Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Patient Care and Service Provision:
•    To effectively communicate with pharmacy colleagues and other healthcare professionals to answer routine and non-routine queries with pharmaceuticals orders, non-availability and referring as necessary to a senior pharmacy technician. 
•    To undertake and supervise accurate ordering and issuing of medicines to other pharmacy sites and ward areas. This will include stock medicines, named patient medicines, unlicensed medicines, controlled drugs, and clinical trials. 
•    Inform the appropriate senior pharmacy technician of any errors or operational issues in a timely manner completing any required documentation. Complete the trust incidents reports where appropriate. 
•    To have the responsibility for the medicines top-up service to designated ward/departments. 
•    To take action to ensure outstanding medication orders from the suppliers and supplied to wards and other pharmacy sites within a suitable time frame. To refer to a senior pharmacy technician where long term delays are identified and get advice on appropriate actions to be taken. 
•    To assist the pharmacy assistant in the prompt replacement and recall of used or expired emergency drug boxes and anaphylactic shock packs to and from clinical areas and to maintain accurate records.

Workload Planning & Organisation:
•    To ensure completion of all routine and ad hoc tasks through the production of staff rota, supervising the work during its completion and adjusting the rota in response to unpredictable workload demands, staff availability and skill mix. 
•    To ensure adequate stocks medicines and sundry items are ordered and available as needed.
•    To support the Procurement Technician in monitoring supply problems, investigating resolutions, liaising with Medicines Information, and cascading supply problems to the pharmacy group 

Staff Training & Management:
•    To be responsible for the induction and training of new pharmacy assistants, PTPTs (Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician), apprentices and the technical induction for staff working in other area (e.g. Temporary clinical and on-call staff)
•    To line manage pharmacy ATOs and be responsible for ensuring objectives are agreed and reviewed through regular one to ones and annual appraisals. Follow sickness management policies, disciplinary and capability processes if necessary, working with the purchasing, stores and IT manager, where deemed appropriate.
•    Promptly highlight any concerns or problems regarding conflict, the quality or service provision and/or performance of other staff members to a purchasing, stores, and IT system manager. 

Performance Monitoring & Service Development:
•    To ensure that all relevant new and updated policies and procedures are implemented and adhered to by pharmacy assistants and apprentices working with the pharmacy procurement and stores area. 
•    To be proactive and in identifying improved and more efficient ways of working, making suggestions and contributing to pharmacy service improvements across the department. Be an active member of purchasing and stores department and the working groups. 
•    Complete and oversee the accurate completion of required documentation and maintenance of records.
•    Participate int eh achievement of key performance indicators and undertake required audits within the pharmacy department. 
•    To support the undertaking of safe and secure handling of medicines audit

Use of Resources and cost savings:
•    To be responsible for the accurate data entry on the computer system.
•    To be responsible for identifying discrepancies between the contract price of drugs and the price invoiced
•    To be responsible for ensuring credit notes are received when errors have been identified through the invoice matching process.
•    To perform expiry date checks to prevent medicines wastage and remove expired stocks.

Health and Safety:
•    Be familiar with and act in accordance with local hospital Health and Safety policies and COSHH. 
•    Be aware of the hazards involved in the handling of cytotoxics and make every effort to minimise risks of exposure to themselves and others. 
•    Be familiar with and be able to follow cytotoxic spillage procedures. 
•    Be responsible for ensuring all statutory and mandatory training is up to date and complete training in accordance with trust policy. 
•    Be familiar with procedures for the segregation and safe disposal of waste, including clinical drug waste, generated by the department. 
•    Ensure all areas of work are kept clean, neat and tidy and all equipment is safe to use. 
•    Be aware of and comply with regulations relating to the Health and Safety at Work Act, the Medicines Act and the Misuse of Drugs Act and any relevant National Regional and local guidelines to ensure a safe and legal delivery of service.  Ensure that all errors, complaints, and adverse incidents related to pharmacy are promptly reported in accordance with trust guidelines.