Band 6 - Clinical Pharmacy Technician Virtual Wards, Pharmacy inWatford inWatford PUBLISHED 31 MAY 2024

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced, self-driven clinical technician to join the Virtual Hospital Team at South & West Hertfordshire Health Care Partnership.

Our Virtual Hospital Service is a collaborative partnership between West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (WHTH) and Central London Community Health Trust (CLCH). We currently provide care to patients across various pathways such as Heart Failure, Acute Respiratory Infections, Asthma/Bronchiectasis/COPD, Frailty, Post-op surgery and Respiratory Healthcare at Home, and are exploring the expansion of the service to support other specialist pathways in the future.

The team cares for acutely unwell patients in their own homes by preventing unnecessary admissions to hospital or by supporting early discharge from hospital. Remote technology is utilised to support the monitoring and care of these patients at home.

The post holder will provide technical clinical pharmacy support to the Virtual Hospital, in delivering Medicines Optimisation services to patients across all pathways. The post holder will also support the Lead Pharmacist for Virtual Wards in developing and delivering an effective Medicines Management Service for the Virtual Hospital

The post is substantive full time (37.5hrs/week) Monday to Friday. The post includes participation in the weekend, late and bank holiday dispensary rota.

Main duties of the job

This post is based within Watford General Hospital and involves significant travel to CLCH with the potential for home visits in the future.

You will provide technical clinical pharmacy input to the Virtual Hospital to support the medicines related care of patients, support the provision and development of medicines management services and participate in training, education and research as required.

You will be expected to forge strong professional relationships with nurses, doctors and allied health professionals. The role requires a passion for clinical pharmacy and a genuine drive to help patients. We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join the team with a range of skills and clinical expertise. You need to be flexible, have excellent communication skills and appreciate the need for professional development within your practice to ensure we establish a responsive and effective team.

About us

There has never been a more exciting time to join West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust! Major redevelopment works are planned as part of the New Hospital Programme. These will be most dramatic at Watford General Hospital where up to 90% of buildings will be new.

The trust has recently gained 'teaching hospital' status which reflects the dedicated work of many teams and individuals who have set the standard for delivering high quality training, learning and education at all levels of the workforce.


We are a flexible working employer


At West Herts we recognise the importance of a good work life balance and the ability to work flexibly. We are delighted to offer a variety of flexible working options for all staff. Please check out our web page for more information.

www.jobsincare.com/job/jJmEySzX
We encourage and welcome people with disabilities. If you need help, please ask.

We reserve the right to close this advert early due to the volume of applicants. Please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.


If you do not hear back within 3 weeks of your application, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.


Job description

Job responsibilities

Support the Lead Pharmacist for Virtual Wards in delivering Medicines Optimisation services to patients across all pathways within the Virtual Hospital.

Develop, maintain and implement systems for identifying the appropriate cohort of patients requiring medication reviews.

Undertake and accurately document medication reviews and medicines reconciliation in line with competencies, analysing various information and proposing options to optimise pharmaceutical care and minimise areas of wastage.

Improve communication and links with local community pharmacists and care providers in order to ensure the accurate transfer of information when patients with complex discharge needs are transferred from virtual hospital setting.

Organise education sessions for nursing staff that will facilitate an improved general awareness of medicines management requirements within the virtual hospital setting.

Work cross site between WHTH and CLCH based on operational need

For further details, please see the full job description and person specification.

Job description
Job responsibilities

Support the Lead Pharmacist for Virtual Wards in delivering Medicines Optimisation services to patients across all pathways within the Virtual Hospital.

Develop, maintain and implement systems for identifying the appropriate cohort of patients requiring medication reviews.

Undertake and accurately document medication reviews and medicines reconciliation in line with competencies, analysing various information and proposing options to optimise pharmaceutical care and minimise areas of wastage.

Improve communication and links with local community pharmacists and care providers in order to ensure the accurate transfer of information when patients with complex discharge needs are transferred from virtual hospital setting.

Organise education sessions for nursing staff that will facilitate an improved general awareness of medicines management requirements within the virtual hospital setting.

Work cross site between WHTH and CLCH based on operational need

For further details, please see the full job description and person specification.

