Lead Pharmacy Technician - Dispensary, Distribution & Training

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To manage Dispensary, Distribution & Training aspects of pharmacy operations, and provide a high quality, effective technical and operational service.

To be responsive to the needs of service users, and plan and implement developments and agreed changes in the operation of Dispensary & Distribution services.

To lead and motivate the team of staff allocated to Dispensary & Distribution, ensuring that the team members actively and effectively contribute to the aims of the service, and that they are trained to enable them to do so, and that they are aware of the expectations of them.

To line manage pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants allocated to the dispensary and distribution service, preregistration technicians/technician apprentices and pharmacy assistant apprentices; in line with the relevant Trust HR policies and guidance.

To manage staff recruitment and selection (including chairing of interview panels), grievance and disciplinary procedures, and appraisal processes for relevant staff.

To assist the Principal Pharmacists and lead pharmacists in the management and delivery and development of their clinical specialist areas of pharmacy practice, and to assist the Principal Technician in the development of Pharmacy Operations

To provide expert technical advice in Dispensary & Distribution, and in matters concerning technical training and education; and to resolve technical and operational problems within their area of expertise, referring to the relevant Principal Pharmacist or Principal Technician if necessary.

Attend the relevant subgroups to the West Midlands Chief Pharmacists’ Network where appropriate, representing the interests of the Trust and reporting back to the Principal Pharmacy Technician.

To effectively manage the education, training and development of staff, and to the development of Medicines Management services Trust-wide, as a key member of the Pharmacy team, and through project work

To act as an ambassador for the Pharmacy service and for multidisciplinary Medicines Management

Dispensary & Distribution

Take appropriate action to manage complex operational issues within the Dispensary & Distribution areas on a day to day basis as required e.g. staff shortages, complaints, and organisation of workload, clinical emergencies and any other urgent or unplanned events, to ensure continuity of service is maintained; escalating to the Principal Pharmacy Technician as appropriate.

To write and maintain Standard Operating Procedures for all dispensary, distribution and clinical trials activities.

To manage the dispensary workload, ensuring work flow is maintained and Key Performance Indicator targets are met while maintaining an efficient supply of medicines to support the avoidance missed doses.

Advise the Principal Pharmacy Technician on all identified current and future issues relating to the continuity of service.

To ensure the active monitoring of clinical screening, labelling, dispensing and accuracy checking errors through the established pharmacy error management systems; and to identify non-recordable errors and ensure reflective practice is recorded by those staff under the post-holder’s line management.

To Supervise and direct the work of Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians, Pharmacy Assistants, Preregistration Pharmacists and Preregistration Technicians assigned to the dispensary to ensure safe and effective dispensing and distribution practice.

To ensure the maintenance of accurate stock levels in pharmacy by ensuring the completion of daily stock counts, advising team members on the resolution of incorrect levels and managing/resolving incorrect levels in accordance with set parameters in departmental Standard Operating Procedures.

Identify & capitalise on opportunities for cost improvement through efficiencies in dispensary and distribution practice, working collaboratively with team members and the Principal Pharmacy Technician.

Develop/contribute to the development of departmental security and medicines storage procedures and ensure that these are followed in order to maintain staff safety and the safe and secure handling of medicines in the dispensary and distribution area, including controlled drugs, escalating to the CD Accountable Officer where appropriate.

Work collaboratively, where appropriate, with local Trusts and health-economy partners and other NHS partners on issues relating to the dispensary & distribution service area.

Contribute to the delivery of medicines optimisation/Hospital Pharmacy Transformation Plan and other pharmacy service objectives relating to areas of responsibility.

To ensure dispensing and distribution of medicines remains in adherence to the Trust Formulary.

Effectively act upon MHRA, DoH or Manufacturer-led medicines recall/advisory alert actions within agreed timeframes, in collaboration with the Lead Technician for Procurement, Stores & Wholesale

Report on all aspects of the dispensary & distribution service within specified reporting timeframes or on an ad-hoc basis as needed.

To ensure the application of the principles of Good Distribution Practice to all wholesale activity carried out in the pharmacy distribution service area.

To ensure all stock returns to the dispensary from wards and departments are processed safely and accurately according to local procedures.

To manage the over-labelling/prepacking of medicines for use within the organization as TTO packs or other pack-down units.

To manage, where appropriate, activities relating to clinical trials; ensuring the maintenance of Good Clinical Practice and ensuring up-to-date GCP training for all staff involved in clinical trials processes.

To be a key point of contact for pharmacy operational issues relating to clinical trials.

Technical Training

To manage all aspects of preregistration pharmacy technician training, working with external course providers, Health Education England and the Trust Learning and Development team as appropriate.

Identify external course providers for post-registration training of pharmacy technicians (e.g. Checking Technician Accreditation) and pharmacy assistants (e.g. level 2 qualification providers); assessing feasibility, suitability and value for money and advising the Principal Pharmacy Technician as appropriate.

To write and maintain internal training packs and maintain a staff training matrix to ensure completion of the correct training and timely reaccreditation.

To train, or suitably delegate the training of, all technical pharmacy staff through a combination of direction, coaching and mentorship.

To maintain up-to-date training files for all technical pharmacy staff.

Key Working Relationships

Pharmacists and Medicines Managers working in clinical areas which have a stake in the Procurement & Stores area of Pharmacy.

Other Pharmacy staff.

Medical, nursing and midwifery teams, EBME team and other relevant specialist areas of the Trust.

Corporate support departments - Finance, HR, Governance, Estates – as appropriate.

Relevant external agencies appropriate to Pharmacy Procurement & Stores, such as licensing bodies.

Internal and external training providers/teams.

Counterparts in other organizations.

Local, Regional, National networks.

Manages

All staff permanently allocated to Dispensary and Distribution, and staff on rotation into these, who may include Pre-Registration pharmacy technicians, Pre-Registration Pharmacists, rotational Pharmacists, and rotational Technicians.

Special Requirements

The post holder will be required: -

Any other duties considered appropriate to the post and grade by the line manager.

The post-holder will have Warwick Hospital as their main base but may be required to work at and/or visit other hospitals in the Trust, or the trusts we serve. This job description does not form part of the contract of employment, is not exhaustive and serves as a guide to the main tasks, envisaged at the time of drafting. As such this job description will change and evolve in accordance with the Pharmacy Services’ needs.