Pharmacist Assistant - Qualified Post-Basic (Night position)

netcare; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Netcare invites you to be part of our journey. The Pharmacist Assistant will provide medication and supplementary services under the supervision of a registered Pharmacist, meeting patient needs in a responsible and cost‑effective manner.

The role covers dispensing prescriptions, assisting with stock control, and offering guidance on medication usage, safety, and general health matters to patients and staff within the hospital setting.

Qualifications

• Pharmacist Assistant role under supervision of a registered Pharmacist.
• Meeting patients' needs in a cost‑effective manner.

Responsibilities

• Dispense prescriptions under supervision and ensure accurate capturing of data.
• Provide information on medication usage, side effects, interactions, and storage to patients and healthcare team.
• Support public health campaigns and education initiatives within the hospital setting.
• Assist with stock control, ordering, and distribution of medicines.
• Monitor and help reduce costs per event and unit drug use where applicable.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Attention to detail

Job description

We provide meaningful careers that connect people with purpose.

We are united by a common purpose of providing the best and safest care; and by our shared values of Care, Truth, Participation, Compassion and Dignity.

Netcare invites you to be part of our journey.

ROLE SUMMARY

The incumbent will be responsible for the provision of medication and supplementary services to patients and members of the healthcare team under the supervision of a registered Pharmacist. The Pharmacist Assistant will also assume responsibility for meeting patients needs in a responsible, satisfactory and cost-effective manner.

KEY WORK OUTPUT AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

CONSISTENCY OF CARE

Customer service

Be active in the monitoring and improving Internal Customer Service Survey

Assist and offer advice on the usage, side effects, contra-indications, drug interaction and proper storage of medication to patients and other members of the healthcare team.

Advise and provide information regarding general health matters, including the effective use of medicines, treatment for general diseases, primary health care, screening services, essential medication, mother and child healthcare services, family planning and immunisation

Dispensing medication

• Dispensing of prescriptions (hospital and retail) under the supervision of a registered Pharmacist and capturing thereof.
• Assist with the sale of the schedule 1 and 2 medicines or scheduled substances
• Assist with the compounding, manipulation or preparation of a non-sterile or sterile medicine or scheduled substance according to a formula and standard operating procedures approved by the responsible pharmacist
• Assist with the manufacturing of a non-sterile or sterile medicine or scheduled substance according to a formula and standard operating procedures approved by the responsible pharmacist
• Re-packing of medicine
• Distribution and control of stock of schedule 1 to 6 medicines or scheduled substances
• Ordering of medicine and scheduled substances up to and including schedule 6 according to an instruction of the person authorised in terms of the Medicines Act to purchase or obtain such medicine or scheduled substance
• Reading and preparation of a prescription, the selection, manipulation or compounding of the medicine, the labelling and supply of the medicine in an appropriate container following the interpretation and evaluation of the prescription by the pharmacist

Cost per event management

Monitor and reduce Cost Per Event within the Hospital environment

Ensure cost containment of drugs in example: special motivation drugs, duration of treatment and generic substitution

Monitor Managed Healthcare Variances in per diem contracts.

Increase generic usage of commonly used products (including antibiotics, CVS drugs etc) within the hospital

Plan and implement Public Health awareness campaigns, such as Breast Awareness Week, Heart Week, and Pharmacy Week etc.

Manage all Total Parenteral Nutrition queries and orders where and when required

Logistic functions

Supervise and control the acquisition, storage, dispensing, handling and packaging of medicines to ensure safety, efficacy and quality thereof.

Assist with all aspects of ethical stock control including: re-ordering of stock, unpacking of stock, maintaining dedicated stock areas for organisation and expiry dates.

Conduct cyclical counts and full stock takes and preparation thereof

Processing of stock for internal departments and inter-clinic sales

Assist in the management of stock in accordance to Netcare Stock Management policy with special emphasis on designated stock areas

Update doctors and wards with regards to out of stock situations and offer alternatives

Pharmaceutical evaluation

Do monthly pharmaceutical audit in allocated wards

Research activities

Ensure that appropriate advice (ranging from new products to updated regimens) is available timeously to meet the needs of healthcare professionals and patients

Make use of Drug Information Centres (e.g. Medicine Information centre and Pharmnet Amayeza)

Make use of Research websites (e.g. MEDLINE, EMBASE) / Medical Journals (e.g. PubMed, via Intranet) via Clinical Software

Cater for the needs of the hospital staff and patients and the specialized scope of practice, e.g. oncology medication, renal transplant medication, emergency clinical pharmacy, etc.

Document and complete all queries, whether received in writing or telephonically with minimal delay.

Quality assurance and risk management

Each individual is responsible for their own compliance to regulations as set out by the SA Pharmacy Council.

TRANSFORMATION OF OUR SOCIETY

Education and training facilitation

Implement and maintain Antibiotic Stewardship Programme within the hospital environment

Comply and participate with Best Care Always Programme and DVT & AMI Clinical Leadership Pathways, within the hospital environment

Maintain liaison relationships with medical and nursing staff by providing timely information pertaining to pharmac