Job summary
We are looking to recruit a pharmacy technician to work between specialist mental health services and Primary Care Networks (PCNs) as part of a program of community mental health transformation.
This model of care addresses our ambition to deliver person-centred coordinated care and within it, better utilise the role of medicines management pharmacy technicians (MMT) to pro-actively improve patient care, help patients stay safe, well, and out of hospital as well as helping to reduce the demands on general practice.
The MMT will work alongside the Community Mental Health Pharmacist to deliver this model of care and be a vital link between the inpatient & community mental health teams and the PCNs. The purpose of this role is to maximise safe, effective prescribing for people living with mental health issues, improve quality of pharmaceutical care, reduce avoidable inpatient admissions, and improve physical healthcare monitoring.
The post holder will help service users get the best from their medicines through medicines reconciliation after discharge and on other transfers of care, medication use reviews, providing monitoring of high-risk drugs, general prescription queries, provide advice on and monitor the management of side effects experienced by the service user.
To be able to independently travel between heath care sites, both internally and externally to the trust, if required.
Participate in bank holiday, late night, early morning, and weekend rotas as needed.
Main duties of the job
- You will need to hold a recognised Pharmacy Technician qualification (BTEC in Pharmaceutical Sciences, NVQ level 3 or equivalent) and be registered.
- Undertake medicines reconciliation.
- To identify, assess and check suitability of patients own drugs for administration use while an inpatient and on discharge.
- To highlight the need of any additional compliance aids and supply, if necessary.
- Assist in relevant audits in accordance with clinical governance requirements.
- To work with the Community pharmacist to complete medication reviews, medication counselling, review patient adherence and understanding of medication and to undertake community home visits or consultations as appropriate.
- Ability to manage, organise and prioritise workload and meet deadlines.
- Review prescriptions, dispense and supply drugs for patients; provide advice to service users on doses, possible side effects; ensures compliance with Medicines legislation.
- Ability to manage unpredictable work patterns and to effectively manage situations where concentration may be frequently interrupted.
The Pharmacy Department is a forward thinking and progressive department seeking to expand our current team as we develop a patient focused and modern hospital and community pharmacy service to the Trust while constantly looking at ways to further improve our service. We understand the importance of great team working and have strong links with other disciplines within and around the trust.
About us
SHSC is an employer who is committed to recruiting people who fit our organisational values:
Working together for our Service Users
Everyone Counts
Commitment to quality
Improving lives
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Undertake patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure optimal medicines use.
- Carry out medicines management tasks including checking lithium levels & toxicity awareness where required, utilise consultation skills to work in partnership with patients to ensure they use their medicines effectively.
- Supporting initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.
- Take a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols and liaising with specialist pharmacists for more complex patients, including timely monitoring and management of high-risk medicines within the community mental health teams.
- Ensure mental health medication prescribing and monitoring is taking place in line with local and national guidance. e.g., valproate; lithium; clozapine; depots etc.
- Take a proactive approach to the safe handling of prescriptions, including assessment of risk and making recommendations for improvement.
- Day to day handling of prescription, medication queries, brand switches within area of own competence and under the guidance of the pharmacist.
- To liaise with GP surgeries, ward staff, service users and carers providing advice and information on common mental health drug dosage and use, medicines regimes, changes to prescriptions, correct storage of medicines and local Trust procedures and policies regarding safe practice with medicines.
- Providing advice to Pharmacists, other healthcare professionals, and service users in changes to mental health prescribing to support the improvement of prescribing safety, quality, and cost effectiveness.
- Liaise with relevant staff on medication issues relating to admission and discharge of service users and support their engagement with primary care.
- To work with the learning and development leads in the Trust to ensure medicines related education and training of all clinical staff (including pharmacy staff), service users and carers is developed and delivered in line with national and local requirements.
- Providing information and expertise, where competent, to address both the public health and social care needs of service users, including lifestyle advice, service information, and help in tackling local health inequalities.
- Conduct Community audits, clinic checks and other audits as indicated by the Pharmacy Senior Team.
- Undertake, participate, and share the outcomes of clinical audits to facilitate improvement and changes in practice.
- To ensure annual safe and secure handling of medicines audits are completed, reports produced, and actions implemented.
- Use and maintain information reporting systems and databases relevant to the position including incident reporting, medicines optimisation, prescribing data, cost savings, and patient outcomes.
- Support quality improvement and potential clinical audits working with the community mental health pharmacist.
- Synchronise medicines for patient transfers between care settings, liaising with local community pharmacies, care homes, carers and/or hospital pharmacy teams where appropriate.
- Liaise with community pharmacists to align support for medicines adherence, with any relevant service both in primary and secondary care, with a particular emphasis on mental health drugs.
- To produce reports for the Trust as requested for mental health medication and prescribing.
- Write and develop SOPs.
- Developing relationships with other pharmacy technicians, pharmacists, and members of the MDT to support integration of the pharmacy team across health and social care including primary care, community pharmacy, secondary care and mental health.
- Provide clinical and professional support to community mental health teams and members of the primary healthcare team.
- Develop relationships with other healthcare professionals and members of the MDT to support integration of the pharmacy team across SHSC.
- To support the dissemination and implementation of new local, regional, and national medicines and medicine management related guidance, policies and procedures.
- To attend Trust team meetings to discuss medicines management issues and provide regular updates on own work.
- To participate in developing services in own area through proposing changes to practices and procedures and implementing agreed policies designed to take the service forward and enhance the service provided to patients.
- To support and develop systems to improve the quality of discharge medication information available to primary care and help improve the utilisation of Choice and Medication resources.
- To be responsible for own CPD.
