Pharmacy Technician

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose and Main Duties

The Primary Care Pharmacy Technician will work alongside the Practice Clinical Pharmacist to support the Practice clinical team in all aspects of prescribing and medicines safety.

The purpose of this role is to support improvements to maximise safe and best practice in prescribing and improve the quality of patient care. You will be a point of contact for patients enquiries regarding their prescriptions. The post holder will help patients to get the best from their medicines through effective medicines reconciliation after discharge and on other transfers of care, identification of patients potentially suitable for repeat dispensing, providing assistance in the monitoring of high-risk and high-cost drugs, and handling of prescription queries within the areas of competence.

The role will also include training and development of practice based prescription clerks and administrators to support improved co-ordination and effective pharmacy administration within general practice, especially with relation to repeat prescribing systems and processes.

Job Duties

Support to the Practice Clinical Pharmacist and Practice clinical team to provide a safe and effective repeat prescribing service.

Comply with legal and professional requirements and with safe systems of work for re-authorising repeat prescriptions, including requesting biometric monitoring and blood tests.

Co-ordinate medication review appointments and any changes of medication as advised by the clinical team.

Liaise with pharmacies on the supply of prescribed drugs, alert clinicians of any supply issues and forward recommendations of alternatives .

Medicines reconciliation post discharge and on other transfers of care.

Bring queries to clinical team to include under or over usage.

Day to day handling of prescription queries within area of own competence.

Delivery of training and development to practice based prescription clerks and administrators/PCN care coordinators to support improved co-ordination and effective pharmacy administration within General Practice.

Use and maintain information reporting systems and databases relevant to the position including incident reporting, prescribing data and patient outcomes.

Participate in practice meetings, and other meetings to improve engagement of the role and to promote issues relevant to prescribing.

Liaise with multidisciplinary team, prescribing support team, community pharmacy and hospital pharmacy teams.

Handle function specific information, which may be sensitive, complex or confidential and appropriately recording, transferring and/or coordinating such information in accordance with the GDPR; Caldecott Guidelines and the Confidentiality Code of Conduct.

Be responsible for the organisation, planning of own workload to meet set deadlines.

Utilise GP practice clinical systems to conduct prescribing audits.

Support the clinical pharmacist with the work required under Surrey ICB Medicines Management Incentive Scheme.

Support the Clinical Pharmacist in shared care monitoring and processes.

In collaboration with practice Clinical Pharmacist and GP Prescribing Lead ensure that all major MHRA drug alerts, where appropriate and within levels of competence, are acted upon within practices over an appropriate time frame and to advise on any medication changes that occur as a result

Undertake training and development, to ensure the required knowledge and skills for practice based work.

Escalate problems or issues to line manager that require additional support or input.

Carry out other duties which are appropriate to the skills and competencies of the post holder and grade of the post as the priorities of the service change .

Establish and maintain effective working relationships with GP practices, staff and other healthcare professionals.

The post holder will develop a culture that promotes equality and values diversity. The post holder must be aware of and committed to the Equality and Diversity policies of the practice and comply with all the requirements of these policies and actively promote Equality and Diversity issues relevant to the post.

Ensure the principles of openness, transparency and candour are observed and upheld.

The post holder will have, or acquire through training provided by the organisation, the appropriate level of safeguarding and knowledge, skills and practice required for the post and be aware of and comply with the organisations safeguarding protection policies and procedures.

Experience

Essential

• - Previous experience of working within a patient facing role
• - Experience of using NHS information systems

Desirable

• - Experience of the GMS contract and Medicines Management Incentive Schemes
• - Experience of prescribing/clinical systems

Quality/Attributes

Essential

• - Continued commitment to improve skills and ability in new areas or work
• - Self motivated and able to work collaboratively and independently
• - Ability to work flexibly

Desirable

• - Understanding of clinical governance and risk management
• - Awareness of Medicines Management agenda
• - Knowledge of audit and research
• - Innovative

Knowledge and personal skills

Essential

• - Excellent communication skills both verbal and written
• - Good IT skills
• - Good organisationals skills
• - Ability to work under pressure
• - Ability to work as part of a team
• - Motivational and negotiation skills
• - Time management skills
• - Ability to prioritise and organise workload

Desirable

• - People management
• - Ability to make decisions
• - Teaching skills

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered with GPhC as a Pharmacy Technician

Desirable

• Medicines Reconciliation Certificate or equivalent

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).