PCN Pharmacy Technician

Job description

Job responsibilities

We are seeking an enthusiastic and forward-thinking pharmacy technician to join our like-minded PCN. We endeavour to find the best pharmacy talent to join our team. The successful pharmacy technician candidate will play an important role in complementing our clinical pharmacists and other members of the PCN multi-disciplinary team. This is an evolving job role with huge scope for development as we expand our PCN team further over the years.

It is a requirement of the role to be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council as a Pharmacy Technician. We are seeking a pharmacy technician preferably with previous experience of working in primary care.

The Pharmacy Technician role is a new development within our PCN and we expect the successful candidate to contribute to the delivery of a comprehensive primary care medicines management system acting on current best practice / service change requests from our clinical commissioning group. The Pharmacy Technician will be required to undertake activities predominantly at a practice level, but will need to be flexible to work to the wider demands of the network. For example, the role will involve liaising with community pharmacy teams to highlight and manage problems identified by community pharmacy, such as medicines waste.

An understanding of primary care operations and use of SystmOne would be an advantage but is not essential.

Main Duties:

The post holder will

Support the role of PCN Clinical Pharmacists in the delivery of clinical pharmacy services

Perform medicines improvement work to maximise safe, cost-effective best practice in prescribing under the supervision of the GP or Clinical Pharmacist

Improve the use of medicines and help patients with medication adherence.

Assist with medication safety monitoring systems (e.g. high-risk drugs)

Liaise with clinicians and administrative staff to resolve medicine-related queries

Monitor practice prescribing and adherence to practice, local and national prescribing policies

Improve service and quality through mechanisms such as audits

Primary Duties and Areas of Responsibility:

Operational

Support the Clinical Pharmacists in Structured Medication Reviews (e.g. organise necessary monitoring tests before SMR and identification of appropriate patients)

Undertake patient-supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use through shared decision-making

Support medicine reconciliation of patients whose care is transferred back into primary care in a timely and effective manner liaising with patients and other providers to ensure patients receive appropriate medication on discharge

Liaise with PCN dispensaries and community pharmacies to aid effective medicines reconciliation

Carry out medicines optimisation tasks including effective medicine administration, supporting medication reviews and medicines reconciliation post-discharge and other transfers of care

Assist with the development and implementation of systems to ensure safe and effective monitoring of high-risk medication

Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing

Assist Clinical Pharmacists with any searches, data collection, medicine safety tasks

Work with pharmacy team to develop safe, effective and efficient systems for repeat prescribing

Increase uptake of Electronic Repeat Dispensing

Support the PCN to deliver on QIPP agenda, QOF and locally commissioned enhanced services

Review and analyse prescribing data across the network using available tools producing reports and feedback for practices

Undertake, participate and share outcomes of clinical audits to facilitate improvement

Implement changes to medication that result from CAS/MHRA alerts, product withdrawal and other local/national guidance

Collaborating Working Relationships

Work collaboratively with the PCN team

Develop relationships and work closely with community, hospital and MMT pharmacy colleagues and the wider health system

Liaise with other stakeholders for the collective benefit of patients

Participate in practice meetings, patient participation groups and other meetings to improve engagement with the role of pharmacy technician

Practice Targets

Support practices in achieving QOF

To be aware of the prescribing budget and identify and action areas for cost improvement

Work with PCN team to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved

PCN responsibilities

Identify, report and/or process any issues of concern relating to safeguarding and quality of care arising from working with patients and referring onwards as appropriate.

Participate in the induction and training of new members of staff and contribute to PCN development.

Professional development

• Work with your line manager to undertake continual personal and professional development, taking an active part in reviewing and developing the roles and responsibilities.
• Adhere to organisational policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance, and health and safety.

Undertake the CPPE Primary Care Education Pathway

• Work with your line manager to access regular clinical supervision, to enable you to deal effectively with the difficult issues that people present.

Miscellaneous

• Work as part of the team to seek feedback, continually improve the service and contribute to business planning.
• Undertake any tasks consistent with the level of the post and the scope of the role, ensuring that work is delivered in a timely and effective manner.
• Duties may vary from time to time, without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibility

HBMA Privacy notice is available upon request.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• BTEC/NVQ3 Pharmacy services (or equivalent)
• Evidence of commitment to continuing professional development
• Experience working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician

Desirable

• Experience of working within primary care

Experience

Essential

• Experience working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician

Desirable

• Experience of working within primary care

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Understanding of prescribing and medicines management issues
• Awareness of GP budgets and funding systems.
• Good clinical pharmaceutical knowledge including terminology
• An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies to improve prescribing.
• Good interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills.
• Good communication skills, verbal and written, with ability to adjust communication style and content to suit the audience
• Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines .
• Ability to work in a busy environment and prioritise tasks effectively whilst also supporting others.
• Ability to accept guidance and constructive criticism.
• Works effectively independently and as part of a team.
• Demonstrates attention to detail, able to work accurately, identify errors quickly and easily.
• Demonstrates ability to
• self-motivate and use own
• initiative to achieve goals
• Adaptable and flexible
• Able to maintain confidentiality
• Willing and able to travel
• throughout the four practices
• within the PCN, as required
• (therefore, require a UK driving
• Licence and access to a vehicle)
• In date DBS check
• Good computer literacy
• Safeguarding Training
• Immunisation status

Desirable

• Relevant theoretical and practical knowledge of Primary Care Networks, General Practice and evidence-based medicine
• Awareness of systems to support the management of patients in a primary care setting, delivering pharmaceutical input and support the context of pathways of care
• Knowledge and understanding of pharmacy law and ethics and current legislation
• Able to analyse and interpret
• prescribing data
• An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies to improve prescribing
• Knowledge and understanding of pharmacy law and ethics and current legislation
• Able to analyse and interpret
• prescribing data
• Knowledge of GP systems
• (e.g. SystmOne)
• Basic life support

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

Hinckley And Bosworth Medical Alliance Ltd

Address

Heath Lane

Earl Shilton

Leicester

LE9 7PB

Employer's website

http://hbma-gpfederation.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)