Pharmacy Technician in Barnsley

Part‑time – 30 hours per week

We are looking for an experienced, enthusiastic band 4 pharmacy technician to work alongside and support clinical pharmacists in providing a medicines management service across inpatient wards, rehabilitation wards, hospice and community areas at South West Yorkshire Partnership Teaching NHS Foundation Trust. The role is based at Kendray Hospital Barnsley and requires the successful candidate to maintain dispensing competencies at Fieldhead Hospital, Wakefield, so personal transport is essential.

Key responsibilities:

• Managing, ordering and maintaining stock levels.
• Undertaking medicines reconciliation for newly admitted patients and checking patients own drugs (PODs).
• Taking drug histories.
• Ordering medicines using the electronic prescribing system (EPMA).
• Facilitating discharge and leave prescriptions.
• Delivering safe, effective and efficient systems by reducing medicines waste and maximising patient outcomes.
• Maintaining accurate clinical records in a timely manner.
• Carrying out medicines assurance checks in line with key safety standards.
• Ensuring all work‑based validations are up to date.

Key result areas:

• Check patients own medication on admission in line with departmental procedures.
• Participate in the medication supply and topping‑up service at ward/team base level to ensure adequate stocks are maintained for patient care.
• Assess suitability of medicines, record findings using the pharmacy prescribing system, identify discrepancies and liaise with appropriate health‑care professionals.
• Participate in patient counselling regarding medicines as appropriate.
• Ensure appropriate receipt, processing, storage and stock control of medicines and other supplies; report via medicines assurance process.
• Respond to enquiries and requests from staff, patients and carers in accordance with individual competence and departmental policy.
• Assist technician managers in development and monitoring of SOPs.
• Assist in distribution of information and policies to all wards and departments as necessary.
• Participate in pharmacy‑related audits as appropriate.
• Supply Clozapine to a specific group of patients ensuring compliance with SOPs (blood tests taken and results obtained, valid prescriptions received, and medication dispensed and collected in a timely manner).
• Perform stock take both within the dispensary and at ward/department level.
• Liaise with nursing staff concerning the use of medicines and advise on safe and secure storage at ward level.
• Comply with the Trust’s Medicine Code.
• Report errors/mistakes via the Trust’s incident reporting system.
• Use pharmacy and other computer systems in the course of performing these duties.
• Answer telephone and face‑to‑face queries of a routine or technical nature from a wide range of staff groups, patients and carers and refer appropriate queries to the relevant members of the pharmacy team.

Requirements:

Essential qualifications: NVQ Level 3, BTEC or equivalent nationally recognised qualification in pharmaceutical sciences and current registration as pharmacy technician in the UK.

Essential experience: Experience working in a UK pharmacy (community or hospital), use of pharmacy procurement and dispensing systems. Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post; satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years. Good communication skills (oral and written) and good time‑management and organisational skills. Good computer / IT skills. Pharmaceutical waste management, Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, and regulations on controlled drugs in primary and secondary care. Commitment to CPD.

Desirable: Hospital pharmacy experience, experience in mental health pharmacy, experience linking with community pharmacies and home care, experience managing supplies for off‑site units and teams, current driving licence and access to a car during the working day, medicines management training, hospital computer systems (JAC), knowledge of dispensing prescriptions for service users with mental health problems.

Additional information: Employees are strongly encouraged to have an up‑to‑date flu vaccination to protect staff and patients. The Trust is unable to sponsor candidates for a skilled worker visa for this role. We will consider applications from candidates who can prove their right to work in the UK or via alternative visa routes. We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups and we value diversity. The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

EEO Statement: We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.