Expression of Interest - PCN Pharmacy Technician

Job responsibilities

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 Pharmacist in Structured 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 localhealth 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

• 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, 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 QIPP agenda, QOF and locally commissioned enhanced services.
• Supporting quality improvement measures and contributing to the Quality and Outcomes Framework and enhanced services.
• Support the PCN in reviewing and developing practice policies for CQC requirements.

The postholder will

• Develop a culture that promotes equality and values diversity. The postholder 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.
• 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.

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.

Personal/Professional development

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice 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.

Quality

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, 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 by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance.
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs.
• Effectively manage own time, workload, and resources.

Supervision

• The postholder will have access to appropriate clinical supervision and an appropriate named individual in the PCN to provide general advice and support on a day-to-day basis.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• Professional registration with GPhC.
• Meets the specific qualification and training requirements as specified by the GPhC criteria to register as a Pharmacy Technician.
• Meets the specific qualification and training requirements as specified by the GPhC criteria to register as a Pharmacy Technician; enrolled in, undertaking, or qualified from, an approved training pathway. For example, the Primary Care Pharmacy Educational Pathway (PCPEP) or Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes (MOCH).
• Evidence of continued professional development (CPD).
• Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician in primary care, community, or hospital pharmacy.

Desirable

• BTEC / NVQ level3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical sciences.
• Demonstrate ability to influence and persuade partners and stakeholders of the respective merits of different options, innovations, new opportunities,and challenges.

Skills and Competencies

Essential

• Computer literate with an ability to use the required 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 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. Whilst recognising peoples needs for alternative methods of communication.
• Influencing and negotiating skills.
• An excellent understanding of data protection and confidentiality issues.

Attributes

Essential

• 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.
• Is working under appropriate clinical supervision to ensure safe, effective, and efficient use of medicines.

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).