Primary Care Network Pharmacy Technician

Job responsibilities

Clinical

(Due to the covid 19 pandemic, we would anticipate that this role would involve telephone and video consultations for the foreseeable future and may involve some remote working.)

• Undertaking patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations with patients.

• Carrying 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 medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new care home patients and synchronising medicines for patient transfers between care settings, linking with local community pharmacists, and referring to the pharmacist for structured medication reviews, as required.

• Providing 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.

• Taking a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols and liaising with the PCN and other specialist pharmacists for more complex patients.

• Supporting initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.

Technical and Administrative

• Working with the PCN multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation, including implementing efficient ordering and return processes and reducing wastage.

• Providing training and support on the legal, safe and secure handling of medicines, including the implementation of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS).

• Developing 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.

• Working with, and supervising where appropriate, practice reception and/or Prescription Clerk teams in sorting and streaming general prescription requests, so as to allow GPs and clinical pharmacists to review the more clinically complex requests.

The role will also require pharmacy technicians to support the implementation of national prescribing policies and guidance within GP practices, care homes and other primary care settings. This will be achieved through undertaking clinical audits (e.g. use of antibiotics), supporting quality improvement measures and contributing to the Quality and Outcomes Framework and enhanced services. In addition, pharmacy technicians will assist in the delivery of medicines optimisation incentive schemes (e.g. medicines switches) and patient safety audits.

Pharmacy technicians will provide leadership for medicines management 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.

General

• Ensure that all activities are monitored and evaluated.

• 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 if required and at different locations across the primary care network.

Qualifications

Essential

• Must have completed or be enrolled in, be undertaking or be prepared to start an approved 18-month training pathway (e.g. Primary care pharmacy educational pathway (PCPEP) or Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes (MOCH)). Entry to the PCPEP programme will include the option for an accreditation of Prior Learning (APEL) process.
• Evidence of Continuous Professional Development
• Registered with General Pharmaceutical Council

Working within Professional Boundaries

Essential

• Highly motivated and resourceful
• Able to maintain high standards of diplomacy and understands the principle of confidentiality.
• Accepts responsibility and accountability for own work and can define the responsibilities of others
• Able to establish positive relationships and mutual respect with people at all levels
• Ability to contribute effectively

Emotional Awareness

Essential

• Demonstrates empathy and concerns for others
• Shows respect for others feelings, views and circumstances

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in primary care (i.e. GP Practice or Community Pharmacy)

Desirable

• Experience of working in secondary care.

Skills .Ability and Knowledge

Essential

• Exceptional organisational and administrative skills
• Competent word processing skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office software
• Proven written, numerical and oral communication skills
• Formal minute taking skills
• Self-motivator and able to work autonomously
• Ability to prioritise own workload and work to tight time scales
• Able to confidently deal with a wide range of public sector professionals and outside organisations, including the general public
• Knowledge of establishing and maintaining databases
• Ability to deal with sensitive situations involving conflict and diplomacy.
• Ability to manage priorities and personal workloads and meet deadlines.
• Ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with all managers and staff at all levels both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to develop effective working relationships with colleagues and other health professionals
• Ability to analyse data and prepare simple reports
• Ability to problem solve effectively
• High level of confidentiality

Personal attributes

Essential

• Ability to work with and develop effective relationships with a range of key stakeholders
• Flexible Approach to work
• Motivated and enthusiastic
• Mature and calm disposition
• Team player
• Ability to work to and delivery to deadlines
• Well organised
• Open and honest

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/adults who are at risk of neglect or abuse

Essential

• Demonstrates understanding of safeguarding issues

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).