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Meet the team

  • Clinical Director of Pharmacy & Medicines Optimisation – Mildred Johnson
  •  Deputy Chief Pharmacist (Tunbridge Wells Hospital) – Barbara Clark
  • Deputy Chief Pharmacist (Maidstone Hospital) – Helen Burn
  • Deputy Chief Pharmacist, Cancer & Technical Services – Conchi Blanco-Criado
  • Medicines Information:  Senior Pharmacist – Pauline Taylor
  • Procurement Chief Technician – Steve Gaskin
  • Education and Training – Clare Williams
  •  Formulary – Amanda Le Page
  • Deputy Chief Pharmacist (Tunbridge Wells Hospital) – Steve Baldwin
  • Medicines Information:  Principal Pharmacist – Frederick Attakora

There are over 100 staff employed by the Pharmacy Department, working in four locations across the Trust. The department in made up of four main groups of staff:

Pharmacists

It takes 5 years to qualify as a pharmacist (a 4 year degree course followed by 1 year of pre-registration training) All pharmacists, from a newly qualified junior to the Chief Pharmacist, are members of the General Pharmaceutical Council. (GPhC) Their training and professional qualification make them ideally placed to provide clinical advice and information to prescribers, nursing staff and patients on the safe and effective use of medicines. Our pharmacists work in the dispensaries, on wards and in specialist services such as oncology, medicines information, ophthamology, paediatrics, intensive care and aseptic preparation.

Technicians

Pharmacy technicians have an NVQ level 3 and underpinning knowledge certificate in Pharmaceutical Science. They are also registered with the (GPhC). Their duties include the dispensing of prescriptions, the preparation of aseptic products and over recent years their role has expanded. Many of our technicians are taking medication histories, advising patients on how to take their medicines, undertaking the final check on a dispensed prescription, managing our dispensaries, controlling stock and purchasing.

Assistants

Pharmacy assistants have an important role and are trained within the pharmacy. Their duties include the distribution of stock to wards and departments and stock control of pharmaceuticals within the pharmacy department.

Clerical & Administrative staff

Last, but not least, the pharmacy department employs a number of clerical and administrative staff to support all of the pharmacy services. Communication, maintaining computer databases, keeping records of orders, preparation of reports and helping with the day to day smooth running of the department are among the jobs undertaken.