Job summary
We are looking for an experienced, enthusiastic Pharmacy technician to work alongside our clinical pharmacists. We are a friendly and supportive primary care team comprising GPs, ANPs, nurses, physios and pharmacists. We have multicultural patient population of around 8000 patients. We are a Deepend practice, which means we are situated in one of the most socioeconomically deprived areas of the country. Our patients struggle more than most; the work that we do can have a huge impact on their health and wellbeing. We have regular team meetings and daily multidisciplinary catchups. Everyone plays their part equally to address Health Inequalities, if you want your work to make a difference, we are the place for you!
Main duties of the job
Your role will be to resolve prescription-related
issues and encourage better pharmaceutical understanding with patients and
throughout the primary health team. You will:
provide medicines optimisation
advice to healthcare professionals to promote
the safe, effective, quality and cost effective use of medicines.
reconcile medicines for newly registered patients and following hospital
discharge or outpatient consultation.
carry out housekeeping whilst
in patient records e.g. Dose optimisation and medicines synchronisation
coordinate monthly prescriptions
for care homes
support the reception/admin team
by helping with queries relating to prescription requests and look for
ways to improve the efficiency and safety of the prescription issuing
process
deal with patient medication
queries via telephone
participate in practice clinical
meetings and other meetings to improve
engagement of the role of pharmacy technician
liaise with medicine management
team on analysing patient prescribing data,
including an awareness of prescribing budget and how this can be managed
assist practice to reach QOF,
QIPP and LCS enhanced service targets, assist practice with audits, QI audits and reviews of the practice prescribing dashboard, plan with Clinical team the
implementation of projects and audits
work with The Foundry Network
pharmacy team to ensure joined up working and realisation of shared
agendas
About us
We are a 'green' practice, where we can we try to make environmentally friendly decisions. We are a relatively small team - around 20 people, ranging from those who have been with us 30years to people currently with us covering maternity leave, the average length of service is around 10years, we don't have a high staff turnover. The management team consists of 4 partners and a practice manager. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, with all designated roles part of one team. There are regular coffee breaks during the day and a fruit bowl provided for staff ( we do have a biscuit cupboard if you prefer!!) We work hard, and we deal with many complex cases, but staff welfare is a priority, you will find both peers and team leaders very supportive
Job description
Job responsibilities
To support the practice to ensure the delivery of safe, effective and efficient systems for repeat prescribing, medicines optimisation, reducing medicines waste and maximising patient outcomes.
To recommend changes to prescribing or medicines optimisation systems and processes in practice. To resolve prescription-related issues and encourage better pharmaceutical understanding with patients and throughout the primary health team, including GPs, nurses, practice staff, care homes and community pharmacy. By working as part of the multidisciplinary team, your role will be to improve the quality and safety of all aspects relating to prescribing and medicines optimisation within the practice. You will also contribute to the training and development of practice staff.
- Provide medicines optimisation advice to Doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to promote the safe, effective, quality and cost effective use of medicines.
- To reconcile medicines using the practice protocols for newly registered patients and following hospital discharge or outpatient consultation. Work with patients/carers and community pharmacists to ensure patients receive the medicines intended.
- Carry out housekeeping whilst in patient records e.g. Dose optimisation and medicines synchronisation
- Support repeat prescribing systems and processes in practice with a focus on quality improvement and supporting safe prescribing.
- Coordinate monthly prescriptions for care homes
- Support the reception/admin team by helping with queries relating to prescription requests and look for ways to improve the efficiency and safety of the prescription issuing process, ensuring queries are resolved and scripts issued in line with the practice prescribing protocol timeframe (usually 2 working days)
- Deal with patient medication queries via telephone call back e.g. dose schedule, side effects, adverse effects and out of stocks, swallowing difficulties, urgent requests
- Resolve queries with prescriptions and issue certain medication where appropriate in line with practice protocols
- Participate in practice clinical meetings, patient participation groups, and other meetings to improve engagement of the role of pharmacy technician with the GP model and promote issues relevant to prescribing and medicines optimisation
- Help implement electronic prescribing and repeat dispensing in appropriate patients including working with community pharmacy staff to identify appropriate patients
- Liaise with medicine management & optimisation pharmacist on analysing patient prescribing data, including an awareness of prescribing budget and how this can be managed
- Assist practice to reach QOF, QIPP and LCS enhanced service targets
- To plan with Clinical team the implementation of projects and audits
- Implement drug withdrawals and alerts e.g. MHRA alerts
- Manage practice formularies to improve the quality, safety and cost effectiveness of prescribing and to reflect CCG prescribing policy
- Assist practice with audits, QI audits and reviews of the practice prescribing dashboard
- Provide medicines related training to staff
- Work with The Foundry Network pharmacy team to ensure joined up working and realisation of shared agendas
- Observe the principles of clinical governance when developing policies, SOPs, protocols, guidelines and procedures
This job description is not meant to be exhaustive. It describes the main duties and responsibilities of the post. The candidate would be expected to undertake any other duties commensurate with the role as agreed with the practice.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To support the practice to ensure the delivery of safe, effective and efficient systems for repeat prescribing, medicines optimisation, reducing medicines waste and maximising patient outcomes.
