Job Description:
POSITION: Apprentice Dispenser/Prescription clerk
REPORTS TO: Dispensary Manager/Practice Manager
ACCOUNTABLE TO: Partners
HOURS: As per Contract
________________________________________________________________
Full-Time Apprenticeship – Pharmacy Services Assistant level 2
We are offering an exciting opportunity for an Apprentice Dispenser / Prescription Clerk to join our friendly and professional practice team. This role includes a fully supported apprenticeship programme leading to a Pharmacy Services Assistant level 2 qualification
This is an excellent opportunity for someone who is organised, caring, and interested in starting a career within healthcare.
SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES
The post holder is responsible to provide a high quality, professional dispensing service to patients, doctors, nurses, staff, colleagues, health service professionals and others. The Dispensary is an integral part of the practice and it is essential that they present a professional and caring image of the practice and maintain strict confidentiality at all times. To ensure that enquiries from patients are efficiently and courteously handled to the mutual satisfaction of the partners and patients.
All staff must follow the professional codes of practice. This means that they must make every effort to protect confidentiality. It also means that no identifiable information about a patient is passed to anyone or any agency without the express permission of that patient. A breach of confidentiality will result in dismissal.
DISPENSING/MEDICAL RECEPTIONIST CODE OF CONDUCT
As a Trainee Dispense/ prescription clerk at Sheringham Medical Practice you must
· Be accountable by making sure you can answer for your actions or omissions.
· Support the equality, diversity, and rights of patients, carers, and colleagues, to include:
o Acting in a way that recognises the importance of people's rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Practice procedures and policies, and current legislation respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
o Behaving in a manner, which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities, and rights.
o Work in collaboration with your colleagues to ensure the delivery of high quality, safe and compassionate healthcare, care and support.
o Communicate in an open and effective way to promote the health, safety and wellbeing of people who use health and care services and their carers.
o Respect a person's right to confidentiality.
o Strive to improve the quality of healthcare, care and support through continuing professional development.
o Uphold and promote equality, diversity and inclusion.
KEY ROLE - PLANNING AND ORGANISATION OF WORK
The post-holder's work is determined by the requirements of the Practice, GP Partners, the Managers and the patients.
The Dispensary Manager provides immediate line-management for the post-holder. The post holder will take instruction on a day to day basis from their Dispensary Manager. However, the post-holder is expected to be self-directed and self-motivated using their own initiative and requiring minimum input from the Dispensary Manager. The Post-holder's work is formally reviewed by annual appraisal.
The post-holder must be proactive in forward planning, identifying and implementing improvements within and beyond their key result areas, anticipating and communicating future internal and external requirements.
KEY ROLE – GENERAL
· To work within the guidelines and policies of the Practice
· To ensure that statutory requirements are met at all times and to implement practice policy as directed by the management team.
· To ensure that safe systems of work are practiced and that the agreed health and safety policies are carried out.
· To be aware of the responsibility of every employee to have regard for safety for him or herself and others at work within the health and safety at work act
· To be conversant to with the practice fire regulations
· Training requirements will be monitored by yearly appraisal.
· Personal development will be encouraged and supported by the Practice. It is the individuals' responsibility to remain up to date with recent developments within the practice and the NHS.
KEY ROLE – QUALITY PRACTICE
· The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, and will:
alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
· Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
· Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the team's performance.
· Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
· Effectively manage own time, workload and resources
KEY ROLE - Dispensary
· Process prescriptions from repeat, secondary care and as per GP request
· Adhere to current practice Standard Operating Procedures and Protocols regarding the processing of prescriptions
· Ensure the involvement of a GP when not supported by Medicine Management.
· Process requests for new and/or temporary residents
· Receive and transfer prescriptions
· Deal with customer queries at dispensary hatch and on the phone
· Deal with queries from pharmacy and other professionals/organisations
· Respond to queries via tasks as required
· Dispense (label & assemble) prescriptions to eligible patients
· Adhere to current practice Standard Operating Procedures and Protocols regarding the dispensing of prescriptions
· Endorsing prescriptions where able
· Ordering of stock from agreed suppliers within set time limits
· Receive and unpack drug orders
· Enter received stock onto SystmOne
· Stock rotate
· Deal with any stock anomalies
· Process prescriptions according to whiteboard
· Bagging prescriptions and store appropriately
KEY ROLE – PREMISES
· Ensure the waiting room for patients is kept clean and tidy.
· Ensure all consultation rooms are regularly stocked
· Ensure all toilet areas are checked on a regular basis
· Ensure the Staff Kitchen is kept clean and tidy.
KEY ROLE – FLEXIBLE WORKING
· Working flexible hours will be necessary to ensure the smooth running of the practice in the event of a team member being absent or on annual leave.
CONFIDENTIALITY
· In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately
· In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, Practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the Practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential
· Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the Practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the Practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data
· Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
· Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work
QUALITY
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, and will:
· Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
· Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
· Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the team's performance
· Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
· Effectively manage own time, workload and resources
COMMUNICATION
The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
· Communicate effectively with other team members
· Communicate effectively with patients and carers
· Recognise people's needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly
CONTRIBUTION TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SERVICES
The post-holder will:
· Apply Practice policies, standards and guidance
· Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
· Participate in audit where appropriate
WORKING CONDITIONS
· Occasional exposure to body fluids, blood, wounds, fleas and lice.
· Occasional exposure to aggressive behaviour
· Frequent use of VDU equipment.
DATA PROTECTION ACT
· All members of staff are bound by requirements of the Data protection Act 1998 and any breaches of the Act or of the confidential nature of the work of this post could lead to dismissal.
HEALTH & SAFETY
The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others' health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health & Safety Policy, to include:
· Using personal security systems within the workplace according to Practice guidelines
· Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
· Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
· Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards
· Reporting potential risks identified
KEY ROLE – SAFEGUARDING
All adults working in, or on behalf of the Practice have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This includes:
· Responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn.
· To identify children who may be in need of extra help or who are suffering, or are likely to suffer significant harm. All staff than have a responsibility to take appropriate action, working with services as needed.
At the induction staff will receive information about systems within the Practice which support safeguarding. This includes the child protection/safeguarding policy, staff behaviour policy (code of conduct), the role of the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) this can all be found on IQ.
All staff will:
· Receive a paper/electronic copy of, read and sign to say that they have read and understood Safeguarding Policy
· Receive safeguarding training which is regularly updated as well as online safety training so they are equipped with the knowledge and skills to keep children safe.
· Receive regular safeguarding and child protection updates at least annually via email, e-bulletins and staff meetings to help provide them with an awareness of safeguarding issues (including FGM, 'honour based' violence, forced marriage and radicalisation/extremism), relevant skills and knowledge to safeguard children effectively.
Be aware of;
· The process for making referral to MASH and for statutory assessments that may follow this and the role they may play in such assessments.
· Know what to do if a child tells them he/she is being abused or neglected and how to share information appropriately.
· Be aware that safeguarding issues can manifest themselves via peer on peer abuse and be clear about the school policy on peer on peer abuse.
EQUALITY & DIVERSITY
The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:
· Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of people's rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
· Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
· Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Permanent, Apprenticeship
Benefits:
* Free flu jabs
* Health & wellbeing programme
* On-site parking
Work Location: In person
Application deadline: 11/03/2026