Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dedicated and motivated individual to join our team as a Senior Pharmacy Assistant (SATO) working on a rotational basis within the Medicines Procurement and Distribution Department.
Key Responsibilities:
• Assist in the supply of medicinal items within the Medicines Distribution Unit (MDU) to various wards and departments across Barts Health
• Support procurement activities, including ordering and receiving stock from suppliers and manufacturers.
• Maintain stock control systems, ensuring accuracy and availability of stock, including managing the Pharmacy Robot.
• Supervise the work of Assistant Technical Officers (ATOs) and other rotational staff within the MDU, ensuring all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are followed.
• Process invoices for payment and ensure compliance with financial protocols.
Qualifications and Skills Required:
• minimum functional skills qualification in English and Maths and a Level 2 in Pharmacy services
• Experience of supervising a team and of working in a healthcare environment would be desirable but not essential as training would be provided
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team and supervise others.
• Good communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Knowledge of stock management systems and processes in a healthcare setting.
Main duties of the job
This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of the Medicines Distribution Unit within Barts Health. If you are passionate about making a difference in pharmaceutical services and enjoy working in a dynamic environment, we would love to hear from you.
This position involves working within the Medicines Distribution Unit (MDU) at Barts Health, adhering to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to assist in the supply and management of stock items.
Key responsibilities include:
• Supporting the procurement and receipt of stock from suppliers and manufacturers.
• Processing invoices for payment to ensure timely financial management.
• Loading inventory into the robotics system and organizing stock on shelves for easy access.
• Collaborating with ward and departmental staff to ensure proper distribution of medications and stock items.
As a rotational role, the post holder will be expected to work across various functions or teams within the MDU, gaining a well-rounded understanding of the operations and processes involved in medicines distribution. This role is essential to maintaining the efficiency and effectiveness of pharmacy supply chains, ultimately supporting patient care at Barts Health.
Working for our organisation
Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain’s leading healthcare providers.
The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation. Having lifted ourselves out of special measures, we now have the impetus and breathing space to chart a fresh course in which we are continually striving to improve all our services for patients.
Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.
We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Pharmacy Department at Barts Health is one of the largest in the country and covers a population of 2.5 million. We provide clinical pharmacy and medicines optimisation services from our five hospital sites across the City of London, East and Northeast London
The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Pearson BTEC Level 2 Certificate in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Support Staff
2. GCES Math and English grade 4-9 or Functional skill Level 2 in the same subjects
Experience
Essential criteria
3. Proven experience of good performance in previous posts, where relevant
4. Proven experience of good performance in previous posts, where relevant
5. Manual handling skills
6. Stock management
Desirable criteria
7. Experience of working in healthcare / pharmacy environment
8. Experience of working in pharmacy procurement / distribution services
9. Experience of working with CMM Pharmacy system
Knowledge
Essential criteria
10. Understanding of customer care principles
11. An understanding of stock control systems and principles
12. An understanding of the importance of self-organisation and accuracy
Desirable criteria
13. Knowledge of invoice processing
14. Basic Microsoft office including Excel, Word and Outlook
Skills
Essential criteria
15. Numerate and able to perform simple calculations
16. Organised, accurate and Methodical approach to tasks
17. Ability to pay Attention to detail and to work effectively and accurately in a busy environment
18. Able to work alone and as part of a team
19. Flexible and adaptable
20. Ability to work under pressure and use own initiative
21. Ability to work weekends/bank holidays
22. Able to communicate effectively with all grades of staff and internal customers
23. Ability to communicate complex information to internal and external stakeholders
24. Good time management skills
Other
Essential criteria
25. Commitment to CPD
26. Professional attitude
27. Able to use own initiative
28. Reliable honest and possesses Integrity
29. Ability to adapt and learn to use different IT packages with different functionality as the demand of the job require
30. Able to push heavy trolleys
31. Able to lift heavy loads frequently of up to 15kg
Desirable criteria
32. Able to operate a pallet/electric truck
33. An interest in learning about drugs and their uses