- To provide cover and support for other members of the MMTs when required.
- To work independently undertaking MMT duties in accordance with relevant SOPs and policies, liaising with the appropriate pharmacist as necessary.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Undertake patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure optimal medicines use.
- Carry out medicines management tasks including checking lithium levels & toxicity awareness where required, utilise consultation skills to work in partnership with patients to ensure they use their medicines effectively.
- Supporting initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.
- Take a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols and liaising with specialist pharmacists for more complex patients, including timely monitoring and management of high-risk medicines within the community mental health teams.
- Ensure mental health medication prescribing and monitoring is taking place in line with local and national guidance. e.g., valproate; lithium; clozapine; depots etc.
- Take a proactive approach to the safe handling of prescriptions, including assessment of risk and making recommendations for improvement.
- Day to day handling of prescription, medication queries, brand switches within area of own competence and under the guidance of the pharmacist.
- To liaise with GP surgeries, ward staff, service users and carers providing advice and information on common mental health drug dosage and use, medicines regimes, changes to prescriptions, correct storage of medicines and local Trust procedures and policies regarding safe practice with medicines.
- Providing advice to Pharmacists, other healthcare professionals, and service users in changes to mental health prescribing to support the improvement of prescribing safety, quality, and cost effectiveness.
- Liaise with relevant staff on medication issues relating to admission and discharge of service users and support their engagement with primary care.
- To work with the learning and development leads in the Trust to ensure medicines related education and training of all clinical staff (including pharmacy staff), service users and carers is developed and delivered in line with national and local requirements.
- Providing information and expertise, where competent, to address both the public health and social care needs of service users, including lifestyle advice, service information, and help in tackling local health inequalities.
- Conduct Community audits, clinic checks and other audits as indicated by the Pharmacy Senior Team.
- Undertake, participate, and share the outcomes of clinical audits to facilitate improvement and changes in practice.
- To ensure annual safe and secure handling of medicines audits are completed, reports produced, and actions implemented.
- Use and maintain information reporting systems and databases relevant to the position including incident reporting, medicines optimisation, prescribing data, cost savings, and patient outcomes.
- Support quality improvement and potential clinical audits working with the community mental health pharmacist.
- Synchronise medicines for patient transfers between care settings, liaising with local community pharmacies, care homes, carers and/or hospital pharmacy teams where appropriate.
- Liaise with community pharmacists to align support for medicines adherence, with any relevant service both in primary and secondary care, with a particular emphasis on mental health drugs.
- To produce reports for the Trust as requested for mental health medication and prescribing.
- Write and develop SOPs.
- Developing relationships with other pharmacy technicians, pharmacists, and members of the MDT to support integration of the pharmacy team across health and social care including primary care, community pharmacy, secondary care and mental health.
- Provide clinical and professional support to community mental health teams and members of the primary healthcare team.
- Develop relationships with other healthcare professionals and members of the MDT to support integration of the pharmacy team across SHSC.
- To support the dissemination and implementation of new local, regional, and national medicines and medicine management related guidance, policies and procedures.
- To attend Trust team meetings to discuss medicines management issues and provide regular updates on own work.
- To participate in developing services in own area through proposing changes to practices and procedures and implementing agreed policies designed to take the service forward and enhance the service provided to patients.
- To support and develop systems to improve the quality of discharge medication information available to primary care and help improve the utilisation of Choice and Medication resources.
- To be responsible for own CPD.
- To provide cover and support for other members of the MMTs when required.
- To work independently undertaking MMT duties in accordance with relevant SOPs and policies, liaising with the appropriate pharmacist as necessary.
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential
- Hold a recognised Pharmacy Technician qualification NVQ level 3 in Pharmacy Services
- Registration with GPhC as a Pharmacy Technician
- Hospital experience
Desirable
- Accuracy Checking Qualification
- An indication of CPD
- MMT qualification
- ACT qualification
- EPMA experience
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Previous and recent experience of working in a pharmacy
- ability to work independently and as part of a MDT
- professional approach
- numerate and literate
- trustworthy and reliable
- good interpersonal skills
Desirable
- experience of work involving patient contact
- Able to drive and have access to a vehicle
- computer literate
Experience
Essential
- Previous and recent experience of working in a pharmacy
- Evidence of working in a MDT
- Hospital experience
- Experience of working as a MMT
Desirable
- Have experience of working with EPMA computer system
- Evidence of involvement in medicine management
Other
Essential
- Able to demonstrate flexibility and adaptability to changes in the working practice
Desirable
- An understanding of working with mentally ill patients
- A willingness to travel to undertake work in other trust units throughout the city
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential
- Hold a recognised Pharmacy Technician qualification NVQ level 3 in Pharmacy Services
- Registration with GPhC as a Pharmacy Technician
- Hospital experience
Desirable
- Accuracy Checking Qualification
- An indication of CPD
- MMT qualification
- ACT qualification
- EPMA experience
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Previous and recent experience of working in a pharmacy
- ability to work independently and as part of a MDT
- professional approach
- numerate and literate
- trustworthy and reliable
- good interpersonal skills
Desirable
- experience of work involving patient contact
- Able to drive and have access to a vehicle
- computer literate
Experience
Essential
- Previous and recent experience of working in a pharmacy
- Evidence of working in a MDT
- Hospital experience
- Experience of working as a MMT
Desirable
- Have experience of working with EPMA computer system
- Evidence of involvement in medicine management
Other
Essential
- Able to demonstrate flexibility and adaptability to changes in the working practice
Desirable
- An understanding of working with mentally ill patients
- A willingness to travel to undertake work in other trust units throughout the city
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).
Additional information
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).
