Pharmacy Technician Orpington PCN

Job responsibilities

Job Description

POST TITLE: Pharmacy Technician

RESPONSIBLE TO: Senior Clinical Pharmacist

HOURS: 37.5 hours per week

RATE OF PAY: Depending on Experience

The Primary Care Networks in Bromley are looking for self-motivated, forward thinking, Pharmacy Technicians to join them at this exciting time in the delivery of patient services in Primary Care.

The Pharmacy Technician will provide technical and administrative support to the clinical pharmacists and the PCN team.

The pharmacy technician will support the PCN and practice clinical team with queries around medication from all patients.

The pharmacy technician will complete audits around patient safety in the prescribing of medication and present the information for sharing with the clinical team.

Ensure new and established prescribing incentives are implemented and supported throughout the member PCN practice teams and to demonstrate effective cost minimisation strategies against Prescribing budgets under the guidance of the Clinical Prescribing leads.

Main Responsibilities:

• Assist patients with medication queries

• Review clinical correspondence and update patients' medical records with pertinent medication changes

• Promote medicine management efficiencies (i.e. Electronic Repeat Dispensing)

• Process MHRA medication alerts

• Training Care Home staff in the safe handling and administration of medicines

• Supporting practices with EPS processes and eRD

• Undertaking medication history and reconciliation with patients

• Supporting delivery of safe prescribing and medicines optimisation across the PCN

• Working collaboratively with stakeholders for ongoing training and development

• To support the clinical pharmacist as the PCN point of contact for all medicines related matters

• To process repeat medication requests, including the conversion of acute requests to repeat medicines, changing quantities of medicines

• To issue prescriptions in line with agreed clinical protocols and within your competency

• To encourage cost-effective prescribing throughout the PCN

• To undertake medicines reconciliation post discharge and on other transfers of care

• To update and maintain accurate and timely patient medication records on each practice clinical system, including advice given and action taken

• To liaise with secondary and primary care colleagues to ensure correct medicines are continued following the transfer of care

• To monitor practice adherence to the prescribing policy

• Undertake and participate in medication history taking and refer any discrepancies to the community pharmacist or PCN Pharmacist as necessary

• Assessing usage of patient medication, updating clinical systems appropriately and returning patients own drugs to pharmacy as necessary.

• Undertake domiciliary visits and medication reviews with the support of clinical pharmacist.

• To support virtual and remote models of consultation and support including e-consultations, telehealth and telemedicine

• Counsel patients and carers on the appropriate use of their medications. To advise patients and other healthcare professionals on the safe and effective use of medicines, adjusting the level of advice as appropriate to overcome barriers to understanding, referring to the pharmacist where appropriate.

• Actively assist in the organisation of discharge medication including liaising with local community pharmacies for continuation of compliance aids where appropriate.

• Liaising closely with the hospital pharmacists or discharging wards.

• Liaising closely with other health and social care practitioners across care settings regarding any interface issues affecting patients including GPs, Community Pharmacies and District Nurses.

• Promote patient independence and well-being using social prescribing referral

• To assess patients ability to self-administer and monitor patients who are self-administering their medications.

  Facilitate resolution of medicines supply problems when requested.

• To liaise with practices and implement and embed a robust repeat prescribing system for use across all practices

• To support the clinical pharmacists in improving the quality and effectiveness of prescribing through clinical audit and education to improve performance against NICE standards, and clinical and prescribing guidance

• To support the clinical pharmacists in producing a prescribing newsletter or bulletin on a quarterly basis

• To ensure appropriate supervision of safe storage, rotation and disposal of vaccines and drugs

• To apply infection-control measures within the practice according to local and national guidelines

• To identify and be proactive in your training needs and development and as agreed with the Senior Clinical Pharmacists.

• To support in the delivery of enhanced services and other service requirements on behalf of the PCN

• To participate in the management of patient complaints when requested to do so and participate in the identification of any necessary learning brought about through incidents and near-miss events

• To actively signpost patients to the correct healthcare professional

• To contribute to public health campaigns (e.g. flu clinics) through advice or direct care

• Support delivery of QOF, incentive schemes, QIPP and other quality or cost effectiveness initiatives

Functional Relationship with

Internal Clinical Pharmacists, GPs, Practice Manager, and other clinical and administrative staff

External District Nurses, patients and relatives, CCG colleagues, community pharmacists; hospital pharmacists, clinicians and discharge co-ordinators,; local authority/social care

Training Requirements:

• NVQ level 3 in Pharmacy Services or equivalent

• Or BTEC in pharmaceutical science or equivalent

• Recognised, current accreditation on medicines management skills

• Holds recognised, current accreditation on medicines reconciliation and medicines related patient consultation skills

• Current registration with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

PCN Support

• The Pharmacy Technician will require a named clinical lead and point of contact at each practice within the network.

• Induction across all PCN practices updating on practice identified needs and the area of support required within each practice

Equality and Diversity

Recognising the rights of patients, carers, relatives and colleagues and respecting their needs, beliefs, privacy and dignity.

Not discriminating against patients, carers, relatives or colleagues on the grounds of any of the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010 (or its amendments or later legislation).

Respecting the rights of patients to accept or refuse treatment or a care provider.

Personal/Professional Development

• Participate in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development

• Participate in any training programme implemented by the Senior Clinical Pharmacist

• Continuing Professional Development in line with Personal Development Plan

Confidentiality

Confidentiality in relation to patient data must be maintained at all times. In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with or allow us to gather sensitive information relating to their health or other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately.

In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post holder may have access to information relating to patients and/or their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. The post holder may also have access to information relating to the Practice. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.

Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the Practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with Practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Health & Safety:

The post holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Practices Health and Safety policy, including use of personal security systems within the workplace, according to Practice guidelines, identifying risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in such a way as to manage those risks, making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, using appropriate infection control procedures and maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards and reporting potential risks when identified.

DBS Disclosure

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. You must therefore disclose all spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings. If you are offered the post we will need to obtain a satisfactory DBS disclosure for you

The main duties and responsibilities shown above are not exhaustive but should merely be regarded as a guide. The post-holder will be expected to conduct any reasonable activities according to the business needs at that time. These will be subject to periodic review and may be amended to meet the challenging needs of the business. The post-holder will be expected to participate in this process and the company would aim to reach agreement to changes.

Knowledge

Essential

• Experience of working in multi-disciplinary teams
• Proven clinical pharmacy knowledge and evidence of commitment to continuing education
• Understanding of primary and secondary care interface
• Understanding of current medicines management issues
• Knowledge of the changing NHS environment and structures

Desirable

• Experience of working in primary care

Qualifications

Essential

• NVQ level 3 in Pharmacy Services or equivalent
• Or BTEC in pharmaceutical science or equivalent
• Recognised, current accreditation on medicines management skills
• Holds recognised, current accreditation on medicines reconciliation and medicines related patient consultation skills
• Current registration with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

Experience

Essential

• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent organisational skill
• Excellent time management
• Good numeracy and analytical skills
• Confident and assertive in liaising with other professionals
• Ability to use initiative
• Self-motivated
• Good presentation skills
• Ability to work independently or as part of a team
• Good computer skills including working knowledge of Microsoft office
• Current driving licence and access to own transport

Desirable

• Knowledge of GP computer systems especially EMIS

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal skills particularly with prescribers, older people and carers
• Ability to deal with difficult issues/situations with diplomacy and sensitivity
• Ability to work on own initiative, able to plan, prioritise, make decisions and meet deadlines
• Ability to work well in a team

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).