Senior Pharmacy Technician

South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

The pharmacy team have an excellent opportunity for two pharmacy technicians to join our friendly department providing medicines optimisation services to our community mental health teams and supporting our lead technician in dispensary Monday to Friday - 9 to 5pm - No weekends/Bank holidays/late duty rotas.

The role includes supporting patients and staff to ensure medicines optimisation, championing safe and secure handling of medicines, reviewing management of medicines in people's homes, management of supply of high-cost medicines to reduce wastage, monitoring and adherence of FP10 prescription forms, supporting new clinical staff on how to use the electronic prescribing and administration system and clozapine medicines management.

These roles will work across our community services in Kingston, Richmond, Merton, Wandsworth and Sutton along with providing regular support to our dispensary team at Springfield Hospital to maintain competencies in dispensary practices and as an accuracy checking pharmacy technician (ACPT).

We offer career pathways to medicines optimisation, dispensary team-leading, practice and educational supervision, procurement, clozapine supply service, medicines information, information technology and further development in leadership skills. In addition, we offer ongoing training and development in pharmacy practice delivered through monthly Continued Education sessions, Technician Development meetings, and Medicine Optimisation meetings.

Main duties of the job

• To provide a specialist patient focused technical pharmacy service.
• To participate in the ongoing development of the technician's role in Medicines Optimisation at team level for community teams.
• To undertake duties of a technical nature, including the dispensing, checking and supply of medication to individual patients.
• To be an accredited accuracy checking technician in a technician-led dispensary.
• To monitor and supervise the work of pharmacy assistants and trainees at team level.

You should have recent previous experience of medicines optimisation and should hold accreditations for both medicines management and accredited checking pharmacy technician (ACPT). Experience of working within mental health services and within a multidisciplinary team, good written and verbal communication, familiarity with clozapine dispensing and supply services, and knowledge of mental health medicines are also desirable.

Agile and flexible working:

As one of the few Trusts in London we are proud to offer flexible working as part of our new ways of working, and we are happy to talk flexible working at the interview stage. In this role you will be able to work Monday to Friday in the time frames from 9 to 5pm, giving you the very best of good work life balance. Once established in role there will be opportunity for some working from home on a regular basis.

About us

We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.

We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.

This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.

We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti-racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.

We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.

Springfield University Hospital, Tooting

Our largest, 19-ward site is in Springfield Village, created following our £150m investment into two new world-class mental health facilities. A 32-acre public park, shops and cafes are coming soon. Close to shops, cafes and Tooting Bec on the Northern Line plus Earlsfield and Tooting rail stations and bus routes.

Job responsibilities

• To participate in a high quality, patient focused Medicines Optimisation model for technicians, at ward and community team level.
• To monitor and supervise the work of the pharmacy assistants and participate in medication top-up at team base/ward level, to ensure good stock control.
• To be responsible for the safe, accurate and timely supplying of medicines in accordance with agreed stock lists and non-stock items, in line with the changing clinical needs of each clinical environment to minimise waste and reduce risk, and ensuring records are kept.
• To monitor medicines storage on wards, team bases and outside units in line with Medicines Management standards.
• To assist with departmental and Trust-wide quality audits to demonstrate compliance with Medicines Management policies.
• To have involvement with the general supervision and development review of pharmacy assistants and technicians according to departmental policy.
• To supervise the internal training scheme for pharmacy assistants/pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians leading to NVQ Level 2/3, in line with London Education & Training guidance, and achieve Practice Supervisor status as required/appropriate, leading to further development as an Educational Supervisor.
• To dispense medication, ensuring compliance with all procedures, for patients ready to receive a final accuracy check.
• To maintain Accredited Accuracy Checking Technician status and perform the final accuracy check of prescriptions in accordance with Trust policy.
• To maintain Accreditation in Medicines Management (HEELASE or equivalent).
• To participate within the pharmacy, when necessary, with the receipt, processing, storage and stock control of medicines and other supplies.
• To counsel patients on the use of their medication, as appropriate.
• To respond to enquiries and requests from staff, patients and carers, in accordance with individual competence and departmental policy.
• To provide training and advice on pharmacy services to ward, nursing, medical and pharmacy staff.
• To assist in the induction of new staff, and in-house training.
• To use pharmacy and other computer systems in the course of performing these duties.
• To provide reciprocal cover for other medicines management technicians in their absence, which may necessitate working at other Trust sites.
• To deputise for the Lead Medicine Management Technicians when required.

Training and Development

• To undertake mandatory and statutory training, supervision and annual appraisal as required by Trust policy.
• To contribute and commit to undertaking an annual Development Review/appraisal.
• To undertake personal development as identified in the Personal Development Plan (PDP).

Person Specification

TRAINING & QUALIFICATIONS

• oNVQ Level 3, BTEC or similar nationally recognised qualification in pharmaceutical sciences.
• oAccreditation in Medicines Management or equivalent experience.
• oBe registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
• oEvidence of continuing professional and personal development.
• oPossession of Accredited Checking technician qualification.
• oEducational Supervisor or equivalent.

EXPERIENCE

• oDemonstrable experience of working in a pharmacy as a qualified pharmacy technician.
• oPrevious hospital experience.
• oExperience of checking dispensed prescriptions.
• oExperience of medicine reconciliation at ward level.
• oExperience of audit work.
• oExperience of using JAC dispensing system.
• oSupervisory experience.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

£35,964 to £43,780 a year per annum inclusive of Inner London HCAs.