Pharmacy Assistant

Job content

We are on a continuous journey of improvement and transformation , however our main priority is, and always will be, providing safe and high quality care to our patients every day; the kind of care we would want for ourselves and our loved ones. If you share our passion then apply for this opportunity and help us make our patients’ experience the best it can possibly be.

With a budget of around £270m, three hospitals and 5,500 staff, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital-based services to the population of Hartlepool, Stockton on Tees and parts of East Durham and Sedgefield as well as community, therapeutic and screening to a wider population across Durham and Teesside.

Job Overview

The post holder will be responsible for undertaking general duties within the pharmacy stores and the dispensary, to aid in the smooth and efficient running of the department.

Working within a team, in the Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation department, to deliver a high quality service to patients and users, adhering to standards of service delivery, and managing stock control.

Main duties of the job

A range of duties involving the supply of stock items to clinical areas and maintenance of pharmacy stores, support in dispensary and pharmacy reception. Role involves the use of pharmacy dispensing system, specialist pharmacy robots and Omnicell technology.

Working for our organisation

Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation at the Trust are well developed and we aim to provide high quality care with an emphasis on services to patients, through a modernised lean process. We are committed to sharing excellence through our teaching role, are clinically orientated, use IT to enable change and host two Specialist Pharmacy Services, a Supra - Regional QC Laboratory, and Regional Procurement Specialists. The department is committed to the use of new technology and we use ASCribe/EMIS, Omnicell electronic storage cabinets, 2 state-of-the-art BD Rowa Vmax robots, and have implemented ChemoCare and TrakCare electronic prescribing systems.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

A - Pharmacy Stores

• Ward IV fluid top up.
• Stock maintenance
• Receipt of deliveries, checking of delivery notes and reporting anomalies.
• Picking of drugs from lists generated by ward top up personnel or Omnicells and inputting data from picking lists
• Undertake top up of ward stocks by visiting the wards and checking the stock in the ward cupboards against a pre set list of medicines and stock levels, and checking expiry dates. Assistants are normally allocated a particular ward, but can cover for colleagues. This may also include use of Omnicell cabinets.
• Enabling compliance with Falsified Medicines Directive or future equivalent legislation via use of pharmacy barcode scanning technology. 1. Issuing ward stocks on non-top up days.
• B - Dispensary
• Top up of dispensary consumables.
• Sorting returned drugs and returning them onto the computer - decision to be made according to defined criterion
• Reception duties, including answering phone, presenting "front of house" duties for staff, patients and visitors, liaising and problem solving for ward staff and patients.1. Restocking of Omnicell items.3. Liaise with Omnicell system administrator and wider cycle count team to promote and participate in medicines optimisation for the Omnicell system and pharmacy.
• E - General
• 2. Ensure cabinets are maintained in an orderly fashion, reporting any malfunctions as required.
• C – Omnicells
• Drug deliveries to the wards and departments.
• Provide cover for the other pharmacy assistants.
• Some clerical duties - photocopying, filing of picking lists, prescriptions and requisitions.
• Stock checks and return of stock to the shelves.
• Using the pharmacy computer system.
• Daily monitoring and recording of fridge temperatures, with escalation to manager if outside normal range.
• Keeping all work areas clean and tidy.
• This job specifically involves regular lifting of heavy goods.
• Demonstrate commitment to IWL principles and flexible working patterns to meet the needs of the service and staff.
• Tackle discrimination and harassment and promote equality and diversity in the workplace.
• Reduce sickness absence, work place accidents and promote zero tolerance on violence against staff.
• Take responsibility for personal development and education and the development of a Personal Development Plan.
  

Person specification

Essential Criteria

Essential & desirable

• G.C.S.E. (or equivalent) at grade 4 (C) or above in Mathematics and English.
• NVQ level 2 or above in pharmacy services or working towards a qualification approved by the GPhC
• Experience of working in a customer focused environment.
  

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working in a pharmacy or in a hospital environment.