PCN Pharmacy Technician

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

The focus of the post holders work will depend on the qualifications, skills and experience of the individual and the needs of the PCN, both of which may develop over time.

The post holder will:

• Support the role of PCN Clinical Pharmacists in the delivery of clinical pharmacy services

Provide technical and administrative support to the clinicians within the PCN.

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.

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 pharmacists in providing medication reviews, developing further standard operating procedures, patient information and information about medicine awareness.

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.

Liaise with clinicians and admin staff to resolve prescribing queries

To respond to medication queries from patients and staff in a professional manner referring to the GP/clinical pharmacist when appropriate.

To provide advice to GPs, staff and patients in changes to prescribing to support the improvement of prescribing safety, quality and cost effectiveness

Assist with medication safety monitoring systems (e.g. high risk drugs)

Technical and Administrative

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, 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

Assist with the development and review of medicines audits

Take a proactive approach in the safe handling of prescriptions, assessing risks and making any recommendations for change.

Help, plan, develop and support the introduction of new working processes within the practice to optimise the quality of prescribing.

To take a proactive approach to the safe handling of prescriptions, including assessment of risk and making recommendations for improvement.

Culture

Develop a culture that promotes equality and values diversity. The post holder must be aware of and committed to the Equality and Diversity policies of the appointing GP Federation and comply with all the requirements of these policies and actively promote Equality and Diversity issues relevant to the post.

Ensure the principles of openness, transparency and candour are observed and upheld in all working practices.

The post holder will have, or acquire through training provided by the organisation, the appropriate level of safeguarding and knowledge, skills and practice required for the post and be aware of and comply with the organisations safeguarding protection policies and procedures.

Ensure that any infection prevention and control issues are reported to the line manager/Infection Prevention and Control.

Personal/Professional Development

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the PCN/GP federation 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

Education and Training

Provide education and training to the, primary healthcare team and other health professionals e.g., nursing staff as required. Participate in a peer support network with fellow pharmacy technicians

Research and Evaluation

The post holder will demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate and review literature, applying research evidence base into working place and understand the principles of research governance.

Health and Safety

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the employing organisations Health & Safety Policy.

Equality and Diversity

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and 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

Confidentiality

In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to a Practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.

Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practices policies and procedures, and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Quality

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality and will:

alert other team members to issues of quality and risk

assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision

contribute to the effectiveness of the team

work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs

effectively manage own time, workload and resources.

Working Conditions

The post-holder is required to travel independently between practice sites (where applicable), and to attend meetings and training etc. hosted by other agencies.

The post-holder may have contact with body fluids i.e., wound exudates; urine etc. while in clinical practice.

This Job Description provides a guide to the duties and responsibilities of the post and is not an exhaustive list. The post holder may be asked to undertake any other relevant duties appropriate to the post. The Job Description may be amended over time, in consultation with the post holder to meet the needs of the service.

Qualifications

Essential

• BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical sciences
• Mandatory registration with General Pharmaceutical Council

Desirable

• UK driving license
• Medicines reconciliation qualification

Experience

Essential

• Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD)
• Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician in primary care, community or hospital pharmacy

Desirable

• Experience of working in a primary care setting

Knowledge & Understanding

Essential

• Appreciation of General Practice and working alongside General practice staff.
• Knowledge of Primary Care Networks, General Practice and evidence based medicine.
• An appreciation of the NHS agenda and Government targets.
• Good clinical pharmacy knowledge including terminology.
• Knowledge and understanding of pharmacy law and ethics and current legislation.

Desirable

• An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing.

Skills and Competencies

Essential

• Computer literate with an ability to use Microsoft office packages.
• 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 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
• An excellent understanding of data protection and confidentiality issues.
• Ability to motivate self and other members of the team.
• Drive and determination to promote and support the role of pharmacy staff in General Practice.
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills.
• Demonstrates the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to a variety of audiences.
• Able to influence, motivate and persuade the audience to comply with the recommendations or agreed course of action where there may be significant barriers.
• Recognises priorities when problem solving and identifies deviations from the normal pattern and is able to refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate.
• Produce timely and informative reports.
• Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision.
• An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality.

Desirable

• Computer literate with an ability to use the required GP clinical systems.
• Can plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general medicine optimisation issue in core areas for long term conditions.
• Able to obtain and analyse complex technical information.

Attributes

Essential

• Works effectively independently and as a member of a team.
• 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.
• Ability to recognise own limitations and act upon them appropriately.
• Willingness to learn new skills and to problem solve on a daily basis.
• Excellent time keeping and prioritisation skills.
• Meets DBS reference standards and has a clear criminal record, in line with the law on spent convictions.
• Immunisation status.
• Commitment to addressing health inequalities and patient empowerment.

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).