Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Lead Pharmacy Technician (Medicines Effectiveness)
The closing date is 10 November 2025
We are delighted to share this exciting opportunity for an enthusiast Advanced Medicines Optimisation Technician to join our Pharmacy Medicines Effectiveness (PME) team.
This post is pivotal to the smooth running of our PME team, with the postholder responsible for ensuring access to new NICE TA approved and new formulary medicines across the Trust, as well as managing our formulary exceptions and unlicensed medicines processes and allocating relevant tasks to other team members, in a timely way, to facilitate this.
The postholder will also maintain their competency as an Advanced Medicines Optimisation Technician and Accredited Checking Technician by contributing to our Medicines Optimisation Service at ward level, and undertaking final checking and other Dispensary duties as per rota.
The successful candidate will join a team with a culture of improving together, inspiring up-and-coming team members, and embracing change, all with a clear line of sight to the safety, outcomes and experiences of the patients in our care. We will, in turn, support you in developing your medicines effectiveness, medicines optimisation and leadership skills.
Main duties of the job
To undertake, support and promote activities, in collaboration with the Advanced Pharmacist (Medicines Effectiveness) and Lead Pharmacist (Clinical Commissioning & Medicines Value), to maintain and enhance the use of safe, clinically- effective, cost-efficient medicines within the Trust, embedding a culture of formulary adherence, and the safe and appropriate use and handling of unlicensed medicines across the Trust.
To work as an Advanced Medicines Optimisation technician, supporting the Lead Medicines Optimisation technician, in development, delivery and monitoring of a safe, high-quality and comprehensive patient-centred Clinical Pharmacy services to patients and staff across our Trust, contributing innovatively and proactively to the changing demands on the service and ensuring that it is provided in a professional, timely and efficient manner.
To oversee the day-to-day work of, and line manage, the Pharmacy Assistant (Medicines Effectiveness), and other pharmacy team members if service delivery requires and with prior agreement.
About us
"Our STAR values - Service, Teamwork, Ambition and Respect - are a golden thread running through everything we do. These values serve as a guiding principle, driving us towards our vision of delivering great joined up services to our local community. Whether at home, in the community, or within the hospital, our goal is to empower individuals to lead independent and healthier lives."
Job responsibilities
Leadership & Management
* To provide senior operational leadership and take appropriate action to manage operational issues on a day-to-day basis across the team, service and department as required (e.g. staff shortages, complaints, clinical emergencies and any other urgent or unplanned events), to ensure continuity of service is maintained, negotiating with other service managers and agreeing plans to ensure adequate provision of staff / resource as required.
* To manage the introduction of new formulary medicines to the Trust (including medicines with positive NICE TAs and PBR-excluded medicines), including organising the creation of new drug profiles, ensuring medicines can be prescribed electronically and liaising with our Medicines Effectiveness pharmacists, Pharmacy Stores, Pharmacy Homecare, specialist clinical pharmacists and specialty clinicians as necessary to achieve this.
* To produce, in collaboration with our Medicines Effectiveness pharmacists, and provide to pharmacy staff, nursing staff and prescribers any additional information necessary to facilitate introduction of new formulary medicines to the Trust.
* To publicise, in collaboration with our Medicines Effectiveness pharmacists, key formulary changes, including changes to BSW prescribing guidance, to healthcare professionals across the Trust.
* To oversee and co-ordinate the pharmacy aspects of the GWH Unlicensed Medicines process & GWH Formulary Exceptions process.
* To actively organise and analyse storage, security and record keeping audits of unlicensed medicines and non-formulary prescribing. Devise and supervise the implementation of action plans and maintain close links with the lead modern matrons and ward and department managers.
* To work closely with Pharmacy or ward-based staff to provide additional training and/or implement and monitor mitigations relating to non-formulary prescribing and unlicensed medicines.
* To work with the other members of the Pharmacy department to identify and action strategies to reduce the potential of medication errors associated with unlicensed medicines.
* To identify themes from audits of unlicensed medicines and non-formulary prescribing and work with our Medicines Effectiveness pharmacists and Senior Pharmacy Leadership team to implement mitigation and learning interventions in relation to unlicensed medicines and formulary adherence.
* To support Lead Pharmacist (Clinical Commissioning & Medicines Value) to write and disseminate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) when necessary.
* To support Lead Pharmacist (Clinical Commissioning & Medicines Value) to identify, actively strive to deliver and regularly monitor key performance indicators for the Medicines Effectiveness team.
* To oversee the day-to-day work of the Pharmacy Assistant (Medicines Effectiveness).
* To undertake the role and duties of an Advanced Medicines Optimisation both at ward level, as part of our Medicines Optimisation service, and within our Dispensary, as an accredited checking technician.
Please see Job Description for full details.
Person Specification
* Registered as a Pharmacy Technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council
* NVQ / QCF Level 3 in Pharmacy Services or equivalent plus accredited underpinning knowledge (BTEC in Pharmaceutical Science or equivalent)
* Accredited Checking Technician qualification or be eligible and willing to work towards accreditation which will be completed within 12 months
* Accredited Medicines Management qualification or be eligible and willing to work towards accreditation which will be completed within 12 months.
Experience
* Significant broad experience in a hospital pharmacy with experience of leading and managing teams.
* Experience managing own workload to meet the needs of a service.
* Experience working within a role involving multi-disciplinary communication.
* Experience managing meetings.
* Experience of audit and/or research and its implementation.
* Successful project or change management.
* Experience preparing memoranda, newsletters or other comms.
* Experience of staff recruitment and selection.
* Experience undertaking staff appraisal, objective setting and / or line management.
Knowledge & Skills
* Good knowledge of the legal requirements (Law and Ethics) for dispensing and supplying medicines, with a focus on unlicensed medicines.
* Excellent leadership, motivation and inspiration skills.
* Excellent and effective communication and interpersonal skills, both verbal and written, to pass on complex information.
* Able to handle conflict effectively and differences of opinions in a mature and professional manner.
* Able to give feedback constructively and deal with issues sensitively e.g. if a trainee is not performing well.
* Able to deal with complaints appropriately.
* Able to accept responsibility, prioritise workload and meet deadlines.
* Able to function in stressful situations and cope under pressure.
* Able to identify and manage problems.
* Able to make sound judgments when analysing and interpreting the requirements for Patient services such as allocation of staffing resource across multiple sections.
* Able to discuss prescribed medication, in a clear & sensitive manner, with patients, relatives, carers & other healthcare professionals, even where there are barriers to communication.
* Good clinical knowledge.
* Knowledge of national reports on development of pharmacy services.
Other
* A self-starter, who is self-motivated and driven to progress service provision, with ability to motivate team.
* Positive, confident and supportive of staff.
* Acts professionally & with integrity, maintains a professional image and follows General Pharmaceutical Council professional guidelines.
* Demonstrates a commitment to continuing professional development (CPD).
* Willing to work in other teams within Pharmacy, other parts of the Trust or Trust-wide as needed.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
£38,682 to £46,580 a yearper annum, pro rata
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time,Flexible working,Home or remote working
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