Clozapine Lead Pharmacy Technician @ Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Job summary

We have an exciting opportunity to join our friendly, innovative, and supportive pharmacy team as a Band 5 Clozapine Lead Pharmacy Technician. This post is suitable for a GPhC-registered pharmacy technician looking to develop specialist expertise in clozapine services and mental health pharmacy. The role is based at Hellesdon Hospital in Norwich, although travel to other Trust sites may be required.

The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting and developing the Trust's clozapine service, working closely with pharmacists, prescribers, nursing teams, and community partners to ensure the safe, effective, and patient-centred use of clozapine. You will support all aspects of clozapine treatment pathways, including patient registration, blood monitoring processes, supply management, and service improvement initiatives. An Accredited Accuracy Checking qualification is also an essential criteria.

You will have a flexible approach to service delivery, excellent organisational skills, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team. Strong communication and interpersonal skills are essential to support patients, carers, and healthcare professionals involved in clozapine treatment.

Main duties of the job

As the Lead Clozapine Pharmacy Technician, you will:

• Coordinate and support the operational delivery of the Trust's clozapine service, ensuring compliance with national standards, monitoring requirements, and manufacturer monitoring systems.
• Work with pharmacy and clinical teams to support the initiation, continuation, monitoring, and supply of clozapine for service users across inpatient and community settings.
• Maintain accurate patient records and ensure timely completion of blood monitoring and registration processes.
• Liaise with patients, carers, community pharmacies, GP practices, and clinical teams to support seamless transitions of care and continuity of clozapine treatment.
• Provide counselling, education, and advice to patients and healthcare professionals regarding clozapine therapy and monitoring requirements.
• Support stock management and procurement processes for clozapine and associated monitoring services.
• Participate in service development, quality improvement projects, audits, and medicines optimisation initiatives relating to clozapine.
• Contribute to the education and training of pharmacy technicians, trainee pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals in relation to clozapine services.
• Work collaboratively with medicines management technicians and pharmacy teams to maintain safe and effective service delivery across the department.

About us

NSFT is a forward-thinking hospital offering mental health care in Norfolk and Suffolk. We are one of the largest mental health trusts in the UK with strong links to the School of Pharmacy and Medical School at the nearby University of East Anglia. Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly, and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing experiences and learning from each other. In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, we are committed to providing an environment in which you can thrive.

Why work for us? The Pharmacy Department is at the forefront of healthcare delivery with a strong focus on Medicines Management and Optimisation, and innovative pharmaceutical practice. We have challenges, but we have ambitious aspirations, are pushing ahead with exciting transformation work and we need dedicated individuals to support us on our journey. We have strong, established professional networks coupled with an exceptional leadership team who will ensure you are truly cared for and cared about.

Why Norfolk and Suffolk? The people here are warm and welcoming, you'll never be far from the coastline and countryside to Broads National Park. We're up to 2.5 hours away from London and offer excellent rail and air links across the UK and internationally. Our villages, towns and cities are packed full of history, independent cafes, restaurants, shops, and theatres. We also offer top ranking schooling and affordable house prices.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!

Some of the benefits you can expect:

• NHS pension
• a comprehensive in house & external training programmes
• career progression
• starting annual leave of 27 days per annum increasing to 33 days pa based on length of service (plus paid bank holidays)
• staff physio service
• NHS discounts and many more

Please visit our Facebook and Twitter page @NSFTjobs

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Final Accuracy Checking Technician qualification
• NVQ level 3 in Pharmacy Services and a BTEC in Pharmaceutical science (or equivalent qualification and underpinning knowledge)

Knowledge

Essential

• Accuracy and attention to detail required for dispensing and final checking prescriptions

Desirable

• Knowledge of legislative aspects of medicines supply issues
• Good understanding of formulary and medicines management issues and the implications for dispensary services
• Understanding of clinical governance and implications for service including quality & audit
• Able to handle conflict effectively and differences of opinions in a mature and professional manner

Skills

Essential

• Able to work independently, show initiative within own authority limits and follow agreed procedures
• Ability to work calmly under pressure and have capacity for problem-solving
• Able to train staff in dispensary & stores practices and pharmacy IT systems
• Able to provide information and advice to distressed patients in a calm and empathetic manner

Experience

Essential

• Experience working as a hospital pharmacy technician
• Experience of training others

Desirable

• Experience of organising and managing in busy and potentially stressful environment
• Experience of supervising teams and staff management
• Experience of procedure development
• Knowledge of specific requirements for mental health medicines, e.g. clozapine

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

Hellesdon Hospital

Drayton High Road

Norwich

NR6 5BE

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)