Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a full time Band 5 (from £24,907 to £30,615) Primary Care Network Pharmacy Technician.
Pharmacy Technicians play an important role, complementing Clinical Pharmacists, Community Pharmacists and other members of the Primary Care Network (PCN) multi-disciplinary team (MDT). Pharmacy Technicians are different to Clinical Pharmacists as they are not able to prescribe or make clinical decisions, instead working under supervision to ensure effective and efficient use of medicines.
The Pharmacy Technician's core responsibilities will cover clinical, technical and administrative categories.
Main duties of the job
You should be able to:
- Undertake patient facing and patient supporting roles
- Carry out medicines optimisation tasks
- Support medication reviews and medicines reconciliation
- Provide specialist expertise, where competent
- Take a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols
- Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship
- Work with the PCN MDT to ensure efficient medicines optimisation
- Provide training / support on the legal, safe and secure handling of medicines
- Develop relationships and work with practice teams
- Support the implementation of national prescribing policies and guidance
- Undertake clinical audits, support quality improvement measures and contribute to the Quality and Outcomes Framework and enhanced services
- Assist in the delivery of medicines optimisation incentive schemes and patient safety audits
- Provide leadership for medicines management systems across PCNs
About us
Bolton GP Federation is Bolton's GP practices coming together to deliver Primary Care in a new way. Stronger through working together is our motto. As the world of health and social care changes around us, the Federation brings GP practices together to meet these new challenges.
We offer access to the NHS Pension Scheme.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Undertaking patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations with patients.
- Carrying 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.
- Supporting medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new care home patients and synchronising medicines for patient transfers between care settings linking with local community pharmacists, and referring to the pharmacist for structured medication reviews, as required.
- Providing 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.
- Taking a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols and liaising with the PCN pharmacists for more complex patients.
- Supporting initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.
- Working with the PCN multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation, including implementing efficient ordering and return processes and reducing wastage.
- Providing training and support on the legal, safe and secure handling of medicines, including the implementation of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS).
- Developing relationships with other pharmacy technicians, pharmacists and members of the multi-disciplinary team to support integration of the pharmacy team across health and social care including primary care, community pharmacy, secondary care and mental health.
- Working with practice teams in sorting and streaming general prescription requests, so as to allow GPs and clinical pharmacists to review the more clinically complex requests.
- The role will also require pharmacy technicians to 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 and enhanced services. In addition, pharmacy technicians will assist in the delivery of medicines optimisation incentive schemes (e.g. medicines switches) and patient safety audits.
- Pharmacy technicians will provide leadership for medicines management systems across PCNs, supporting practices with a range of services to get the best value from medicines by encouraging and implementing Electronic Prescriptions, safe repeat prescribing systems, and timely monitoring and management of high-risk medicines).
General:
- Ensure that all activities are monitored and evaluated.
- Attend internal meetings as required.
- Work in accordance with PCN policies, including the equal opportunities policy and practice.
- Attend any training courses and supervision sessions as required.
- Work with due regard to the Health and Safety Policy, ensuring that all practices and procedures are undertaken in accordance with issued guidelines.
- Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required from time to time.
Special working conditions:
- To be prepared to work flexibly, including evenings and weekends if required.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Undertaking patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations with patients.
- Carrying 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.
- Supporting medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new care home patients and synchronising medicines for patient transfers between care settings linking with local community pharmacists, and referring to the pharmacist for structured medication reviews, as required.
- Providing 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.
- Taking a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols and liaising with the PCN pharmacists for more complex patients.
- Supporting initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.
- Working with the PCN multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation, including implementing efficient ordering and return processes and reducing wastage.
- Providing training and support on the legal, safe and secure handling of medicines, including the implementation of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS).
- Developing relationships with other pharmacy technicians, pharmacists and members of the multi-disciplinary team to support integration of the pharmacy team across health and social care including primary care, community pharmacy, secondary care and mental health.
- Working with practice teams in sorting and streaming general prescription requests, so as to allow GPs and clinical pharmacists to review the more clinically complex requests.
- The role will also require pharmacy technicians to 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 and enhanced services. In addition, pharmacy technicians will assist in the delivery of medicines optimisation incentive schemes (e.g. medicines switches) and patient safety audits.
- Pharmacy technicians will provide leadership for medicines management systems across PCNs, supporting practices with a range of services to get the best value from medicines by encouraging and implementing Electronic Prescriptions, safe repeat prescribing systems, and timely monitoring and management of high-risk medicines).
General:
- Ensure that all activities are monitored and evaluated.
- Attend internal meetings as required.
- Work in accordance with PCN policies, including the equal opportunities policy and practice.
- Attend any training courses and supervision sessions as required.
- Work with due regard to the Health and Safety Policy, ensuring that all practices and procedures are undertaken in accordance with issued guidelines.
- Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required from time to time.
Special working conditions:
- To be prepared to work flexibly, including evenings and weekends if required.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- BTEC / NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmacy services
Desirable
- Pharmacy Clinical Services Professional diploma (BTEC level 4) or other relevant qualifications
Experience
Essential
- Good clinical pharmacy knowledge including terminology. Knowledge and understanding of pharmacy law and ethics and current legislation. An appreciation of the nature of GPs and general practices. An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing. Knowledge of the principles of medicines optimisation.
Desirable
- Minimum of 5 years post-qualification experience.
Attributes and Behaviour
Essential
- Self-motivated, enthusiastic. Adaptable, innovative and forward looking. Trustworthy, reliable and shows steadiness in approach to work. Full driving licence.
Skills
Essential
- Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to a variety of audiences (e.g. patients). Good IT skills. Able to obtain and analyse technical information. Recognises priorities when problem solving and identifies deviations from the normal pattern and is able to refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate. Able to work under pressure and to meet deadlines. Produce timely and informative reports. Ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness and common sense. Work effectively independently and as a team member and determine own workload priorities. Demonstrates diplomacy, professionalism and accountability.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- BTEC / NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmacy services
Desirable
- Pharmacy Clinical Services Professional diploma (BTEC level 4) or other relevant qualifications
Experience
Essential
- Good clinical pharmacy knowledge including terminology. Knowledge and understanding of pharmacy law and ethics and current legislation. An appreciation of the nature of GPs and general practices. An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing. Knowledge of the principles of medicines optimisation.
Desirable
- Minimum of 5 years post-qualification experience.
Attributes and Behaviour
Essential
- Self-motivated, enthusiastic. Adaptable, innovative and forward looking. Trustworthy, reliable and shows steadiness in approach to work. Full driving licence.
Skills
Essential
- Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to a variety of audiences (e.g. patients). Good IT skills. Able to obtain and analyse technical information. Recognises priorities when problem solving and identifies deviations from the normal pattern and is able to refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate. Able to work under pressure and to meet deadlines. Produce timely and informative reports. Ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness and common sense. Work effectively independently and as a team member and determine own workload priorities. Demonstrates diplomacy, professionalism and accountability.
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
