Lunesdale Surgery
Lunesdale Surgery
Kirkby Lonsdale
Dispenser
We are looking to replace a member of our dispensary team who will be leaving us at the end of September.
We would like some-one for 4 days a week, ideally:
Monday and Tuesday 8am – 5pm , Wednesday 9am – 6pm and Friday 9am – 4pm,
however we may be able to offer some flexibility for the right candidate.
An NVQ 2 in dispensary services, or working towards this qualification is preferred.
The position will be based at Kirkby Lonsdale but after appropriate training a regular session will be based at the branch surgery in Hornby.
The salary will be in the region of 8.50 per hour and will depend upon qualifications and experience.
We offer 22 days holiday per year, pro rata for part time staff and you will be automatically enrolled into the NHS pension Scheme if eligible.
Please see the following detailed job specification and dispenser profile.
If you would like an informal chat about the position, please ring and speak to either Julie Badley, practice manager or Chris Cleveland, Dispensary Manager on 01524271210
To apply please download and complete the application form and forward with a covering letter to:Julie Badley
The Lunesdale Surgery
Job Specification
Job title: Dispenser
Accountable to: The Partners
Responsible to: Practice Manager
Responsible for: Self
Job summary
To provide timely, accurate and qualitative dispensing services to the patients of the Lunesdale Surgery. Personnel must be committed to ongoing personal development, and be prepared to undertake regular dispensing accreditations.
Core Principles
To ensure confidentiality of information (written/oral or electronic) is preserved at all times whether at or away from work
To follow practice procedures to ensure that Information Governance and security requirements are met at all times
To follow procedures to ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998
To follow all practice protocols concerned with the maintenance of ethical practice
To support and participate in initiatives to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all practice users. This includes following procedures to ensure the control of potential hazards to health and safety
To respect, support, contribute to and take personal responsibility for implementing commitment to diversity and equality of opportunity
To contribute to a culture of continuous improvement
To deal with complaints promptly and according to organisational protocol
To perform duties to standards required by the practice in accordance with quality assurance
To perform duties in accordance with dispensary standard operating procedures
To demonstrate commitment to continuing professional development
To demonstrate computer literacy
Lunesdale Surgery
Essential Activities and Responsibilities
1. Dispensing
This involves:
Dispensing acute prescriptions.
Dispensing repeat prescriptions received by verbal request, telephone calls, by electronic request and those delivered to the surgery.
Updating patients repeat screens on Doctors instructions.
Dispensing private prescriptions.
Checking colleagues dispensing.
Dossett box preparation and checking.
Ensuring the dispensary area remains clean and tidy.
2. Prescriptions
Such activities include:
Issuing prescriptions for non-dispensing patients
Taking prescription repeats over the telephone.
Sorting and endorsing prescriptions.
Completing backs of prescriptions.
Generating prescriptions.
3. Dispensary Reception
Handing out prescriptions and collecting charges when appropriate.
Assist patients in accurately completing any exemption criteria on the reverse of the prescription form
Collecting and recording private charges for private medications, vaccines and holiday prophylactic medication.
Completing receipts as requested.
Taking in prescription repeats.
Advise patients about pre-payment and medical exemption certificates.
Advise patients about need for medical investigations and medication reviews
Book future appointments
4. Maintaining stock control systems
This involves maintaining systems for consumables and ensuring adequate stationery supplies in the dispensary. This includes:
Being able to identify the person/persons responsible for ordering stationery and consumables and notifying them when stocks are running low
Being aware of the procedures for receiving, checking and storing stationery, consumables etc.
Ordering appropriate quantities of goods via the wholesaler’s computer link.
Checking goods as and when they are delivered and recording generic details.
Returning incorrect goods to the wholesalers.
Stocking shelves, refrigerators and other storage areas using rotation method
Lunesdale Surgery
Removing ‘out of date’ stock from the shelves, refrigerators and other storage areas.
Safe disposal of returned unused medicines
5. Mentoring and training new and existing staff as required
This involves demonstrating duties to new or existing staff or students.
Mentoring new staff and providing support for them.
6. Recognising emergency situations, problems and difficulties
This involves taking prompt and appropriate action and includes:
Responding to a patient in an emergency as per practice protocol
Responding appropriately if a patient is aggressive, rude or difficult as
per the zero tolerance policy
Responding appropriately if a patient wishes to complain as per the complaints procedure
7. Directing patients to appropriate Health Care Professionals for advice
To accomplish this activity there should be an awareness of the services the practice and associated organisations provide and the range of relevant potential sources of information inside and outside of the organisation.
8. Upholding Quality
This involves:
Alerting other team members to issues of quality and risk
Assessing own performance and taking accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
Contributing to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the team’s performance
Working effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
Effectively managing own time, workload and resources.
