Job summary
GPA is a medium sized organisation, and rapidly expanding GP Federation based in Northampton, leading the transformation of equitable healthcare across the town and beyond.
We are excited to be recruiting for a Pharmacy Technician to work across Grand Union PCN.
Grand Union (GU) PCN Pharmacy Technician (PT) roles will
involve working across five practices as part of both a larger clinical pharmacy
team and practice teams. You would join three PTs already working in the GU
PCN. There is the opportunity for new candidates to work with us and the PCN to
shape the role.
Our practices work well with our Clinical Pharmacy team and
are well established in providing excellent care and support to our patients
and surgery teams. There is a huge potential to make a difference in medicines
management.
GPA employees benefit from an attractive recruitment
package, including 30 days per annum of annual leave, Senior Technician
leadership and supervision and close working relationships with the Clinical
Pharmacists in practice.
Successful candidates will be eligible for the Primary Care Pharmacy
Education Pathway to provide you with training and development required. For
more information see: https://www.cppe.ac.uk/career/pcpep/pcpep-training-pathway
Interview dates: 13th/14th/15th June
Please indicate any preference on your application and we will try to accommodate, however this cannot be guaranteed.
Main duties of the job
Pharmacy technicians will also play a key role in medication
safety, from running reports and audits, to looking at medication safety issues
such as those identified by MHRA, NICE, CQC, Eclipse and the Investment and
Impact Fund (IIF) and supporting implementation of change to address any issues
identified.
In some practices, the pharmacy technician is responsible
for the ordering of bloods tests and other monitoring requirements for those
patients identified on high risk medicines.
A key role will be replying to same day medication queries.
These may come from the GPs, community pharmacy, prescribing clerks or other
staff in the practice. You will be working with a Clinical Pharmacist ensuring
you can escalate any queries appropriately.
Practices also require support in reviewing discharge
prescriptions and outpatient letters to ensure patients are counselled and
repeat prescription lists are updated accordingly. Booking follow up bloods and
escalating any issues that cannot be resolved as appropriate.
Please contact Philippa Jones, Principal Clinical Pharmacist or Zoe Webb, Lead Pharmacy technician for an informal chat or more information.
Email: Philippa.jones10@nhs.net Tel: 07708476743
Email: Zoe.webb5@nhs.net Tel: 07708473000
About us
GPA provides a pharmacy service to 3
PCNs. We aim to enhance patient experience within Primary Care. We are
passionate about training and supervision, supporting our staff to achieve
their potential. As a team we work closely with other services. This means we
are aware of local issues and can work to overcome any issues across healthcare
boundaries. If you want to know more about working with us please get in touch.
This is what some of our team have said about working for
us:
'Very supportive
team, friendly and caring. I feel lucky to be part of a great team who helped
me believe in myself and helped me achieve so much in a short time.'
'I can honestly say
all the team members are easily approachable and supportive of each other. A
wide variety of skill sets within the team to utilise. I have been able to
learn so much and develop my clinical skills. It is a privilege to work
alongside all members of the team.'
'Having worked in a
different sector of pharmacy for many years I find the GPA pharmacy team to
incredibly supportive, professional, and very well respected by other
healthcare professionals. Love being part of this team.'
And from our
Clinical Director for Grand Union:
'We are
excited about welcoming pharmacy technicians to join us to extend the team and
contribute their expertise; we look forward to working with successful
candidates to expand roles in the future.'
Dr Massey, Clinical Director, Grand Union
Job description
Job responsibilities
For a full Job Description please see supporting documents.
Primary Duties and Areas of Responsibility
Support and respond to medicines related queries from medical and nursing colleagues and from patients and relatives both face to face, via phone or via email. Queries can include issues with interactions or ADRs, availability of stock, swallowing difficulties, cost-effectiveness, urgent requests, or extra supplies.
Support and manage requirements identified in the current financial years Network Contract DES. This may also include contract specifics of the Investment and Impact Fund (IIF) as agreed with individual practices.
Use practice and ICB templates to record near patient monitoring for high risk drugs.
Identify blood tests, recalls and reviews using established protocols and forward these to the appropriate clinician.
Review hospital discharge notifications and outpatient hospital letters and reconcile medication against current repeats, flagging up and correcting discrepancies.
Promote safe use of medication, reporting of medicines related incidents and pro-actively preventing safeguarding incidents.
Use knowledge of GP computer prescribing systems and community pharmacy dispensing systems to advise on solving problems related to prescribing/dispensing and other areas to develop the skills of practice and pharmacy staff.
Observe the principles of clinical governance when developing policies, protocols, guidelines, SOPs and procedures.
