Senior Pharmacy Technician- Dispensary Fixed Term/Secondment

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s largest and busiest teaching Trusts, providing a full range of local hospital services across its sites, and specialist services from King’s College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at PRUH in the London Borough of Bromley. We encourage all our staff to have a healthy work/life balance and offer a range of options designed to suit different circumstances and priorities in line with service requirements.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Patient Services Team at Kings College Hospital Foundation Trust as a Senior Pharmacy Technician. The post holder will support the Deputy Dispensary Manager in the day-to-day management of the Dispensary, carrying out duties in accordance with departmental policies and procedures. The post holder is primarily responsible for workload organisation and supervision of all staff in the dispensary, including managing workload, quality of dispensing and supporting the dispensary manager in meeting dispensary KPIs.

Main duties of the job:

• To organise the dispensary-based services including inpatients, outpatients, TTAs, controlled drugs and Clinical Trials to agreed performance targets with guidance and support from the Dispensary Manager.
• To deputise for the Deputy Dispensary Manager during periods of absence, taking responsibility for the smooth running of the dispensary and resolving problems as they arise.
• To assist with the writing, implementation and updating of policies and procedures specific to the dispensary service.
• To review dispensary errors, ensuring actions are taken to address poor performance and reporting progress to the Dispensary Manager.
• To attend cross-site meetings with the aim to standardise practice across sites.
• To take part in the dispensary checking rota.
• To manage the monthly archiving process of prescriptions to Iron Mountain.
• To assist with good stock control, ensuring the efficient use of resources, keeping waste to a minimum and encouraging the reuse of medicines where possible.
• To cover, where appropriate, the duties of other senior Dispensary staff in their absence.
• To assist with the preparation of weekly rotas to ensure all dispensary duties have sufficient staffing.
• To assist in the distribution of FP10 prescription pads, ensuring secure storage arrangements are in place throughout the Hospital.
• To regularly monitor activity and quality data and use this information to maintain a quality service.
• To ensure the safe, effective and economical use of drugs for all patients in the Trust.
• To partake in audits conducted within the Dispensary.
• To deal with verbal complaints, safety issues and investigate Inphase incidents.
• To investigate and resolve stock discrepancies (including controlled drugs).
• To take part in the routine destruction of Controlled Drugs alongside a delegated responsible person.
• To contribute to service developments within the department.
• To be able to follow departmental Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• To be able to dispense inpatient, outpatient and discharge medication accurately.
• To competently counsel patients on the use of their outpatient medication.
• To contribute to wider policies that have an impact within the pharmacy department and across the Trust.
• To support the Dispensary Manager by contributing to the development of the Dispensary Services.
• To be able to use pharmacy computer systems correctly and enter data accurately from transcription sheets, prescription forms and any other prescriptions written by others.
• To ensure that data is stored and archived appropriately in accordance with local and regionally agreed guidelines.
• To be able to use initiative to appropriately prioritise work.
• Participate in the Departments seven-day working model which includes weekends, late nights and bank holiday working rota.

Person specification:

Qualifications:

• NVQ Pharmacy services Level 3 plus accredited underpinning knowledge (BTEC in Pharmaceutical Sciences or equivalent) or equivalent.
• Professional registration as a Pharmacy Technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Accuracy Checking Pharmacy Technician qualification, or currently undertaking.

Experience:

• Knowledge of procedures for pharmacy services.
• Knowledge of pharmacy computer systems.
• Experience in a busy dispensary setting.

Skills:

• Be able to communicate effectively in both written and verbal formats with staff and patients.
• Be able to make sound judgments in relation to Pharmacy Service issues.

All staff have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and for ensuring they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.