Senior Medicine Management Assistant

Derbyshire Healthcare Nhs Foundation Trust; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

NHS pension scheme

27 days annual leave

Flexible working where possible

Training and development opportunities

Employee assistance programme

Job summary

Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Senior Medicine Management Assistant to join our clinical pharmacy team. You should have hospital or community pharmacy experience and an NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services or equivalent.

The role focuses on safe medicine supply during inpatient admissions, reducing waste, and governance audits on ward sites, with occasional work on other units. Regular dispensing duties and travel between trust sites are included.

Qualifications

• Level 2 NVQ in Pharmacy Services or equivalent required.
• GCSE Maths and English at minimum grade C or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Ward-based medicines management including inpatient top-ups and dispensing.
• Conduct medicines governance audits on inpatient wards and community teams.
• Check stock levels, storage, and security of medicines; escalate discrepancies.
• Provide dispensing and distribution support; travel between trust sites as required.
• Train team members once in-house competencies are achieved.

Skills

Communication

Time management

Organisation

Attention to detail

Basic computer literacy

Education

NVQ Level 2 Pharmacy Services or equivalent

GCSE Maths & English (C or above)

Tools

EMIS

SystmOne

Pharmacy software

Job description

Job summary

At Derbyshire Healthcare Foundation Trust we have an exciting opportunity for a senior medicine management assistant who has previous experience of working in either a hospital or community pharmacy and has a minimum of a NVQ level 2 in Pharmacy services or equivalent to work within our clinical pharmacy team. This post is being advertised due to the current post holder starting a pre registration trainee pharmacy technician role within the department.

The role will focus on providing a safe supply of medicines to our patients during their inpatient admission, reducing medication waste and carrying out governance audits to inpatient wards at Kingsway Hospital and Radbourne unit with occasion working on our inpatient wards at Derwent Unit and Walton Hospital. Visits to community mental health bases will also be undertaken to carry out quarterly medicine management audits.

Regular weekly sessions within the pharmacy dispensary or distribution area at Kingsway Hospital will be required.

Main duties of the job

Ward-based medicines management

• Undertake inpatient repeat top-ups, process medication orders through the electronic prescribing system for supply.
• Check ward medicine stocks and identify shortages and reorder.
• Support appropriate storage, security and organisation of medicines.
• Help reduce medicine wastage and identify opportunities to return or reuse medicines appropriately.
• Support the pharmacy team with ward-based medicines management, ensuring medicine information, resources, posters are up to date to support patient care.

2. Medicines governance and audit

• Complete medicines management governance audits on inpatient wards and community teams.
• Check compliance with medicines storage and management standards.
• Record findings and escalated issues to the Medicines Management Pharmacy Technicians and Ward Managers
• Support implementation of actions arising from audits.
• Complete trust Datix incidents
• Escalate discrepancies or concerns to the appropriate pharmacy professional.
• Work directly with ward staff and the wider multidisciplinary team.
• Help ensure patients receive their medicines safely and in a timely manner.
• Provide dispensing and distribution support when required.
• Carry out specific training of team members once in house competencies have been achieved.
• Independently travel between trust sites

About us

Join 'Team Derbyshire Healthcare' and become part of a talented, compassionate and enthusiastic workforce committed to a vision of 'making a positive difference in people's lives'.

CQC rated us as 'GOOD' overall, commenting on how our colleagues "treated patients with compassion and kindness" and "felt positive and proud about working for the trust."

• Commitment to flexible working where this is possible
• 27 days annual leave/year plus bank holidays, increasing to 29 days after 5 years & 33 days after 10 years' service
• Yearly appraisal and commitment to ongoing training
• Generous NHS pension scheme
• Good maternity, paternity and adoption benefits
• Health service discounts and online benefits
• Incremental pay progression
• Free confidential employee assistance programme 24/7
• Access to our LGBT+ network, BAME Network and Christian Network
• Health and wellbeing opportunities
• Structured learning and development opportunities

Job responsibilities

Ward/Team/Governance

Ensure the temperature readings in the clinic room and refrigerator are recorded daily and report any out-of-range temperatures using Datix. Provide training to staff to ensure temperatures are taken and recorded correctly.

