Pre-Registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician (Apprenticeship)

The Spa Surgery

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Job summary

We are expanding The Spa Surgery Pharmacy Team and are looking for enthusiastic and highly motivated individuals to join our friendly, high achieving practice in central Harrogate, working alongside our multidisciplinary team delivering the best care possible to our patients.

This is an excellent training opportunity for up to two Pre-Registration Pharmacy Technicians (PTPTs) to join the Pharmacy Teams both within our Practice and at Cohen's Community Pharmacy on the ground floor of the Mowbray Square Medical Centre. This will be an excellent cross-sector learning experience working across both environments to truly learn the pathway of patients from consultation and prescribing medicines to their supply and counselling on them.

We care for individuals across a wide range of settings including specialist homes for people with learning disabilities and long-term mental health conditions, nursing and residential homes. We are local leaders in the care of homeless people, providing a healthcare service to Springboard, a local day centre for homeless people. We work in a supportive environment with daily huddles.

As a PTPT you will work alongside our Pharmacy Team which includes Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians and Care Navigators as well as the wider Practice clinical and administrative teams which include GPs, Nurses, TNAs, HCAs, Physiotherapists, Mental Health Practitioners and Social Prescribers.

Main duties of the job

The principles of the training post include:

To study for one day a week or equivalent to achieve the Pre-Registration Pharmacy Technician training programme over a two-year duration and complete the PTPT Apprenticeship

To complete rotations in Community Pharmacy for a period of training delivered weekly under the supervision of Pharmacy staff, including: dispensing, checking, and issuing medicines, counselling patients on how to use their medicines, stock management, reconciliation of medicines, Over the Counter (OTC) sales for minor ailments, medicines review, and enhanced services e.g., stop smoking services.

To complete rotations in General Practice for a period of training as defined in the training plan; delivered weekly under the supervision of a Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician, including: -Responding to prescription requests.Reviewing hospital letters and reconciling medication against current medications, highlighting any discrepancies. Completingaudits.

To gain knowledge of diseases, basic treatments and the actions and uses of drugs.

To answer basic pharmaceutical queries under supervision.To learn about and contribute to safe patient care in all workplaces.

To learn about and contribute to safe patient care in all workplaces.

To support team values to ensure the maintenance of the highest professional standards.

About us

The Spa Surgery is a friendly and diverse team which is part of the Mowbray Square PCN based in central Harrogate. We work from a well equipped, purpose-built medical centre with a wide range of facilities.

We are an award-winning teaching practice, hosting learning placements for undergraduate medical students, junior doctors, student nurses and apprentices and there will be opportunities to develop teaching skills.

We have a strong and supportive work ethic with practice daily huddles as well as weekly team huddles. There are regular protected learning time events as well as team building, fundraising and social catch ups.

We offer benefits including a BUPA Health cash plan, Health Assured employee assistance programme, access to the childcare voucher scheme and a cycle to work scheme. There are shower and changing facilities.

The town has excellent schools and easy access to the beautiful North Yorkshire Dales, Knaresborough, York and Leeds. See our website for more information on our primary health care team and services www.thespasurgery.co.uk

Date posted

10 October 2023

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£17,602 to £20,379 a year Dependent on NMW reference points.

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

2 years

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

A1412-23-0004

Job locations

Mowbray Square Medical Centre

Harrogate

HG1 5AR

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

Under the support and guidance of Pharmacy and Practice staff, and through a structured rotational training program with Community Pharmacy and General Practice the post holder will:

develop the knowledge, skills and competencies to achieve a General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) - accredited course or approved qualification within the Pharmacy Technician apprenticeship pathway, to support registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council

complete the required competencies in the workplace to achieve the PTPT apprenticeship and will complete the learning organised by the training provider using agreed weekly study day/session(s) and study in personal time.

ensure knowledge, attitudes and behaviour follow the General Pharmaceutical Councils Standards for Pharmacy Professionals during the two-year training programme in order that they can seek a declaration of competence from supervising pharmacy professional in all sectors, as required for registration.

Key responsibilities

To study for one day a week or equivalent to achieve the Pre-Registration Pharmacy Technician training programme over a two-year duration and complete the PTPT apprenticeship.

To complete rotations in Community Pharmacy for a period of training delivered weekly under the supervision of Pharmacy staff, including dispensing, checking, and issuing medicines, counselling patients on how to use their medicines, stock management, reconciliation of medicines, Over the Counter (OTC) sales for minor ailments, medicines review, and enhanced services e.g., stop smoking services.

To complete rotations in General Practice for a period of training as defined in the training plan; delivered weekly or in a block responding to a prescription requests, reviewing hospital discharge/clinical letters and reconciling medication against current medications highlighting discrepancies under the supervision of the Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician, completing audits under the supervision of a Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician.

To gain knowledge of diseases, basic treatments and the actions and uses of drugs.

To answer basic pharmaceutical queries under supervision.

To learn about and contribute to the objectives for safe patient care in all workplaces.

To support team values to ensure the maintenance of the highest professional standards.

General Practice Responsibilities

To always work under the supervision of the Pharmacy professional and liaison with other Practice staff.