9. Communicating
To recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
Communicate effectively with other team members
Communicate effectively with patients and carers
Communicate effectively with hospitals and care homes
Recognise people’s needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.
Attend meetings with dispensary colleagues and other practice staff
10. Personal/Professional Development
Lunesdale Surgery
This involves:
Taking responsibility for own developmental learning and performance
Taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal development
Working with management on any new training requirements
Demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work
11. Contributing to the implementation of Services:
This involves:
Applying practice policies, standards and guidance
Discussing with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
Participating in audit where appropriate.
12. Health and safety
Adhere to all aspects of Health and Safety at Work Act and Regulations and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations, ensuring good hygiene, cleanliness and a safe environment in the dispensary
Maintain the security of the dispensary and ensure that all medicines are stored as appropriate.
13. Other
To carry out other duties that are required within the role as it evolves within the development of the organisation
Be prepared to cover the work of colleagues when they are absent through annual leave or sickness
Key skills
Excellent telephone manner
Ability to maintain concentration for long periods of time
Ability to absorb the wealth of information needed to satisfy daily enquiries
Able to work under pressure and under one’s own initiative
Basic computer literacy
Time management and prioritising work load
Qualifications and experience
NVQ Level 2 in Dispensing (or willingness to obtain)
Good general education
Excellent oral/written/keyboard and communication skills
Experience working with the general public
Personal Qualities
Ability to work unsupervised and as part of a team
Professional approach to conduct and smart, tidy appearance
Self-motivated
A willingness to learn
Friendly, patient and polite
Good health record
Additional information
Post subject to continuous evaluation and development
Appraisal interval: annual review
NHS Pension Scheme Eligibility
Required Training
NVQ level 2 in dispensing
CPR updates
Child protection updates
Information Governance updates
Training on EMIS to fully use the following modules:
- dispensing
- consultation and results
- appointments
- electronic communication
Commitment to patient confidentiality and understanding the implications of non- compliance
Participate in practice in-house training where appropriate
Any other training in line with the nGMS contract standards for dispensing services
Lunesdale Surgery
Job Profile :General Practice Dispenser
Job Statement:1.Undertakes duties in dispensary involving all aspects
of supplying medication for patients
- Carries out reception duties in dispensary including
Handing out medication to patients and receiving payment where appropriate.
- Participates in supervision of dispensary trainees.
Factor / Relevant Job Information
1. Communication and Relationship skills / Provide and receive routine information to inform work colleagues, patients, overcome barriers to communication
Communicates factual information to other staff and patients. Works as part of team.
2. Knowledge, Training and experience / Range of work procedures and practices, base level of learning.
Knowledge of procedures for dispensary, SOPS,
Trained to the level of NVQ level 2 in dispensing services, attends in-house training
3. Analytical and judgemental skills / Judgements involving facts or situations, some requiring analysis
Deals with emergency requests for drugs or similar problems. Passes
4. Planning and organisational skills / Organises own day to day tasks or activities
Plans own tasks and those of other dispensary workers under supervision to take act of needs
5. Physical Skills / Possesses physical skills, accuracy important
Standard keyboard skills
Accurate selection of correct product essential.
Prepares products requiring mixing and counting.
6. Responsibility for Patient Care / Provides general dispensing services and advice
Dispenses medication and offers advice within individual competency
7. Responsibility for policy/service development / Follows policies within own role, comments on appropriate changes
Works in accordance with dispensary SOPs
8. Responsibility for Financial and Physical Resources / Maintain security of stock, prescriptions and payments
Stores stock according to SOPs, receive and account for monies received.
9. Responsibility for Human Resources / Professional supervision
Takes part in supervising dispensary trainees
10. Responsibility for Information Resources / Data entry, text processing, storage of data
Inputs prescribing and dispensing data, stock.
11. Responsibility for Information Governance / Knowledge of Information Governance in relation to the handling and sharing of patient identifiable data.
Understands the importance of patient confidentiality, achieves basic level of IG training.
Attends in-house updates.
12. Responsibility for Research and Development / Undertakes error and other audit as required
Completes record of errors, patient satisfaction surveys.
13. Freedom to Act / Works to Standard Operating Procedures, refer to pharmacy technician or GP
Works within individual competence to dispensary SOP, referral to supervisor where necessary.
Factor / Relevant Job Information
14. Physical Effort / Sitting, standing, stretching, frequent light lifting.
Sitting for data input, standing for dispensing, checking, reception duties.
Frequent stretching/reaching for stock selection.
Frequent light lifting for movement of pharmaceutical stock.
15. Mental Effort / High levels of concentration, work pattern predictable
Concentration and accuracy for data input, issuing prescriptions, dispensing, work pattern generally predictable.
16. Emotional Effort / Occasional exposure to distressing/emotional circumstances
Challenging patient behaviour
17. Working Conditions / Occasional exposure to unpleasant conditions
Cytotoxic drugs, verbal aggression
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