Medicine Management Technician

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust; Eastchurch; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider is seeking a pharmacy technician to deliver medicines management services in a prison setting. The candidate will work with a prison service pharmacist to ensure safe administration of medications and promote healthy lifestyles. A background in pharmacy with registration is essential, along with the ability to work independently and as part of a team. This role is critical in supporting the health and wellbeing of inmates.

Qualifications

• 2 years' experience of working in a pharmacy.
• Previous prison or mental health pharmacy experience.
• Evidence of CPD.

Responsibilities

• Manage own workload for medicines management services.
• Administer medicines to patients with valid prescriptions.
• Supervise assistants in the dispensary.

Skills

Good oral communication skills

Good interpersonal skills

Ability to work independently

Knowledge of working within SOPs

Education

NVQ level 3 Pharmacy Services or equivalent

Registered with GPhC as a pharmacy technician

Job description

This is an excellent opportunity for a pharmacy technician to join our team of diverse, talented healthcare professionals to deliver care that is not only efficient but deeply centred on the patient.

Our healthcare team have a real impact on promoting health and well-being to those in prison and we pride ourselves on using skills and strategies that instil hope for patient's future resettlement back into the community. We directly deliver Mental Health, Physical Health, Pharmacy and Clinical Substance Misuse in an integrated healthcare delivery model to provide effective and responsive care to improve wellbeing and support better outcomes in the future.

This position isn't just a job; it's a chance to blend your clinical knowledge, personal skills and a commitment to delivering the highest standards of care in an environment that is as rewarding as it is challenging.

Important Sponsorship Information for this post: We are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post.

Previous applicants need not apply.

Main duties of the job

As a Pharmacy Technician, you will be providing a medicines management service to patients within the prison with the professional support of a prison service pharmacist. You will administer medicines to patients against a valid prescription, ensuring this is taken correctly, provide advice to patients about the appropriate use of medicines and promote healthy lifestyles to aid their rehabilitation.

You will dispense prescriptions and stock items, whilst supervising assistants when in the dispensary. There will also be elements of stock control involved in your role, such as undertaking stock top-up services and reviewing expiry dates and storage facilities for all medicines, reporting any deficiencies to the prison service pharmacist.

About us

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives.

We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs.

We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We're Kind
• We Listen
• We Care

Job responsibilities

Management responsibilities

• To manage own workload when providing medicines management services.
• To supervise and enhance training opportunities for new members of staff and students.
• To utilise time management skills in order to plan and manage workload within the team.

Clinical

• To provide Medication Administration services as allocated for the prison.
• Participate in monthly clinical visits to the allocated prison(s), under the professional supervision of a pharmacist.
• Undertake a stock top-up service for all areas in which medicines are stored.
• Review the expiry dates and storage facilities for all such medicines and report any deficiencies to the prison service pharmacist for that prison.
• Assist the prison service pharmacist to provide advice to prisoners and staff about the appropriate use of medicines.
• Undertake 3-monthly controlled drugs stock checks, when necessary and report any issues to the Lead Pharmacy Technician and Lead Pharmacist under the supervision of Oxleas Prisons Pharmacy (OPS)
• Undertake monthly medicines management audits using AIM electronic system, when necessary under the supervision of Oxleas Prisons Services (OPS)
• Promote healthy lifestyles for offenders in line with local and national guidelines or promotions.
• Administer medicines to offenders against a valid prescription on the house blocks.
• Recognise clinical signs of withdrawal, under the influence, overdose, being aware of needs of medication omitting for clinical reasons.
• Complete in possession risk assessment (IPRA) and be aware of policies and procedures in place to monitor.
• Adhere to ACCT (Assessment in Care and Custody Team Working) policies and procedures and attend review meetings.
• Deliver accurate and timely record keeping with basics keyboard skills using System1 templates and processes.
• To demonstrate on-going continual professional development (CPD) and be responsible for self-development and learning within the field of pharmacy or other specialty where appropriate.

Research

• To participate in clinical and departmental audits as required.
• To participate in any quality improvement projects.
• Assisting with the implementation of any new ideas and updates to SOPs.

Communication

• Internally: Pharmacy staff, prison staff, primary care staff, prison mental health service staff, IDTS and CARAT teams, prison security staff.
• Externally: GP surgeries, Community Pharmacies, Hospitals
• Use the summary care record for medicine reconciliation.
• Liaison with home care team services.

Custodial Responsibilities

• Assume personal responsibility for the security of issued keys.
• Understand and comply with prison orders, procedures, and instructions in your area of work.
• Comply with all security requirements.
• Respond to any situation or circumstance that might indicate a threat to security of the establishment or to the safety of an individual, completing Incident, Security, Injury, or other reports as appropriate.
• Report breaches of order and discipline including reporting and recording untoward incidents according to local protocol.
• Contribute to effective risk assessment and management procedures.

IMPORTANT PLEASE READ:

All applicants must be willing to undertake National Security Vetting in order to work in a Prison Setting.

You will need to provide:

• Proof of right to work documentation
• Proof of ID, needs to include 1 photographic ID
• Proof of address documentation
• Non-UK passport holders will need to have correct documentation (right to work in the UK) and a Home office Share code.
• Address History: 5 years address history will be needed.
• Applicants that are not UK Passport holders who provide less than 5 years UK address history will need to provide a Police Certificate which must be in English from where they resided previously.
• Applicants who are UK Passport holders who have lived abroad for a period of more than six months during the last three years will need to provide a certificate of good conduct or an overseas police check in English from the countries resided in or visited.

Person Specification

Education/Qualification

• NVQ level 3 Pharmacy Services or equivalent
• Have or working towards Medicine Optimisation
• Evidence of CPD
• Registration with GPhC as a pharmacy technician

Experience

• 2 years' experience of working in a pharmacy
• Previous prison or mental health pharmacy experience

Skills

• Good oral communication skills
• Good interpersonal skills
• Good knowledge of working within a set of SOPs
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

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.