Job responsibilities
The PCN clinical pharmacy team plays an integral part of the General Practice Multi-Disciplinary Team. It plays a key role in delivering person-centred, coordinated care across the Primary Care Network (PCN).
Pharmacy technicians work under the clinical supervision of the wider team to ensure effective and efficient use of medicines. Pharmacy technicians core role responsibilities will cover clinical, and technical and administrative categories. The purpose of the role is to lead improvements to maximise safe, cost effective best practice in prescribing to improve the quality of patient care.
The postholder will work as part of the PCN Multi-disciplinary Teams to provide support with the following;
- Clinical support in areas such as medicines optimisation, medicines safety and quality improvement including responding to alerts (MHRA/CAS) and recording actions
- Assisting senior team members in identifying areas for improvement using data from suitable clinical systems and conducting quality improvement projects, either in collaboration with team members or independently.
- Support practices with relevant aspects of the Quality and Outcomes Framework, Primary Care Offer and PCN Network Contract DES/IIF
- Managing medication related queries from both patients and colleagues. Finding solutions to problems. liaising with community pharmacy, secondary care, mental health departments or social care as needed and following up with patients or team members where appropriate.
- Ensuring medicines reconciliation following discharge from other healthcare settings is completed accurately and address any queries or unclear information. Communicating with patients and community pharmacy to facilitate timely supply of medication
- Improving prescription processes and administration workflow(for example streamlining general prescription requests, electronic repeat dispensing and implementation of prescription services)
- Work alongside primary care colleagues to implement process improvements in the management of long term conditions, synchronisation of their medication and to promote reduction in wastage of medicines
- Supporting and mentoring other team members eg technicians or prescription clerks and engaging in shared learning and best practice.
- If not yet completed, the postholder must be willing to complete the mandatory 15 month CPPE Primary Care Pharmacists Education Pathway which includes work time release for study days/webinars/tutorials, support from a clinical supervisor and tutor and self-study done in own time.
- The postholder will communicate frequently with community and hospital pharmacy to help utilise skill mix, improve patient outcomes, to help manage workflow and ensure better access to healthcare e.g promoting use of Pharmacy First, Community Pharmacy Contraception Service, and New Medicines Services
- Patient contact is a key part of this role, therefore strong communication skills are crucial to promote effective and appropriate signposting, service information and lifestyle advice where needed whilst helping to tackle health inequalities.
- The role is pivotal to improving quality of care, safe use of medicines and promoting cost effective prescribing. The postholder will need to know where to access reliable sources of information and have knowledge of relevant formularies and local and national prescribing guidance
- Assist with medicines monitoring e.g Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs or high risk drugs.
- Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing locally.
- The successful candidate will need the ability to adapt to change and take on new challenges as they arise within the sector.
All Pharmacy Technicians must work within their competency and know when to refer to senior team members
General
The postholder will: Develop a culture that promotes equality and values diversity. The postholder must be aware of and committed to the Equality and Diversity policies of the appointing GP Federation 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 candor are observed and upheld in all working practices. 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. Ensure that any infection prevention and control issues are reported to the line manager/Infection Prevention and Control Equality and diversity: The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include: Acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights. Personal/Professional development: The post-holder will participate in appropriate training programmes implemented by the practice as part of this employment, with such training to include: Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development (CPD)
