Job summary
The Clinical Pharmacy in General Practice model is supported by the direction of national policy including the Five Year Forward View and GP Forward View where there is a need to better utilise the role of pharmacy within primary care to pro-actively help patients stay safe and well and out of hospital as well as helping to reduce the demands on general practice. Market Harborough and Bosworth PCN recognises that Pharmacy technicians will play an important role, complementing our existing clinical pharmacist team, community pharmacists and other members of the PCN multi-disciplinary team.
Please note - this is a hybrid role that supports remote working but will require some work in the building to cross-cover in the dispensary.
Main duties of the job
Undertake patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations with patients.
Carry out medicines optimisation tasks including effective medicine administration (e.g. checking inhaler technique), supporting medication reviews and medicines reconciliation.
As determined by the PCN, support medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for care home patients and synchronising medicines for patient transfers between care settings, linking with local community pharmacies.
Support the Clinical Pharmacist in Structure Medication Reviews (SMR) i.e. organise necessary monitoring tests prior to SMR.
Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing locally.
Support the PCN multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation processes are being followed.
Provide training and support on the legal, safe and secure handling of medicines, including the implementation of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS).
Promotion of Electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD) and online ordering
Support practice reception teams in streaming general prescription requests, so as to allow GPs and clinical pharmacists to review the more clinically complex requests.
Support the implementation of national prescribing policies and guidance within GP practices, care homes and other primary care settings.
About us
In Market Harborough and Bosworth PCN our GP Practices work together in collaborative geographical Primary Care Networks (PCNs). Market Harborough and Bosworth Clinical Pharmacy in General Practice is part of an exciting programme of transformation to develop a new model of care which addresses our ambition to deliver person-centred, coordinated care across the district. We care for 34,000 patients across two sites. We have GPs with special interests including medical management, safeguarding, rheumatology, ENT, ophthalmology, dermatology and also education and training. We run clinics for the management of chronic diseases such as asthma, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Other services within the PCN and practices include, but are not limited to, dedicated minor illness clinics, wound clinics, heath-checks, and childhood vaccinations.
Job description
Job responsibilities
PCN Pharmacy Technicians core role responsibilities will cover clinical, and technical and administrative categories and will undoubtedly enable greater effective and efficient use of medicines.
Job Purpose
PCN Pharmacy Technicians will lead improvements to maximise safe, cost effective best practice in prescribing to improve the quality of patient care.
Their role includes:
Working alongside all GP practice staff as an integrated part of the practice teams, undertaking numerous medicines related activities.
Contribute to the successful management of medicines and build capacity in the workforce at the right levels.
Help patients to get the best from their medicines by switching medications to agreed and approved protocols.
Improving repeat prescribing processes in General Practice, including promotion of repeat dispensing and online ordering.
Contribute to minimising clinical risks and aiming to reduce wasted medicines.
Be responsible for encouraging the development of better understanding of the principles of medicines optimisation throughout the practice teams and promoting good practice in line with therapeutic developments.
Assist the PCN in achieving national requirements, NICE implementation and utilisation of medicines optimisation initiatives.
Key working relationships
Patients
PCN Clinical Pharmacists, GPs, Nurses and other practice staff members
Other members of the local medicines optimisation team
GP Clinical Lead(s)
PCN Clinical Director(s)
Local Service manager(s)
Community Nurses and other Allied Health professionals
Community Pharmacists and support staff
Hospital staff with responsibilities for prescribing and medicines optimisation
Responsibilities underpinning the role
To develop and facilitate a good working relationship with all local providers of healthcare.
To plan and organise own workload, including audit and project work, and training sessions.
To record personally generated information and maintain a database of information relating to the work done in the practice(s). Personally generated information includes information and records relating to audit and clinical work undertaken by the post holder, reference notes relating to clinical/ technical information. The database includes maintaining up-to-date, detailed records of all work done in practices for which the post holder is accountable.
To maintain registration as a pharmacy technician and comply with appropriate professional codes.
