PCN Pharmacy Technician

Job description

Job responsibilities

The following are the core responsibilities of the Pharmacy Technician. There may be on occasion a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent on factors such as workload and staffing levels. The Pharmacy Technician works within their scope of clinical practice to:

Undertake patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations with patients

Carry out medicines optimisation tasks including effective medicine administration (e.g. checking inhaler technique), 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, as determined by the PCN, medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new care home patients and synchronising medicines for patient transfers between care settings and linking with local community pharmacists

Provide specialist expertise, where competent, to address both the public health and social care needs of patients, including lifestyle advice, service information, and help in tackling local health inequalities

Take a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols and liaising with specialist pharmacists for more complex patients

Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing

Assist in the delivery of medicines optimisation and management incentive schemes and patient safety audits

Support the implementation of national prescribing policies and guidance within GP practices, care homes and other primary care settings. This will be achieved through undertaking clinical audits e.g. use of antibiotics, supporting quality improvement measures and contributing to the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) and enhanced services

Work with the PCN multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation, including implementing efficient ordering and return processes, and reducing wastage

Develop relationships and ensure effective communication across the wider MDT to support integration of the role across health and social care including primary care, secondary care, and mental health

Ensure continuity of care, arranging follow-up reviews as necessary and maintaining accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patient consultation, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures

Recognise and work within own competence and professional code of conduct in keeping with the Standards for Pharmacy Professionals provided by the General Pharmaceutical Council

Adhere to organisational policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance and health and safety

Participate in the administrative and professional responsibilities of the PCN team

Key responsibilities

Communication

Utilise and demonstrate sensitive communication styles, to ensure patients are fully informed and consent to treatment.

Recognise the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding, cultural background and preferred ways of communicating.

Delivering a quality service

Prioritise, organise and manage own workload in a manner that maintains and promotes quality, including participating in shared learning across the PCN and wider organisation. Work as part of the team to seek feedback, continually improve the service and contribute to business planning.

Managing information

Use technology, read codes and appropriate software as an aid to planning, implementing and monitoring care, communicating information and reviewing and processing data for audit purposes.

Learning and development

Take responsibility for own learning and performance through continuous professional development, including participating in clinical supervision, acting as a positive role model and assessing own learning needs.

Actively promote the workplace as a learning environment, encouraging everyone to learn from each other and from external good practice.

Disseminate learning and information gained to other team members in order to share good practice and inform others about current and future developments (e.g. courses and conferences).

Equality and diversity

Support the equality and diversity of patients, carers and colleagues by recognising the importance of peoples rights and interpreting them in a way that is consistent with policy, procedures and current legislation.

Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues by behaving in a manner which is welcoming, non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Professional development

Participate in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own professional development

Post holder must be available to work weekends on a rota basis and be committed to working across multi sites.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician in primary care, community or hospital pharmacy.
• Good IT skills including ability to record accurate clinical notes
• Ability to communicate effectively (written, verbal and non-verbal communication) with patients, relatives / carers and all members of the multi-disciplinary team
• Experience of working under own direction in a patient focused environment
• Uses skills in a range of routine situations requiring analysis or comparison of a range of options
• Recognises priorities when problem-solving and identifies deviations from normal pattern and is able to refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate
• Ability to develop effective and appropriate relationships with people, their families, carers and colleagues
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills
• Able to work under pressure and to meet deadlines

Desirable

• Experience of working within a primary care environment
• Experience of EMIS
• Knowledge of primary care networks and collaborative ways of working

Qualifications

Essential

• BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical science
• Professional registration with GPhC.

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

Dover Town Primary Care Network

Address

100-106 High Street

Dover

Kent

CT16 1EQ

Employer's website

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