Bank dispensary assistant

NHS Jobs; Farnham; On-site; CAD 43,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Jobs is seeking a Dispenser to join a GP practice. The role works under supervision to ensure safe, accurate and timely supply of prescribed medication and to provide admin support to clinicians.

Responsibilities include answering patient queries, supporting antimicrobial stewardship, maintaining records, assisting with audits, and ensuring compliance with safeguarding policies. The post-holder will be an integral part of the practice team.

Qualifications

• Check medicines dispensed to promote safe dispensing.
• Support with prescribing policies in GP practices and care homes.
• Undertake clinical audits related to patient safety.
• Collect prescription charges and handle admin tasks.
• Maintain controlled drugs in line with policy.
• Safely dispose of returned/outdated medicines and reduce wastage.
• Receive/store supplies preserving cold chain where needed.
• Process repeat prescriptions within required timeframes.
• Support EPS and other legal/safe handling of medicines.
• Record accurate coding entries and maintain records.

Responsibilities

• Supervise reception staff to sort GP prescription requests.
• Assist in monthly returns and governance initiatives.
• Provide patient advice on prescription matters and queries.
• Participate in antimicrobial stewardship efforts.
• Contribute to medicines optimisation and safety audits.
• Attend appraisals and support learning from incidents.

Skills

Medicines dispensing

Patient advisory

Audit & governance

Administrative support

Job description

The post-holder is a Dispenser and is an integral part of the general practice team, working within their professional boundaries. This role will work under the supervision of the Dispensary Manager to ensure the safe, accurate and timely supply of prescribed medication to patients, and to provide administrative support to the clinicians. The Dispenser will support the practice clinical teams with queries regarding medication from patients. The Dispenser will support the Dispensary Manager in ensuring a high level of service is delivered at all times while supporting the multi-disciplinary team in line with the strategic objectives of the organisation. The Dispenser will complete audits regarding patient safety in the prescribing of medication and present the information for sharing with the clinical team. The core responsibilities of the Dispenser in delivering health services.

• a. Be responsible for checking all medicines dispensed to promote safe dispensing processes a. Support with national prescribing policies and guidance within GP practices and care homes. This will be achieved through undertaking clinical audits (e.g., use of antibiotics), supporting quality improvement measures
• b. Collect prescription charges in accordance with dispensary protocol
• c. Ensure controlled drugs are maintained in accordance with practice policy
• d. Ensure the safe disposal of returned and/or out of date medicine and working with the multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation, including implementing efficient ordering and return processes, and reducing wastage
• e. Receive and store supplies in accordance with current policy, ensuring the cold chain is maintained
• f. Ensure all repeat prescriptions are processed within the allotted timeframe
• g. Provide support on the legal, safe and secure handling of medicines, including the implementation of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS)
• h. Process prescription requests via all means of communications
• i. Provide patients with advice regarding all prescription matters
• j. Process multi-compartment compliance aids (Dosette box)
• k. Assist the Dispensary Manager in the preparation of monthly returns
• l. Always maintain accurate records, including appropriate coding entries
• m. Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing
• n. Assist in the delivery of medicines optimisation and management incentive schemes and patient safety audits
• o. Supervise practice reception teams in sorting and streaming general prescription requests, so as to allow GPs to review the more clinically complex request
• p. Be aware of duties and responsibilities regarding current legislation and adhere to practice policies and procedures on Safeguarding Adults and Safeguarding Children
• q. Be an integral part of the general practice team
• r. Demonstrate initiative and be creative in finding solutions to problems
• s. Support in the management of patient complaints when requested to do so and participate in the identification of any necessary learning brought about through incidents and near-miss events
• t. Be aware of guidance to ensure that the dispensary conforms to regulatory guidance
• u. Undertake stock-takes in accordance with guidance
• v. Undertake all mandatory training and induction programmes
• w. Contribute to and embrace the spectrum of clinical governance
• x. Attend a formal appraisal with their manager at least every 12 months. Once a performance/training objective has been set, progress will be reviewed on a regular basis so that new objectives can be agreed
• y. Contribute to public health campaigns (e.g., flu clinics)
• z. Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times

There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks, this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels