Senior Aseptic Services Assistant

The Pharmacy Aseptic Service at Great Western Hospital is expanding with the build of a new onsite aseptic unit for the preparation of injectable medicines such as chemotherapy, and we are looking to grow our team.

The position is for a full-time Band 3 Senior Aseptic Services Assistant working to support the Specialist Aseptic Services Technician amongst a team of Assistants, Senior Technicians, and Pharmacists who take pride in delivering safe, effective, and high-quality injectable medicines to our patients at the GWH.

The successful candidate will be involved in ordering, handling, and dispensing of bought-in medicines such as chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, and parenteral nutrition. As part of our new highly responsive service, you will be part of hands-on making of injectable medicines all within our newly built clean room facility.

We are looking for a team worker with good interpersonal skills, able to work within a clean room controlled environment with good literacy, numerical, and computer skills who may also have previous training and understanding of Good Manufacturing Practice, although training and competency assessment in aseptic skills will be provided.

• Supporting the Aseptic Services Team in the effective and day-to-day running of the Pharmacy Aseptic Services Unit (PASU).
• Supporting all aspects of pharmacy requirements - handling, receipting, dispensing, aseptic preparation, drug accountability, storage, and disposal.
• Following department standard operating procedures ensuring all activities are in accordance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), and Good Distribution Practice (GDP).

• To be competent to receive, assess, and action orders for all products managed by PASU.
• To be competent to calculate doses and use the Pharmacy's IT system to produce accurate labels and worksheets.
• To be competent to set up raw materials, consumables, and equipment for all products.
• To be responsible for the transfer disinfection into PASU and classified cleanrooms of all items required for aseptic processing, following departmental processes.
• To be competent in aseptic preparation of high-risk injectables including cytotoxic chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, and centralized intravenous additives (CIVAs) under a section 10 exemption of the Medicines Act.
• Able to work in a confined area using a positive or negative pressure isolator for a period of time.
• Accurately collate and pick orders for pre-prepared products and to place orders using an online IT ordering system.
• To accurately complete the required checks to enable safe receipt of all deliveries of pre-prepared aseptic products, raw materials, consumables, and equipment.
• To physically unpack deliveries, place in the correct location, and in stock rotation order.
• To be competent to dispense all pre-prepared aseptic products (cytotoxic, high-risk injectables, and parenteral nutrition), oral chemotherapy, clinical trials, and support medication including completing associated paperwork.

• To be able to manipulate fine tools and materials with physical accuracy and dexterity.
• Ability to work in an isolator fully gloved and gowned.
• To be able to clean sterile cleanrooms as required.
• Accurate and attention to detail.
• Acts on own initiative with the appropriate level of supervision.
• Knowledge of Pharmacy computer systems.
• Knowledge of aseptic procedures and aseptic technique.

• GCSE or equivalent in Maths and English grade C or above.
• QCF level 2 in Pharmacy services or equivalent qualification.
• Previous training in the preparation of aseptic/sterile products (preferably pharmaceutical products) and good understanding of GMP.

• Working within a team.
• Managing own workload to meet the needs of a service.
• Previous hospital pharmacy experience.
• Stock control and rotation.

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.