Pharmacy Dispensing Assistant/Trainee Pharmaceutical Technician

Integrated Care System; London; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

An Integrated Care System in London seeks a Pharmacy Dispensing Assistant/Trainee Pharmaceutical Technician for a full-time position. The role includes dispensing medication, providing health advice, and managing stock in a busy pharmacy environment. Applicants should have NVQ Level 2 in Pharmaceutical Sciences or equivalent, along with strong communication skills and the ability to multitask and prioritize effectively. This position also offers the opportunity to complete the Pharmacy Technician course.

Qualifications

• Current UK community or hospital pharmacy experience.
• Demonstrated ability to dispense accurately.
• Computer literate including Microsoft software products.

Responsibilities

• Prepare labels using the pharmacy computer system and assemble prescriptions.
• Counsel patients on the use of their dispensed medications.
• Manage stock, including ordering and checking deliveries.

Skills

Accurate dispensing

Strong communication skills

Multitasking

Education

NVQ Level 2 Qualifications in Pharmaceutical Sciences or equivalent

Tools

JAC pharmacy computer system

Prescription tracking systems

Job description

Pharmacy Dispensing Assistant/Trainee Pharmaceutical Technician

We're Hiring - FULL TIME (40 hours per week) Pharmacy Dispensing Assistant/Trainee Pharmacy Technician

The Pharmacy Dispensing Assistant plays a key role in ensuring efficient and high quality customer experience is maintained. Qualified to NVQ2 in Pharmacy Services (or equivalent).

Duties include: Assembly of prescribed items under the supervision of the Responsible Pharmacist and Superintendent Pharmacist and in line with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Provision of comprehensive counselling to patients on the use of medication. Providing health and well-being advice and recommending suitable remedies for minor ailments by signposting patients or through sales of OTC and pharmacy only medicines. Stock management including: receipt, storage, date checking and stock house-keeping.

Opportunity to complete the Pharmacy Technician course.

PLEASE NOTE THIS JOB DOES NOT FALL UNDER AGENDA FOR CHANGE.

Main duties of the job

Whether dispensing medication, providing pharmacy services, recommending products and making sales, you will be providing personalised solutions to help people lead healthier lives - this is work with real purpose. You would be expected to help develop and drive forward services to meet the needs of our patients, staff and the local community.

Please note that this post does not fall under NHS Agenda for Change as Whittington Pharmacy is a Community Interest Company

About us

Medical services have been delivered on the Whittington Hospital site for over 500 years. The Whittington and the community health services in Islington and Haringey are award winning organisations, delivering acute and community based health services to a population of over 400,000 people.

The organisation is the biggest employer in the area, with over 4,500 staff; delivering healthcare not only on the acute hospital site, but also from a variety of other community based health centres and through visits to patients homes across the boroughs to address the health needs of the local population. Whittington Health also works with other health, social care and voluntary sector partners to support patients and service users from their initial appointment whether it be with a community health team or at the hospital, all the way through to treatment and tailored after care.

We are one of the three main teaching campuses for the Royal Free and University College Medical School.

Our ICARE (Innovation, Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence) Values not only help us shape what we do, but also how we do it and why. They are fundamental to the way we do business and care for our patients.

For more information, please access the following link: https://www.whittington.nhs.uk/

Job responsibilities

Key Job Responsibilities

Dispensing

• Prepare labels using the pharmacy computer system (JAC) and correctly assemble prescriptions, ensuring each item is accurately dispensed and in the correct packaging, according to standard operating procedures (SOP).
• Assist with clinical and Technical queries
• Organise the timely supply of out of stock medication to patients.
• Communicate any delays in supply to the appropriate person. .
• Counsel patients on the use of their dispensed medications, offering advice and answering any queries they may have. Refer any queries to a pharmacist when appropriate.

Ordering and Stock Management:

• Receive deliveries from suppliers and manufacturers.
• Check delivery for accuracy against paperwork.
• Query discrepancies and damaged stock with supplier/senior staff member.
• Securely store stock into the allocated areas ensuring rotation of stock.
• Enter products onto the Pharmacy computer system.
• Query computer stock level discrepancies with a senior member of staff.
• File paperwork and keep relevant documentation.
• Remove expired, unwanted and overstocked drugs and inform a senior member of staff.
• Process unwanted medication and sort drugs for destruction or recycling in line with COSHH regulations and SOP.
• To assist with stock control and the maintenance of reasonable stock levels within the retail environment.
• Order stock from suppliers and manufacturers in accordance with the ordering procedures and order of delegation/financial instructions.

Customer Service and Communication:

• Engender a customer first culture across the organisation ensuring high standards of professional customer service are delivered at all times within the pharmacy.
• To respond to telephone and face-to-face queries of a routine pharmaceutical nature from patients or their representatives and to refer queries to the pharmacist when appropriate.
• Receive prescriptions/orders and process on to the pharmacy prescription tracking system ensuring accurate data entry.
• Receive prescription fees from outpatients (NHS and private), or complete exemption declaration forms and assist outpatients to determine their prescription charge exemption.
• To respond to symptoms described by customers by following agreed protocols and using own knowledge and judgement.
• To select and recommend suitable products and provide advice on their correct use.

Person Specification

Skills

• oCurrent UK community or hospital pharmacy experience
• oDemonstrated ability to dispense accurately
• oStrong communication skills - must be able to recognise and overcome barriers to understanding e.g. language, deaf, learning difficulties
• oStrong ability to multi-task, prioritise, plan and organise
• oDemonstrate clinical knowledge and ability to counsel and give advice to patients/carers
• oComputer literate including Microsoft software products
• oExperience of working in a hospital pharmacy
• oExperience of using Analyst and JAC pharmacy computer system
• oExperience of using prescription tracking systems (PTS)
• oExperience of working in an automated dispensary environment
• oExperience/knowledge of the principles of stock control.

Functional

• Strong ability to multi-task, prioritise, plan and organise
• Fluent written and spoken English including good numeracy
• Meet and Demonstrate Trust values
• Ability to work in a busy environment
• Able to meet deadlines when requested
• Strong communication skills - must be able to recognise and overcome barriers to understanding e.g. language, deaf, learning difficulties
• Efficient at planning and organising

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 2 Qualifications in Pharmaceutical Sciences or equivalent

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.