Pharmacy Technician

Job description

Job responsibilities

A pharmacy technician will form part of the practice pharmacy team within Victoria Park Health Centre supporting and promoting safe and appropriate prescribing within the wider general practice /multidisciplinary team on behalf of our patient population.

The purpose of the role is, working in conjunction with clinical pharmacist colleagues, to maximise safe, cost-effective best practice in prescribing to improve the quality of patient care. The post holder will help patients to get the best from their medicines by switching medications in accordance with standard operating procedures, improving repeat prescribing processes in general practice, including promotion of repeat dispensing and online ordering, minimising clinical risk and aiming to reduce wasted medicines. This will include management of medication stocks within the practice.

The pharmacy technician will also be actively involved in medication safety work, such as audits to ensure proactive monitoring of shared care medications and other high-risk drugs. The post holder will be expected to review and respond to MHRA alerts.

In addition, the post holder will be responsible for encouraging the development of better understanding of the principles of medicines optimisation throughout the practice teams and promoting good practice in line with therapeutic developments. This will involve assisting the practice in achieving national requirements, NICE implementation and utilisation of medicines optimisation initiatives.

The post holder will work as part of a multidisciplinary team and support all practise staff to develop and improve processes. In this role you will be supported by a team of pharmacists who will develop, manage and mentor you.

The following are the core responsibilities of the Pharmacy Technician. There may be on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks.

• Carry out medicines optimisation tasks including supporting medication reviews and medicines reconciliation. Where required, utilise consultation skills to work in partnership with patients to ensure they use their medicines effectively.
• Support medicines reconciliation for new care home patients and synchronising medicines for patient transfers between care settings, linking with local community pharmacies.
• Support the Clinical Pharmacist in Structured Medication Reviews (SMR) i.e. organise necessary monitoring tests prior to SMR.
• Manage shared care medication monitoring for high risk drugs and liaise with Clinical Pharmacists for more complex patients.
• Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing locally.
• Support initiatives related to health promotion including patient information campaigns
• Support the practice multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation processes are being followed.
• Implement efficient ordering and return processes and reducing medication wastage.
• Provide training and support on the legal, safe and secure handling of medicines, including the implementation of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS).
• Promotion of Electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD) and online ordering.
• Support practice reception team in streaming general prescription requests, so as to allow GPs and clinical pharmacists to review the more clinically complex requests.
• Support the implementation of national prescribing policies and guidance within GP practices, care homes and other primary care settings.
• Support the practice to deliver on QIPP agenda, QOF and locally commissioned enhanced services.
• Manage medication stocks within the practice
• Attend Practice Meetings, MDT Meetings and any other meetings as necessary.
• To assist in the monitoring in the prescribing expenditure at individual practice level and propose changes to ensure containment within identified resource.
• To have an overview of the Eclipse prescribing system with a view to support the Practice with completion of the Eclipse alerts.
• Motivated and enthusiastic to make a difference and contribute to practice efficiencies.

This role profile is not exhaustive; it will be subject to periodic review and may be amended to meet the changing needs of the business.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician in primary care, community or hospital pharmacy

Desirable

• Experience of working in a GP practice

Qualifications

Essential

• Professional registration with GPhC
• BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical sciences
• Evidence of continued professional development (CPD)

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

Victoria Park Health Centre

Address

Victoria Park Health Centre

203 Victoria Park Road

Leicester

LE2 1XD

Employer's website

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