Support practice prescribing budgets by on-going monitoring, audit and analysis of drug use and support practices in reviewing, developing and enhancing cost-effective prescribing. This includes awareness of latest QIPP and other cost targets.
Help review medication with the pharmacists and make recommendations for prescribing changes to improve outcome and ensure prescribing of the most cost-effective product.
Provide support and training to existing prescription teams to support and facilitate:
- Prescription requests from community patients, nursing/care home staff, pharmacy staff and GPs.
- Prescriptions for nursing/care homes, checking for changes and adherence/over-ordering issues.
Build strong relationships with care and nursing staff and act as a link between the care home and the surgery teams (including care co-ordinators where employed)
Support care homes with medication waste and medication ordering systems by reviewing and making recommendations where required for safe and efficient processes.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For a full Job Description please see supporting documents.
Primary Duties and Areas of Responsibility
Support and respond to medicines related queries from medical and nursing colleagues and from patients and relatives both face to face, via phone or via email. Queries can include issues with interactions or ADRs, availability of stock, swallowing difficulties, cost-effectiveness, urgent requests, or extra supplies.
Support and manage requirements identified in the current financial years Network Contract DES. This may also include contract specifics of the Investment and Impact Fund (IIF) as agreed with individual practices.
Use practice and ICB templates to record near patient monitoring for high risk drugs.
Identify blood tests, recalls and reviews using established protocols and forward these to the appropriate clinician.
Review hospital discharge notifications and outpatient hospital letters and reconcile medication against current repeats, flagging up and correcting discrepancies.
Promote safe use of medication, reporting of medicines related incidents and pro-actively preventing safeguarding incidents.
Use knowledge of GP computer prescribing systems and community pharmacy dispensing systems to advise on solving problems related to prescribing/dispensing and other areas to develop the skills of practice and pharmacy staff.
Observe the principles of clinical governance when developing policies, protocols, guidelines, SOPs and procedures.
Support practice prescribing budgets by on-going monitoring, audit and analysis of drug use and support practices in reviewing, developing and enhancing cost-effective prescribing. This includes awareness of latest QIPP and other cost targets.
Help review medication with the pharmacists and make recommendations for prescribing changes to improve outcome and ensure prescribing of the most cost-effective product.
Provide support and training to existing prescription teams to support and facilitate:
- Prescription requests from community patients, nursing/care home staff, pharmacy staff and GPs.
- Prescriptions for nursing/care homes, checking for changes and adherence/over-ordering issues.
Build strong relationships with care and nursing staff and act as a link between the care home and the surgery teams (including care co-ordinators where employed)
Support care homes with medication waste and medication ordering systems by reviewing and making recommendations where required for safe and efficient processes.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ L3 Diploma in Pharmacy Service Skills (QCF) plus L3 QCF Diploma in Pharmaceutical Science or GPhC accredited equivalent or GPhC equivalents prior to July 2011
- Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development.
Experience
Essential
- Understanding of clinical knowledge and the principles of evidence-based healthcare.
Desirable
- Minimum of 2 years post-qualification experience.
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- An appreciation of the nature of GPs and general practice.
- An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing.
- Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Good working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and SharePoint.
- Able to obtain and analyse complex technical information.
- Experience of working within a diverse team.
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to a variety of audiences (e.g. patients).
- Recognises priorities when problem solving and identifies deviations from the normal pattern and can refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate.
- Skills and experience in providing supervision, and an understanding of identifying and maintaining professional boundaries.
- Proven understanding of safeguarding vulnerable people and the local safeguarding processes.
Desirable
- Good working knowledge of SystmOne.
Job Circumstances
Essential
- Access to own transport and ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis.
- Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ L3 Diploma in Pharmacy Service Skills (QCF) plus L3 QCF Diploma in Pharmaceutical Science or GPhC accredited equivalent or GPhC equivalents prior to July 2011
- Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development.
Experience
Essential
- Understanding of clinical knowledge and the principles of evidence-based healthcare.
Desirable
- Minimum of 2 years post-qualification experience.
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- An appreciation of the nature of GPs and general practice.
- An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing.
- Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Good working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and SharePoint.
- Able to obtain and analyse complex technical information.
- Experience of working within a diverse team.
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to a variety of audiences (e.g. patients).
- Recognises priorities when problem solving and identifies deviations from the normal pattern and can refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate.
- Skills and experience in providing supervision, and an understanding of identifying and maintaining professional boundaries.
- Proven understanding of safeguarding vulnerable people and the local safeguarding processes.
Desirable
- Good working knowledge of SystmOne.
Job Circumstances
Essential
- Access to own transport and ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis.
- Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
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).
