Overview
Undertake general pharmaceutical duties under the supervision of a Section Manager or deputy, assisting in the provision of a safe and effective Pharmacy service in line with current policies, procedures and legal requirements.
Responsibilities
* The Senior Pharmacy Assistant performs a wide range of duties within the Pharmacy Department, supporting Pharmacists and Technicians to provide a comprehensive dispensing and distribution service. Main duties are based in the Dispensary and may include dispensing from a variety of prescription types and electronic systems. Depending on service needs, duties may include ward visits to top-up stock, transferring medicines from pharmacy into patient bedside lockers, transferring medicines from a patient’s previous ward to their current ward, filling orders for wards and departments, reception duties covering hospital staff and patients, computer ordering, and general housekeeping duties.
* Dispensing for in-patients, out-patients and patients going home, according to standard operating procedures.
* Handing out completed outpatient prescriptions to patients or their representatives, according to standard operating procedures.
* Co-ordinating the supply of items owed to patients and ensuring they are dispensed and onward transport is arranged in a timely fashion. Checking order levels are adequate for supply and resolving any supply issues.
* Dispensing controlled drugs according to standard operating procedures.
* Maintain stock on dispensary shelves, top up and tidy as required with backup stock from the stores; perform expiry date checks on medicines on the shelves regularly and remove out-of-date items in line with SOPs.
* Assist at staff and patient reception areas: meet and greet the general public, receive prescriptions and payments, operate equipment to process transactions (card machine, till) as required, direct other business callers, and co-ordinate tasks as necessary.
* Answer the telephone and deal with routine enquiries regarding work in progress; communicate with the relevant staff for additional advice as required and transfer calls to appropriately qualified staff if necessary.
* Work alongside the Stores & Distribution team; provide ward top-up service as required, keeping wards stocked with medicines, ensuring rotation and expiry checks, and liaising with Ward Sisters and Ward Pharmacists. Sort returned medicines for reuse and return to stock via the computer system.
* Process and assemble orders for wards and departments, including data entry and correct selection of goods, with attention to stock control systems and ordering.
* Assist in sorting returned and waste medicines and in keeping records of workload (e.g., filing, photocopying).
* Ensure the patient services section always has a readily available supply of sundry items (e.g., bottles, bags) by topping up daily and checking order status as required.
* General: ensure SOPs are adhered to and health and safety procedures followed; responsibility for stock control and security of medicines within daily duties.
* Manage personal workload, organise daily duties, and re-arrange priorities to cover service needs; Senior Pharmacy Assistants may co-ordinate cover and oversee/train less experienced staff.
* Share advice and knowledge to train new assistants on SOPs within the working area; participate in internal audits and surveys of service delivery as required and ensure SOPs and health and safety procedures are followed.
* Provide late night, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday cover as per rota; comply with the code of expectations and values that the trust expects.
* May require sponsorship checks: check eligibility under the UKVI points-based system for visa sponsorship; you will be contacted by the Recruitment Team if shortlisted.
Additional information
At Gloucestershire Hospitals, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As the largest employer in the county, we provide a wide range of services and opportunities for development, with a supportive culture focused on teamwork, development, and delivering patient care.
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