Job responsibilities
JOB TITLE: Prescription clerk / pharmacy technician
MAIN PURPOSE OF THE POST: To provide an efficient service to all our
patients
RESPONSIBLE TO: The Practice Manager and the Partners
MAIN FUNCTIONS AND
RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Primary Care Prescription Clerk/Pharmacy Technician is responsible for managing the repeat prescription process within the practice, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in the handling of prescription requests. The role involves liaising with patients, GPs, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals to ensure the safe and timely provision of medications, in line with practice policy and legislation and to support the practice team in ensuring a high level of service is delivered. Accuracy and attention to detail are important as well as computer literacy. We use EMIS Web
- Prescription Management:
- Process repeat prescription requests from patients, ensuring all requests are accurate and complete.
- Liaise with GPs and pharmacists to clarify any queries related to prescriptions.
- Ensure prescriptions are signed by the appropriate GP and are ready for collection or delivery in a timely manner.
2. Medication Queries
- Support the clinical staff in answering medication queries.
3. Patient Interaction:
- Communicate effectively with patients regarding their prescription requests and any queries they may have.
- Provide information to patients about the repeat prescription process and any changes to their medication regimen.
4. Record Keeping:
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of all prescription requests and actions taken.
- Ensure all patient interactions and prescription changes are documented in the patients medical record.
5. Controlled Drug Requests:
- Ensure correct protocols are followed regarding ordering, of controlled drug requests in accordance with standard operating procedures to ensure legal compliance.
6. Collaboration:
- Work closely with the practice team, including GPs, nurses, and pharmacists, to ensure a seamless prescription service.
- Check and action script team emails and tasks.
- Liaise with patients and pharmacies regarding queries and requests where necessary.
- Attend practice meetings as required to discuss prescription management and any related issues.
- Work flexibly within the team & to provide cover for annual leave/sickness.
7. Quality Assurance:
- Participate in audits and quality improvement initiatives related to prescription management.
- Ensure compliance with all relevant policies, procedures, and regulations.
- Take prompt action in response to any drug alert bulletins that may be received from time to time.
- Undertake any necessary work as may be required and appropriate to maintain a high standard and efficient prescription service.
8. Communication:
- Communicate effectively with other team members, patients and carers.
- Ability to receive sensitive or contentious information and process appropriately.
- Maintain accurate patient records.
- Advise and support other members of the team as appropriate.
Skills and Qualifications:
- Previous experience in a healthcare setting, preferably within a GP practice or pharmacy.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Proficiency in using healthcare IT systems and software.
Competence:
You are responsible for limiting your actions to those which you feel competent to undertake. If you have any doubts about your competence during the course of your duties, you should immediately speak to the Practice Manager or one of the Partners in the first instance.
Registered Health Professional:
All employees of Beckington Family Practice who are required to register with a professional body, to enable them to practice within their profession, are required to comply with their code of conduct and requirements of their professional registration.
Supervision:
Where the appropriate professional organisation details a requirement in relation to supervision, it is the responsibility of the post holder to ensure compliance with this requirement. If you are in any doubt about the existence of such a requirement, in the first instance advice should be sought from the Practice Manager.
Risk Management:
It is a standard element of the role and responsibility of all staff of Beckington Family Practice that they fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards.
Records Management:
As an employee of Beckington Family Practice, you are legally responsible for all records that you gather, create or use as part of your work within the Organisation (including patient health, financial, personal and administrative), whether paper based or on computer. You should consult the Practice Manager if you have any doubt as to the correct management of records with which you work.
Health And Safety:
All employees of Beckington Family Practice have a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions. Employees are required to co-operate with management to enable the practice to meet its own legal duties and to report any hazardous situations or defective equipment.
- Using personal security systems within the workplace according to Practice guidelines
- Maintain the standards required for the health, safety and security knowledge and understanding as defined in the Surgery Health and Safety Policy.
- Identify the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks.
- Make effective use of training to update knowledge and skills.
- Use appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards.
- Report potential & actual risks identified.
Flexibility Statement:
The content of this Job Description represents an outline of the post only and is therefore not a precise catalogue of duties and responsibilities. The Job Description is therefore intended to be flexible and is subject to review and amendment in the light of changing circumstances, following consultation with the post holder.
Confidentiality:
- All employees of Beckington Family Practice are required to maintain the confidentiality of members of the public and members of staff in accordance with Beckington Family Practice policies. Whilst performing the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, surgery staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the Surgery as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.
- 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, careers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the Surgery may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the Surgery policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.
Equality and Diversity:
Beckington Family Practice will take all practicable steps to ensure that staff are recruited, managed, developed, promoted and rewarded on merit and that equal opportunities are given to all staff. Each employee is responsible for his or her own professional and personal behaviour and there is a requirement of all staff to conduct themselves in a manner which does not cause offence to another person. A separate staff handbook is available for full policy details
- Support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, and challenge behaviours that fall below the standards required.
- Recognise the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Surgery procedures and policies, and current legislation.
- Respect the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, careers and colleagues
- Behave in a manner which is welcoming to an individual, is non-judgemental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
Personal/Professional Development:
In addition to maintaining continued education through attendance at any courses and/or study days necessary to ensure that professional development requirements are met, the post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice as part of this employment, 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.
- Complete statutory and mandatory training as set out by the Practice.
