Are you ready to unlock your potential within a challenging, creative and fast-paced work environment? Do you want to escape your current job role and work with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past? Now is the time to break into offender healthcare and develop your career.
As part of the South West Prison Healthcare contract awarded to Oxleas NHS trust in 2022, we are able to expand recruitment and are looking for compassionate, knowledgeable and motivated Pharmacy Assistants to join our friendly team at HMP Portland.
Our healthcare team has a real impact on promoting health and well-being to those in prison, and we pride ourselves on using skills and strategies that instill hope for patients' future resettlement back into the community. We directly deliver Mental Health, Physical Health, Pharmacy, and Clinical Substance Misuse in an integrated healthcare delivery model to provide effective and responsive care to improve well-being and support better outcomes in the future.
As part of our pharmacy service (OPS), you will enjoy all the benefits of NHS AfC employment (including pension) with the opportunity to work within a forward-thinking service, which encourages career and personal development for all staff to increase their clinical and interpersonal skills.
Main duties of the job
As a Pharmacy Assistant, you will contribute towards the smooth and efficient running of the pharmacy service on site within the prison. This will include all aspects of stock control (routine ordering, receipt of goods, computer input, storage of medicines), dispensing clinically screened prescriptions, and dispensing weekly/monthly in possession medication to patients. You will work out of Medication Administration Points (Meds hatches) on the wings and in the healthcare department, acting as the second checker for controlled drug administration.
Ideally, applicants will have an NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services; however, we will accept applicants who have healthcare experience and are interested in being put through the NVQ L2 by Oxleas.
Working for our organisation
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities, and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing, and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages, and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils, and the voluntary sector through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools, and people’s homes.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
* To be responsible for the day-to-day ordering, receiving, and unpacking of pharmaceutical products from suppliers according to GDP and departmental SOPs.
* To ensure that medicines are sourced in a timely manner.
* To accurately use the pharmacy computer system to receive goods into the pharmacy store according to departmental SOPs.
* To act as a second checker for the administration of Controlled Drugs by registered healthcare professionals.
* To carry out regular stock checks, expiry date checks, and other monitoring procedures such as logging fridge and ambient temperatures and dealing with any anomalies in accordance with GDP and departmental procedure.
* To ensure high standards and accuracy of work and to ensure all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are read and adhered to.
* To ensure medicines returned from clinical areas are sorted and either returned to stock or disposed of safely and appropriately in accordance with GDP, Trust guidelines, and departmental procedures.
* To undertake administration of weekly and monthly In Possession medication to patients.
* To ensure that all work carried out in procurement is done in accordance with current legislation, including GDP and departmental and Trust financial procedures.
* To manage Medicines Optimisation work in treatment areas ensuring tasks are carried out in a timely manner and orders are received on time.
* To communicate regularly with the Pharmacy/Healthcare department to place orders, chase receipt of goods, and to query discrepancies.
* To deal with telephone queries and staff visiting the department as the first point of contact, dealing with them or referring to others if required according to SOPs.
* To communicate, as necessary, with external regulatory bodies, information pertaining to the WDL or other requests.
* Post holders will need to undertake a prison security check (level 2) prior to being employed, as well as the standard NHS recruitment checks.
* To appreciate the secure environment you are working in and to adhere to all prison procedures as necessary.
* To undertake any other tasks at the request of the senior prison services pharmacist.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications
* Completion of dispensary competencies (signed off as competent to dispense medicines).
* Certificate in purchasing and supply (CIPS) level 2 or equivalent experience.
* NVQ Level 2 Pharmacy Services Certificate (or willingness to undertake via Oxleas).
* GPHC registration.
Experience
* Previous experience of working within a pharmacy or healthcare.
* Ability to work in all sections of medicines supply.
* Experience of working with Pharmacy Stock control systems.
Skills and Abilities
* Knowledge of Good Distribution Practices (GDP) (Requirements of WDL).
* Competent in coordinating and completing day-to-day workload with minimal supervision.
We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that welcomes and supports individuals of all abilities. Remember, if you meet the minimum criteria for this role and you have a disability, you can be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme - Please ensure you select this on your application form. We would encourage you to be open about your needs so we can work with you to design a comfortable and accessible interview experience. Any information you provide regarding a disability or a need for adjustments will be treated in confidence and will only be shared with colleagues who are supporting this request.
If you require any adjustments to participate fully in the interview process, please let us know by adding the relevant details when scheduling your preferred interview date and time. Please feel free to contact the appointing manager to discuss your needs.
We encourage applicants to contact the hiring manager before their interview if they have any questions about the role or the process. This is a great way to get clarity and prepare effectively for the interview.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
If you'd like to explore opportunities to work for us please submit an expression of interest form.
Our HR team will keep in touch with you to find the right opportunity.
#J-18808-Ljbffr