Senior Pharmacy Assistant - Dispensary

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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To receive prescriptions and other requests into the Main Dispensary or Dispensary Satellites according to the agreed procedures and deal with straightforward problems

To interpret prescriptions and where necessary, contact a pharmacy technician or pharmacist to clarify prescriptions

To undertake dispensing tasks under supervision including use of the pharmacy computer system for labelling

To check and restock the emergency drugs cupboard

To answer the telephone and resolve problems

To replenish dispensing sundries such as bottles and cartons and order stock

To be responsible for ordering and maintaining stock of additional labels

To be responsible for ordering stock and maintaining display of leaflets for outpatient waiting area

To contribute to the dispensary housekeeping rota including stock checks, ensuring working areas are clean and tidy

To perform environmental monitoring of the stores area, e.g. temperature monitoring

To be responsible for the destruction of drug waste in accordance with COSHH principles and Trust waste disposal procedures including completion of necessary paperwork

To assess the appropriateness of return to stock of dispensed medicines no longer required and complete the process (with correct use of JAC) for return for re-use. To collect ongoing data on returned and wasted medicines

To assist dispensary staff in the provision of information on medicines and general health care to out-patients through the use of posters and leaflets

To train other staff members as outlined in their training schedule. This will include Senior Pharmacy Assistants, Pre-Registration Pharmacy Technicians, Pharmacy Technicians and Trainee Pharmacists

To cover duties of stores assistants as and when require

To participate in departmental audit programmes

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Basic numeracy and literacy
• NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services

Desirable criteria

• Vocational qualification in IT skills

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience in a pharmacy, warehouse or customer orientated environment.
• Experience of supervising staff in training

Desirable criteria

• Experience of training other staff
• Use of computer systems

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Understanding of customer care
• Understanding of the need of confidentiality awareness at all times

Desirable criteria

• Familiarity with drug names

Skills

Essential criteria

• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Good listening skills
• Ability to organise own day to day work tasks
• Accurate and organised
• Shows initiative
• Ability to deal sensitively with distressed / aggrieved customers / clients
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Standard keyboard skills

Desirable criteria

• Empathetic communication skills

It is an exciting time to join the newly formed Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We run two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Our 7,500 staff provide high quality care for a growing population of around 700,000 across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas.

You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. Travel between hospital sites may be required. We have state-of-the art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

• Job description (PDF, 232.6KB)
• Person Spec (PDF, 136.4KB)
• Functional Requirements (PDF, 176.4KB)
• Information for Disabled Applicants (PDF, 98.7KB)