As appropriate to the post, to maintain and develop professional competence and expertise, keep up to date with medical/therapeutic evidence and opinion, and local and national service, legislation and policy developments, agree objectives and a personal development plan and participate in the appraisal process.
To attend local, regional and national meetings of relevance.
To undertake any other duties commensurate with the post holders grade as agreed with the post holders line manager.
All employees should understand that it is their personal responsibility to comply with all organisational and statutory requirements (e.g. health and safety, equal treatment and diversity, confidentiality and clinical governance).
Job description
Job responsibilities
PCN Pharmacy Technicians core role responsibilities will cover clinical, and technical and administrative categories and will undoubtedly enable greater effective and efficient use of medicines.
Job Purpose
PCN Pharmacy Technicians will lead improvements to maximise safe, cost effective best practice in prescribing to improve the quality of patient care.
Their role includes:
Working alongside all GP practice staff as an integrated part of the practice teams, undertaking numerous medicines related activities.
Contribute to the successful management of medicines and build capacity in the workforce at the right levels.
Help patients to get the best from their medicines by switching medications to agreed and approved protocols.
Improving repeat prescribing processes in General Practice, including promotion of repeat dispensing and online ordering.
Contribute to minimising clinical risks and aiming to reduce wasted medicines.
Be responsible for encouraging the development of better understanding of the principles of medicines optimisation throughout the practice teams and promoting good practice in line with therapeutic developments.
Assist the PCN in achieving national requirements, NICE implementation and utilisation of medicines optimisation initiatives.
Key working relationships
Patients
PCN Clinical Pharmacists, GPs, Nurses and other practice staff members
Other members of the local medicines optimisation team
GP Clinical Lead(s)
PCN Clinical Director(s)
Local Service manager(s)
Community Nurses and other Allied Health professionals
Community Pharmacists and support staff
Hospital staff with responsibilities for prescribing and medicines optimisation
Responsibilities underpinning the role
To develop and facilitate a good working relationship with all local providers of healthcare.
To plan and organise own workload, including audit and project work, and training sessions.
To record personally generated information and maintain a database of information relating to the work done in the practice(s). Personally generated information includes information and records relating to audit and clinical work undertaken by the post holder, reference notes relating to clinical/ technical information. The database includes maintaining up-to-date, detailed records of all work done in practices for which the post holder is accountable.
To maintain registration as a pharmacy technician and comply with appropriate professional codes.
As appropriate to the post, to maintain and develop professional competence and expertise, keep up to date with medical/therapeutic evidence and opinion, and local and national service, legislation and policy developments, agree objectives and a personal development plan and participate in the appraisal process.
To attend local, regional and national meetings of relevance.
To undertake any other duties commensurate with the post holders grade as agreed with the post holders line manager.
All employees should understand that it is their personal responsibility to comply with all organisational and statutory requirements (e.g. health and safety, equal treatment and diversity, confidentiality and clinical governance).
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- - Professional registration with GPhC
- - BTEC/NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in Pharmaceutical Sciences
- - Evidence of Continued Professional Developments (CPD)
Experience
Essential
- - Experience of working as a qualified, registered Pharmacy Technician in Primary Care, Community or Hospital Pharmacy.
Desirable
- - Demonstrate ability to influence and persuade partners and stakeholders of the respective merits of different options, innovations, new opportunities and challenges.
Attributes
Essential
- - Works effectively independently and as a member of a team.
- - Flexible approach to meet service needs.
- - Self- motivated and pro-active.
- - Continued commitment to improve skills and ability in new areas of works.
- - Able to undertake the demands of the post with reasonable adjustments if required.
- - Independently mobile to be able to work across several sites and travel to meet with stakeholders.
- - Adaptability, flexibility and ability to cope with uncertainty and change.
- - Demonstrate ability to work in a busy environment; ability to deal with both urgent and important tasks and to prioritise effectively whilst also supporting others.
- - Excellent time keeping and prioritisation skills.
Knowledge and Understanding
Essential
- - Relevant advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of Primary Care Networks, General Practice and evidence based medicine.
- - Good clinical pharmacy knowledge including terminology
- - Knowledge and understanding of pharmacy law and ethics and current legislation.
