Assistant Technical Officer

Job overview

Assistant Technical Officer - Homecare Support

Northampton General Hospital is an acute NHS trust with a highly respected pharmacy service. As a Trust, we pledge to provide the best possible care with patient safety and quality at the heart of all we do.

We have an exciting opportunity for an Assistant Technical Officer to join the team. The Homecare department has seen significant growth with over 2500 patients accessing homecare services across an array of therapeutic indications. The successful candidate will be working closely with multi-disciplinary teams across the Trust to maintain current relationships by providing their expertise in ensuring a smooth transition of care for patients between hospital and homecare services.

The role will suit an innovative and progressive individual who will be fundamental in the development of department processes. They will be integrated within a team tasked with delivering on our responsibilities to ensure the cost-effective and appropriate prescribing of homecare medicines.

Previous homecare and high-cost medicine experience is desirable but full training will be provided.

If you are an enthusiastic, self-motivated, committed individual who is keen to develop your skills further then we would like to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be expected to dispense homecare prescriptions, process invoices, reconcile account statements and highlight discrepancies.

To accurately perform (under the supervision of qualified staff) a range of routine and non-routine tasks in the Pharmacy which do not require the knowledge, skills and training of a BTEC/NVQ 3 qualified Pharmacy Technician.

To provide administrative and clerical support to the Homecare service.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To dispense homecare prescriptions, process invoices and highlight discrepancies

• To collect prescriptions from clinical teams To raise orders and ‘virtually’ dispense items supplied via homecare items using the EMIS pharmacy system. To check prescription renewals against the pharmacy homecare database to ensure appropriate and timely processing. To forward prescriptions to homecare providers, recognising the need to arrange urgent deliveries. To progress chase prescriptions/deliveries/invoices to ensure a timely and efficient service is provided, escalating issues to the Homecare and High-cost Medicines Support Officer as necessary. To ‘virtually’ receive and book in homecare goods. To check proof of delivery against prescription and invoice and resolve discrepancies where appropriate. To highlight any discrepancies to the Homecare and High-cost Medicine Support Officer. To contact service users or providers to resolve queries, referring to Homecare Pharmacy Technicians as necessary under the direction of the Advanced Pharmacy Technician. To maintain invoice log and filing system. To reconcile monthly homecare provider statements. To monitor homecare inbox and respond to stakeholders as appropriate.

To assist in the provision of medicines for the treatment of patients This may include the following tasks in the Dispensary, Stores or Distribution departments within Pharmacy, depending on service needs:

• To accurately and promptly dispense medicines for patients whose prescriptions have been validated by a Pharmacist. To issue prescriptions when this is appropriate. To supply Controlled Drugs and keep appropriate records. To participate in the Pharmacy Service to Wards and Departments To liaise with the appropriate Pharmacy Team Leader and Principal Pharmacy Technician, Stores and Distribution to ensure that any ‘to-follow’ medicines are ordered and supplied to patients. To inform the appropriate Pharmacist of any problems with the supply of medicines ordered To answer the telephone and either deal with the query, take a message or re-direct the call to the appropriate person / area of the department. To receive signed requisitions / orders from hospital staff and other customers and to forward these to the appropriate area for processing.

Other Duties

This includes the following tasks:

• To assist in the training of staff. To maintain and update medicines databases.

To assist in the maintenance of a clean and efficient environment suitable for the handling of medicine.

For further information on the advertised role, please refer to the job description located under the Supporting Documents heading.