Job summaryAre you a registered Pharmacy Technician looking to develop your clinical skills in a rewarding and patient-focused environment? Would you like the opportunity to use your medicines management expertise within Women's Health and make a real difference to the care of women and their families?
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Band 5 Pharmacy Technician to join our Women's Health Medicines Management team at Luton and Dunstable Hospital.
You will provide a patient-centred medicines management service, working closely with pharmacists, midwives, nurses, doctors and the wider multidisciplinary team. Your role will include undertaking medicines reconciliation, supporting medicines optimisation and providing medicines-related advice to patients and healthcare professionals. You will also play an important role in supporting safe and timely discharge.
This is an excellent opportunity to build specialist experience within Women's Health while developing your clinical, leadership and service improvement skills. You will be supported by an experienced pharmacy team and have opportunities to contribute to training, audit and the ongoing development of the service.
Main duties of the job- To provide medicines management services to all Women's health wards including compiling accurate medication histories and undertaking medicines reconciliation.
- To support pharmacists with medicines optimisation, including initial pharmaceutical assessment of new patients and prioritisation for pharmacist review where required.
- To work closely with pharmacists, midwives, nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals to promote the safe and effective use of medicines.
- To provide appropriate medicines-related information and advice to patients, carers and healthcare professionals, including patient counselling where required.
- To contribute to the pharmacy service including dispensing and issuing prescriptions via the satellite and main dispensary. This will also involve accredited checking of prescriptions.
- To support the training and development of junior pharmacy technicians, pharmacy assistants and other staff, acting as a professional role model and contributing to the ongoing development of the Women's Health pharmacy service.
About usBedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.
Our valuesWe not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity and creating a culture that values differences.
Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.Job responsibilities- Provision of a medicines management service at ward level including responsibilities for the safe storage of medicines and medicine returns.
- To obtain patient medication histories, using all available sources, including patients own medicines and the Summary Care Record according to departmental processes and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) whilst obtaining patient consent. This includes a responsibility for entering patients admission medicine history onto the electronic prescribing system (ePMA).
- To undertake straightforward Level 2 medicines reconciliation in line with appropriate policies and SOPs.
- Communication of all medicine related information, both verbal and written, to patients /carers and other healthcare professionals. Includes counselling / demonstration of inhaler and other medical device techniques.
- Ensure the efficient transfer of medicines between care settings, to include wards /departments and requesting patients own medicines from home.
- To assist the pharmacist in delivering the Keogh standards across medical wards ensuring medicines optimisation for all patients has been undertaken within 24 hours of admission.
- To undertake initial pharmaceutical assessment of new patients and prioritisation of patients for pharmacist review, according to protocol.
- To support the supervision of a small team of junior pharmacy technicians, senior pharmacy assistants and preregistration staff within the division, organising and directing their work in a fluid manner to ensure an efficient and responsive service to patients and wards.
- To deputise for the Lead Medicines Management Technician within the division where appropriate.
- Supporting team rotas for technical ward based staff.
- Prioritising workload in pharmacy dispensaries.
- Organising supplies and discharge medication at ward level, including monitored dose system supply if appropriate.
- Liaising with relevant pharmacy and other health care staff concerning pharmaceutical services to the Division
- Organising and actively supporting regular audits such as quarterly CD and Safe Storage of Medicines Audits
- Ensuring regular stock storage audits are completed.
- To help provide hands on induction and on-going training of members of the ward based pharmacy team. This will include apprentice assessments at level 2, 3 and 4 & competency assessments for pharmacist pre-registration trainees and acting as a clinical supervisor.
- To support the Lead Pharmacist in maintaining continuous improvement and efficiency by managing discrete projects and/or areas of responsibility within the medication supply chain and being responsible for achieving defined outcomes
- Participate in the co-ordination of clinical trials supplies for the directorate.
- Co-ordinate and monitor safe systems for usage and storage of medicine supplies on the ward including CD checks, Bedside Medicine Cabinet checks, regular reviews of stock lists and stock level monitoring.
- Participate in the Accredited Checking Pharmacy Technician rota.
- Responsible for creating / updating relevant SOPs.
Person SpecificationQualificationsEssential- Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Pharmacy Service Skills / Level 3 Diploma in Pharmaceutical Science or equivalent
- Registration with the GPhC
Desirable- Clinical pharmacy qualification or accreditation
- Member of APTUK
- Accredited Checking Pharmacy Technician
ExperienceEssential- CPD portfolio demonstrating competent pharmacy practice as a registered pharmacy technician.
- Ability to work to SOPs.
Desirable- Experience of contributing to SOP development
- Ward/Clinic based experience
- Experience of supervising staff
- Experience of training other staff
SkillsEssential- Ability to analyse problems and devise workable solutions
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Ability to prioritise workloads
Desirable- Good interpersonal skills
- Ability to support with others learning
CommunicationEssential- Good verbal and written communication skills
- Experience of patient medication counselling
Desirable- Empathetic communication skills
- Able to communicate with a range of people and adapt communication style appropriately
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).Employer detailsEmployer name: Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Luton, Lewsey Road, Luton, LU4 0DZ, United Kingdom
Employer's website: Apply through our website
Employer contact detailsFor questions about the job, contact: Principal Pharmacist - Women and Children, Tasnim Rahman, tasnim.rahman@ldh.nhs.uk, 01582497115
