Senior Pharmacy Assistant Ward based

Job summary

We are seeking to recruit a senior Pharmacy Assistant on a part-time basis to work both within the busy Pharmacy Department atWorcestershire Royal Hospital supporting the medicine team on the ward areas.

Pharmacy Assistants are vital members of thePharmacy department.

You will work as part of a multidisciplinaryteam working closely with Pharmacists, Technicians and other Assistants.

Main duties of the job

Duties of the role include but are not limited to Provide a top-up service to allocated wards using the OMNICELL (where applicable) and EMIS systems Update and improve stock locations within the designated wards areas including the updating of stock lists.

To interpret and dispense prescriptions on a patient specific basis for in-patients and discharge under the supervision of a team pharmacist/accuracy checking technician.

Ensuring all work is carried out to a high degree of accuracy, safely and efficiently following current standard operating procedures of the department on a daily basis.

Co-ordinating the safe and secure handling of patients own medication on allocated wards

Assisting ward Pharmacy staff with the supply of missed doses, within agreed time frames.

Identifying any patients that meet a pre-defined critical medicines list and referring these to the appropriate pharmacist or pharmacy technician to promote early review. Establishing whether patients have brought their medicines into hospital and referring patients who will require medicines to the pharmacy team to minimise the delay or omission of missed doses of time critical medicines.Assist the speciality team in labelling and assembling of routine work and TTO's, this maybe in the dispensary or ward area.Deliver TTO's to ward areasResponsible for the collection, delivery and dispensing of CD's, for ward areas.

Please see Job description for full details.

About us

Our purpose is simple - Putting Patients First. We are looking for exceptional colleagues who can help us achieve this.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester

Our workforce is nearly 6,800 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us to achieve our Vision - working in partnership to provide the best healthcare for our communities, leading and supporting our teams to move 4ward. Our 4ward behaviours, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Our objectives are simple:

Best services for local people Best experience of care and best outcomes for our patients Best use of resources Best people

Better never stops, and our Clinical Services Strategy provides a clear future vision for our Trust, our hospitals, our services and our role in the wider health and care system.

We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder will be responsible for:

Co-ordinating the safe and secure handling of patients own medication on allocated wards

Assisting ward Pharmacy staff with the supply of missed doses, within agreed time frames.

Identifying any patients that meet a pre-defined critical medicines list and referring these to the appropriate pharmacist or pharmacy technician to promote early review. Establishing whether patients have brought their medicines into hospital and referring patients who will require medicines to the pharmacy team to minimise the delay or omission of missed doses of time critical medicines.

liaising with ward nursing staff in regards to time critical medications from a pre-defined list.

Ensuring patients own medicines are transferred with the patient onto the ward and then with the patient to the appropriate ward areas or discharge lounge when the patient is transferred to prevent missed doses.

Undertaking a top up service to allocated wards done within agreed timeframes by:

o Liaising with the lead technician and speciality pharmacists with regards to stock issues including usage and out of stock items

o Ensuring expiry dates and storage conditions of medicines held on the ward are checked and any out of date or inappropriate items are removed

o Liaising with Pharmacy staff in distribution at the Alexandra Hospital about any items out of stock and owing items

o Assisting Pharmacy Technicians in review of stock lists and implementing agreed changes, thereby ensuring stock lists are kept up to date.

o Seeking advice from the appropriate Pharmacy Technician regarding non-routine issues relating to top-ups raised by ward staff.

Dispensing Duties:

To interpret and dispense prescriptions on a patient specific basis for in-patients and discharge under the supervision of a team pharmacist/accuracy checking technician.

Ensuring all work is carried out to a high degree of accuracy, safely and efficiently following current standard operating procedures of the department on a daily basis.

To successfully complete, a dispensing accuracy assessment to demonstrate competency in dispensing on an on-going basis and once completed to maintain competency accordingly.

To input prescription data into the pharmacy computer system ensuring high levels of accuracy.

To supply controlled drugs on request from designated clinical areas and for discharge / outpatient prescriptions, in accordance with departmental procedures and in compliance with related legislation regarding record keeping, storage and transportation of controlled drugs.

To maintain and replenish identified stock or emergency supplies on a daily basis. To record and monitor medicines room and refrigerator temperatures as delegated to ensure storage conditions are within the defined parameters.

To replace or rotate short dated medicines where appropriate to minimise wastage.

To relay complete and accurate information, recognising self-limitations and referring to appropriate person.

To take appropriate daily action to ensure medication requiring delivery is available to individual patients.

To plan own work, liaising with manager to ensure appropriate management of ward/clinical area work.

Other Duties and Responsibilities:

To dispose of waste products according to the Trust waste policy including appropriate handling of corrosive materials, cytotoxic and flammable substances.

To identify stock shortages and place orders communicating with the appropriate staff regarding urgency and availability.

To use a variety of communication techniques appropriate to circumstances preventing barriers to understanding in order to provide advice to patients on the medicine supply, estimating waiting times, arranging for items to be ordered/delivered. To assist patients in obtaining necessary medicine supplies liaising between the doctor and the patient to ensure that prescriptions are available where appropriate. To respect the patients confidentiality and the sensitive nature of information. Confirming the patients understanding.

To undertake, complete and pass mandatory and recommended training programmes.

To carry out record keeping and data collection data for audit purposes as appropriate.

To comply with requirements of statutory regulations, including Medicines Act, Misuse of Drugs Act and Regulations, Health and Safety at Work Act, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), etc. and local operating procedures to ensure that the work is to a high standard (accurate).

To maintain the security of the medicines within the ward areas and Pharmacy departments at all times To undertake other duties commensurate with this grade of post in agreement with the relevant line manager according to service requirements.

To minimise the Trusts environmental impact wherever possible, including recycling, switching off lights, computers, monitors and equipment when not in use. Helping to reduce paper waste by minimising printing/copying and reducing water usage, reporting faults and heating/cooling concerns promptly and minimising travel. Where the role includes the ordering and use of supplies or equipment the post holder will consider the environmental impact of purchases.

Please see job description for full details of role.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

NVQ Level 2 in pharmacy technical services

Desirable

NPA Counter-assistance course or equivalent NHS in-house counselling training course/accreditation.

Experience

Essential

Recent proven experience of working in a pharmacy department as a pharmacy assistant.

Desirable

Recent hospital proven experience of successfully delivering ward based pharmacy services as a Pharmacy Assistant. Experience of operating/utilising an electronic prescription tracking system Knowledge of automated medication Storage cabinets

Knowledge and skills

Essential

Standard keyboard skills, including Microsoft office and word. A working knowledge of pharmacy computer systems (EMIS).

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