Job summary
We are looking for enthusiastic and capable individuals who can provide support in the delivery of the medicines optimisation service provided to a group of GP practices across Stockport. As a Medicines Co-ordinator you will support our service in delivering good quality Medicines Optimisation and cost effective quality prescribing to patients.
- We have both a full time (37.5 hours), permanent vacancy; and a part time (22.5 hours), fixed term vacancy until March 2025.
Applicants must meet the essential criteria in the person specification. They should also have good written and verbal communication skills, be well organised and able to work effectively alone and as part of a team. Experience in a Primary Care setting is desirable.
Main duties of the job
To provide administrative support to the Stockport
Integrated Pharmacy Service (SIPS) team in order to deliver the agreed activity
required to meet the current service specification.
To consistently deliver a client-focused and
patient centred service which promotes good working relationships.
To take a supporting role in reviewing,
improving and implementing the practice repeat prescribing policies and
processes.
Help to ensure practice staff are aware of the
correct procedures to run a safe, efficient, cost effective, but patient
friendly repeat prescription system.
About us
Viaduct Care CIC is the company structure for Stockport's GP Federation and represents all of its local GP Practices. Covering a patient population of circa 300,000 practices are split into 6 Primary Care Networks (PCNs) with each serving a population of around 30,000-50,000 patients.
Viaduct Care represents the collective voice and interests of its member practices and as a key stakeholder in Stockport Together aims to influence and support the design and delivery of major service and system changes by being a strong and effective partner with other major service providers.
One of our priorities at Viaduct Care is to ensure that wellbeing and development of our team is at the forefront of everything we do. We have recently launched our new employee assistance programme, assisting our team to get access to a range of advice 24 hours a day. Additionally, we are keen to provide opportunities for team members to develop and grow including access to an extensive range of training and up to five paid study days per year.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities
- Reduce waste, minimise risk and improve the repeat prescribing administrative process in practices through a number of mechanisms including review of repeat prescription requests. The post holder will liaise with patients, other members of the SIPS team and Pharmacies to support this.
- Review repeat prescriptions to identify opportunities to reduce waste, increase safety and make financial savings.
- Improve prescription security by introducing best practice guidelines. Making recommendations for changes to processes within practices and supporting the implementation of changes.
- Participate in audit on a regular basis, including performing searches and administrative tasks to support the SIPs team in safely completing prescribing changes and in ensuring appropriate monitoring for patients.
- Maintain comprehensive and accurate records of work undertaken for the SIPs activities including collecting and submitting monthly reports to monitor improvements in line with the service specification and organisation’s needs.
- Safely implement authorised changes promptly on clinical systems to maximise financial savings.
- Manage time effectively to ensure designated practices are supported appropriately, this may involve working in multiple practices each week or working from home.
- Communicating at a range of levels handling questions, comments and suggestions from clinicians, managers, staff and patients. These must be dealt with appropriately and in a timely manner, escalating to line manager or pharmacist when necessary. This may also involve dealing with patients who are unhappy with changes and sensitivity will be required
- Support the induction and training of new and inexperienced practice based medicines coordinators and other non-clinical staff members.
The programme of work will be supervised by the Medicines Coordinator’s Line manager and the PCN Lead Pharmacist.
Confidentiality and Compliance with the Data Protection Act 1984
- The post holder must maintain confidentiality regarding information about patients, staff and other Viaduct Care business in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1984 and Viaduct CIC policies
- All employees of Viaduct Care must not, without prior permission, disclose any information regarding patients or staff. In circumstances where it is known that a member of staff has communicated information to an unauthorised person, those staff will be liable to dismissal. Moreover, the Data Protection Act 1984 also renders an individual liable to prosecution in the event of unauthorised disclosure of information
Health and Safety
- All employees must be aware of the responsibilities placed on them under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure that the agreed safety procedures are carried out to maintain a safe working environment for themselves, patients, visitors and employees
- Review and ensure systems are in place for the proactive management of risk registers
- In order to work within the Clinical Governance framework, which includes Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) Standards accreditation, all staff must be fully competent and trained to undertake allocated tasks.
- To practice competently, staff must possess the knowledge, skills and abilities required for lawful, safe and effective practice without direct supervision. Staff must acknowledge the limits of professional competence and only undertake practice and accept responsibilities for those activities in which they are competent. This includes the use of medical equipment.
- Individuals have a personal responsibility to minimise spread of infection. All staff must comply with the policies on infection, prevention and control and maintain own competency to effectively discharge responsibilities. It is the responsibility of the individual to highlight deficiencies to the attention of an appropriate manager.
Infection Control
- All employees of Viaduct Care are required to contribute to the management of infection control and be proactive in awareness raising and prevention
- Ensure that all guidelines, protocols and procedures undertaken within the service are in line with evidence based practice for infection control and are personally adhered to.
Safeguarding
- All employees of Viaduct Care have a responsibility to protect and safeguard vulnerable people (children and adults). They must be aware of child and adult safeguarding procedures and must speak to the Safeguarding Lead in the first instance for further advice. All employees are required to attend safeguarding awareness training and to undertake additional training appropriate to their role
Equality and Diversity
- Employees should promote diversity and equality of opportunity within Viaduct Care
- Build a culture where everyone is valued and equipped to do their job
- All employees must carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with Viaduct Care’s Equality, Diversity and Human Rights policies, avoiding unlawful discriminatory behaviour and actions when dealing with colleagues, service users, members of the public and other stakeholders
Sustainability
- All employees of Viaduct Care have a responsibility for working in a low carbon environment, where energy is used wisely and not wasted. Environmental impact should be reduced by recycling where possible, switching off lights, computers, monitors and equipment when not in use, minimising water usage and reporting faults promptly.
