Pharmacy assistant - Homecare

Sussexcommunity; Crawley; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS provider is seeking a Pharmacy Assistant - Homecare for an 18-month fixed term contract at Crawley Hospital. The role involves processing prescriptions, record keeping, and ensuring compliance with protocols. Ideal candidates will demonstrate attention to detail and effective communication skills, contributing to the pharmacy team's vital community work.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Excellent training and development opportunities

Cost-effective workplace nursery

Qualifications

• Educated to secondary school standard with minimum 5 GCSEs.
• NVQ in pharmacy services or equivalent experience required.

Responsibilities

• Receiving and processing prescriptions for homecare services.
• Maintaining accurate records of prescriptions and invoices.
• Communicating with the Homecare team about order discrepancies.

Skills

Good verbal communication skills

Excellent attention to detail and accuracy

Good organisation and prioritisation skills

Able to cope with medicine names

Reliable, enthusiastic and self-motivated

Education

5 GCSE's (grade C or above or equivalent including maths and English)

NVQ in pharmacy services or equivalent pharmacy experience

Job description

We are looking for a reliable and conscientious person, with an aptitude for thoroughness and accuracy, to fill the highly valued role of a Pharmacy Assistant - Homecare on an 18 month fixed term contract.

The successful candidate will be a member of a friendly and supportive pharmacy team and will be based at the pharmacy department in Crawley Hospital.

Main duties of the job

For part time applicants the main duties include:

• Receiving prescriptions and checking they are valid
• Processing prescriptions and sending to homecare companies
• Maintaining good record keeping of prescriptions and invoices
• Communicate with the Homecare team and companies around discrepancies.

For full time applicants there may be additional medicines management responsibilities.

Please see full job description for more detail.

About us

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.

Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.

Why work for us?o Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeingo Varied environments: community hospitals, patients' homes, and bases across Sussexo Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retiremento Excellent training, development, and research opportunitieso Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brightono Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networkso Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trusto Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast

Our values--Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence--guide everything we do.

We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.

This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.

Job responsibilities

Medicines Management Production of orders to suppliers and processing the orders. Check and process delivery notes and invoices, ensuring they reflect orders received. Problem solve on ordering and invoice issues, in liaison with the Computer and Procurement Pharmacy Technician. Receiving the delivery to the pharmacy dispensary, unpacking and recording delivery.

Pharmacy Dispensary / Ward Duties Undertake stock top up of medicines on wards and departments. Answer incoming phone calls in a polite manner, referring on as appropriate and taking accurate messages if necessary. Select medicines according to ward requisitions / clinic orders according to local procedure. Select and label medicines according to the local procedure under supervision in preparation for checking. This will require:- Selection to a high specification of accuracy.- Complex manipulation of dispensing into multi-dose compartment compliance aids. Maintain high quality of data input of into the pharmacy dispensary computer system.

Please see the person specification and job description for further information.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Educated to secondary school standard
• 5 GCSE's (grade c or above or equivalent including maths and english)
• NVQ in pharmacy services or equivalent pharmacy experience

Experience

• One year experience as a pharmacy assistant or pharmacy related work or the ability to demonstrate pharmacy knowledge and procedures
• previous experience working in community, hospital or ICB
• Safe and secure handling of medicines processes
• experience on processing orders and invoice clearance
• Working with NHS pharmacy procurement, distribution, safe storage and transportation of medicines processes
• Experience training others
• Working in an inpatient environment including with direct patient contact
• Multi-disciplinary working

Skills and knowledge

• Able to cope with medicine names
• Good organisation and prioritisation skills
• good verbal communication skills - Face to face and via telephone
• Able to work to protocols, procedures and guidelines
• Able to keep accurate records
• Able to resolve problems
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy
• Good computer skills including Microsoft office, emails and internet
• Reliable, enthusiastic and self motivated
• Ability to work under pressure
• Willing to undertake repetitive and routine work
• Able to work within teams with good interpersonal abilities
• Adaptable to change and ability to support change issues
• Ability to work alone or under supervision
• Honest and trustworthy
• Uses initiative but recognises limitations and able to identify when advice is needed
• Knowledge of stores/stock keeping processes
• knowledge of medicines management and relevant legislation and policies
• knowledge of safe and secure handling of medicines processes
• Experience of working with homecare teams and patients
• an understanding of information management and technology in the management of pharmaceutical services

other requirements

• flexible approach
• able to concentrate on tasks for an extended period
• able to cope with interruptions when busy
• able to work to deadlines
• ability to work on multi-sites and travel between sites using own mode of transport
• Able to lift/carry goods

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.

£24,625 to £25,674 a yearPer Annum (Pro rata for part time)