Pharmacy Technician

Job description

Job responsibilities

Pharmacy Technicians within primary care 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 are not able to prescribe or make clinical decisions, instead working under supervision to ensure effective and efficient use of medicines. Pharmacy technicians core role responsibilities will cover clinical, and technical and administrative categories. The purpose of the role is to lead improvements to maximise safe, cost effective best practice in prescribing to improve the quality of patient care. The successful candidate 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.

Clinical Responsibilities

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.

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 shared care protocols and liaise with Clinical Pharmacists for more complex patients.

Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing locally.

Technical and Administrative Responsibilities

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.

Develop relationships with other pharmacy professionals and members of the multidisciplinary team.

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 QOF and locally commissioned enhanced services

Support the PCN in reviewing and developing practice policies for CQC requirements

PERSON SPECIFICATION ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Qualifications and Experience- Professional registration with GPhC BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical sciences

Evidence of continued professional development (CPD)

Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician in primary care, community or hospital pharmacy

Demonstrate ability to influence and persuade partners and stakeholders of the respective merits of different options, innovations, new opportunities and challenges

Knowledge and Understanding

Relevant advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of Primary Care Networks, General Practice and evidence based medicine

An 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 the business of the 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

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

Knowledge and understanding of pharmacy law and ethics and current legislation

Skills and Competencies

Computer literate with an ability to use the required GP clinical systems (desirable)

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

Excellent verbal and written communication skills with team members, patients, carers, and other healthcare professionals.

Influencing and negotiating skills

An excellent understanding of data protection and confidentiality issues

Personal Attributes

Works effectively independently and as a member of a team

Flexible approach to meet service needs and ensure a stakeholder focused response

Self-motivated and proactive

Continued commitment to improve skills and ability in new areas of work

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

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Candidates must be a qualified and registered pharmacy technician with GhPC and hold a Diploma Level 3 or equivalent in Pharmacy Services.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working within a team

Desirable

• Experience of working in primary care

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Drs Shaw, Walker & Culliney

Address

25 Jos Lane

Shepley

Huddersfield

HD8 8DJ

Employer's website

http://www.shepleyhealthcentre.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)