Overview
We have an exciting opportunity for a registered Pharmacy Technician to join our well established, friendly Pharmacy team based at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital. The post holder will also support a number of teams within Pharmacy, including the dispensary and medicines management ward technicians. The usual working hours are 8:45am–5pm, Monday to Friday, and will include weekend and bank holiday working. The hospital is the largest single site specialist heart and chest hospital in the UK, with a clear vision to be the best cardiothoracic integrated healthcare organisation. We provide specialist services in cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology and respiratory medicine, both in the hospital and in the community, serving a catchment area of 2.8 million people across Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and the Isle of Man. We encourage flexible working in a variety of forms. For more information, please visit our website at lhch.nhs.uk and take a virtual tour at bit.ly/36ylsoq.
Responsibilities
* Dispense medicines from the dispensary to a diverse range of patients in correctly labelled and appropriate containers in an efficient and timely manner according to standard operating procedures and the Medicines Act 1968, including dispensing and costing private prescriptions.
* Raise, amend, send orders to suppliers, receive stock into the department, and enter appropriate records into the computer; ensure goods are stored correctly.
* Communicate with nursing staff and other health professionals within the training and experience of a technician, referring to a pharmacist if necessary.
* Communicate with patients on wards and in the department, providing advice on their medication while ensuring confidentiality at all times.
* Under the supervision of a pharmacist, advise and recommend over-the-counter products following training and competency assessment.
* Assist medical and nursing staff with drug information queries, acknowledging the limits of own training and expertise.
* Check for prescribing errors within the limits of technician training and bring them to the attention of the supervising pharmacist.
* Monitor, order, dispense, issue, distribute and control stock of medicines on a rotational basis on designated wards and departments, within the Trust and off-site, in accordance with SOPs and current SLAs.
* Develop systems for issuing stock to wards, liaise with ward/department managers, and adjust stock lists and top-up days to improve service provision.
* Provide a ward-based pharmaceutical technician service, including medicines reconciliation, counselling, and TTO teach back.
* Ensure patients’ own drugs are suitable for use, including correct labelling, appropriate containers and expiry checks.
* Monitor and develop systems of dispensing to wards; ensure sufficient supplies on the ward and re-supply as necessary.
* Alert pharmacists to potential prescribing errors or issues relating to patients’ own drugs.
* Review patient EPR/case notes as necessary or liaise with GPs or SCR to clarify drug history, including performing and documenting medicines reconciliation.
* Remove unwanted or discontinued medicines from wards and dispose of them appropriately in line with SOPs and COSHH.
* Provide advice on safe administration and monitoring of a range of medications (e.g., Warfarin, DOACs, Dapagliflozin, Amiodarone).
* Dispense CF Home IV prescriptions and, in the absence of the Homecare Technician, perform final checks on these prescriptions.
* Participate in Practice Research and Clinical Audit projects and produce reports for pharmacy staff use.
* Participate in out-of-hours, weekend and bank holiday provision of pharmaceutical services.
* Dispense in Clinical Trial settings following trial procedures and maintain appropriate records; assist in trial setup and dispensing procedure design as required.
* Issue, receive and stock-control Controlled Drugs in accordance with SOPs and the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
* Dispense, order and maintain records for unlicensed drugs, liaising with Regional Quality Control to determine suitability for use when necessary.
* Ensure procedures are carried out in accordance with safe systems of work and compliance with Health and Safety at Work Act, COSHH and other legislation.
* Participate in ensuring emergency cupboards and arrest boxes are fully stocked according to current departmental procedures.
* Assist with prescription charges collection, issuing receipts/invoices where necessary, and liaising with finance to balance cash from the pharmacy till.
* Organise transport for drugs owed to patients or required in an emergency.
* Assist the pharmacist with Medicines Information, assessing, retrieving and presenting drug information within the limits of technical knowledge and help store and file information.
* Use current technology to make appropriate records and undertake extra training as required; maintain and develop the pharmacy computer system with the computer systems managers.
* Participate and contribute in pharmacy meetings and support the Pharmacy Business Plan.
* Respond to MHRA and NPSA drug alerts and perform the final accuracy check of medicines that have been clinically checked.
* Participate in the management of returned pharmaceuticals, returning to stock or disposing of them safely as appropriate, and complete stock checks in line with departmental procedures.
Managerial/Leadership
* Help coordinate junior technical staff, student technicians and Assistant Technical Officers as necessary.
* Deputise for Senior Technicians during periods of absence where required; cover for Assistant Technical Officers during absences.
* Distribute and monitor controlled stationery, including stock control.
Professional
* Participate in personal assessment and continuing education to stay updated on pharmaceutical matters and legislative changes affecting pharmacy.
* Work at all times to the Pharmacy Technician Code of Ethics as laid down by the General Pharmaceutical Council and the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK.
* Maintain registration and record CPD with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
Education and Training
* Participate in training of student technicians, pre-registration pharmacists, new pharmacists and new technicians as required.
* Assist in counselling patients on the use of their drugs and devices required to deliver those drugs to improve adherence.
Keep up to date with all mandatory training.
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