Lead Dispensary Pharmacist

Job summary

Based in the dispensary, the post holder is responsible for ensuring the requirements of GPhC registration of the pharmacy are met and that there is appropriate professional oversight on a day to day basis. The post-holder is responsible for training and developing junior pharmacists and pre-registration pharmacists in the dispensary.

The post-holder will be involved in supporting GDP in pharmacy stores and providing a clinical service to wards as required.

Main duties of the job

To take the lead, day to day, in ensuring that the requirements of GPhC registration of the pharmacy are met.

This includes:-

To be the responsible pharmacist for the dispensary

To work with the lead dispensary technician to maintain dispensary SOPs and ensure adherence to their content

To provide professional advice and support to pre-registration pharmacists and other dispensary staff

To take professional responsibility for the clinical screening of prescriptions

To develop an OTC sales service

To provide a basic clinical service to wards as required

To take responsibility for planning and organising own workload in accordance with the requirements of the job

About us

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.

We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

We're Kind We're Fair We Listen We Care Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Task and Responsibilities

1. To take the lead, day to day, in ensuring that the requirements of GPhC registration of the pharmacy are met. This includes:-

a. to be the responsible pharmacist for the dispensary, ensure adequate cover is available as required and to problem solve during periods of staff shortage

b. to work with the lead dispensary technician to maintain dispensary SOPs and ensure adherence to their content.

c. to work with the lead dispensary technician to train new dispensary staff including use of the pharmacy computer system.

d. to provide professional advice and support to pre-registration pharmacists and other dispensary staff.

e. to take professional responsibility for the clinical screening of prescriptions to ensure the accuracy, legality, safety and effectiveness of prescribed medication

f. to liaise with doctors & nurses to resolve any queries arising from the screening process

g. to dispense medicines for inpatients and outpatients including discharge, weekend leave, self-medication, filling of compliance aids, CDs, clinical trials and the supply of patient information leaflets in accordance with SOPs.

h. to undertake the final accuracy check on prescriptions dispensed by other staff.

i. to receive cash & cheques for prescriptions according to SOPs

2. To ensure that the principles of safe and secure handling of medicines are adopted and to take part in quality assurance systems for pharmaceutical services.

3. To develop an OTC sales service.

4. To provide a basic clinical service to wards as required.

5. To provide professional support for stores staff in the absence of the responsible person.

6. To take responsibility for planning and organising own workload in accordance with the requirements of the job.

Management responsibilities

1. To prepare and review protocols and SOPs for use in the dispensary.

2. To ensure that all queries and complaints regarding the dispensary service are dealt with appropriately in accordance with the hospital complaints procedure.

3. To provide professional support to stores staff in the absence of the responsible person.

4. To assist with monitoring mandatory training compliance using the Trust online learning system.

5. To assist with recruitment & retention of dispensary staff.

Leadership

1. To train and develop staff in all clinical aspects of the dispensary and act as a role model for junior pharmacists.

2. To assist the lead dispensary technician with training of staff of varying grades on appropriate tasks in the dispensary.

3. To supervise the pre-registration student during their dispensary rotation, setting objectives, appraising them during their dispensary rotation and identifying and facilitating their training needs.

4. To assist in providing relevant teaching sessions for ward staff where appropriate.

5. To assist in reviewing clinical incidents relating to the dispensary and ensure any required actions are taken.

6. To recognise areas of service delivery requiring development and, in consultation with the site lead, to take responsibility for planning and implementation of change.

Clinical

1. To provide professional information and advice to pharmacy and other hospital staff which can be of a highly complex nature.

2. To provide a clinical service to wards as required.

3. To receive prescriptions from outpatients, give out medication, counsel patients to promote concordance and answer any questions a patient may have about their medication.

Research

1. To lead on process audits with respect to the efficiency of dispensary service.

2. The post holder may be required to contribute to research as appropriate writing dispensary SOPs to support clinical trials

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Minimum 2 years post registration experience. Postgraduate clinical qualification and/or equivalent experience Registered member of the General Pharmaceutical Council Masters degree (MSc or MPharm) in pharmacy

Management experience

Desirable

Previous line management experience

Work experience

Essential

Previous experience of working in a hospital pharmacy

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