Higher Level Pharmacy Assistant - Dispensary & Medicines Optimisation

Chelsea And Westminster Hospital Nhs Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Band 3 Pharmacy Assistant to join a busy team. You will rotate between the main inpatient pharmacy and satellite dispensaries, dispensing medicines, labeling, and maintaining records to support ward pharmacy teams.

Essential NVQ 2 in Pharmacy Service Skills and GCSEs in English, Maths and Science are required. The role involves weekend shifts and continuous commitment to patient care in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Essential NVQ level 2 in Pharmacy Service Skills or equivalent.
• GCSE English, Maths and Science grade C or above or equivalent.
• Working towards NVQ level 2 in Pharmacy Service Skills or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Dispense medicines according to procedure and label using the Pharmacy computer system.
• Prepare emergency drug boxes and maintain accurate medication records.
• Assist with stock control and provide support to ward pharmacy teams.
• Rotate between main and satellite dispensaries and work weekend shifts.

Skills

Communication

Teamwork

Prioritisation

Attention to detail

Work under pressure

Pharmacy procedures

JAC/WellSky skills

Education

NVQ level 2 in Pharmacy Service Skills

GCSE English, Maths and Science grade C or above

Working towards NVQ level 2 in Pharmacy Service Skills

Tools

JAC/WellSky pharmacy stock control system

Job description

Job summary

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic Band 3 Pharmacy Assistant to join our dynamic team.As a Band 3 Pharmacy Assistant, you will play a crucial role in supporting our pharmacy services, rotating between the main inpatient pharmacy and the satellite pharmacies.

Key duties of this role include dispensing medicines according to procedure, using the Pharmacy computer system to produce dispensing labels, preparation of emergency drug boxes, maintaining accurate medication records, assisting in efficient stock control management and providing essential support to our ward pharmacy teams. This role is perfect for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is committed to delivering exceptional patient care.

Level 2 NVQ in Pharmacy Service Skills (or equivalent) is essential for this role. If you do not hold this qualification, you will be paid at Band 2 until you have completed the qualification.

Main duties of the job

Applicants must be reliable, adaptable to change, capable of working in a busy environment and have excellent people skills to be able to communicate with a large range of healthcare professionals, patients and their relatives.

The successful applicant will be responsible for offering a medicines management support service to the pharmacy and ward teams. This involves speaking to patients and relatives about their medicines, helping to avoid missed doses, transferring medicines to other wards and to deliver a strong pharmacy presence in a demanding environment. The post holder will be a vital link between the multidisciplinary team at ward level and the Pharmacy service.

You must be able to prioritise your workload, use initiative, work under pressure, meet deadlines and be committed to the delivery of high standards in a patient focused service.

About us

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of England's top-performing and safest trusts. We operate two main acute hospital sites--Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital--along with award-winning clinics across North West London.

Our nearly 7,500 staff care for a diverse population of 1.5 million, providing full clinical services, including maternity, A&E, and children's services, plus specialist HIV and sexual health clinics. The Care Quality Commission rates us 'Good' in safety, effectiveness, care, and responsiveness, and 'Outstanding' in leadership and resource use.

We continually invest in our facilities, including a £30m expansion of critical care at Chelsea and Westminster and an £80m Ambulatory Diagnostic Centre at West Middlesex.

We welcome applications for flexible working arrangements, accommodating requests where possible to support our staff and patient needs.

The Trust is committed to equality and welcomes applications from all, regardless of background. Adjustments can be made for disabled candidates. Early application is advised as vacancies may close once sufficient applications are received. If you haven't heard from us within three weeks of the closing date, your application was likely unsuccessful. Employment is subject to a six-month probationary period.

Some roles may require weekend shifts at multiple sites.

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the description above and to the job description.

This will be a combined role with both main dispensary and the satellite dispensary. Also there will be a rotation to ward level to support the established medicines management team.

You will be required to participate in weekend, bank holiday, early and late duty rotas.

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• English, Maths and Science GCSE grade C or above or equivalent
• NVQ level 2 in Pharmacy Service Skills or equivalent
• Working towards NVQ level 2 in Pharmacy Service Skills or equivalent

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Ability to work to set procedures
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Ability to work under pressure accurately and in a busy environment
• Ability to organise and prioritise routine daily tasks using own initiative
• Ability to motivate self and others and demonstrate enthusiasm for the position
• Ability to communicate routine information effectively using clear written and spoken English
• Familiar with pharmacy procedures and workflow
• Pharmacy JAC/Wellsky skills

Experience

Essential

• Understanding of stock control
• Previous experience of working in hospital Pharmacy
• Customer Service
• Pharmacy labelling and stock control systems
• Recent previous experience working in pharmacy within the NHS
• Preferably JAC/Wellsky pharmacy stock control system

Personal qualities

Essential

• Demonstrate enthusiasm for the position
• Methodical with attention to detail
• Friendly, empathetic and reliable team worker able to relate to all grades of staff
• Flexibility in approach to work according to priorities within a constantly changing environment.
• Ability to cope well within a busy environment
• Ability to perform repetitive tasks and lifting medicine weight boxes
• Ability to sit or stand for prolonged periods
• Ability to motivate self and others

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.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).