Job summary
Employer heading
Assistant Technical Officer
Band 2
Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is a provider of specialist health care and has a presence in community outreach sites and, in collaboration with other providers, our clinicians help deliver care closer to patients’ homes by holding local clinics at locations from Cumbria to Shropshire, in Wales and the Isle of Man. The Trust also provides inpatient care for children with complex mental health needs at our Sunflower House building newly relocated, and opened on the hospital site.
We currently have more than 4,000 staff working across our community and hospital sites. We’re also a teaching and training hospital providing education and training to around 540 medical and over 500 nursing and allied health professional students each year.
As black and minority ethnic (BME) employees are currently under-represented in this area, we particularly welcome applications from members of our BME communities. All appointments will be made on merit.
You can expect a warm welcome at Alder Hey Childrens NHS Foundation Trust, our staff are friendly and welcoming. We listen to each other and work together to embed our Trusts values and behaviours. At Alder Hey we appreciate our staff and reward them with an outstanding benefits package including:
- Great flexible working opportunities
- Lease car scheme and Home Electronics Scheme
- Generous annual leave and pension scheme
- Extensive staff health and well-being programmes
Job overview
Assistant Technical Officers play an important role within the Pharmacy department assisting and supporting the management of medicines.
Working in a busy department and alongside a friendly team of Pharmacy professionals you will be responsible for assisting Technicians and Pharmacists in the provision of a safe and effective dispensing service with particular emphasis on the supply and maintenance of stock medicines to all wards and departments.
You will rotate within different areas of the department, therefore will need to be methodical, accurate and be able to follow strict procedures.
Successful candidates will be supported with a full induction and training programme.
Main duties of the job
To undertake duties to ensure stock control is maintained in the pharmacy department and on the wards to include daily stock checks, environmental monitoring and an effective stock return/disposal system. Understanding when to escalate concerns to a senior member of the Pharmacy team.
To safely dispense prescriptions under supervision which have been clinically screened by a pharmacist on Near Patient Pharmacy (NPP) wards and in the Dispensary, requires good concentration and time management skills
To ensure the effective replenishment of emergency drug boxes to wards and departments requires the ability to work independently
Regularly using computer programmes to accurately issue, label and maintain stock to relevant cost centre's requires good IT skills and attention to detail.
Working for our organisation
The Pharmacy team is innovative, caring and compassionate and provides Pharmacy services to a wide range of paediatric surgical and medical specialties. We are patient focused and passionate about upholding Trust values in order to provide the best possible service.
The Pharmacy department consists of a wide range of personnel, Pharmacists, Technicians and Assistant Technical Officers, working together as a team in a busy environment.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To carry out the routine dispensing and issuing of prescriptions, including in-patients, outpatients and discharge prescriptions that have been clinically screened by a pharmacist in accordance with the safe systems of work procedures in the department and on the wards. This will include assisting in the recording and monitoring of dispensing errors.
To ensure the overall tidiness of the working area in the Dispensary and on the wards
To use the pharmacy computer system to dispense, issue, label and return medicines in accordance with level of training provided.
To carry out routine duties in the dispensary including daily stock checks, stock returns, and maintenance of stock levels and checking expiry dates to ensure pharmaceutical waste is dealt with appropriately in a cost effective manner.
To assist in the replenishment and rotation of emergency boxes on the wards and departments.
To carry out, monitor and check the issuing, stock control, assembly and purchasing of medicines in accordance with safe systems of work with particular emphasis on checking expiry dates, both in the pharmacy and on all wards on a monthly basis.
Assist in organising the delivery and tracking of prescriptions for the Dispensary courier service.
To participate in the preparation of extemporaneous products demonstrating Good Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Practice and adhering to Health and Safety and COSHH requirements.
To participate in the dispensing of clinical trials and unlicensed medicines as required
To replenish bottle, carton and sundry items within the dispensary on a daily basis. This includes liaising with the Senior ATO and purchasing team to highlight any potential stock issues.
To provide a ‘top-up’ service for stock medicines held on all wards and departments on a daily basis, to include Theatres and Accident and Emergency departments liaising with pharmacy and nursing staff to ensure an effective service. This will involve the use and maintenance of ward automated drug storage systems.
To safely and securely pack ward drug delivery boxes (weighing <25kg) and transfer these ready for delivery by the porter service
To ensure that the pharmacy night room is checked on a daily basis replenishing any used items.
To follow up any outstanding orders to the wards on a daily basis and escalate if necessary.
To efficiently deal with any extra stock requests from wards on a daily basis and in a timely manner to ensure best service to patient and follow up any outstanding orders to the wards on a daily basis.
To dispense non-complex inpatient and outpatient prescriptions
To assist in the monitoring of fridge temperatures and any other specified equipment as required recording data as required.
To carry out routine procedures associated with the preparation and packing of medicines, including pack downs for Accident and Emergency to include inflammables and cytotoxics following standard operating procedures
To professionally and politely answer telephone and face to face queries of a routine or basic technical nature from a wide range of staff groups, either in the pharmacy or on the ward, referring appropriate queries to the relevant member of the pharmacy team when necessary.
To proactively contribute to weekly feedback meetings
To keep up-to date with current pharmacy practice by attending appropriate in-house tutorials or training courses for Pharmacy Assistants
To assist in the training of new pharmacy assistants and student pharmacy technicians
'Candidates that are selected for interview are advised to arrange an informal visit of the department prior to interview '
Person specification
Experience & Knowledge
Essential criteria
- working accurately to standard operating procedures
- being able to adapt to computer packages
- experience of stock maintenance
- Understanding of the role and acknowledgement of commitment to undertake the Btec Level 2 Diploma in the Principles & practice for Pharmacy support staff
Desirable criteria
- Maths and English functional skills qualification or equivalent
- Previous experience working within a Pharmacy environment
Experience
Essential criteria
- working accurately, following standard operating procedures
- Stock maintenance - stock rotation, stock checks
- Being able to adapt to different computer packages
Desirable criteria
- Previous experience working within a Pharmacy environment
- Maths & English functional skills qualification or equivalent
- Possesses Level 2 Pharmacy qualification
Skills
Essential criteria
- Good organisational skills and working under pressure
- Ability to work in a team and unsupervised
- Accuracy and good attention to detail
- Effective Communicator
- Good time management skills
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Toni Taylor
- Job title
- Senior Pharmacy Technician
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0151 252 5669
- Additional information
Available Monday to Friday 8.45 - 17.00
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