Job summary
- Main area
- Pharmacy Dept
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 294-CORP-7233308-FZ
- Employer
- South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Springfield University Hospital
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £35,964 - £43,780 per annum inclusive of Inner London HCAs
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 08/06/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Senior Pharmacy Technician
NHS AfC: Band 5
South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We provide a full range of local mental health services to the Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth London boroughs, as well as specialist forensic mental health services, including specialised services such as national deaf adults and CAMHS inpatients and OCD.
We are committed to providing high quality integrated health and social care for local people with mental health problems in South West London and more specialist mental health services for people throughout the UK. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ however we aim to be ‘outstanding’.
Our Values
We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values; being consistent, compassionate, collaborative, respectful and open is at the heart of everything we do. Our mission is "making life better together".
When you join us, you’ll be part of something special – an innovative and rapidly growing organisation that is helping to redefine the Mental Health, education and social care landscape in the UK.
As a Trust, we are happy to talk flexible working.
Job overview
The SWLSTG pharmacy team have an excellent opportunity for a pharmacy technician to join our friendly department delivering our medicines optimisation and dispensary services in our brand-new state of the art building and pharmacy dispensary. Our pharmacy currently operates Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and does not open on weekends, bank holidays or have late duty shifts.
The postholder will need to be adaptable to new situations, conscientious, have good attention to detail, excellent communication skills and be able to work alone and as well as part of a team prioritizing the workload to ensure the needs of the patients, service and pharmacy are met in a timely manner. You will actively contribute towards on-going service development and will provide support and leadership to junior pharmacy technicians, Pre-registration Trainee pharmacy technicians, pharmacy assistants and students. You will take an active role in Medicines Management issues by promoting good practice on the wards and in training sessions, monitoring drugs in trolleys in accordance with amendments to patients’ prescribed medication and sharing of information with ward staff in a clear, accurate and timely manner.
Applicants must be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) as a Pharmacy Technician, or be in the final stages of qualification and registration.
Main duties of the job
You will be responsible for the provision of pharmacy medicines management services and provide support to the pharmacy technicians and pharmacists, provide operational support where required, provide a clinical pharmacy service to inpatient wards and work with the multidisciplinary team to ensure the delivery of a safe and effective service to our patients. This includes the delivery of education & training sessions to our pharmacy and multidisciplinary team colleagues.
You will have opportunities to participate in reviewing and monitoring the clinical pharmacy standards and working closely with the senior pharmacy managers to identify service gaps. You will also be involved in co-ordinating, undertaking and presenting of reports on audits and projects to evaluate and improve services alongside pharmacy and trust priorities and objectives.
You should have recent previous experience of medicines optimisation and should hold accreditations for both medicines management and accredited checking pharmacy technician (ACPT). Those without these essential criteria will be considered for a band 4 to 5 progression, with a tailored development programme. Experience of working within mental health services and within a multidisciplinary team, good written and verbal communication, familiarity communication, familiarity with clozapine dispensing and supply services and knowledge of mental health medicines are also desirable.
Working for our organisation
We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust.
We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ - we aspire to be ‘outstanding’.
This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.
We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.
We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.
About our locations:
Springfield University Hospital, Tooting
Our largest, 19-ward site is in Springfield Village, created following our £150m investment into two new world class mental health facilities. A 32-acre public park, shops and cafes are coming soon. Close to shops, cafes and Tooting Bec on the Northern Line plus Earlsfield and Tooting rail stations and bus routes.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To participate in a high quality, patient focused Medicines Optimisation model for technicians, at ward and community team level.
- To monitor and supervise the work of the pharmacy assistants and participate in medication top-up at team base/ward level, to ensure good stock control.
- To be responsible for the safe, accurate and timely supplying of medicines in accordance with agreed stock lists and non-stock items, in line with the changing clinical needs of each clinical environment to minimise waste and reduce risk, and ensuring records are kept.
- To monitor medicines storage on wards, team bases and outside units in line with Medicines Management standards.
- To assist with departmental and Trust wide quality audits to demonstrate compliance with Medicines Management policies.
- To have involvement with the general supervision and development review of pharmacy assistants and technicians according to departmental policy.
- To supervise the internal training scheme for pharmacy assistants/pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians leading to NVQ Level 2/3, in line with London Education & Training guidance, and achieve Practice Supervisor status as required/appropriate, leading to further development as an Educational Supervisor.
- To dispense medication, ensuring compliance with all procedures, for patients ready to receive a final accuracy check.
- To maintain Accredited Accuracy Checking Technician status and perform the final accuracy check of prescriptions in accordance with Trust policy.
- To maintain Accreditation in Medicines Management (HEELASE or equivalent)
- To participate within the pharmacy, when necessary, with the receipt, processing, storage and stock control of medicines and other supplies.
- To counsel patients on the use of their medication, as appropriate.
- To respond to enquiries and requests from staff, patients and carers, in accordance with individual competence and departmental policy.
- To provide training and advice on pharmacy services to ward, nursing, medical and pharmacy staff.
- To assist in the induction of new staff, and in-house training.
- To use pharmacy and other computer systems in the course of performing these duties.
- To provide reciprocal cover for other medicines management technicians in their absence, which may necessitate working at other Trust sites
- To deputise for the Lead Medicine Management Technicians when required.
Training and Development
- To undertake mandatory and statutory training, supervision and annual appraisal as required by Trust policy.
- To contribute and commit to undertaking an annual Development Review/appraisal.
- To undertake personal development as identified in the Personal Development Plan (PDP).
Person specification
TRAINING & QUALIFICATIONS
Essential criteria
- • NVQ Level 3, BTEC or similar nationally recognised qualification in pharmaceutical sciences
- • Accreditation in Medicines Management or equivalent experience
- • Be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- • Evidence of continuing professional and personal development
- • Possession of Accredited Checking technician qualification
- • Practice supervisor qualification
Desirable criteria
- • Educational Supervisor or equivalent
EXPERIENCE
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable experience of working in a pharmacy as a qualified pharmacy technician
- Post-registration hospital pharmacy experience
- Experience of checking dispensed prescriptions
- Experience of medicine reconciliation at ward level
- Experience of training and supervising junior members of staff
- Experience of audit work
Desirable criteria
- Experience of using JAC dispensing system
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
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
- Pooja Singh
- Job title
- Chief Pharmacy Technician
- Email address
- [email protected]
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