Cross Sector Pre-Registration Apprentice Pharmacy Technician

Abbey Lane Surgery

Information:

This job is now closed

Job summary

Fixed Term Contract: 24 Months. Trainees who successfully complete the 2-year apprenticeship will be eligible to apply for registration with the GPhC and practice as a registered pharmacy technician. Although every effort will be made to provide a substantive position at the end of the training period, this cannot be guaranteed.

We have an exciting opportunity for the right candidate to follow a two-year cross-sector apprenticeship training path to achieve the qualification of Pharmacy Technician, via a split-placement programme between Beauchief Medical Practice and Sharrow Lane Pharmacy.

Pharmacy technicians work in a variety of settings and undertake a wide range of duties including dispensing and accuracy checking of prescribed items, providing information to patients and other healthcare professionals, procurement and issue of medicines.

Are you enthusiastic, motivated and interested in developing a career in Pharmacy?

Would you like to become a professional registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council?

Do you have good communication and interpersonal skills?

This is a fantastic opportunity to undertake a formal professional qualification whilst learning on the job. On attainment of the qualification, you may apply to the GPhC and pay the relevant fee, to become a Registered Pharmacy Technician. Further information about registering can be found at: https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/registration/registering-pharmacy-technician/uk-qualified-pharmacy-technicians

Main duties of the job

Main duties of the job

This is a fantastic opportunity to gain an extensive understanding of Pharmacy, as you will rotate between two workplaces: Beauchief Medical Practice and Sharrow Pharmacy.

The rotation will be:

2 days per week in General Practice

2 days per week in Community Pharmacy

1 day per week study

You will be required to complete the qualification for apprentice Pharmacy Technicians - BTEC Level 3 Diploma in the Principles & Practice for Pharmacy Technicians. You will be registered as a student with Buttercups Training who provide the learning online.

You will require FOUR GCSE passes (Grade A*-C / Level 9-4) including Mathematics, English Language, Science and one other.

You will be part of a friendly and supportive network of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

You will be part of both the practice and pharmacy team but under the employment of Beauchief Medical Practice who will have oversight of the training programme.

About us

About us

Beauchief Medical Practice is a forward-thinking and ambitious practice, with a friendly and welcoming team, based across two sites in Woodseats and Totley. The candidate will benefit from the oversight and mentorship of our experienced Pharmacist and

Pharmacy Technician. Sharrow Pharmacy is a busy, well-managed independent pharmacy based in the leafy green suburb of Nether Edge.

We are looking for an individual who is reliable, efficient, thorough, and able to work independently as well as in a team. Prior experience, for example as a pharmacy dispenser, is beneficial but not essential.

Date posted

13 November 2023

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£17,602.90 a year Increasing to £18,860.25 to £20,319 depending on your age

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

2 years

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

A3087-23-0008

Job locations

23 Abbey Lane

Sheffield

South Yorkshire

S8 0BJ


96 Baslow Road

Sheffield

S17 4DQ


Sharrow Pharmacy

12 Wostenholm Road

Sheffield

S7 1LJ


Job description

Job responsibilities

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, GPhC-recognised qualification or a GPhC approved apprenticeship pathway in order to register with the General Pharmaceutical Council as a Pharmacy Technician

complete competencies in the workplace to achieve the accredited course / recognised qualification / apprenticeship and will complete the learning organised by the training provider using all the allocated weekly study day and study in personal time.

ensure knowledge, attitudes and behaviour follow the General Pharmaceutical Council’s Standards for Pharmacy Professionals during the two-year training programme in order that they can seek a declaration of competence from supervising pharmacists in all sectors.

MAIN FUNCTION OF THE JOB ROLE

· To study for 1 day a week to achieve the Pre-Registration Pharmacy Technician training programme in the two-year duration and complete the required accredited course / recognised qualification / apprenticeship

· To rotate to Community Pharmacy for a period of training delivered weekly or in a block (minimum of three months per year) - dispensing, issuing medicines and counselling patients on how to use their medicines, stock management, reconciliation of medicines, and Over the Counter sales for minor ailments, medicines review, and enhanced services e.g., stop smoking services under the supervision of Pharmacy Staff.

· To rotate to General Practice for a period of training delivered weekly or in a block (minimum of three months per year) – 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.

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. 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.

· Use the Pharmacy computer system to record Patient Medication Records and create labels.

· Dispense prescriptions including FP10’s & Private Prescriptions and monitored dosage systems (MDS)

Issue prescriptions and counsel patients on how to use their medicines.

To dispose of returned and unwanted medicationTo record controlled drugs in the CD register and conduct controlled drug balance checks

To order, receive, store, and maintain stock.

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 (MUR’s), 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 Pharmacist/ Practice Manager at all times.

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 of the pharmacist.

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.

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.

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 CCG 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 participate in practice clinical meetings, patient participation groups and other meetings to improve engagement of the role of the Pharmacy Technician within the GP model and to promote issues relevant to prescribing and medicines optimisation.

To support the pharmacist in implementing drug withdrawals and alerts e.g., MHRA alerts and medicine shortages

To document errors and support process review and improvement to reduce internal and external error rates in accordance with clinical governance guidelines.

To take responsibility for specific areas of work or projects as may be agreed from time to time including contributing towards team goals and objectives.

It is expected that the post-holder will divide their annual leave entitlement equally (as reasonable) between the sectors.

To assist Pharmacy Technicians & General Practice Pharmacists in the completion of audits as required.

