PCN Pharmacy Technician

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB TITLE

Pharmacy Technician

EMPLOYING TRUST

East Croydon Medical Centre

CONTRACT TYPE

Permanent / Full-time ARRS Contract

ACCOUNTABLETO

Practice Manager

Job Summary

Pharmacy technicians play an important role, complementing clinical pharmacists, community pharmacists and other members of the PCN multi- disciplinary team. Pharmacy technicians are different to clinical pharmacists as they are not able to prescribe or make clinical decisions, instead working under supervision to ensure effective and efficient use of medicines.

Pharmacy technicians core role responsibilities will cover clinical, and technical and administrative categories.

Duties and Responsibilities Clinical

a) Undertaking patient supporting roles to ensure

effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations with patients.

b) 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.

c) As determined by the PCN, 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.

d) 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.

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

f) Supporting initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.

Technical and Administrative:

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

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

c) 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.

d) Supervising practice reception teams in sorting and streaming general prescription requests, so as to allow GPs and clinical pharmacists to review the more clinically complex requests.

e) Processing monthly PPA claims.

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).

Training requirements

All pharmacy technicians 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)). Pharmacy technicians must be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. Entry to the PCPEP programme will include the option for an accreditation of Prior Learning (APEL) process.

Eligibility for reimbursement under the Network Contract DES and proposals for reimbursement

Confidentiality:

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately

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 practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data

This job description is not exhaustive and may be adjusted periodically after review and consultation. You will also be expected to carry out any reasonable duties which may be requested from time-to-time.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Awareness of general practice and the agenda for medicines optimisation 3 years post qualification experience Experience of working in Primary Care Experience of working in a busy environment and meeting deadlines Good clinical pharmacy knowledge including terminology Knowledge of pharmacy law and ethics

Desirable

• Experience of carrying out monthly PPA Claims

Skills

Essential

• Able to analyse and interpret prescribing data Strong IT skills Computer literate and familiar with Microsoft Office packages Excellent communication skills, verbal and written EMIS / Systmone / Vision user skills Effective time management (Planning & Organising) Ability to work as a team member and autonomously Good interpersonal skills Problem solving & analytical skills Ability to follow policy and procedure

Qualifications

Essential

• Professional registration with GPhC BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical sciences Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician in primary care, community or hospital pharmacy

Desirable

• Evidence of continued professional development (CPD) Postgraduate qualifications of a relevant nature eg FdSc in Medicines Management/Pharmacy Services; BTEC Therapeutics

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).

Employer details

Employer name

East Croydon Medical Centre

Address

59 Addiscombe Road

Croydon

CR0 6SD

Employer's website

https://www.eastcroydonmc.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)