have completed a Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians, or a recognised equivalent, and have a GPhC approved accuracy checking qualification along with current GPhC professional registration.

We have established automated dispensing systems within the dispensaries at both sites, and the Trust has a long-standing reputation for being a rewarding place to work.

Main duties of the job

To provide a dispensing service to all patients of the Trust to include taking medication histories, counselling patients and inspection and accuracy checking of all medications belonging to and supplied to patients.

You will be working on wards to complete medicines reconciliation, assessing patients own medicines, ensuring discharges are completed in a timely manner and counselling patients on discharge.

You will also accuracy check prescriptions in the dispensary on a rota basis.

The JD & PS are currently under AfC review and are subject to change.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

KEY DUTIES

• To final accuracy check dispensed prescriptions, including ‘one stop dispensing’ items in accordance with departmental procedures.
• To dispense prescriptions accurately according to safe working practices.
• To provide a one stop dispensing service to inpatients at ward level. This will require taking patient medication histories, counselling patients, inspection of patient own drugs for re-use and dispensing for discharge.
• To participate in the dispensing process of all prescriptions accurately according to safe working practices and departmental procedures, including;
• Inpatient
• Outpatient
• TTOs
• Controlled Drugs
• Clinical Trials
• Cytotoxic Drugs
• Unlicensed medicines
• To be responsible for the stock control of dispensed medicines on wards, departments and clinics.
• To assist in the maintenance of the stock control of non-dispensed medicines on wards.
• To liaise with appropriate medical staff, clinical pharmacists, ward staff, GP’s, Primary Care Trust staff, community pharmacies and other professional bodies regarding any issues with patients’ medication.
• To order stocks and special line items to fulfil prescriptions.
• To provide individual dose dispensing and blister packing services for patients who have difficulty with normal medicines packaging.
• To assist in the preparation, assembly and final accuracy check of emergency resuscitation and anaphylaxis boxes.
• To assist the Chief Technician in the recruitment of staff including participation on interview panels.
• To participate in a rota which enables the department to provide a full 7 day service?
• To participate in Saturday, Sunday, Bank Holiday, late night and on-call rotas as necessary in response to the changing needs of the service.

CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• To maintain registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• To maintain continuing professional development in line with GPhC requirements.
• To attend and participate in study days and courses as necessary.
• To undertake any training and assessment required to maintain competency in their role.
• To maintain security and the safe storage of medicines within the dispensaries in accordance with departmental policies and procedures.
• To comply with and ensure that all other pharmacy staff under their control comply with the legal and other requirements related to the purchase, supply, use, safe custody and destruction of drugs both within the pharmacy and in all other areas of the Trust

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

• To assist in the receipt of prescriptions accurately according to safe working practices.
• To be responsible for making appropriate records in the Controlled Drug Register.
• To be responsible for organising own daily workload within allocated areas.
• To carry out prescription charge transactions accurately, including ‘Chip and pin,’ handling cash, cheques and be able to ‘cash-up’ in the dispensaries as necessary, according to departmental procedures.
• To train and counsel patients on their suitability for the use of compliance aids eg blister packs, breath activated inhalers/spacers, containers and other formulations such as liquids and assess their understanding.
• To extemporaneously dispense medicines using specific equipment (e.g. fume cupboards and weighing balances) and taking protective measures. Weighing and measuring must be accurate as there are narrow margins for errors.
• To assist other members of staff in the performance of their duties.
• To co-operate with the provision of staffing within the Pharmaceutical service and participate in staff rotation to 2 Trust sites (e.g. Whiston, St Helens) when the need arises.
• To answer telephone and face to face queries of a routine or basic technical nature from a wide range of staff groups, patients and the public, either in the pharmacy or on the ward, and refer appropriate queries to the relevant member of the pharmacy team when necessary.
• To be responsible for the accurate input of data into the pharmacy computer system for all duties requiring its use e.g. labelling, ordering and stock control

TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES

• To assist in the training and development of all grades of staff in the systems used including other professionals e.g. discharge planning and the efficient operation of ‘dispensing for discharge’.
• To assist in the training and support of ATOs and pre-registration pharmacy graduates in dispensing training manual requirements and provide witness statements for NVQ students
• To assist in the training and development of other members of staff in patient services and to ensure complete training records are maintained

FINNCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

• To co-operate in the provision of an efficient and cost effective service

RESEARCH & AUDIT

• To carry out and assist in audit research projects to improve and develop the service provision.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.