Dispensary Manager in London

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is looking for an experienced and motivated Dispensary Manager to join our Pharmacy team at Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH). As Dispensary Manager, you will lead the day-to-day operational delivery of the dispensary service, ensuring safe, efficient and patient-focused pharmacy services. You will manage and develop the dispensary team, oversee workload and staffing, support training and professional development, and drive improvements that enhance safety, efficiency and patient experience.

We are looking for a GPhC-registered Pharmacy Technician with substantial hospital dispensary experience. You will bring strong leadership, organisational and communication skills, together with experience managing teams and implementing service improvements. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in a busy pharmacy service while contributing to King’s commitment to outstanding care, innovation, inclusion and teamwork.

Main duties of the job:

• To be responsible for proposing and implementing policies in relation to the dispensary service that has an impact both within Patient Services and across the Trust.
• To be responsible for the regular review of operational policies and procedures specific to the provision of the dispensary services.
• To support Patient Services, in the strategic developmental and planning of the dispensary services provision to the Trust.
• To deliver a customer-focused service to all patients who attend the Dispensary.
• To manage the Dispensary Service and all the staff who work in the dispensary.
• To be line manager for the Dispensary Services staff and take responsibility for all the following, according to the Trust procedures.
• Be responsible for dispensary stock control and in the return and recycling or safe disposal (as appropriate) of the drugs from wards and departments in liaison with the Distribution Manager and according to the agreed departmental policies and procedures.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities:

• To manage the dispensary service to ensure the safe, effective and economical use of drugs for all patients in the Trust.
• To be responsible for planning and allocating work for all dispensary and rotational staff to ensure that pharmacy dispensary services are delivered at PRUH.
• To propose changes to working practices and dispensing techniques that will maximize the potential for efficiency and safety in order to reduce waiting times while working in the dispensary.
• To provide Patient Services staff with details of output, performance and activity at specified time intervals in a format agreed with Principal Technician Patient Services.
• To ensure that FP10 prescriptions are stored in a secure manner and are issued in accordance with agreed procedures to appropriate staff and to ensure that prescription pad issues are monitored and that they are re-ordered in a timely fashion.
• To ensure that all dispensary staff are trained in the use of any transactional equipment used in the collection of prescription charges (if appropriate).
• To ensure effective two-way communication amongst the dispensary staff, to the rest of the pharmacy department and across the Trust as necessary.
• To ensure all dispensary staff use pharmacy computer systems correctly, that data is entered accurately from transcription sheets, prescription forms and any other prescriptions written by others and that data is stored and archived appropriately in accordance with local and regionally agreed guidelines.
• To be a member of the PRUH Pharmacy Senior Staff meeting.
• To ensure that drugs (including controlled drugs) are distributed efficiently and safely by the dispensary porters and to liaise regularly with the portering services manager.
• To assist the Education & Development Chief Pharmacy Technician to manage the development programme for all pharmacy technical staff during their dispensary rotation.
• To ensure that all dispensary staff are trained in the use of Omnicell Controlled Drugs Cabinet and Controlled drugs are stored, maintained and dispensed as per the legal requirements and local policies.
• To ensure timely issue of all relevant rotas.
• To provide operational oversight to Beckenham Beacon & Orpington dispensary in the absence of the Principal Technician Patient Services.
• To ensure that the prescription tracking system is active at all times and that ward and pharmacy staff are adequately trained in its use.
• To deputise for the Principal Technician Patient services in his/her absence.

Person specification:

Knowledge and Experience:

• Knowledge of the requirements of national organisations involved in Pharmacy Dispensary Services e.g. DoH, Regional Pharmacy Services.
• Relevant post registration (qualification) experience in a hospital Pharmacy in an area relevant to practice with assessed competencies.
• Relevant experience in working within a hospital dispensary environment.

Skills and Competencies:

• Be able to make sound judgments in relation to Pharmacy Dispensary Services issues.
• Be able to communicate effectively in both written and verbal formats with staff and patients.
• Be able to implement and manage change.

Education and Qualifications:

• NVQ Level 3 plus accredited underpinning knowledge (BTEC in Pharmaceutical Science or equivalent) or equivalent.
• Professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Mandatory CPD to maintain fitness to practice.