Job responsibilities
Job Title: Pharmacy Technician
Hours of Work: 37 hours a week
Contract type: Permanent
Responsible To: New Forest PCN
Basic purpose of the role
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. 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.
Pharmacy technicians play an important role, complementing clinical pharmacists, community pharmacists and other members of the PCN multi-disciplinary team. Pharmacy technicians are different to clinical pharmacists as they do not routinely prescribe or make clinical decisions, but instead use their logistical expertise under the supervision of a wider team to ensure effective and efficient use of medicines.
Pharmacy technicians core role responsibilities will cover some clinical, technical and administrative categories.
The purpose of the role is to lead improvements to maximise safe and cost effective best practice in prescribing to improve the quality of patient care. The post holder will 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, minimising clinical risk and aiming to reduce wasted medicines.
In addition, the post holder will 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.
This will involve assisting the PCN in achieving national requirements, NICE implementation and utilisation of medicines optimisation initiatives.
Key role requirements
Clinical
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. Where required, utilise consultation skills to work in partnership with patients to ensure they use their medicines effectively.
Supporting admin staff with prescription processing and improving the service to patients, including community pharmacy liaison
As determined by the PCN, support medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new 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.
Provide expertise to address both the public health and social care needs of patients, including lifestyle advice, service information, and help in tackling local health inequalities.
Manage drug monitoring of medicines prescribed under shared care.
Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing locally.
Technical and administration
Support the PCN multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation processes are being followed.
Implement efficient ordering and return processes and reducing medication wastage.
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.
Develop relationships with other pharmacy professionals and members of the multi-disciplinary team to support integration across health and social care including primary care, community pharmacy, secondary care and mental health.
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.
Support the PCN to deliver on QIPP agenda, QOF and locally commissioned enhanced services.
Support the PCN in reviewing and developing practice policies for CQC requirements
General
Attend internal meetings as required.
Work in accordance with PCN policies, including the equal opportunities policy and practice.
Attend any training courses and supervision sessions as required.
Work with due regard to the PCN Health and Safety Policy, ensuring that all practices and procedures are undertaken in accordance with issued guidelines.
Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required from time to time.
Special working conditions
To be prepared to work flexibly, including evenings and weekends if required.
Equality and diversity
The post-holder will support equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers & 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 any training programme 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
Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work
Quality
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:
Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk.
Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, directly or under supervision.
Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance.
Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs.
Effectively manage own time, workload and resources