Desirable
- - Appreciation of the NHS Agenda and Government targets.
- - Awareness of systems to support management of patients in a Primary Care setting, delivering pharmaceutical input and support in the context of pathways of care and business of organisation (s).
- - Awareness of GP budget-management and funding systems to enable GP Clinical Pharmacist services to assist delivery of PCN and NHS priorities and requirements for financial balance and quality.
- - An appreciation of the nature of Primary Care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for the improvement of prescribing.
Skills and Competencies
Essential
- - Computer literate with an ability to use the required Microsoft Office packages.
- - Excellent verbal and written communication skills with team members, patients, carers and other healthcare professionals. Whilst recognising peoples needs for alternative methods of communication.
- - An excellent understanding of data protection and confidentiality issues
Desirable
- - Computer literate with an ability to use the required GP clinical systems.
- - Understand the aims of current healthcare policy within the PCN.
- - Able to analyse and interpret prescribing data.
- - Has attention to detail, able to work accurately, identifying, errors quickly and easily.
- - Able to effectively manage allocated resources.
- - Has a planned and organised approach with an ability to prioritise their own workload to meet strict deadlines.
- - Able to think analytically; anticipating obstacles and thinking ahead; using analytical techniques to draw logical solutions to problems.
- - Excellent communication skills, verbal and written with the ability to adjust communication style and content to suit the audience.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- - Professional registration with GPhC
- - BTEC/NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in Pharmaceutical Sciences
- - Evidence of Continued Professional Developments (CPD)
Experience
Essential
- - Experience of working as a qualified, registered Pharmacy Technician in Primary Care, Community or Hospital Pharmacy.
Desirable
- - Demonstrate ability to influence and persuade partners and stakeholders of the respective merits of different options, innovations, new opportunities and challenges.
Attributes
Essential
- - Works effectively independently and as a member of a team.
- - Flexible approach to meet service needs.
- - Self- motivated and pro-active.
- - Continued commitment to improve skills and ability in new areas of works.
- - Able to undertake the demands of the post with reasonable adjustments if required.
- - Independently mobile to be able to work across several sites and travel to meet with stakeholders.
- - Adaptability, flexibility and ability to cope with uncertainty and change.
- - Demonstrate ability to work in a busy environment; ability to deal with both urgent and important tasks and to prioritise effectively whilst also supporting others.
- - Excellent time keeping and prioritisation skills.
Knowledge and Understanding
Essential
- - Relevant advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of Primary Care Networks, General Practice and evidence based medicine.
- - Good clinical pharmacy knowledge including terminology
- - Knowledge and understanding of pharmacy law and ethics and current legislation.
Desirable
- - Appreciation of the NHS Agenda and Government targets.
- - Awareness of systems to support management of patients in a Primary Care setting, delivering pharmaceutical input and support in the context of pathways of care and business of organisation (s).
- - Awareness of GP budget-management and funding systems to enable GP Clinical Pharmacist services to assist delivery of PCN and NHS priorities and requirements for financial balance and quality.
- - An appreciation of the nature of Primary Care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for the improvement of prescribing.
Skills and Competencies
Essential
- - Computer literate with an ability to use the required Microsoft Office packages.
- - Excellent verbal and written communication skills with team members, patients, carers and other healthcare professionals. Whilst recognising peoples needs for alternative methods of communication.
- - An excellent understanding of data protection and confidentiality issues
Desirable
- - Computer literate with an ability to use the required GP clinical systems.
- - Understand the aims of current healthcare policy within the PCN.
- - Able to analyse and interpret prescribing data.
- - Has attention to detail, able to work accurately, identifying, errors quickly and easily.
- - Able to effectively manage allocated resources.
- - Has a planned and organised approach with an ability to prioritise their own workload to meet strict deadlines.
- - Able to think analytically; anticipating obstacles and thinking ahead; using analytical techniques to draw logical solutions to problems.
- - Excellent communication skills, verbal and written with the ability to adjust communication style and content to suit the audience.
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).
Additional information
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).
