About this role
Job summary
Are you an experienced, highly skilled pharmacy assistant looking to take the next step into service and staff management?
Do you feel you have more to offer and want an opportunity to manage staff and be involved in service and staff development?
If so, you could be just what we are looking for to join our friendly team!
This is a new Band 4 assistant post demonstrating our continued commitment to developing the assistant role within pharmacy.
We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated pharmacy assistant to join our dispensary team at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital, as part of the management team.
This will be a key role in the Operational Services pharmacy team, managing the service and staff as deputy to the Dispensary Manager.
You will be a strong confident team player, demonstrate professionalism at all times, act as a role model to all our pharmacy assistants and pharmacy technicians, with a strong commitment to staff training, and take responsibility for ensuring efficient running of the dispensary.
Main duties of the job
Under the direction of the Dispensary Manager, you will manage the senior Pharmacy Assistants and Pharmacy Technicians in the dispensary to ensure work is processed through the dispensary as efficiently as possible whilst maintaining accuracy.
Good communication skills will be required to ensure we are maintaining a high level of service across the trust.
This is a full time role based within the pharmacy.
About us
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.
The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester
Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.
We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.
Being open and honest
Ensuring people feel cared for
Showing respect to everyone
We are committed to developing a culture of continuous improvement by embedding the principles of our Improvement System.
We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.
DBS Checks and Costs
Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check (at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in Supporting Information section for more details on DBS checks and costs.
Job description Job responsibilities
Assist and deputise for the Dispensary Manager in the management of the operational activities of the pharmacy dispensary at Worcestershire Royal Hospital. This will include:
Providing operational leadership within the dispensary to ensure safe and accurate dispensing and distribution of medicines to service users, in line with departmental, trust and national policies
Ensuring the storage security and supply of all medications is compliant with legal requirements, COSHH regulations, health and safety regulations, trust/departmental policies and SOPs, and is in accordance with manufacturers recommendations.
Assisting with the training provision of staff within the dispensary, Ensuring staff actively and effectively contribute to the aims of the service, are trained and assessed as competent and are aware of the expectations of them. All training programmes must be delivered in a timely, effective manner and ensuring feedback is given to the department Practice Supervisors to ensure the training dashboard is updated and feedback given to the Pharmacy Faculty sub-group.
Work closely with the Dispensary Manager, Ward Lead Pharmacy Technicians, the Stores and Distribution Deputy Manager to develop the dispensary services in line with national, trust and departmental strategies.
Ensuring that all SOPs, policies and guidelines relating to dispensary and operational services are implemented and complied with as an integral element of the pharmacy directorate clinical governance and risk management strategy.
Assist in the implementation of the Trusts performance management system for the WRH dispensary staff and services to ensure that these services are of the highest standard, are risk managed and that all technical elements of the operational business plan are achieved.
Support with quality audits such as annual Safe and Secure Handling of Medicine according to Trust standards and methodology. Escalating concerns over non-compliance in an appropriate timeframe.
Act as a role model in all areas of work, supporting colleagues and liaising professionally with all staff including members of the departmental management team to provide the best possible care of patients.
For further details please see the full Job description attached.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
GCSE (or equivalent) grade C/4 or above in Maths, Science and English (all 3 are required) Level 2 in pharmacy technical services (previously NVQ Level 2) or equivalent.
Desirable
Supervisory or team leadership course
Experience Essential
Proven, recent and relevant experience of successfully delivering technical pharmacy services as a Pharmacy Assistant in a hospital or community setting. Proven experience of accurately dispensing medication. Experience of working in a team. Experience in dealing with patients, healthcare professionals the public and challenging situations Experience of how to deal with a range of routine and non-routine activities, work allocation, problem solving for a team and area of work, answering queries, progress chasing, and task related problem solving. Experience of operating/utilising an electronic prescription tracking system
Desirable
Proven, recent experience of successfully delivering technical pharmacy services as a Senior Pharmacy Assistant in a hospital/retail setting. Experience leading a team and facilitating service delivery and Training Experience in management of staff including allocation of workload and personnel issues
Skills and knowledge Essential
Skilled at dispensing medicines where accuracy is of the utmost importance Standard key-board skills for using the Pharmacy Computer System, and other software, including Microsoft Office Able to prioritise workload. Able to communicate clearly and effectively using a variety of methods (written/verbal/presentation) with a wide range of people, and have the ability to record details accurately. Able to carry out verbal and written instructions accurately.
Personal Qualities Essential
Self-motiving and able to motivate others. Able to work flexibly when needed depending on the service requirements. Able to use initiative but understand the limits of responsibility. Understanding of the importance of maintaining patient confidentiality.
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.
Employer details Employer name Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Address Charles Hastings Way
Worcester
Worcestershire
WR5 1DD
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)