To always follow all workplace Standard Operating Procedures.

To learn about Medicines Optimisation and how Pharmacy Technicians contribute to General Practice. This will involve working in General Practice in a patient facing role and with telephone contact.

To use the surgery computer system to record information & consultations, run searches and send tasks to other healthcare professionals.

To respond to prescription requests from community patients, nursing/care home staff, pharmacy staff and GPs, processing them with 48 hours for routine prescriptions and same day for urgent prescriptions. This can include re-routing prescriptions to out of hours pharmacies for same day delivery.

To learn about and be involved with the use of practice templates to record patient monitoring for high-risk drugs.

To learn about and be involved in monitoring blood tests, recalls and reviews using established protocols and involvement of the appropriate clinician.

To review hospital discharge notifications / clinical letters and reconcile medication against current medications, highlighting discrepancies to the pharmacist/ designated GP under supervision.

To help 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 staying aware of latest prescribing improvement targets.

To assist pharmacists / clinical staff help with annual medication reviews e.g., Asthma assisting with information to ensure prescribing of most cost-effective formulary product and observing patients have good inhaler technique under supervision.

Conduct regular audits on medicines storage ensuring local and national guidelines are adhered to and issues are reported to the appropriate manager.

To ensure medicines in the surgery are checked and out of date stock is identified and disposed of in an appropriate and timely manner and disposed of according to SOPs.

To utilise resources to promote the reduction of medicines waste.

To conduct face to face & telephone interventions (as outlined by the pharmacist) with patients and ensure consultations are recorded and reported to the pharmacist or designated GP.

To complete prescribing audits to monitor and analyse individual practice / primary care network prescribing performance and trends against local and national targets, presenting information and data and identifying priority areas for action.

To support prescribing clerks by helping with queries relating to prescription requests.

To look for ways to improve efficiency and safety of the prescription ordering process, ensuring queries are resolved and scripts issued in line with timeframe in the practice procedure working with the practice pharmacist.

To participate in practice clinical meetings, patient participation groups and other meetings to improve engagement of the role of the Pharmacy Technician within the GP model and to promote issues relevant to prescribing and medicines optimisation.

To support the pharmacist in implementing drug withdrawals and alerts e.g., MHRA alerts and medicine shortages.

To inspire the patient population with seasonal health information campaigns, creating displays throughout the year e.g., Stop Smoking, Antibiotic Awareness, annual Flu campaign.

To promote digital solutions including Patient Access, NHS App, Electronic Repeat Dispensing to patients and practice staff as required by Practice Manager.

To liaise with the Medicines in Care Home pharmacist to shadow their role and understand the role of pharmacists / pharmacy technicians including medication reconciliation and providing support and advice to Care Homes.

Community Pharmacy Responsibilities

To work under the supervision of the Supervising Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician at all times.

To follow all workplace Standard Operating Procedures at all times.

To learn about Medicines Optimisation and how Pharmacy Technicians contribute to Community Pharmacy services. This will involve a patient-facing role.

To assist the Pharmacist in retrieving electronic prescriptions (EPS) as per SOPs.

To receive prescriptions and ensure they are legal and valid and advise patients on completing the declaration.

To use the Pharmacy computer system to record Patient Medication Records and create labels.

To dispense prescriptions including FP10s & Private Prescriptions and monitored dosage systems (MDS) and confirm accuracy as per community / dispensing pharmacy SOPs.

To issue prescriptions and counsel patients on how to use their medicines.

To dispose of returned and unwanted medication as per SOPs.

To record controlled drugs in the controlled drugs register and conduct controlled drug balance checks as per SOPs.

To order, receive, store, and maintain stock as per SOPs.

To support the community pharmacist with medicines reconciliation in accordance with protocols, highlighting discrepancies to ensure patients medication records are up to date and liaising with general practice to ensure the correct medicines are continued following transfer of care.

To complete OTC sales and recommendations for common minor ailments under the supervision of a Pharmacist / trained Pharmacy staff.

To support the Pharmacist to complete Medication Use Reviews (MURs), New Medicines Service (NMS) and Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS)

To support the Pharmacist to complete commissioned enhanced services e.g., stop smoking services, under the supervision of Pharmacy Staff.

To liaise with General Practice regarding prescription issues.

Other duties:

To document errors and support process review and improvement to reduce internal and external error rates in accordance with clinical governance guidelines.

To take responsibility for specific areas of work or projects as may be agreed from time to time including contributing towards team goals and objectives.

It is expected that the post-holder will divide their annual leave entitlement equally (as reasonable) between the sectors.

To undertake all duties as required by the supervising pharmacy professional appropriate to the grade and relevance to the post.

Research & Audit:

To assist Pharmacy Technicians & General Practice Pharmacists in the completion of audits as required.

Training & Development:

To study using online resources one day each week (or equivalent).

To commit to study at home where necessary.

To complete mandatory training and other statutory training at all workplaces.

To complete local competency-based assessments where necessary.

To ensure that you meet the minimum number of hours work based experience, as stated by the General Pharmaceutical Council, to enable you to register as a qualified Pharmacy Technician.