Pharmacist Technician

Job responsibilities

• To support the Clinical Pharmacists to ensure the delivery of safe, effective and efficient systems for repeat prescribing, medicines optimisation, reducing medicines waste and maximising patient outcomes.
• The role will also include training and development of practice based prescribing staff and administrators to support improved co-ordination and effective pharmacy administration within general practice, especially with relation to repeat prescribing systems and processes.

• The candidate should have the ability to organise and prioritise own delegated workload, along with the ability to deal with non-routine and unpredictable nature of the workload.

Job Responsibilities

• To undertake medicines reconciliation in accordance with practice protocols and to update patients medical records / prescribing accordingly.
• To support the achievement of the practice's prescribing Quality and Outcomes Framework targets as well as PCN targets.
• Working with the Clinical Pharmacist and Prescribing staff to contribute to the review and development of repeat prescribing protocols / Standard Operating Procedures to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of repeat prescribing systems.
• To provide advice to GPs, staff and patients in changes to prescribing to support the improvement of prescribing safety, quality and cost effectiveness.
• To participate in medication audits.
• To assist in the appropriate monitoring and management of prescribing budgets and to liaise with the medicines management team.
• To prepare evidence based resources and information to support the implementation of rational cost-effective prescribing.
• To support the Clinical Pharmacists to provide medication reviews, patient information leaflets, medicine awareness; and to undertake community visits as appropriate.
• Provide leadership for medicines optimisation systems across PCNs, supporting practices with a range of services to get the best value from medicines by encouraging and implementing Electronic Prescriptions, safe repeat prescribing systems, and timely monitoring and management of high-risk medicines.
• To take a proactive approach to the safe handling of prescriptions, including assessment of risk and making recommendations for improvement.
• To respond to medication queries from patients and staff in a professional manner referring to the appropriate GP in accordance with practice protocols.
• Provide specialist expertise, where competent, to address both the public health and social care needs of patients, including lifestyle advice, service information, and help in tackling local health inequalities.
• To advise on the sourcing and safe management of medicines as appropriate.
• To assist in the submission of claims for personally administered drugs as required.
• Be responsible for planning of own workload to meet set deadlines.
• Develop relationships with other pharmacy technicians, pharmacists and members of the multi-disciplinary team to support integration of the pharmacy team across health and social care including primary care, community pharmacy, secondary care, and mental health.

Other duties and responsibilities to be undertaken may include any or all the items in the following list:

• Computer data entry/data allocation and collation, processing and recording information in accordance with practice procedures.
• Initiating contact with and responding to requests from patients, other team members and associated healthcare professionals and providers.
• Helping to maintain a positive, patient focused culture.
• Any other duties commensurate with this position. Duties will vary from time to time under the direction of the WNN Board, dependent on current and evolving practice workload and staffing levels.

Patient Services

• Undertake patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations with patients.
• To provide medication review services to patients via clinics in the practice, domiciliary visits and in residential and nursing homes, and to deliver pharmaceutical care plans that maximise cost-effective prescribing and improve the quality of patient care.
• To present at patient group meetings or other appropriate events to give advice on the appropriate use of medicines.
• To produce patient information leaflets and posters and run medicine awareness projects throughout the year.
• Assist with the appropriate monitoring and management of their prescribing budgets.
• To prepare evidence based resources and information to support the medicine management team and all other relevant health professionals in the implementation of rational cost-effective prescribing.
• To help plan, develop and support the introduction of new working processes within the practice to optimise the quality of prescribing.

Communication:

• Communicate effectively with other team members.
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers.
• Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.

Health & Safety:

• Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holders role.
• Undertaking periodic infection prevention training (minimum annually).
• Reporting potential risks identified.
• Actively reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised.
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards.
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills.
• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to guidelines, identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks.
• The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Health & Safety Policy, and the Infection Prevention guidelines.

Privacy and confidentiality

• While seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately.
• In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practices as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.

• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the PCN may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Personal/Professional Development

• The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the PCN as part of this employment.
• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development.

• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered with the GPhC as a Pharmacy Technician having met specific qualifications and training requirements as specified by GPhC criteria
• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent
• NVQ level 3 in Pharmacy Services or equivalent

Desirable

• Medicines reconcilation certificate or equivalent

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working as a pharmacy technician.
• Experience working with the general public.
• Good clinical pharmacy knowledge including terminology
• An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for the improvement of prescribing
• Experience in the review and development of repeat prescribing protocols / Standard Operating Procedures to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of repeat prescribing systems
• Excellent communication skills, verbal and written, with the ability to adjust communication style and content to suit the audience
• An excellent understanding of data protection and confidentiality issues

Desirable

• Experience of prescribing / clinical systems such as EMIS web
• Previous experience within comparable role in General Practice
• Previous experience working with a patient facing role

Knowlege and Skills

Essential

• Excellent communication skills both verbal and written
• Good IT skills
• Good organisational skills
• Ability to work under pressure in a busy environment
• Ability to work as part of a mult-disciplinary team
• Motivational and negotiation skills
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues

Desirable

• People management
• Ability to make decisions
• Participate in audits

Other

Essential

• Ability to travel around other practices within Wolverhampton North Network
• Evidence of recent CPD

Desirable

• Car user with a driving licence

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).