Person Specification

Education and qualifications

Essential

• NVQ Level 3 in Pharmacy Services or equivalent and BTEC in Pharmaceutical science or equivalent
• Registered with GPhC as a technician
• Accreditation in Medicines Management (or equivalent)
• Accredited Checking Pharmacy Technician (ACPT)
• Current, relevant knowledge of hospital pharmacy procedures acquired though training, experience and knowledge

Desirable

• Leadership Course

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of automated systems and electronic prescribing.
• Ward based knowledge
• Dispensing
• Pharmaceutical Law
• Pharmaceutical Practice
• Hospital Pharmacy Practice
• Good clinical knowledge
• Drug Distribution
• Patient Counselling
• CPD portfolio
• Enthusiastic
• Conscientious and reliable

Desirable

• Excel Spreadsheets -minimum intermediate level

Experience

Essential

• Appropriate post qualification hospital experience
• Ability to work within clearly defined occupational polices and standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• Proven ability to manage own workload and the workload of others, delegating supervision activities as appropriate
• Experience of assessing the work of others, feeding back appropriately and ensuring staff are working within defined SOPs
• Knowledge and experience of recording data, including sensitive information, on pharmacy computerised data record systems
• Experience of dispensing drugs for patients, clients in specialist area, providing advice to patients, carers
• Experience in organising daily activities of staff within a team
• Experience of working with a wide range of other health care professionals
• Experience of providing training

Desirable

• Audit participation
• Experience in developing and implementing SOPs
• Experience of conducting medication reviews
• Experience using systems e.g Cerner/EMIS/SystemOne
• Experience working with primary care and community nursing teams
• Experience of conducting and reporting project & audit work

Skills and ability

Essential

• Ability to work flexibly to meet service needs
• Ability to effectively teach and deliver specialist training to various staff
• Proven ability to undertake audit/project
• Proven presentation skills
• Proven time management skills
• Organisational skills
• Proven communication skills and ability to work with patients with communication barriers
• Proven ability to manage conflict
• Good team player
• Able to use initiative
• Assertive
• IT skills
• Supervisory skills
• Awareness of barriers to understanding and ability to implement tools to overcome barriers
• Ability to motivate and engage all levels of staff
• Independently mobile to be able to work across sites with access to a vehicle and full driving license

Desirable

• Ability to write a procedure/guidelines
• Creative thinker

Personal qualities

Essential

• oSelf-motivator and commitment to supporting high quality medicines management
• oFlexibility in approach to meet service needs and ability to support complex changes
• oInnovative thinker and 'can do' approach

Person Specification
Education and qualifications

Essential

• NVQ Level 3 in Pharmacy Services or equivalent and BTEC in Pharmaceutical science or equivalent
• Registered with GPhC as a technician
• Accreditation in Medicines Management (or equivalent)
• Accredited Checking Pharmacy Technician (ACPT)
• Current, relevant knowledge of hospital pharmacy procedures acquired though training, experience and knowledge

Desirable

• Leadership Course

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of automated systems and electronic prescribing.
• Ward based knowledge
• Dispensing
• Pharmaceutical Law
• Pharmaceutical Practice
• Hospital Pharmacy Practice
• Good clinical knowledge
• Drug Distribution
• Patient Counselling
• CPD portfolio
• Enthusiastic
• Conscientious and reliable

Desirable

• Excel Spreadsheets -minimum intermediate level

Experience

Essential

• Appropriate post qualification hospital experience
• Ability to work within clearly defined occupational polices and standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• Proven ability to manage own workload and the workload of others, delegating supervision activities as appropriate
• Experience of assessing the work of others, feeding back appropriately and ensuring staff are working within defined SOPs
• Knowledge and experience of recording data, including sensitive information, on pharmacy computerised data record systems
• Experience of dispensing drugs for patients, clients in specialist area, providing advice to patients, carers
• Experience in organising daily activities of staff within a team
• Experience of working with a wide range of other health care professionals
• Experience of providing training

Desirable

• Audit participation
• Experience in developing and implementing SOPs
• Experience of conducting medication reviews
• Experience using systems e.g Cerner/EMIS/SystemOne
• Experience working with primary care and community nursing teams
• Experience of conducting and reporting project & audit work

Skills and ability

Essential

• Ability to work flexibly to meet service needs
• Ability to effectively teach and deliver specialist training to various staff
• Proven ability to undertake audit/project
• Proven presentation skills
• Proven time management skills
• Organisational skills
• Proven communication skills and ability to work with patients with communication barriers
• Proven ability to manage conflict
• Good team player
• Able to use initiative
• Assertive
• IT skills
• Supervisory skills
• Awareness of barriers to understanding and ability to implement tools to overcome barriers
• Ability to motivate and engage all levels of staff
• Independently mobile to be able to work across sites with access to a vehicle and full driving license

Desirable

• Ability to write a procedure/guidelines
• Creative thinker

Personal qualities

Essential

• oSelf-motivator and commitment to supporting high quality medicines management
• oFlexibility in approach to meet service needs and ability to support complex changes
• oInnovative thinker and 'can do' approach

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the .

From 6 April 2, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. .
UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

Additional information
Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the .

From 6 April 2, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. .
UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

Employer details

Employer name

West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Address

Watford General Hospital

Watford

WD18 0HB

Employer's website