Role Overview
Senior Pharmacy Assistant – Medicines Management. Work within the pharmacy department and on wards, liaising with nursing staff, pharmacists, and ancillary teams to ensure the safe and timely provision of medicines to patients.
Responsibilities
* Dispense and issue medicines from the Pharmacy Department, including extemporaneously prepared products, controlled drugs, unlicensed medicines and clinical trial materials, in accordance with policies and safe systems of work.
* Order and supply pharmaceuticals for ward stock top‑up services.
* Interpret pharmacy reports to determine accurate supply quantities.
* Provide a high‑quality medicine supply service to wards, departments and patients.
* Work with the multidisciplinary team to ensure patients receive the correct medicines at the right time and are involved in decision‑making.
* Receive medicines into the Pharmacy Department, ensuring timely and accurate documentation and computer entry.
* Ensure all pharmaceutical preparations are stored appropriately.
* Coordinate the return of patients’ own medicines into hospital and provide information on supplies.
* Maintain adequate patient medicine supplies and reorder as necessary.
* Liaise with discharge facilitators and multidisciplinary teams to identify patients requiring medicines for discharge.
* Prepare medicines for discharge and dispense items where applicable.
* Act as point of contact for basic pharmacy queries from other staff, including nurses and multidisciplinary teams.
* Interpret pharmacy portal reports and prepare daily hand‑over for pharmacy ward teams.
* Review antibiotic reports and order stocks through the pharmacy portal system.
* Review controlled‑drugs reports, identify order requirements and liaise with nursing staff for ordering.
* Review percentage reports, eliminate duplicate orders and reorder previously supplied medicines as required.
* Return unused medicines to the pharmacy for recycling in accordance with safe disposal procedures.
* Maintain and review ward stocks, liaising with departmental managers, directorate pharmacists, medicines‑management technicians and the stores and distribution team.
* Participate in development and project work aligned with Trust and Pharmacy Directorate objectives.
* Check picked stock items to ensure accuracy of medicine supplies on top‑up.
* Supervise, assess and train pharmacy assistants and other staff rotating through pharmacy areas.
* Deal with ad‑hoc stock requests (telephone or portal) and prioritise appropriately.
* Supply emergency orders.
* Support pharmacy assistants with NVQ level 2 training where appropriate.
* Prioritise work so that services meet objectives.
* Ensure procedures comply with legislation, regulations, Health and Safety at Work Act, COSHH and other relevant standards.
* Participate in weekend, Bank Holiday, statutory holiday, early‑morning and evening services per departmental arrangements.
* Undertake other reasonable duties appropriate to the role, subject to change as required.
* Work across sites as required.
* Adapt to changes such as new equipment, procedures, policies and working hours.
Qualifications
* Knowledge of pharmacy procedures – on‑the‑job training, experience to NVQ3 or equivalent level.
* Knowledge of stock control systems and medication storage.
* Knowledge of hospital pharmacy supply and discharge planning.
* NVQ level 2 in pharmaceutical sciences or equivalent.
* Demonstrable experience working in a pharmacy environment.
* Experience of dispensing prescriptions or preparation of aseptic products.
* Clear and accurate written communication skills.
* Ability to use various IT applications.
* Methodical, with strong attention to detail.
* Ability to train others.
Desirable Criteria
* Experience of working in a team.
* Relating to all grades of staff within multidisciplinary teams.
Key Skills
* Excellent organisational and communication skills.
* Team player with initiative and a positive attitude towards high‑quality service.
* Ability to meet deadlines.
Equality & Diversity
We promote equality and diversity and welcome applications from all backgrounds.
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