Prescribing Clerk

Job description

Job responsibilities

Practice : Coltishall Medical Practice

Job Title: Prescribing Clerk

Line Manager : Dispensary Manager

Accountable to : Practice Manager

Hours per week : 20 Hours per week. Monday, Tuesday pm & Friday

Job Summary

To be responsible for the accurate and timely processing of medication requests for the entitled population, liaising effectively with all relevant personnel. Duties can include but are not limited to, the processing of repeat prescriptions in electronic and hard copy format, including online requests, arranging medication reviews ensuring all relevant monitoring tests and checks have been carried out prior to review. In addition, the post-holder will be required to support the multidisciplinary team, ensuring the strategic objectives of the practice are met.

Generic Responsibilities

All staff at Coltishall Medical Practice have a duty to conform to the following:

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

A good attitude and positive action towards ED&I creates and environment where all individuals are able to achieve their full potential. Creating such an environment is important for three reasons: it improves operational effectiveness, it is morally the right thing to do, and it is required by law.

Patients and their families have the right to be treated fairly and be routinely involved in decisions about their treatment and care. They can expect to be treated with dignity and respect and will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Patients have a responsibility to treat other patients and our staff with dignity and respect.

Staff have the right to be treated fairly in recruitment and career progression. Staff can expect to work in an environment where diversity is valued and equality of opportunity is promoted. Staff will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Staff have a responsibility to ensure that you treat our patients and their colleagues with dignity and respect.

Safety, Health, Environment and Fire (SHEF)

This practice is committed to supporting and promoting opportunities to for staff to maintain their health, well-being and safety. You have a duty to take reasonable care of health and safety at work for you, your team and others, and to cooperate with employers to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements. All personnel are to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Environmental Protection Act 1990, Environment Act 1995, Fire Precautions (workplace) Regulations 1999 and other statutory legislation.

Confidentiality

This practice is committed to maintaining an outstanding confidential service. Patients entrust and permit us to collect and retain sensitive information relating to their health and other matters, pertaining to their care. They do so in confidence and have a right to expect all staff will respect their privacy and maintain confidentiality at all times. It is essential that if, the legal requirements are to be met and the trust of our patients is to be retained that all staff protect patient information and provide a confidential service.

Quality & Continuous Improvement (CI)

To preserve and improve the quality of our output, all personnel are required to think not only of what they do, but how they achieve it. By continually re-examining our processes, we will be able to develop and improve the overall effectiveness of the way we work. The responsibility for this rests with everyone working within the practice to look for opportunities to improve quality and share good practice.

This practice continually strives to improve work processes which deliver health care with improved results across all areas of our service provision. We promote a culture of continuous improvement, where everyone counts and staff are permitted to make suggestions and contributions to improve our service delivery and enhance patient care.

Induction Training

On arrival at the practice all personnel are to complete a practice induction programme; this is managed by the Practice Manager.

Learning and Development

The effective use of training and development is fundamental in ensuring that all staff are equipped with the appropriate skills, knowledge, attitude and competences to perform their role. All staff will be required to partake and complete mandatory training as directed by the training coordinator, as well as participating in the practice training programme. Staff will also be permitted (subject to approval) to undertake external training courses which will enhance their knowledge and skills, progress their career and ultimately, enable them to improve processes and service delivery.

Collaborative Working

All staff are to recognise the significance of collaborative working. Teamwork is essential in multidisciplinary environments. Effective communication is essential and all staff must ensure they communicate in a manner which enables the sharing of information in an appropriate manner.

Service Delivery

Staff at Coltishall Medical Practice must adhere to the information contained with practice policies and regional directives, ensuring protocols are adhered to at all times. Staff will be given detailed information during the induction process regarding policy and procedure.

Security

The security of the practice is the responsibility of all personnel. Staff must ensure they remain vigilant at all times and report any suspicious activity immediately to their line manager. Under no circumstances are staff to share the codes for the door locks to anyone and are to ensure that restricted areas remain effectively secured.

Professional Conduct

At Coltishall Medical Practice staff are required to dress appropriately for their role. Administrative staff will be provided with a uniform whilst clinical staff must dress in accordance with their role.

Leave

All personnel are entitled to take leave. Line managers are to ensure all of their staff are afforded the opportunity to take annual leave, details of which are provided at induction, and should be encouraged to take all of their leave entitlement.

Primary Responsibilities

The following are the core responsibilities of the prescribing clerk. There may be on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels:

1. To process all medication requests coming into the Practice as set out in the Standard Operating Procedures:

• Patient access
• Emails
• Post
• Slips
• Coltishall Pharmacy automatics (manages repeats)
• Spixworth Pharmacy automatics (managed repeats)
• Dispensary automatics (managed repeats)
• Ad-hoc phone requests
• Monthly Nursing Homes Mill House & St Marys
• Printing off mediwallet (dosette box) scripts.

2. Produce prescriptions for the GP to sign in an acceptable timeframe

3. Ensure all prescription requests are processed and are ready for collection within a 48-hour timeframe

4. Deal with all prescription related enquiries in a timely manner

5. Discuss with patients their requirements, encouraging patients to order only what they require

6. To ensure all patients have had all relevant blood tests, blood pressure checks in preparation for them having a medication review with the GP/ACNP

• Calling patients to book appointments
• Make appointments on screen
• Printing off all relevant forms

7. To run searches to ensure the tests/checks are being done leading up the medication review.

8. To check Docman on a daily basis

9. To check Footfall on a daily basis

10. To check tasks on a daily basis

11. To take all phone calls between a designated time (patient queries)

12. Ensure medication reviews are arranged by maintaining an accurate recall system

13. Input data into the patients healthcare records as necessary

14. Record and reported adverse effects accurately and appropriately to the named GP.

15. Record information and data on Emis Web medical system

16. Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times

Secondary Responsibilities

In addition to the primary responsibilities, the prescribing clerk may be requested to:

a) Partake in audit as directed by the audit lead

b) Complete opening and closing procedures as required.

This document may be amended following consultation with the post holder, to facilitate the development of the role, the practice and the individual. All personnel should be prepared to accept additional, or surrender existing duties, to enable the efficient running of the practice.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent including Mathematics and English (C or above)

Desirable

• NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with the general public
• Experience of working in a health care setting

Desirable

• Experience as working as a prescribing clerk

Skills

Essential

• Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
• Strong IT skills
• Clear, polite telephone manner
• Competent in the use of Office and Outlook
• 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

Desirable

• EMIS user skills

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Polite and confident
• Flexible and cooperative
• Motivated
• Forward thinker
• High levels of integrity and loyalty
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
• Ability to work under pressure

Other requirements

Essential

• Flexibility to work outside of core office hours
• 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.

Employer details

Employer name

Coltishall Medical Practice

Address

St Johns Close

Coltishall

Norwich

Norfolk

NR12 7HA

Employer's website

https://www.coltishallsurgery.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)