Pharmacy Support Worker (Higher Level)

Job summary We have an exciting opportunity at Mid YorkshireHospitals NHS Teaching Trust to join our Medicines Optimisation team as a PharmacySupport Worker (Higher Level) working alongside a ward based, clinicalPharmacy team to ensure that our patients receive the required medicationsafely and effectively.The successfulcandidate must have an NVQ Level 2 certificate in Pharmacy/Dispensing Services or a GPHCrecognised equivalent qualification and have experience of working in apharmacy environment, either in community or hospital.
You will need to be enthusiastic,self-motivated and passionate about patient care.
You will have exceptionalattention to detail and be able to prioritise the daily workload, along withexcellent organisational and communication skills.The Pharmacy department provides a progressive Pharmacyservice making it a highly rewarding working environment.
We are a friendlyteam, who will support the successful candidate with their introduction intothis role, and their future professional development.
Main duties of the job As a member of the Pharmacy Medicines Optimisation team,you will be responsible for providing a comprehensive, ward based, pharmacyservice by: *Talking to patients to assess that any of their own medicationthey may have brought with them is safe and suitable for use during admission,to ensure that the patient has a supply of medication to use after they havebeen discharged and record this information on the electronic medicinesprescribing system.
* Ordering medication, as required, to avoid missed dosesduring admission, using the electronic prescribing system to avoid missed doses.
*Liaising with other members of the pharmacy team andward staff, at all levels, to contribute to the effective running of theservice.
*Dispense medication on the ward for patients to takehome, to support a timely discharge and assist the Pharmacy team in counsellingpatients on new medications provided.
*Transfer medication between wards as required.
*Support nursing staff with medication orders and queries.
*Support the training and development of Pharmacy SupportWorkers, Trainee Technicians, Pharmacy Technicians, Trainee and FoundationPharmacists.The Pharmacy Department operates a 7 day servicethroughout the year and as part of the role you will be expected to participatein the weekend and Bank Holiday rotas.
The role may also involve somecross-site working and late nights.
About us We are an acute trust caring for over one million people in Wakefield and Kirklees.
Our 10,000 staff work in patients homes, the community, and our three hospitals in Pontefract, Dewsbury, and Pinderfields (Wakefield).
We prioritise our people and values so we can deliver the best possible care to patients.
Our team is friendly, passionate, and innovative, always seeking better ways to work.We support work-life balance and foster a diverse, inclusive environment where everyone belongs.
Our staff networks offer safe spaces to share ideas and concerns so we can increase awareness and appreciation of equality, diversity, and inclusion.
We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and especially encourage members of the LGBTQ+ community, ethnic minority groups, and people with disabilities or neurodivergence to apply, as they are currently underrepresented in the Trust.If you value caring, high standards, improvement, and respect, join the MY team to make a difference every day.Application guidance: We understand that more applicants are using AI technology to help with their applications.
While these tools can be useful, they cannot fully capture your skills, knowledge, and experience.
Its important that you personalise your application.
Relying solely on AI is not recommended, as it may reduce your chances of success.
Our screening process is thorough, so if you have used AI, please make sure to disclose this on your application form.
Job description Job responsibilities Print ward lists and handover sheets to Identify new patients admitted since the previous pharmacy visit.Requesting and recording consent from the patient to refer if needed to the discharge medicine service and trust pharmacy community-based service.Transfer medicines, between wards if patients have been transferred without them.
This will include medicines dispensed by the hospital pharmacy as well as patients own drugs (PODs) and patients own controlled drugs.Support the ward pharmacists and technicians to record accurate medication histories by:Ascertaining if the patient has brought supplies of their medicines from home.Ascertaining and documenting how the patient has their medications supplied, eg: compliance aids.Ascertaining and documenting if the patient has been admitted from a care home.Ensure patients have enough medicines available to avoid missed doses by:Assessing PODs as suitable for use on the hospital according to standard operating procedures.Contacting relatives or carers with patient consent, to bring in the patients PODs into hospital if necessary.Screening prescription charts to identify missed doses, new items prescribed and any changes to medicines, and requesting a supply from pharmacy if required.Liaising with ward staff to identify any additional stock medicines that they require.Identify patients who have been prescribed new medicines and counsel on side effects, dose, frequency, food interactions etc, using the relevant systems/training available to support with this.Support clinical areas to maintain safe and secure handling of medicines by:Ensuring that all medicines for individual patients are stored correctly in the bedside locker, or elsewhere on the ward according to the standards within the Trust Medicines Charter.Delivering patient labelled medicines to individual bedside lockers.Participate in pharmacy-led audits as required.Report any incidents of inappropriate storage and handling of medicines to the appropriate person.Ensure that information collected is communicated to the relevant pharmacist or technician in a timely manner.Minimise medicines waste by managing medicines returns from clinical areas according to standard operating procedures.Dispense medicines for in-patients (including discharges) following guidelines, under the supervision of the Pharmacy Technician or Pharmacist, with the final check by a Checking Technician or Pharmacist.Ensure that all information needed for accurate stock control and prescription issues data is recorded using both paper systems and the computerised Pharmacy Information System (PIS).Liaise with appropriate staff member about urgently required medicines and inform patients, and other health care staff about supply problems / delays.Dispense specialist hospital-only medicines and unlicensed medicines which require accurate, detailed records.Dispense oral chemotherapy medicines taking necessary precautions detailed in SOPs.Dispense controlled drugs and ensure that all legally required records are accurate and up to date.Please refer to the attached job description for the comprehensive list of duties.
Person Specification Personal Attributes Essential Must be able to work methodically and demonstrate meticulous attention to detail.
Able to communicate well verbally with other healthcare professionals and patients some of whom may have barriers to understanding.
Must be able to deal sensitively with all patients some of whom may be severely ill or distressed by their condition.
Pleasant and helpful manner.
Identify and prioritise workload.
Desirable Excellent inter-personal skills.
Knowledge and Awareness Essential Evidence of further knowledge through training in dispensing procedures.
Able to work on your own initiative and within a team.
Ability to work without supervision.
Ability to work with complex drug names.
Ability to learn department working patterns and procedures.
Skills and AbiIities Essential Evidence of good literacy and numeracy skills Keyboard skills Physically able to perform the duties of the post work on wards throughout the hospital, access stock from high and low shelving and transport medicines between wards.
Desirable Computer literate with knowledge of Microsoft Office applications Qualifications Essential NVQ2 in Pharmacy Services or equivalent (This training is required of all Pharmacy support staff by the Pharmaceutical Society) Reasonable Standard of Education particularly in Maths, English and Science Desirable Additional experience gained through in house training.
Experience Essential Experience in a Pharmacy dispensary (NHS or Retail sector).
Experience dealing with patients/customers in a busy environment.
Desirable Previous NHS experience.
Experience counselling patients/customers on the side effects, dosage etc of their medicines.
Experience dealing with other healthcare professionals.