Job responsibilities
Job Title: Pre-Registration
Trainee Pharmacy Technician
Grade: Apprenticeship
JOB SUMMARY
Under the support and guidance of Pharmacy and Practice
staff, and through a structured rotational training program with Community
Pharmacy and General Practice the post holder will:
develop the knowledge, skills and competencies to achieve
a General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) - accredited course or approved
qualification within the Pharmacy Technician apprenticeship pathway, to support
registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
complete the required competencies in the workplace to
achieve the accredited course / recognised qualification / apprenticeship and
will complete the learning organised by the training provider using agreed
weekly study day/session(s) and study in personal time.
ensure knowledge, attitudes and behaviour follow the
General Pharmaceutical Councils Standards for Pharmacy Professionals during
the two-year training programme in order that they can seek a declaration of
competence from supervising pharmacy professional in all sectors, as required
for registration.
MAIN FUNCTION OF THE JOB ROLE
To study for one day a week/equivalent to achieve the
Pre-Registration Pharmacy Technician training programme in the two-year
duration and complete the required accredited course/recognised
qualification/apprenticeship
To complete rotations in Community Pharmacy for a period
of training delivered weekly or in a block (minimum of three months per year)
dispensing, checking, and issuing medicines, counselling patients on how to use
their medicines, stock management, reconciliation of medicines, and Over the
Counter (OTC) sales for minor ailments, medicines review, and enhanced services
eg, stop smoking services under the supervision of Pharmacy Staff.
To complete rotations in General Practice for a period of
training as defined in the training plan; delivered weekly or in a block
responding to a prescription requests, reviewing hospital discharge/clinical
letters and reconciling medication against current medications highlighting
discrepancies under the supervision of the Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician,
completing audits under the supervision of a Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician.
To gain knowledge of diseases, basic treatments and the
actions and uses of drugs.
To answer basic pharmaceutical queries under supervision.
To learn about and contribute to the objectives for safe
patient care in all workplaces.
To support team values to ensure the maintenance of the
highest professional standards.
To always maintain confidentiality.
Community Pharmacy responsibilities:
To work under the supervision of the Supervising
Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician at all times.
To follow all workplace Standard Operating Procedures at
all times.
To learn about Medicines Optimisation and how Pharmacy
Technicians contribute to Community Pharmacy services. This will involve a
patient-facing role.
To assist the Pharmacist in retrieving electronic
prescriptions (EPS) as per SOPs.
To receive prescriptions and ensure they are legal and
valid and advise patients on completing the declaration.
To use the Pharmacy computer system to record Patient
Medication Records and create labels.
To dispense prescriptions including FP10s & Private
Prescriptions and monitored dosage systems (MDS) and confirm accuracy as per
community / dispensing pharmacy SOPs.
To issue prescriptions and counsel patients on how to use
their medicines.
To dispose of returned and unwanted medication as per
SOPs.
To record controlled drugs in the CD register and conduct
controlled drug balance checks as per SOPs.
To order, receive,
store, and maintain stock as per SOPs.
To support the community pharmacist with medicines
reconciliation in accordance with protocols, highlighting discrepancies to
ensure patients medication records are up to date and liaising with general
practice to ensure the correct medicines are continued following transfer of
care.
To complete OTC sales and recommendations for common minor
ailments under the supervision of a Pharmacist / trained Pharmacy staff.
To support the Pharmacist to complete Medication Use
Reviews (MURs), New Medicines Service (NMS) and Community Pharmacist
Consultation Service (CPCS)
To support the
Pharmacist to complete commissioned enhanced services e.g., stop smoking
services, under the supervision of Pharmacy Staff.
To liaise with General Practice regarding prescription
issues.
General Practice responsibilities:
To work under the supervision of the Pharmacy professional
at all times and liaison with other Practice staff.
To follow all workplace Standard Operating Procedures at
all times
To learn about Medicines Optimisation and how Pharmacy
Technicians contribute to General Practice. This will involve working in
General Practice in a patient facing role and with telephone contact.
To use the surgery computer system to record information
& consultations, run searches and send tasks to other healthcare
professionals.
To respond to prescription requests from community
patients, nursing/care home staff, pharmacy staff and GPs, processing them with
48 hours for routine prescriptions and same day for urgent prescriptions. This
can include re-routing prescriptions to out of hours pharmacies for same day
delivery.
To learn about and be involved with the use of practice
templates to record patient monitoring for high-risk drugs.
To learn about and be involved in monitoring blood tests,
recalls and reviews using established protocols and involvement of the
appropriate clinician.
To review hospital discharge notifications/clinical
letters and reconcile medication against current medications, highlighting
discrepancies to the pharmacist/designated GP under supervision.
To help support practice prescribing budgets by on-going
monitoring, audit and analysis of drug use and support practices in reviewing,
developing and enhancing cost-effective prescribing. This includes staying
aware of latest prescribing improvement targets.
To assist pharmacists / clinical staff help with annual
medication reviews e.g., Asthma assisting with information to ensure
prescribing of most cost-effective formulary product and observing patients
have good inhaler technique under supervision.
Conduct regular audits on medicines storage ensuring local
and national guidelines are adhered to and issues are reported to the
appropriate manager.
To ensure medicines in the surgery are checked and out of
date stock is identified and disposed of in an appropriate and timely manner
and disposed of according to SOPs.
To utilise
resources to promote the reduction of medicines waste.
To conduct face to face & telephone interventions (as
outlined by the pharmacist) with patients and ensure consultations are recorded
and reported to the pharmacist or designated GP.
To complete prescribing audits to monitor and analyse
individual practice/primary care network prescribing performance and trends
against local and national targets, presenting information and data and
identifying priority areas for action.
To support prescribing clerks by helping with queries
relating to prescription requests.
To look for ways to improve efficiency and safety of the
prescription ordering process, ensuring queries are resolved and scripts issued
in line with timeframe in the practice procedure working with the practice
pharmacist.
To support the
pharmacist in implementing drug withdrawals and alerts e.g., MHRA alerts and
medicine shortages.
To inspire the patient population with seasonal health
information campaigns, creating displays throughout the year e.g., Stop
Smoking, Antibiotic Awareness, annual Flu campaign.
To promote digital solutions including Patient Access, NHS
App, Electronic Repeat Dispensing to patients and practice staff as required by
Practice Manager.
Research & Audit:
To assist Pharmacy Technicians & General Practice
Pharmacists in the completion of audits as required.
Training & Development:
To complete a General Pharmaceutical Council
(GPhC)-accredited course, GPhC-recognised qualification or a GPhC approved apprenticeship
pathway. This will support eligibility to register with the General
Pharmaceutical Council as a Pharmacy Technician.
To study using online resources one day each week (or
equivalent).
To commit to study at home where necessary.
To complete mandatory training and other statutory
training at all workplaces.
To complete local competency-based assessments where
necessary.
To ensure that you meet the minimum number of hours work
based experience, as stated by the General Pharmaceutical Council, to enable
you to register as a qualified Pharmacy Technician.