Complete a General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)-accredited course, GPhC-recognised qualification or a GPhC approved apprenticeship pathway in order to register with the General Pharmaceutical Council as a Pharmacy Technician using the online recording systems with the support of colleagues and training provider

Job description

Job responsibilities

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, GPhC-recognised qualification or a GPhC approved apprenticeship pathway in order to register with the General Pharmaceutical Council as a Pharmacy Technician

complete competencies in the workplace to achieve the accredited course / recognised qualification / apprenticeship and will complete the learning organised by the training provider using all the allocated weekly study day and study in personal time.

ensure knowledge, attitudes and behaviour follow the General Pharmaceutical Council’s Standards for Pharmacy Professionals during the two-year training programme in order that they can seek a declaration of competence from supervising pharmacists in all sectors.

MAIN FUNCTION OF THE JOB ROLE

· To study for 1 day a week to achieve the Pre-Registration Pharmacy Technician training programme in the two-year duration and complete the required accredited course / recognised qualification / apprenticeship

· To rotate to Community Pharmacy for a period of training delivered weekly or in a block (minimum of three months per year) - dispensing, issuing medicines and counselling patients on how to use their medicines, stock management, reconciliation of medicines, and Over the Counter sales for minor ailments, medicines review, and enhanced services e.g., stop smoking services under the supervision of Pharmacy Staff.

· To rotate to General Practice for a period of training delivered weekly or in a block (minimum of three months per year) – 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.

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. 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.

· Use the Pharmacy computer system to record Patient Medication Records and create labels.

· Dispense prescriptions including FP10’s & Private Prescriptions and monitored dosage systems (MDS)

Issue prescriptions and counsel patients on how to use their medicines.

To dispose of returned and unwanted medicationTo record controlled drugs in the CD register and conduct controlled drug balance checks

To order, receive, store, and maintain stock.

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 (MUR’s), 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 Pharmacist/ Practice Manager at all times.

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 of the pharmacist.

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.

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.

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 CCG 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 participate in practice clinical meetings, patient participation groups and other meetings to improve engagement of the role of the Pharmacy Technician within the GP model and to promote issues relevant to prescribing and medicines optimisation.

To support the pharmacist in implementing drug withdrawals and alerts e.g., MHRA alerts and medicine shortages

To document errors and support process review and improvement to reduce internal and external error rates in accordance with clinical governance guidelines.

To take responsibility for specific areas of work or projects as may be agreed from time to time including contributing towards team goals and objectives.

It is expected that the post-holder will divide their annual leave entitlement equally (as reasonable) between the sectors.

To assist Pharmacy Technicians & General Practice Pharmacists in the completion of audits as required.

Complete a General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)-accredited course, GPhC-recognised qualification or a GPhC approved apprenticeship pathway in order to register with the General Pharmaceutical Council as a Pharmacy Technician using the online recording systems with the support of colleagues and training provider

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • You will require FOUR GCSE passes
  • (Grade A*-C / Level 9-4) in the following subjects:
  • Mathematics
  • English Language
  • 2 x Science subjects or Double Science
  • or equivalent

Desirable

  • NVQ In Pharmacy Service Skills Level 2

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to concentrate with attention to detail and accuracy
  • Basic IT Skills
  • Willingness to undertake lifting and handling tasks if required,
  • following appropriate training
  • Willingness to work towards worked based competency training
  • and assessments
  • Ability to work to deadlines in a high-pressure environment
  • Ability to work to complete college/training provider deadlines
  • Good written and oral skills
  • Good team working skills
  • Good basic mathematical skills
  • Professional attitude, conscientious with the ability to empathise
  • Self-motivated with commitment to the training
  • Ability to complete e-learning to complete the General
  • Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)-accredited course, GPhC-
  • recognised qualification or a GPhC approved apprenticeship
  • pathway with Training Provider

Experience

Desirable

  • Previous experience in a dispensary in community or hospital or
  • have experience of working in general practice.
  • Experience in dealing with the public
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • You will require FOUR GCSE passes
  • (Grade A*-C / Level 9-4) in the following subjects:
  • Mathematics
  • English Language
  • 2 x Science subjects or Double Science
  • or equivalent

Desirable

  • NVQ In Pharmacy Service Skills Level 2

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to concentrate with attention to detail and accuracy
  • Basic IT Skills
  • Willingness to undertake lifting and handling tasks if required,
  • following appropriate training
  • Willingness to work towards worked based competency training
  • and assessments
  • Ability to work to deadlines in a high-pressure environment
  • Ability to work to complete college/training provider deadlines
  • Good written and oral skills
  • Good team working skills
  • Good basic mathematical skills
  • Professional attitude, conscientious with the ability to empathise
  • Self-motivated with commitment to the training
  • Ability to complete e-learning to complete the General
  • Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)-accredited course, GPhC-
  • recognised qualification or a GPhC approved apprenticeship
  • pathway with Training Provider

Experience

Desirable

  • Previous experience in a dispensary in community or hospital or
  • have experience of working in general practice.
  • Experience in dealing with the public

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Abbey Lane Surgery

Address

23 Abbey Lane

Sheffield

South Yorkshire

S8 0BJ


Employer's website

https://www.abbeylanesurgery.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Abbey Lane Surgery

Address

23 Abbey Lane

Sheffield

South Yorkshire

S8 0BJ


Employer's website

https://www.abbeylanesurgery.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

For questions about the job, contact:

Practice Manager

Karen Zaman

karen.zaman1@nhs.net

01142365090

Date posted

13 November 2023

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£17,602.90 a year Increasing to £18,860.25 to £20,319 depending on your age

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

2 years

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

A3087-23-0008

Job locations

23 Abbey Lane

Sheffield

South Yorkshire

S8 0BJ


96 Baslow Road

Sheffield

S17 4DQ


Sharrow Pharmacy

12 Wostenholm Road

Sheffield

S7 1LJ


Supporting documents

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