To recommend changes to prescribing or medicines optimisation systems and processes in practice. To resolve prescription-related issues and encourage better pharmaceutical understanding with patients and throughout the primary health team, including GPs, nurses, practice staff, care homes and community pharmacy. By working as part of the multidisciplinary team, your role will be to improve the quality and safety of all aspects relating to prescribing and medicines optimisation within the practice. You will also contribute to the training and development of practice staff.
- Provide medicines optimisation advice to Doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to promote the safe, effective, quality and cost effective use of medicines.
- To reconcile medicines using the practice protocols for newly registered patients and following hospital discharge or outpatient consultation. Work with patients/carers and community pharmacists to ensure patients receive the medicines intended.
- Carry out housekeeping whilst in patient records e.g. Dose optimisation and medicines synchronisation
- Support repeat prescribing systems and processes in practice with a focus on quality improvement and supporting safe prescribing.
- Coordinate monthly prescriptions for care homes
- Support the reception/admin team by helping with queries relating to prescription requests and look for ways to improve the efficiency and safety of the prescription issuing process, ensuring queries are resolved and scripts issued in line with the practice prescribing protocol timeframe (usually 2 working days)
- Deal with patient medication queries via telephone call back e.g. dose schedule, side effects, adverse effects and out of stocks, swallowing difficulties, urgent requests
- Resolve queries with prescriptions and issue certain medication where appropriate in line with practice protocols
- Participate in practice clinical meetings, patient participation groups, and other meetings to improve engagement of the role of pharmacy technician with the GP model and promote issues relevant to prescribing and medicines optimisation
- Help implement electronic prescribing and repeat dispensing in appropriate patients including working with community pharmacy staff to identify appropriate patients
- Liaise with medicine management & optimisation pharmacist on analysing patient prescribing data, including an awareness of prescribing budget and how this can be managed
- Assist practice to reach QOF, QIPP and LCS enhanced service targets
- To plan with Clinical team the implementation of projects and audits
- Implement drug withdrawals and alerts e.g. MHRA alerts
- Manage practice formularies to improve the quality, safety and cost effectiveness of prescribing and to reflect CCG prescribing policy
- Assist practice with audits, QI audits and reviews of the practice prescribing dashboard
- Provide medicines related training to staff
- Work with The Foundry Network pharmacy team to ensure joined up working and realisation of shared agendas
- Observe the principles of clinical governance when developing policies, SOPs, protocols, guidelines and procedures
This job description is not meant to be exhaustive. It describes the main duties and responsibilities of the post. The candidate would be expected to undertake any other duties commensurate with the role as agreed with the practice.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- BTEC Level three Diploma in Pharmaceutical science or NVQ Level three Diploma in pharmacy service skills or equivalent with underpinning knowledge
- Current registration as a pharmacy technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council
Desirable
- BTEC Level 4 in pharmaceutical science
Experience
Essential
- Up to date clinical pharmacy therapeutic knowledge and practical knowledge of medicines optimisation principles and evidence based medicine
- Knowledge of pharmacy law and ethics, medicines optimisation, including legislation and policy
- Awareness of systems to support management of patients in a primary care setting, delivering pharmaceutical input and support in the context of pathways of care and the business of the practice
- Understanding of the NHS agenda and the issues affecting primary care
- Experience of change management and putting ideas into practice
- Experience dealing with difficult situations
- Experience of completing clinical audits
Desirable
- Experience as a primary care pharmacy technician or part of a primary care medicines optimisation team
- An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for the improvement of prescribing
- Experience of analysing prescribing data
- Knowledge of SystmOne clinical system
- A minimum of two years post qualification experience.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- BTEC Level three Diploma in Pharmaceutical science or NVQ Level three Diploma in pharmacy service skills or equivalent with underpinning knowledge
- Current registration as a pharmacy technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council
Desirable
- BTEC Level 4 in pharmaceutical science
Experience
Essential
- Up to date clinical pharmacy therapeutic knowledge and practical knowledge of medicines optimisation principles and evidence based medicine
- Knowledge of pharmacy law and ethics, medicines optimisation, including legislation and policy
- Awareness of systems to support management of patients in a primary care setting, delivering pharmaceutical input and support in the context of pathways of care and the business of the practice
- Understanding of the NHS agenda and the issues affecting primary care
- Experience of change management and putting ideas into practice
- Experience dealing with difficult situations
- Experience of completing clinical audits
Desirable
- Experience as a primary care pharmacy technician or part of a primary care medicines optimisation team
- An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for the improvement of prescribing
- Experience of analysing prescribing data
- Knowledge of SystmOne clinical system
- A minimum of two years post qualification experience.
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).
Additional information
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).