Pharmacy Assistant Technical Officer

at  Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

Band 2 37.5 hours per week - Permanent
Working within the Pharmacy Department at Tameside General Hospital, this role supports our team of pharmacists and technicians in the provision of a dispensing and distribution service to wards, departments and clinics within the Trust.
Previous pharmacy experience would be an advantage, but full training will be provided for those with no experience.
You will also undertake a GPhC approved course in Pharmacy Stock Management.
GCSEs in Maths and English at grades A-C (or equivalent) and basic computer knowledge are desirable, but functional skills can be undertaken alongside the stock management course.
The duties will involve providing support to Pharmacists and other technical staff working in the Dispensary, Aseptic Dispensing Unit and Pharmacy Receipt & Distribution, and will include visits to hospital wards and departments as part of the provision of a comprehensive pharmaceutical service.
Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust serves a community of 250,000 people across Tameside & Glossop. We provide a range of services both within the hospital and across our community for both adults and children. Our vision is to improve health outcomes for our population and influence wider determinants of health through collaboration with our health & care partners.
We have a clear set of values & behaviours which we expect all of our staff to demonstrate:
Safety
Care
Respect
Communication
Learning
We believe that the best organisations are those that reflect the communities they serve. We are therefore seeking to improve the diversity of our workforce to make it truly representative of our local population.
We actively encourage applications irrespective of race, age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage & civil partnership, or pregnancy or maternity. Recognising those communities that are underrepresented within our workforce, we would particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian & minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ people & Disabled people.
Benefits include; flexible working, 27-33 days annual leave plus bank holidays, sick pay, NHS Pension Scheme, free eye tests and health checks, gym discount, free bicycle loan scheme, salary sacrifice car scheme, support with stress, bereavement, relationships, finance, and much more.

Ward Services
To participate in the provision of the pharmaceutical stock “topping-up service to designated wards and departments to monitor and maintain adequate stocks to pre-agreed level. This includes visiting clinical areas to check stock levels and expiry dates of medicines; remove surplus or time-expired stock or undertake medicine recalls
To rotate stock in medicine cupboards to ensure that ward staff use shorter dated stock first and avoid unnecessary wastage.
Raises orders for wards and department supplies of pharmaceutical products through the pharmacy computer system.
Liaises with Nursing and Pharmacy Staff to ensure that stock lists and stock levels reflect the requirements of the clinical area.
Identify if there is unexpected change in product usage and alert the supervisor or ward pharmacist
Distribution / Ward Order Assembly
To assist the Senior Procurement Technician and Principal Pharmacy Technician, where needed, in the receipt, storage, issue and control of stock in the Pharmacy Receipt and Distribution area
Assembles items against orders raised for clinical areas including the issue of pharmaceutical products to community clinics.
Uses the pharmacy computer system to record issues and returns from clinical areas to ensure that all transactions are recorded.
Liaises with other members of the pharmacy team in the event of supply problems to ensure clinical areas do not run out of stock.
Participates in maintaining and replenishing the resuscitation boxes and emergency trays in accordance with local procedures.
Pharmacy Stock Control
Carries out regular stock checks within the department in accordance with local procedures to ensure computer records accurately reflect actual stock holding.
Identifies and reports stock shortages to procurement colleagues for ordering to ensure that pharmaceutical products are available for patients when required.
Identifies and reports stock discrepancies to a supervisor to ensure that pharmaceutical products are available for patients when required.
Participates in a system for checking expiry dates of stock to ensure that stock is rotated so that shorter dated stock is used first and avoid unnecessary wastage. Reports out of date stocks to a supervisor and disposes of stock where appropriate recording the issue on the pharmacy computer.
Monitors cold storage equipment to ensure temperatures are within the defined limits and reports any variation to a supervisor.
Maintains storage areas in a clean, organised, safe and tidy condition in accordance with Health and Safety regulations.
Receipt of Goods
Receives and checks goods received with delivery notes. Enters batch numbers of goods received onto delivery notes in accordance with local procedures. Transfers goods to correct stock location and rotates stock to ensure that shorter dated stock is used first to avoid unnecessary wastage.
Assesses pharmaceutical products returned from clinical areas and returns to stock items which are fit for reuse or disposes of items unfit for use in accordance with COSHH regulations and Trust procedures. Enters details of returned items on pharmacy computer system.
Dispensary
Carries out reception duties within the department. This includes:
Answers the telephone and assesses the nature of the query, responds to the enquiry and refers to appropriate members of staff as necessary.
Receives prescriptions / orders from patients and /or hospital staff, logs information from prescriptions / orders onto the manual recording system and transfers to the appropriate working area for the prescriptions / orders to be supplied.
Evaluates prescriptions to determine if patient is eligible or exempt from paying prescription charges, collects charges or checks proof of payment or issues promise to pay form as appropriate. Ensures that documentation is completed for patients that are exempt from payment or are unable to pay.
Ensures that patient details are recorded on prescriptions and liaises with medical and nursing staff to provide this information if necessary.
Issues pharmaceutical products being collected by hospital staff.
To assist in general dispensary duties associated with the preparation, packaging, labelling and dispensing of pharmaceutical products in response to prescriptions or orders in accordance with local procedures using the pharmacy computer system
Aseptic Services
To participate in the Aseptic Dispensing Service under the supervision of the Principal Pharmacy Technician, and carry out assembly of ingredients; routine aseptic manipulations and environmental monitoring within the Aseptic Dispensing Unit.
To act as a ‘confirmer’ checking the accuracy of volumes drawn up during reconstitution procedures
General Duties
Maintains adequate supplies of pharmacy consumables (e.g. containers, labels, bags, etc) to ensure their availability in the dispensary and requests that these be ordered when necessary.
Uses and cleans equipment and apparatus e.g. tablet counters.
Participates in weekend, bank holiday and late working rotas to meet the needs of the service.
Participates in general clerical and housekeeping duties. To maintain all appropriate prescription statistics and other workload data as may be required by the Dispensary Manager
Undertakes manual handling up to maximum of 20Kg per item regularly each day. For heavier items, this will involve the use of appropriate equipment
Assists in training of less experienced colleagues or students.
Undertakes initial and ongoing training in all relevant aspects of the pharmacy service.
Delivers medicines and messages within the hospital as required by senior staff.
To use appropriate equipment including computers as may be required to fulfil the various duties of the post