Mental health pharmacy technicians are responsible for preparing, supplying and administering medicines. They are key members of the mental health multidisciplinary team and play a vital role in helping often vulnerable patients get the best outcome from their medicines. The role involves liaising with patients, other healthcare professionals to ensure the effective and safe use of medicines.
Pharmacy technicians work under the supervision of a pharmacist and are registered healthcare professionals that are responsible and accountable for their own accurate and safe practice.
Key responsibilities
- Providing safe and effective pharmacy services.
- Supplying medicines and medical devices to patients providing information on symptoms and products.
- Achieving the best outcomes through a patient’s medicines.
- Assembling and accuracy checking medicines for prescriptions or ward stock.
- Providing information to patients, carers and other members of the healthcare team.
- Managing areas of medicines supply such as dispensaries or managing services and projects.
- Supervising and training other pharmacy staff.
- Responding to patients’ questions both face to face and over the phone.
- Pre-packing, assembling and labelling medicines.
- Referring problems or queries to the pharmacist.
- Procurement and stock control.
- Taking medication histories from patients.
- Supporting relationships between the wards and clinical areas, patients, and pharmacy services.
- Working in multidisciplinary teams such as community mental health[ST1] to support patients with their medicines in their homes and communities.
- Participating in medication audits.
- To support and promote a safe working environment in accordance with Health & Safety and Infection Control policies.
- Understand the Mental Capacity Act to aid decision-making for medicines prescribing and administration
