Primary Care Network Pharmacy Technician

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

Pharmacy technicians play an important role, complementing Clinical Pharmacists, Community Pharmacists and other members of the PCN multi-disciplinary team. The Pharmacy technician will provide support to the network as a whole and each member practice as needed. The aim is to improve the quality of prescribing and patient outcomes across the network through high quality medicines review and optimisation.

Job Responsibilities

The post holder will be involved in many aspects of medicines management and be supported and developed in this role by the PCN Clinical Pharmacy team.

Improving Patient Safety, Audits, and Supporting Reviews

Work with the pharmacy team and Clinicians to deliver QIPP and other local commissioned enhanced services to improve medicines optimisation

Work alongside the extended Pharmacy team to monitor and action safety and drug alerts in a timely and appropriate manner, including liaising with patients when necessary

Work with Clinicians and pharmacy team to undertake medicine audits and other quality improvement/ project work as required

Work alongside the admin team to promote and develop high quality prescribing processes including identifying quality improvement opportunities

Contribute to the development of the service, e.g., developing service pathways, paperwork and sharing good practice across network practices

To promote cost effective, safe, evidence-based prescribing in accordance with local formulary, medication review services to patients via clinics in PCN practices and care homes and to deliver plans that maximise cost-effective prescribing and improve the quality of patient care

Work with the Clinical Pharmacists and the Practice teams to identify patients suitable for Structured medication review, and help prioritise workload

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

Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship

Contribute to the achievement of KPIs and objectives, monitor against overall objectives of the role

Prescription Queries and Medication Reconciliation

To respond to medication queries or requests for medicines information from patients and staff in a professional and timely manner including escalating to clinicians or senior pharmacy colleagues when necessary

Promote best practice for medicines use including supporting training of practice teams on medicines processes and policies

Work closely with the practice teams, pharmacy colleagues and patients to ensure coordinated and efficient processing of prescription requests e.g. synchronising medication, setting up electronic repeat dispensing, monitoring medicines use to prevent waste or over usage

Work with clinicians and the pharmacy team to develop and implement robust systems for shared care prescribing and high-risk drug monitoring and other drug monitoring for optimisation of long-term conditions

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

Update and maintain accurate and comprehensive patient medication records

Working in a wider team

Develop positive and professional working relationships with colleagues to ensure excellent patient care

Work with practice teams to support the achievement of prescribing outcomes for Quality Outcomes Framework and other prescribing initiatives

To attend and participate in practice clinical meetings and other multi-disciplinary meetings where necessary

Establish positive working relationships and effective communication with network practices, integrated care health and care teams, and a range of local voluntary sector and community organisations

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

Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the PCN Clinical Directors, network practices or Bury GP Federation

General

Ensure that all activities are monitored and evaluated

Attend internal meetings as required

Attend any training courses and supervision sessions as required

Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required from time to time

Codes of Conduct

Pharmacy Technicians must comply with the Code of Professional Conduct set by the General Pharmaceutical Council and to Bury GP Federation Code of Conduct

The federation is committed to eliminating unlawful discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity. All staff have a personal responsibility to contribute towards an inclusive and supportive environment for patients, carers, visitors and other colleagues from all the equality strands (race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, disability)

Staff have a personal responsibility to:

Ensure their behaviour is not discriminatory

Does not cause offence

To challenge the inappropriate behaviours of others

Adhere to the Federations values, including Respecting Everyone, as well as the Staff Conduct Policy and the Equal Opportunities policy

Under the provisions contained in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, it is the duty of every employee to:

Take reasonable care of themselves and for others at work

To co-operate with the Trust as far as is necessary to enable them to carry out their legal duty

Not to intentionally or recklessly interfere with anything provided including personal protective equipment for Health and Safety or welfare at work

Management is responsible for the implementation of suitable arrangements to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all employees at work and the health and safety of other persons who may be affected by their activities. Where health and safety matters cannot be resolved the Chief Officer must be notified.

Managers are responsible for the health and safety management of all activities, areas and staff under their control. This includes responsibility for ensuring risk assessments are completed and implementation of suitable and sufficient control measures put in place. Health and safety issues are dealt with at the lowest level of management practicable. Where health and safety matters cannot be resolved at a particular management level the appropriate Senior Manager must be notified.

Everyone has a responsibility for contributing to the reduction of infections.

Bury GP Federation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults, and as such expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Quality in Health Care delivery has three core dimensions: Patient Safety, Patient Experience and Clinical Effectiveness.

Clinical Governance is about the systems, processes and behaviours to ensure that high quality services are provided to patients. Every member of staff has a role to play in striving for excellence: it is important that everyone is aware of and follows policies and procedures that govern their work; and if something goes wrong, everyone has an obligation to report it so lessons can be learned from mistakes, incidents and complaints.

If any member of staff has concerns on any clinical governance matters, they should raise them with their line manager, professional adviser, or a more senior member of management. Reference should be made to the federations guidance on Raising Concerns about provision of patient care.

It is the responsibility of all staff to respect the confidentiality of patients and staff, as specified in the Caldicott Principles, Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act. It is the duty of every employee to:

Only access person identifiable information as required in the execution of their duties

Disclose information appropriately, in line with the Data Protection Act 1998

To ensure good quality data by recording, promptly and accurately, clinical and non-clinical information within agreed timescales to PAS, the health record or the appropriate clinical or non-clinical information system

Maintain the confidentiality of their password / username and if in possession of a Smartcard abiding by the terms and conditions of its use

Qualifications

Essential

• BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in Pharmaceutical science
• Professional registration with GPhC
• Evidence of Continuing professional development (CPD)
• Accuracy checking qualification
• Experience of working as a qualified, registered Pharmacy technician in a community pharmacy or a hospital pharmacy setting

Desirable

• Additional Qualifications to support role. BTEC in therapeutics
• Primary care experience

Experience

Essential

• Knowledge of Pharmacy law and ethics and current legislation
• An appreciation of the NHS agenda and Government targets
• Good Clinical Pharmacy knowledge including terminology
• Excellent understanding of data protection and confidentiality issues
• Awareness of the nature of key prescribing priorities in primary care
• IT skills including word and excel
• Influencing and negotiating skills
• Planned and organised approach to workload, and ability to meet deadlines.
• Able to think analytically and logically to resolve or escalate as appropriate
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written)
• Demonstrates diplomacy, professionalism and accountability
• Able to work effectively independently and as part of a team
• Self - motivated and proactive with good time management skills
• Adaptability, flexibility and ability to cope with uncertainty and change
• Independently mobile to be able to work across several sites and travel to meet stakeholders and clients
• Able to undertake the needs of the post with reasonable adjustments if required
• Demonstrated ability to prioritise workload effectively

Desirable

• Awareness of systems to support management of patients in a primary care setting
• Awareness of the PCN agenda
• Demonstrated ability to conduct audit and produce reports
• Working knowledge of GP Practice IT systems
• Able to analyse and interpret prescribing data and analysis tools

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).