Job overview
Are you a registered technician looking for a new challenge and a chance to expand your knowledge and experience. An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Pharmacy Technician to join our dynamic, forward thinking Clinical Service Team at Chesterfield Royal Hospital. We are looking for enthusiastic, conscientious and ambitious pharmacy technicians to participate in and support the provision, development and leadership of our well established ward based teams.
The pharmacy department at Chesterfield Royal Hospital is modern, pro-active, forward-thinking and well respected both locally and nationally. We have won individual and team awards for innovation and clinical excellence in the Trust’s staff recognition awards and have won awards at the Pharmacy Congress for our service developments. We have also been shortlisted for Health Service Journal awards.
Applications are welcome from candidates interested in full and part time hours, and from technicians practising in community pharmacy who wish to gain hospital experience. Any suitable band 4 applicants will be recruited into a developmental band 4 Pharmacy technician post whereby you will be given support and training in order to complete set competencies to become a band 5 Pharmacy technician.
Main duties of the job
Our Ward Technicians are fully integrated into the ward team and you will work closely with Pharmacists, Nurses and Doctors overseeing the safe and effective use of medicines throughout patient admission and including discharge and transfer. You will undertake a wide range of tasks including medicines reconciliation / drug history taking, and the provision of advice and information to staff and patients. You will support the safe management of medicines in the ward environment through audit.
Applications are welcome from candidates interested in full and part time hours, and from technicians practising in community pharmacy who wish to gain hospital experience.
You will join a progressive and well respected pharmacy service which is providing and developing leading edge patient focused care
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Job purpose
- To provide pharmacy services to designated wards.
- To support compliance with national standards relating to the provision of medicines and medicines information to hospital inpatients
- To contribute to the safe, effective and efficient use of medicines across the hospital
Key Result Areas
1. To work with nursing and medical teams to improve the quality of care provided to inpatients.
2. To identify and escalate prescribing discrepancies and pharmaceutical care needs and refer to a pharmacist where necessary.
3. To dispense and accuracy check medicines in accordance with professional, legal, and ethical standards and in agreement with departmental performance standards.
4. To support the provision and supply of controlled drugs and undertake routine stock checks to clinical areas.
5. To ensure daily refrigerator temperature monitoring in clinical areas is adhered to and escalate in the case of deviation.
6. To obtain and document accurate medicines reconciliations in timely manner from service users/carers/care providers and identify and inform the pharmacist of any anomalies found.
7. To work with ward and dispensary based pharmacy teams to improve the quality and efficiency of medicines management to hospital inpatients, ensuring compliance with national standards (e.g. CQC, GPhC)
8. To support the provision of medicines related information at discharge and to provide a point of contact for resolution of queries and incidents relating to discharge.
9. To provide a source of advice and information on matters relating to the provision of medicines and medicines information at discharge.
10. To undertake patient counselling and education, working in conjunction with clinical pharmacists to ensure that patients and relevant carers/relatives understand their discharge medicines.
11. To assess the patient’s concordance, identify patients requiring additional support and arrange provision of necessary aids in secondary care.
12. To actively promote and support the transfer of care between primary and secondary care by using the PharmOutcomes system.
13. To provide training and education to trainee pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians and assistant technical officers on matters relating to medicines management at ward level.
14. To collect data relating to the activity of the post, undertake audits work and assessment of patient experience.
15. To use the electronic prescribing and medicines administration system (EPMA) and Omnicell, ensuring that patient data is updated in a timely manner. To provide necessary training for medical and nursing staff, with regular updates if changes are made.
16. To identify and pursue personal training and development needs, with the objective to meet the criteria for progression to a senior technician role.
GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES
1. To undertake other duties as requested by the Head of Medicines Management.
2. To participate in Weekend and Bank Holiday working in accordance with departmental rotas.
3. To undertake continuing professional development and actively participate in the staff Appraisal process.
4. To maintain confidentiality at all times relating to the patients, staff and the Trust.
5. To be familiar and comply with relevant Operational, Personnel, Health and Safety policies and procedures, including Fire, COSHH, No Smoking and Alcohol.
6. Maintain a safe environment by adhering to local infection control policies.
7. To contribute to the implantation of Quality Governance within the Pharmacy service.
