Dispenser

**Job title: DISPENSER**

**Hours: 30-37, (various shifts between Monday to Friday 6.45am-8.00pm and**

**Saturday 8.30am-5pm)**

**Holidays: 28 days pro rata plus bank holidays**

**Reports to Dispensary Manager**

**The Fakenham Medical Practice**

The Fakenham Medical Practice (FMP) is a nine-doctor dispensing practice providing care to around 15,000 patients in and around Fakenham in North Norfolk.

We work from modern, purpose-built premises. The partners and staff have a shared belief in the delivery of high quality, traditional personal family healthcare. Patients’ interests are kept very much to the fore and there is a strong commitment to develop patient services. To promote a multi-disciplinary team approach, we share our premises with other providers including a pharmacy, adult social services and local community services e.g. physiotherapy and midwifery.

The practice is part of Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board and has a branch surgery at Walsingham.
We are a training practice for GP Trainees.

**Practice Mission Statement**

Fakenham Medical Practice is committed to working with compassion and understanding to provide all its patients with accessible, responsive and efficient services that deliver good, safe and effective care. ****:

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**Main purpose of role**
- To provide delivery of an efficient, effective and safe dispensary service.
- To project a positive, friendly and professional image of the practice to patients, carers and other visitors to the practice both in person and via the telephone.
- To facilitate efficient and effective communication between patients, clinicians, secondary care and other associated healthcare professionals/agencies.

**Key relationships**

Partners, salaried doctors, trainees, nurse prescribers, Practice Manager, Dispensary Manager, other
Dispensary staff, all other Fakenham Medical Practice staff, patients, carers, Patient Participation Group members and other service and community providers.

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**Job duties and responsibilities**:
1. To support the delivery of a high quality dispensing service to patients, carers and others visiting and/or otherwise contacting the dispensary, in particular:

- Adhere to current practice Standard Operating Procedures and Protocols regarding the processing and dispensing of prescriptions
- Receive and transfer prescriptions
- Process and dispense prescription requests from repeat, secondary care and as per GP request
- Deal with dispensary enquiries both face to face, via tasks and over the telephone; explain procedures to new patients; ensure all required documentation is completed.
- Respond promptly and appropriately to patient needs e.g. queues, confusion, sickness, calling for help as and when required to do so
- Process and dispense private and where applicable, outside prescriptions.
- Ensure that all medicines and appliances dispensed are checked against the prescription and whenever there is doubt about the appropriateness of the item, or about the dose or labelling instructions to check with the dispensary manager and/or usual GP or duty doctor.
- Dispense and check medication supplied in dossett packaging.
- Accuracy check of own and other colleagues’ dispensing.
- Bag dispensed items as appropriate to await collection
- Ordering appropriate quantities of goods via multiple wholesalers appropriate to the needs of the practice, with the objective of ensuring continuity of supply for patients and minimising wastage through out of date stock.
- Check goods against invoice as and when they are delivered and record receipt of their delivery on the computer system.
- Forward all invoices and dispensary related correspondence to the practice manager or dispensary manager according to practice policy.
- Return incorrect goods to the wholesalers, as per practice and wholesaler policy, with account restrictions considered
- Keep dispensary appropriately stocked, rotate according to expiry date and ensure all drugs are stored in an appropriate manner in accordance with the manufacturer instructions.
- Ensure that refrigerated items are stored at the appropriate temperature and to maintain a temperature control record/logbook.
- Remove ‘out of date’ stock from the shelves, refrigerators and other storage areas.
- Dispose of patient returned and unused medicines.
- Ensure that the dispensary is regularly cleaned to maintain a high level of hygiene and that all equipment is kept clean and is in good working order.

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- Maintain full and accurate records of all dispensing transactions, incorporating the use of computers when available and appropriate
- Assist with the training of new dispensary staff

2. To support the dispensary team and undertake a variety of administrative duties that contribute to the smooth running of the dispensary service, particularly:

- Use the Practice clinical system (SystmOne) to process and record information in an accurate and timely fashion in accordance wi