Pharmacy Assistant Technical Officer

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust; Borstal; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting for a prison pharmacy support role in Rochester. You will assist with procurement, dispensing and stock management within the pharmacy stores, ensuring GDP compliance and proper cold chain handling under supervision.

The post requires adherence to SOPs, regulatory checks, and collaboration with the pharmacy team to maintain accurate records and efficient service in a secure environment.

Qualifications

• Dispense medicines following SOPs after clinical screening.
• Ensure clean, tidy dispensary at all times.
• Assist with drug alerts and recalls per SOPs.
• Record fridge temperatures daily to protect cold chain.
• Develop NVQ Level 2 modules in pharmacy services where needed.

Responsibilities

• Dispense medicines using the Pharmacy IT system per SOPs.
• Maintain clean and orderly dispensary environment.
• Assist with drug alerts and recalls.
• Record fridge temperatures daily; monitor cold chain.
• Be authorised signatory for orders up to £1.5K.
• Source medicines from credible suppliers; follow contracts.
• Carry out stock checks and expiry date logs.
• Create/update drug files on the pharmacy system.
• Deal with administrative tasks: filing, photocopying.
• Work under GDP guidelines and departmental procedures.

Skills

Dispensing

Stock control

GDP compliance

Pharmacy IT systems

Attention to detail

Education

NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services

Tools

Pharmacy computer system

Job description

The post-holder will ensure, under the guidance of the pharmacy technician, the smooth and efficient running of the pharmacy procurement and supplies functions for the pharmacy within Rochester prison with regard to routine ordering, receipt of goods, computer input, appropriate storage of medicines, environmental monitoring, and recycling and disposal of medicines in line with GDP. Important Sponsorship Information for this post: We are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post

• To dispense, using the pharmacy IT system, medicines against prescriptions that have been clinically screened by a pharmacist, following the appropriate standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• To ensure that the dispensary is kept in a clean and tidy condition at all times.
• To assist pharmacists with the practicalities of dealing with drug alerts and recalls.
• To check and record fridge temperatures on a daily basis to ensure integrity of the cold chain.
• To report any errors or issues immediately to the senior pharmacy technician or the Responsible Pharmacist., If not already achieved, to work towards achieving the necessary NVQ level 2 modules in pharmacy services.
• To assist with departmental filing, photocopying and general office work as required. This includes the use of basic packages such as Word.
• To assist the pharmacy technician (ACT) in creating new drug files on the pharmacy computer system and updating the system when new contracts are issued by the CMU
• To be responsible for the day to day ordering, receiving and unpacking of pharmaceutical products from suppliers according to GDP and departmental SOPs
• To be an authorised signatory for placing of orders up to £1.5K in value.
• To ensure that medicines are sourced from credible and reliable suppliers, and purchasing contracts are adhered to.
• AFC Reference Number 1740/14
• To accurately use the pharmacy computer system to receive goods into the pharmacy store according to departmental SOPs.
• To ensure that all goods received into pharmacy stores are kept under the appropriate storage conditions in accordance with GDP.
• To carry out regular stock checks, expiry date checks and other monitoring procedures such as logging fridge and ambient temperatures and dealing with any anomalies in accordance with GDP and departmental procedure.
• To ensure high standards and accuracy of work and to ensure all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are read and adhered to.
• To ensure medicines returned from clinical areas, are sorted and either returned to stock or disposed of safely and appropriately in accordance with GDP, Trust guidelines and departmental procedures.
• To ensure that all work carried out in procurement is done in accordance with current legislation, including GDP and departmental and Trust financial procedures.

Management Responsibilities

• To manage work load in pharmacy stores to ensure tasks are carried out in a timely manner and orders are received on time.

Communication

• To communicate with routine pharmaceutical suppliers and manufacturers to place orders, chase receipt of goods and to query invoice discrepancies.
• To deal with telephone queries and staff visiting the department, both dispensary and stores, as first point of contact, dealing with them or referring to others if required according to SOPs.
• To communicate, as necessary, with external regulatory bodies, information pertaining to the WDL or other requests.

Other

• Post holders will need to undertake a prison security check (level 1) prior to being employed, as well the standard NHS recruitment checks.
• To appreciate the secure environment you are working in and to adhere to all prison procedures as necessary.
• To undertake any other tasks at the request of the senior prison services pharmacist.
• 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.

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. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes. 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

All applicants must be willing to undertake National Security Vetting in order to work in a Prison Setting. This will be completed as part of the pre-employment checks through Oxleas and the prison vetting team.

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