BTH Pharmacy Technician student awarded Bradford College’s Pharmacy Student of the Year

A Science Manufacturing Technician will operate the systems and equipment, involved in the production of products. They may work in varied conditions including wearing specialist safety equipment, shift work and on sites running 365-day operations.

Stephanie works in our Pharmacy Aseptic Unit, a sterile environment where injectable medicines are prepared for patients and is currently a Trainee Science Manufacturing Technician at the Trust who said, “I started here in April 2022 with no pharmacy or medical background, and after 12 months I took the opportunity to apply for the Trainee Science Manufacturing position. The course has been able to provide me with in-depth knowledge of how the Unit operates, as well as vital background knowledge on policies and procedures and why they are in place. It has been great to learn about the governing bodies that permits us to manufacture medication for patients who are in our care at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals. Alongside the knowledge of the daily tasks, we need to undertake, the course also looks into the science side of medication. It’s been helpful to learn about how our body works, and how the medication we are making interacts to help and support those patients who are ill. This course has enabled me to increase my knowledge and skills to be able to do my job more successfully."

This is an 18-month contract where students rotate through the dispensary, Aseptic Unit and stores. At the end of the course, they will have achieved an NVQ in Pharmacy Services.

They work in the Dispensary, Distribution, Purchasing, Aseptic unit, Ward based services, portering, reception and clinical trials. They are qualified to NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services.

Pharmacy Support worker, Jane Hodgkinson, said: “As a pharmacy support worker I dispense medications for patients within the hospital, including assembling the medication for their discharge home. I work alongside technicians and pharmacists and liaise with ward staff to provide an efficient, safe service for patients.  As a new member of the team at Blackpool, I have found it easy to settle in due to supportive and friendly colleagues and have found it a positive learning environment.”

At the Trust we currently have three employed by the Pharmacy and their role is to educate nurses and other professionals about medicines management by delivering training. They also support wards with remaining compliant with medicines management.

Mo Bonney, one of our Medicines Management Nurses, reflected on how she feels about the role: “As Medicines Management Nurses we enjoy being in the position of bridging the gap between Pharmacy and the Nursing Teams. We empathise with the daily challenges faced by both clinical teams whilst providing solutions in order to maintain safe management of medications. We pride ourselves in being approachable and visible to all staff, providing support and education ensuring patient safety is our upmost priority.”

Our trainee pharmacists undertake five years of training to qualify as a pharmacist which includes a four year Masters degree and a year Foundation training before they sit a final assessment with the GPhC. Once registered, they are able to work in a variety of settings. Those choosing to stay in hospital fulfil a rotational programme and then usually specialise in a particular area to progress their career which often includes their prescribing qualification and additional postgraduate study.

Zahrah Mirza, a Trainee Pharmacist shared some information about what her foundation training year entails: “As a trainee pharmacist we must undergo 52 weeks of training under the supervision of our designated supervisor, whereby we must complete all our competencies and learning outcomes before we sit our GPhC exam at the end of our training year. 

"We must complete certain tasks such as our dispensing dairies, checking diaries and be confident with performing medicine's reconciliation. We have regular meetings with our designated supervisors, weekly teaching sessions held by our pharmacists on different subjects and areas which help aid our revision and preparation for our exams, similarly we are encouraged to do further research when we come across complex cases on wards and pharmacists share any new information or findings with the teams during morning meetings. 

"Working in Blackpool Teaching Hospitals allows trainee pharmacists to grow and learn from a wide range of other professionals whether that be doctors, nurses, pharmacy support workers or pharmacy technicians.  These professionals have greater experience and help us by sharing their extensive knowledge and expertise with areas that are new to us.”