Specialist Cancer Services Pharmacy Technician, Band 5

at  Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Our friendly and progressive department are looking for an enthusiastic registered pharmacy technician to join our specialist cancer services pharmacy team.
This is an excellent opportunity to work in the heart of a well-established clinical pharmacy team with a wide range of patients and healthcare professionals in a busy and expanding cancer centre.
The successful candidate will perform a wide range of duties at both ward and clinic level. Key duties include medicines optimisation, patient counselling and the dispensing and accuracy checking of prescriptions.
You must be a registered pharmacy technician and ideally hold a nationally recognised Medicines Management qualification and a pharmacy technician checking accreditation.
Past experience in cancer services is helpful but not essential to the role as full training will be provided, based on your existing qualifications and future role requirements. This is an excellent opportunity for the right person to progress into extended pharmacy technician roles in a specialist area.
Provide additional weekend and bank holiday cover as per rota.

Supporting clinical pharmacy services to inpatient ward teams

• Managing patient medication – non-stock or one stop supplies
• Medicines reconciliation
• Discharge facilitation

Liaising with ward staff and prescribers for any issues relating to medication.
Educate patients on the use of their prescribed medication referring to a pharmacist for advice when necessary.
Encouraging compliance with national protocols, and local guidelines and formularies.
Maintaining appropriate clinical documentation and records, including controlled drug audits and stock control checks.
Participating with pharmacists, technicians and assistant technical officers to ensure a smooth, efficient and co-ordinated overall service.
Supporting clinical service to outpatient Cancer Services team.
Perform medication histories for SACT patients and record on patients Chemocare electronic notes.
Deal with homecare delivery queries from providers of delivery service and patients.
Pre-screen homecare prescriptions in preparation for pharmacists full-screen - full training will be given.
Build and update treatment regimens on the electronic prescribing software Chemocare – full training will be given.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest employers in the county and with over 8,000 staff, we are one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK. The trust is spread across two large sites, both situated close to the town centre. Gloucestershire is a great place to live, boasting many areas of outstanding natural beauty, as well as excellent travel links to the rest of the country.
We are a friendly team based in the heart of the cancer centre at Cheltenham General Hospital, providing a pharmacy service across both sites for oncology and haematology patients including a satellite dispensing pharmacy.
We are committed to continual professional development and support audit and quality improvement projects.
Job description
The post holder will support the satellite cancer services dispensary and the ward based clinical pharmacy service at GHNHSFT.
To ensure the provision of high-quality patient focused pharmaceutical care.
To perform a wide range of duties in the pharmacy department including accuracy checking of prescriptions using their ACT qualification.
To perform a wide range of activities at ward level including but not limited to medicines optimisation, medicines reconciliation and discharge facilitation using the MMT/MOT qualification.
To participate in oral SACT patient counselling sessions; full training will be provided.
To take on responsibility for personal development and support the development and supervision of others.
Conduct oneself in a professional manner and be a role model to less experienced and new staff at all times.
Be committed to weekend and bank holiday working on a rota basis.
Consideration will be given to candidates who may not have ACT and/or MMT/MOT qualifications already in place, with agreements made on a development plan to achieve the required qualification.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required.
Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
Evidence of continuing professional development to comply with GPhC requirements.
BTEC / NVQ level 3 in pharmaceutical sciences or equivalent.
Accredited checking technician (ACT) qualification with experience & competence (see above).
Medicines management / optimisation (MMT / MOT) Qualification with experience & competence (see above).
Able to work alone and unsupervised where needed.
Ability to organise and prioritise workload including dealing with interruptions.
Effective oral and written communication with colleagues, nursing and medical staff and patients / service users.
Intermediate competence in standard range of IT programs.
Daily manipulation of materials for the accurate dispensing of prescriptions including preparing aids and demonstrating devices to help patients manage their medicines at home.
Maintain patient dignity and confidentiality at all times.
Key Areas
Clinical Pharmacy

Supporting clinical pharmacy services to inpatient ward teams

• Managing patient medication – non-stock or one stop supplies
• Medicines reconciliation
• Discharge facilitation

Liaising with ward staff and prescribers for any issues relating to medication.
Educate patients on the use of their prescribed medication referring to a pharmacist for advice when necessary.
Encouraging compliance with national protocols, and local guidelines and formularies.
Maintaining appropriate clinical documentation and records, including controlled drug audits and stock control checks.
Participating with pharmacists, technicians and assistant technical officers to ensure a smooth, efficient and co-ordinated overall service.
Supporting clinical service to outpatient Cancer Services team.
Perform medication histories for SACT patients and record on patients Chemocare electronic notes.
Deal with homecare delivery queries from providers of delivery service and patients.
Pre-screen homecare prescriptions in preparation for pharmacists full-screen - full training will be given.
Build and update treatment regimens on the electronic prescribing software Chemocare – full training will be given.
Dispensary Duties
Accurately dispense and supply medication as per dispensary standard operating procedures.
Accuracy checking dispensed prescriptions as per dispensary standard operating procedures.
Ensuring supplies are ready to be sent to wards & units in a timely manner.
Checking discharge medication summaries & uploading them onto the electronic clinical notes.
Weekend working commitment for the acute trust dispensary.
Other
Working in or out of the pharmacy department using laptops or desktop computers.
Be part of a team to assist in running the cancer services pharmacy service. To give out medication and counsel patients on SACT and their support medicines.
Where appropriate, writing procedures / guidelines under direction from line manager.
Dealing with requests for information on wards, having interruptions during the day to answer queries, responding to telephone calls and email queries.
Visiting wards, talking to Cancer Services patients and healthcare professionals. Awareness of mentally ill, sick and dying patients.
Take responsibility for stock control and security of medicines within daily duties.
Undertaking continuing professional development (CPD) as required by the GPhC.
To undertake any other duties as deemed fit by the GHNHSFT management.
Occasional handling of potentially hazardous substances (e.g. cytotoxic medication) in accordance with standard operating procedures and COSHH regulations.
Lifting and moving light packages.
Communication and working relationships
Communicate with and provide appropriate advice to Nurses and other health care professionals regarding medication issues within the post holder’s experience.
Communication with Patients and Carers regarding medication issues.
Communication daily with other members of the pharmacy team.
Develop and share own clinical knowledge with other members of the wider team.
An annual appraisal (development conversation) is implemented for all staff with their line manager.
Safe Systems of Work
Accountable for own professional actions and activities, guided by legislation, national and local policies, procedures and protocols.
The post holder will be responsible for ensuring a safe working practice and environment through legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work Act and COSHH regulations, along with local policies and procedures including manual handling
Participation in Weekend Working rota
The post holder will be part of the weekend and bank holiday working rota covering the acute trust pharmacy.
Improving quality and developing practice
Comply with requirements to register with the GPhC and identify own learning needs and ensuring own professional development is maintained by keeping up to date with practice developments.
Develop and maintain skills and knowledge necessary to deliver the service.
With supervision and assistance take on increased responsibility recognising own limitations and seeking help appropriately
Be competent in the use of all relevant Trust IT systems including the use of electronic patient record, email, and other systems where appropriate
Maintain regular use of emails to keep abreast of information disseminated in the Trust
Undertake all mandatory training
Identify own development needs, aligning these to service requirements and personal aspirations. Proactively develop and improve own practice using all available resources
Openly question and challenge practice in a constructive way so that standards of patient care are continually evaluated and improved

Please refer the Job description for details