CMHT Medicine Management Pharmacy Technician (NHS AFC Band 5) - Mental Health - Derbyshire Heal[...]

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NHS AFC Band 5

Main area: Mental Health
Grade: NHS AFC Band 5
Contract: Permanent
Hours: 37.5 hours per week (Monday-Friday)

Job ref: 383-MED-4913-24-B

Site: Hartington Unit, Chesterfield Town
Salary: £29,970 - £36,483 pa, pro-rata
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 08/04/2025 23:59

Want to make a real difference and have a truly rewarding career? Join 'Team Derbyshire Healthcare' and become part of a talented, compassionate and enthusiastic workforce committed to a vision of ‘making a positive difference in people's lives’.

We’ve been rated ‘good’ overall by the CQC, with some outstanding services. The CQC commented at our most recent inspection on how our colleagues “treated patients with compassion and kindness” and “felt positive and proud about working for the trust.

We are passionate about making equality, diversity and inclusion part of our DNA. We take pride in our “People First Culture” which creates a workplace where everyone feels a genuine sense of belonging, difference is celebrated, and people are comfortable to bring their whole selves to work. We value the richness that comes from having colleagues that are fully representative of the local community. We welcome people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, protected characteristics, and with all backgrounds and experiences.

Job overview

We have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Pharmacy Technician to join our friendly, established and respected community mental health team (CMHT) in North Derbyshire, leading and developing the pharmacy service provided to mental health services in Derbyshire.

The role will be based at Hartington Unit, Chesterfield. Travel between multiple DHCFT sites will be an essential part of this role.

We provide all our pharmacy staff with opportunities for career development, including CMHP Psych 1 and 2 courses, distance learning postgraduate certificate in Mental health Therapeutics through Aston University, JUCD leadership courses.

This role would be ideally suited to an experienced Mental Health Pharmacy technician looking for progression in their career or looking to relocate.

If this sounds like the role for you, then please get in touch to discuss!

Main duties of the job

The roles and duties of this post will include:

• Developing close working relationships with other members of the multi-disciplinary team and contributing to the safe administration of medicines in the community.
• Ensuring the transfer of patients discharge information from inpatient wards to CMHTs is seamless.
• Responding to medication-related queries, providing advice on medicine availability/shortages, safe storage of medicines, defect products, clozapine blood tests.
• Providing medicines information to support patients and carers to optimise treatment outcomes.
• Educating colleagues about medicines management and medicines optimisation.
• Auditing depot card prescriptions and presenting audit results at the quarterly medicine management operational meeting.
• Supporting Clozapine patients within CMHTs and checking if Gass- C/Assay levels and physical monitoring checks have been completed yearly.
• Reviewing Datix incidents within the CMHTs.
• Weekly session working within the dispensary at Kingsway.

Working for our organisation

Join 'Team Derbyshire Healthcare' and become part of a talented, compassionate and enthusiastic workforce committed to a vision of ‘making a positive difference in people's lives’.

CQC rated us as 'GOOD’ overall, commenting on how our colleagues “treated patients with compassion and kindness” and “felt positive and proud about working for the trust.”

Benefits include:

• Commitment to flexible working where this is possible
• 27 days annual leave/year plus bank holidays, increasing to 29 days after 5 years & 33 days after 10 years’ service
• Yearly appraisal and commitment to ongoing training
• Good maternity, paternity and adoption benefits
• Health service discounts and online benefits
• Incremental pay progression
• Free confidential employee assistance programme 24/7
• Access to our LGBT+ network, BAME Network and Christian Network
• Health and wellbeing opportunities
• Structured learning and development opportunities

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Ensuring transfer of patient discharge medicine information from inpatient wards to CMHTs is seamless. Accurately check discharge prescriptions on SystmOne.

Red drugs prescribed and patients not signed up for TCAM are followed up as first priority.

Ensure transfer of patients medicines from Community to Inpatient wards is seamless with the ward MMTs.

Checking of Depot administration using SystmOne data reports.

Building relationships and working in collaboration with ICB/Practice technicians and pharmacists.

Supporting primary care colleagues with mental health training needs.

Supporting CMHT nurse pharmacy inductions and medicine training.

Effectively counselling identified patients on the safe and effective use of Clozapine and Lithium medication.

Supporting delayed clozapine blood tests and supply issues liaise with the Lead Pharmacy Technician Clozapine to ensure safe supply.

Quality improvement initiatives and baseline reporting for pharmacy intervention into community patients.

Supporting management of medication shortages within community and liaise with Kingsway pharmacy procurement team.

Cancellation or prescribing issues of any Risperidone consta prescriptions with our homecare provider.

Support the roll-out of Community Clozapine patient Initiation.

Deputise for the Deputy Chief Pharmacy Technician North at the CMHT Clinical Reference Group (CRG).

Present CMHT Medicine Management audits at the trust medicine management operational subcommittee.

Accurately record all patient histories electronically.

Accurately assess Patient Own Medicines in line with local policy to ensure they are of a suitable standard and quantity for use.

Accurately order and replenish identified prescribed medicines that have been clinically checked by a pharmacist to ensure sufficient quantity.

Accurately communicate any medicine related issues that require follow up on SystmOne and verbally if needed.

Provide routine and non-routine information in relation to patient care to other healthcare professionals, patients and carers.

Responsible for ensuring the audit on the storage of medicines at CMHT level is safely and accurately completed quarterly.

Work with CMHT managers within the trust to contribute and ensure audit targets are met and medicine management systems are supported across the CMHT interface to improve efficiency and meet CQC and other regulatory requirements.

Review and liaise with the pharmacist to update identified CMHT stock lists in line with usage each month. Provide data on any cost savings made.

Self-check all work for accuracy.

Supervise support workers and provide regular training to support pre-registration pharmacy technicians and new/inexperienced pharmacists or technicians.

Act as an Educational Supervisor for pre-registration pharmacy technicians if required by the course provider.

Contribute to service reviews/ proposed service changes in response to workload or error reports, reviewing procedures and training plans and implementing agreed remedial actions.

Support and facilitate the development of new ways of working with medicine reconciliation, counselling, audits and enhanced staff roles within the Pharmacy service.

Assist in the development of procedures and training plans, deliver and oversee training and act as an assessor to assure competency.

Lead on implementation of medicine procedures in line with the trust medicine code to ensure compliance with relevant standards; particularly the safe and secure storage of medicines and administration and recording of medicines.

Person specification

Qualifications

• GPhC registration

Knowledge / Experience

• Hospital pharmacy experience
• Good communication skills (written)
• Experience of working in mental health
• Experience of training others

Additional Information

Flexible Working

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for our service and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that's job share, part time or another flexible pattern.

Disability Confident Employer

The Trust is a Disability Confident Employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you in the recruitment process please let us know.

If you require any support in completing the application form please do not hesitate to contact the Recruitment Team, 01332 564856, option 1, option 1 or email dchst.recruitment@nhs.net and we will be happy to provide assistance.

DBS Checks

The cost of undertaking a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) disclosure will be met by the individual. The Trust will meet the initial costs of the disclosure which will be deducted from your first month’s salary.

This job may close early if a large number of applications are received. You are advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid missing your chance to apply.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name: Emma Bates
Job title: Chief Pharmacy Technician - Team Manager
Email address: emma.bates@nhs.net
Telephone number: 07785376776

Additional information: Ellie Varley
Deputy Chief Pharmacy Technician Clinical Services (North)
Tel: 01246 516502 or 07884476564
Email: ellie.varley@nhs.net

Please do get in touch if you would like to know more about this position, the Pharmacy team and the Trust.