Senior Assistant Technical Officer

The Methodist Church in Britain; Grimsby; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Senior Pharmacy Assistant to join the pharmacy department. The role involves dispensing medicines, managing stock, and supplying wards, with supervision and training of pharmacy assistants.

Rotational site coverage and weekend/evening bank holidays are included. Applicants should have an NVQ level 2 in pharmacy services or equivalent, and demonstrable pharmacy experience.

Qualifications

• NVQ level 2 in pharmacy services or equivalent required.
• Experience dispensing prescriptions or preparing aseptic products is desirable.
• Ability to supervise, prioritise and train others is essential.

Responsibilities

• Dispense and issue medicines under safe systems of work.
• Supervise pharmacy assistants and assess workload.
• Train pharmacy assistants and other staff, including robot training.
• Order and supply ward stock top-ups and urgent requests.
• Receive deliveries, check stock and resolve discrepancies.
• Enter and maintain records on the pharmacy computer system.
• Lead reception duties and manage complex enquiries.
• Load automated dispensing machine and fix basic robot faults.
• Store pharmaceuticals properly and manage disposal of medicines.
• Carry out daily stock counts and issue medicines as needed.
• Deliver medicines to wards and departments and assist with IV fluids and stock handling.
• Support NVQ level 2 training for staff rotating through areas.

Skills

Clear communication

IT applications

Attention to detail

Supervising/training

Stock control

Numeracy

Education

NVQ level 2 in pharmacy services

Tools

Pharmacy computer systems

Job description

This Senior Pharmacy Assistant post sits in the pharmacy department of Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, working in dispensaries and stores with pharmacists and technicians. The work centres on dispensing medicines, managing stock and supplying wards, alongside supervising and training pharmacy assistants. The postholder may rotate across the trust's sites and must cover evening, weekend and bank holiday shifts. An NVQ level 2 in pharmacy services, or an equivalent, is required.

What the job involves

• Dispense and issue medicines, including extemporaneous, controlled, unlicensed and trial medicines, under departmental safe systems of work
• Supervise pharmacy assistants, prioritising their workload and assessing support workers
• Train pharmacy assistants and other staff, including robot error training and training as staff rotate between areas
• Order and supply ward stock top-ups, plus ad hoc, urgent and emergency stock requests
• Receive deliveries, check picked stock, rotate stock and investigate discrepancies with suppliers and invoicing staff
• Enter and maintain records on the pharmacy computer system
• Lead reception duties, directing workload and handling complex enquiries
• Load the automated dispensing machine and fix basic robot faults
• Store pharmaceuticals correctly and handle the return, recycling and safe disposal of medicines
• Carry out the daily stock count and issue medicines on the To-Follows list
• Deliver medicines to wards and departments and manually handle IV fluids, bulk feeds and stock cages
• Work weekend, bank holiday, early morning and evening services under departmental arrangements, and support NVQ level 2 training for pharmacy assistants

What's required

Qualifications

• NVQ level 2 in pharmacy services or an equivalent qualification

Experience

• Demonstrable experience working in a pharmacy environment
• Experience of dispensing prescriptions or preparing aseptic products
• Experience of working in a team

Skills & knowledge

• Clear written and verbal communication
• Use of different IT applications
• Busy, deadline-driven work with attention to detail, adapting to change
• Supervising, prioritising and training others, and escalating queries beyond own remit
• Knowledge of pharmacy area procedures to NVQ level 3 or equivalent, including stock control and medication storage
• Numerate, able to carry out simple calculations

Other

• Leadership qualities and ability to motivate others
• Enthusiasm, self-motivation and willingness to learn
• Flexibility to work weekend, evening and bank holiday rotas
• Friendly, reliable team worker able to relate to all grades of staff
• Shows initiative and is proactive
• Knowledge and understanding of working in a hospital

Nice to have

• Knowledge of hospital pharmacy supply and discharge planning
• Ability to relate to all grades of staff within a multidisciplinary team