To undertake stock top-up services to wards and teams, assess and monitor medication usage and generate stock orders for patient treatment to the appropriate levels against an agree stock list. Produce the picking ticket item(s) at ward level to include emergency stock items (south only).

Ensure medicine keys are held safely when carrying out medicine related duties.

Resolve routine patient relating queries to stock medicine issues.

To transport goods to and from wards/teams /pharmacy as and when requested.

To ensure receipts are checked and signed for after medication deliveries to wards and teams.

To ensure that consumable items in designated storage units within pharmacy offices are maintained at correct levels, ordering items, ensuring arrival and filling daily.

To maintain the emergency cupboard and out of hours crisis cupboard supplies, storage area and audit the cupboard.

Review ward/team usage and monitor changes to products/demands. Carry out regular stock level checks and report any discrepancies to the Deputy Chief Pharmacy technicians. Support any investigations into medicines.

To ensure all medicine storage facilities comply with the trust medicine code and are always kept tidy. Ensure pharmacy medicine management audits are completed and outstanding actions followed up. Report any breaches of medicine security to appropriate ward and pharmacy staff.

Responsible for ordering identified inpatient repeat medicines as per standard operating procedure. Liaise with pharmacy staff and nursing staff to prevent delays in patients receiving their medicines or being omitted.

Support the transfer of individual patient medicines between wards and ensure an audit process is maintained.

Ensure the EMIS system is kept accurate with any stock list and these are clinically agreed by the pharmacist.

Input and update patient medication information data onto the pharmacy computer system and other record systems, according to department procedures.

Use SystmOne to view patient records and order medication accordingly.

Carry out Search & Replace of pharmaceutical items on stock lists using the EMIS computer system as per departmental procedure.

Ensure resuscitation boxes on wards are in date and changed prior to expiry. Support any ordering for resuscitation trolley.

Updating and reviewing pharmacy procedures in line with current pharmacy process

Undertake training to complete trust Datix incidents relating to medicines and individual/ team health & safety incidents.

Complete MHRA drug alert and follow up actions at ward/team level.

To undertake regular defrosting of refrigerators as per schedule

Support pharmacy supply and audit for vaccine campaignsSupport homecare prescription request, supply and monthly data inputting.

Sort and process returns at ward/team level ensuring an audit trail is maintained and returned to the pharmacy department as per departmental procedure.

Accurately dispense medicines including controlled drugs from allocated workload as per departmental procedure. Maintain a tidy environment so that space is effectively utilised, and all bench space is kept clear, clean and tidy so good dispensing practice is maintained to include stock rotation and expiry checks.

Distribution/Procurement

Designated Person in Charge co-ordinating day to day workload (maintaining rotas against workflow) including emergency orders and tasks of pharmacy support workers and students. Ensuring the distribution and procurement email box is checked regularly and all emails are actioned.Carry out Search & Replace of pharmaceutical items on stock lists using the EMIS computer system as per departmental procedure.

Accurately input, assemble and issue stock medication for patients from agreed stock lists and worksheets using the pharmacy computer system and other recording systems as per departmental procedures.

Ensure all routine pharmacy items and orders received within the distribution area are processed in accordance with departmental procedures and health and safety.

Pack all medication accurately and securely for distribution to ensure correct and timely delivery for patient treatment as per departmental procedure.

Empty and record pharmacy boxes returned to the pharmacy department as per departmental procedure.

Refer to full description for further details

Person Specification

Attainment/Qualification

Essential

• Level 2 Certificate in Pharmacy Skills Services (NVQ) (CQF) or equivalent
• G.C.S.E or equiv. Maths, English, double science C or above

Skills

Essential

• Ability to communicate effectively with others on routine matters (both written and verbal).
• Basic Computer literacy (able to use simple word processing skills e.g. Word/ Excel)
• Time management (able to work to deadlines)
• Ability to organise own workload
• Pays attention to detail

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

• Significant experience/knowledge of working within a pharmacy

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.