Senior Rotational Pharmacy Assistant

Job overview

Previous applicants need not reapply.

Job summary

Pharmacy Assistants may work in all sectors of the hospital pharmacy, invariably on rotation according to the needs of the pharmacy service. Duties include technical tasks according to relevant NVQ accreditation as well as housekeeping and other non-technical activities.

Pharmacy Assistants work under the direction of section/team leaders or pharmacists in accordance with all written procedures.

Pharmacy Assistants support other pharmacy staff in provision of pharmacy services and assist with limited training of relevant staff. Some sections of this job description may be more relevant than others for some individuals.

Pharmacy Assistants must complete an NVQ2 in pharmacy services (if not already held) within a specified timescale. This is a rotational role in stores and distribution and will include dispensary training to allow the successful candidate to complete logs and validations for weekend working.

Main duties of the job

Key responsibilities

• Senior Stores assistant duties
• To manage stock control and be a super user for the Rowa
• Training rotational assistants and other grades of staffing
• Participate in rotational duties including dispensing medication in the Inpatient dispensary
• Ensuring the efficient running of stores according to workload

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Roles and responsibilities 1. STORES AND DISTRIBUTION

• Print off or fill stock requisitions for other pharmacy locations or wards/clinical areas of the hospital/outside units.
• To be able to prioritise, organise and plan daily workload to meet service requirements and acting as team lead to ensure work is completed on the distribution and good receipt areas equitably
• Participate in the topping up of stock drugs to wards and other clinical areas against a predefined stock list.
• Providing feedback to ward pharmacist / MMT staff on ward stock including areas of overstock or increased need.
• Issue stock items to wards/clinical areas via the pharmacy computer system.
• Perform repetitive lifting of pharmaceutical products and transport boxes according to Health & Safety principles.
• Unpack, check, count, handle, book in and put away deliveries received into the pharmacy store in an accurate manner.
• Match deliveries received against paperwork and query any discrepancies (with the supplier or pharmacy procurement staff where relevant).
• Assist with stock control including expiry date checking on a regular basis
• Daily stock checks completed - and discrepancies are investigated, stock rotation and returns accurately.
• Empty returned ward boxes and return stock (via the pharmacy computer system) or dispose of unsuitable pharmaceuticals where relevant and according to procedure.
• Ensure all pharmaceutical products are stored securely and meet safe custody requirements.
• Assist in monitoring of all aspects of stores where necessary (including cold store temperatures).
• File all records appropriately and according to procedure.
• To assist and maintain procedures and contribute to the development of the service
• Escalate any medicines shortage issues on the wards or in stores, to the appropriate person.
• Monitor and investigate discrepancies.
• Maintain major incident box stock including expiries and change to contents when instructed Senior Rotational Pharmacy Assistant Job Description Jan 2025 Page 15
• General housekeeping and troubleshooting of ROWA
• For medical gas cylinders perform a physical count and report this to the purchasing office for the 2 medical gas cylinder stores on site 2. DISPENSARY
• Ensure dispensary areas are kept clean and tidy and shelves/other relevant areas are cleaned according to the department schedule.
• Ensure dispensary areas are sufficiently stocked with all sundries (leaflets, cards, bottles, bags).
• Filing prescriptions and other paperwork and archiving as required.
• Undertake labelling and dispensing duties according to procedure.
• Perform all necessary logging in of inpatient and discharge prescriptions and record logging out times for relevant parts of the dispensing process using Patient Tracker System.
• Assist in ensuring dispensary workload is managed in order, or according to priority using the Patient Tracker System.
• Hand out and dispense prescriptions where necessary according to procedure.
• Answer the telephone promptly and courteously, referring relevant calls efficiently where necessary.
• To have a working knowledge of all relevant pharmacy systems: JAC, TMS (Patient Tracking System) and Cerner.
• Dispense in the Inpatient Dispensary.
• General housekeeping and troubleshooting of ROWA
• Carry out monitoring and recording of dispensary fridge and ambient temperatures
• Stock control management including putting stock away received from stores, rotating stock/checking expiries where relevant and performing stock control counts.
• Sort, count, compile and, where relevant, dispose of unsuitable medication returns. Senior Rotational Pharmacy Assistant Job Description Jan 2025 Page 16 3. OTHER
• Participation in weekend/Bank Holiday and other department rotas in accordance with the needs of the service.
• Participation in annual appraisals/PDP and performance review initiatives of the Trust.
• Undertake all statutory and mandatory training and relevant updates in accordance with Trust requirements.
• Participation in other training initiatives to meet individual and departmental requirements relevant to the post and the pharmacy service.
• Complies with all other departmental and Trust policies.
• Undertakes any other duties required by the section/team leaders, principal pharmacists or the Chief Pharmacist This job description may be subject to change according to the varying needs of the service. Such changes will be made after discussion between the post holder and his/her manager. All duties must be carried out under supervision or within Trust policy and procedure. You must never undertake any duties that are outside your area of skill or knowledge level. If you are unsure you must seek clarification from a more senior member of staff

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.