Monkseaton Medical Centre

Pharmacy Technician

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Job summary

Bridge and Monkseaton Medical Practice is an innovative and friendly GP Practice. We are a 2 site Practice with Monkseaton Medical Centre located in Whitley Bay and Bridge Medical based in Shiremoor. We are an enthusiastic training Practice with a strong pharmacy team. We require a Pharmacy Technician/medicines manager to work 2/3 days per week with the possibility of covering both sites.

To support and promote safe, rational, high quality and cost-effective use of medicines by working closely with the practice pharmacists, practice staff and the wider primary healthcare team.

To support and encourage a safe, responsible, and respectful attitude to prescribing and medicines use within the practice.

To provide pharmaceutical technical support to the practice pharmacist team to help support the implementation of practice prescribing initiatives and the medicines optimisation work program.

To support the implementation of robust systems to facilitate accurate and timely monitoring and the reporting and delivery of performance monitoring targets and indicators related to medicines optimisation initiatives.

Main duties of the job

Ability to handle sensitive and confidential data.

Proven communication and interpersonal skills including dealing with patients and carers.

Able to plan and work independently and manage competing priorities.

On-going commitment to continuing professional development to maintain theoretical and practical knowledge.

Possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written).

Able to plan own work with a high degree of motivation.

Ability to work with others as a team player.

Able to prepare and present reports.

Able to use information technology e.g. word processing and spreadsheets.

About us

Bridge and Monkseaton Medical Practice is an enthusiastic, innovative practice that has 2 site locations. Bridge Medical is based in Shiremoor and Monkseaton Medical Centre is in Whitley Bay.

We are very focused on wellbeing and team development holding at least 4 Time in Sessions per year and we have clinical meetings most weeks. We have a strong focus on staff wellbeing and during the pandemic created a small garden and Zen room to take time out in. We also have regular and one off social and wellbeing events.

We are two practices with a patient population of 13,000, We have 3-partners, and we employ a management team, 9 salaried GPs, 2 Practice Nurse, 3 Health Care Assistants, 2 Paramedics, 1 Physicians Associate, 3 Pharmacists and a Pharmacy technician, 2 Mental Health and Well Being coordinators. We also work with the PCN and have ARRS roles in Physiotherapy, Social Prescriber, Frailty Nurses, paramedics for a home visiting service and administrators. The practices GMS contracts were merged on 1st April 2024.

The Practices have excellent facilities at both sites for patients and staff. These include meeting rooms and communal kitchen area for lunch and coffee. The practices have long term lease purpose-built facilities.

Date posted

06 June 2024

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

A0003-24-0001

Job locations

Cauldwell Avenue

Monkseaton

Whitley Bay

Tyne and Wear

NE25 9PH

Doctors Surgery

Earsdon Road

Shiremoor

Newcastle Upon Tyne

NE27 0HJ

Job description

Job responsibilities

We have efficient systems for reducing GP workload:

Our pharmacists and nursing team play an integral role within the organisation delivering our Long-Term Condition Management as well as managing medication changes from hospital letters and discharges.

We have pharmacy team support daily which helps reduce GP workload and they are always available to offer medicines advice.

Our administration team consists of skilled medical secretaries who deal with all referrals and help with all correspondence to external health professionals.

We have a proficient coding team that will ensure your correspondence is kept to a minimum freeing your time up to concentrate on contact time with patients and good clinical care.

Our friendly receptionists ensure that your surgeries run smoothly on a day-to-day basis.

We also have a navigator system that has been developed specifically to the Practices vision and this helps with continuity of patient care.

Quality of prescribing

Support the practice pharmacists with Medication review for all patients on repeat medication and maintenance of the medication review system.

Review list of medicines for newly registered patients and add to their medication record as appropriate and ensure patients are entered into any monitoring systems, medication review dates added.

Ensure annual monitoring tests are performed and reviewed where appropriate, e.g., ACE-I/A2RA, amiodarone, digoxin, lipid lowering drugs, warfarin, antipsychotics, antiepileptics, antidepressants.

Provide medicines reconciliation following discharge from hospital. Review discharge information and update patients repeat medication list as necessary.

Support the practice to improve prescribing quality and performance against national and local targets.

Support the provision of prescribing advice to prescribers and clinical staff in the practice regarding changes in drug safety information, discontinued products, changes in licensing etc.

Cost-effective use of medicines

Support the implementation of QIPP switches that have been agreed.

Support the practice to achieve QOF. Involvement in QOF areas as requested by the practice where medications are concerned (e.g., fractures and offering bone protection drugs)

Support patients with good Medicines Use e.g., inhaler technique, use of glucometers.

Implement and support Repeat Dispensing.

Liaise with local community pharmacists and act as a point of contact regarding any prescription queries, amendments, or appropriate switches for out-of-stock medicines.

Liaise with local care homes regarding medication requests and queries.

Act as a point of contact for prescribers and pharmacies for patients using monitored dosage systems and repeat dispensing relating to any changes in drug treatment.

Review out-patient letters which include changes to drug treatment and make changes to patients repeat medication list as appropriate (or query prescribing if not in accordance with Formulary)

Review out-patient discharge recommendations and issue prescriptions as requested.

Report any secondary care recommendations to prescribe non-formulary or red drugs to the local MM team.

Support queries from reception staff regarding patients making unusual requests for past medication, overuse of medication and refer to GP as necessary.

Assist with prescribing audits arising from safety concerns or good prescribing practice.

Medicines Optimisation

Provide information and guidance to patients to improve adherence with medicines taking.

Promote and support the use of shared decision making.

Monitor use of drugs for patients who may be overusing or misusing drugs and alert prescribers as necessary.

Respond to queries from GPs and other clinical staff and contact patients where necessary.

Respond to queries from receptionists regarding any medicine-related matters and contact patients where necessary.

Communication and relationship skills

Develop communication systems to ensure effective dissemination of information within the practice.

Information may be sensitive and may contain patient identifiers.

Information will be highly complex, e.g., prescribing, and patient activity data.