Other Duties
To undertake any other duties as allocated by line management, commensurate with grade.
This job description aims to illustrate the range and nature of responsibilities held by the post holder. The list of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive and the post holder is expected to be flexible in their approach. The duties associated with the post will inevitably vary and develop and therefore the role will be reviewed on a regular basis and changes made in consultation with the post-holder.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities
- Reduce waste, minimise risk and improve the repeat prescribing administrative process in practices through a number of mechanisms including review of repeat prescription requests. The post holder will liaise with patients, other members of the SIPS team and Pharmacies to support this.
- Review repeat prescriptions to identify opportunities to reduce waste, increase safety and make financial savings.
- Improve prescription security by introducing best practice guidelines. Making recommendations for changes to processes within practices and supporting the implementation of changes.
- Participate in audit on a regular basis, including performing searches and administrative tasks to support the SIPs team in safely completing prescribing changes and in ensuring appropriate monitoring for patients.
- Maintain comprehensive and accurate records of work undertaken for the SIPs activities including collecting and submitting monthly reports to monitor improvements in line with the service specification and organisation’s needs.
- Safely implement authorised changes promptly on clinical systems to maximise financial savings.
- Manage time effectively to ensure designated practices are supported appropriately, this may involve working in multiple practices each week or working from home.
- Communicating at a range of levels handling questions, comments and suggestions from clinicians, managers, staff and patients. These must be dealt with appropriately and in a timely manner, escalating to line manager or pharmacist when necessary. This may also involve dealing with patients who are unhappy with changes and sensitivity will be required
- Support the induction and training of new and inexperienced practice based medicines coordinators and other non-clinical staff members.
The programme of work will be supervised by the Medicines Coordinator’s Line manager and the PCN Lead Pharmacist.
Confidentiality and Compliance with the Data Protection Act 1984
- The post holder must maintain confidentiality regarding information about patients, staff and other Viaduct Care business in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1984 and Viaduct CIC policies
- All employees of Viaduct Care must not, without prior permission, disclose any information regarding patients or staff. In circumstances where it is known that a member of staff has communicated information to an unauthorised person, those staff will be liable to dismissal. Moreover, the Data Protection Act 1984 also renders an individual liable to prosecution in the event of unauthorised disclosure of information
Health and Safety
- All employees must be aware of the responsibilities placed on them under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure that the agreed safety procedures are carried out to maintain a safe working environment for themselves, patients, visitors and employees
- Review and ensure systems are in place for the proactive management of risk registers
- In order to work within the Clinical Governance framework, which includes Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) Standards accreditation, all staff must be fully competent and trained to undertake allocated tasks.
- To practice competently, staff must possess the knowledge, skills and abilities required for lawful, safe and effective practice without direct supervision. Staff must acknowledge the limits of professional competence and only undertake practice and accept responsibilities for those activities in which they are competent. This includes the use of medical equipment.
- Individuals have a personal responsibility to minimise spread of infection. All staff must comply with the policies on infection, prevention and control and maintain own competency to effectively discharge responsibilities. It is the responsibility of the individual to highlight deficiencies to the attention of an appropriate manager.
Infection Control
- All employees of Viaduct Care are required to contribute to the management of infection control and be proactive in awareness raising and prevention
- Ensure that all guidelines, protocols and procedures undertaken within the service are in line with evidence based practice for infection control and are personally adhered to.
Safeguarding
- All employees of Viaduct Care have a responsibility to protect and safeguard vulnerable people (children and adults). They must be aware of child and adult safeguarding procedures and must speak to the Safeguarding Lead in the first instance for further advice. All employees are required to attend safeguarding awareness training and to undertake additional training appropriate to their role
Equality and Diversity
- Employees should promote diversity and equality of opportunity within Viaduct Care
- Build a culture where everyone is valued and equipped to do their job
- All employees must carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with Viaduct Care’s Equality, Diversity and Human Rights policies, avoiding unlawful discriminatory behaviour and actions when dealing with colleagues, service users, members of the public and other stakeholders
Sustainability
- All employees of Viaduct Care have a responsibility for working in a low carbon environment, where energy is used wisely and not wasted. Environmental impact should be reduced by recycling where possible, switching off lights, computers, monitors and equipment when not in use, minimising water usage and reporting faults promptly.
Other Duties
To undertake any other duties as allocated by line management, commensurate with grade.
This job description aims to illustrate the range and nature of responsibilities held by the post holder. The list of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive and the post holder is expected to be flexible in their approach. The duties associated with the post will inevitably vary and develop and therefore the role will be reviewed on a regular basis and changes made in consultation with the post-holder.
Person Specification
Other
Essential
- Understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.
- An ability to maintain confidentiality and trust.
- Good time keeping.
- Flexible approach to work.
Qualifications
Essential
- A standard level of education to GCSE level or equivalent.
Experience
Essential
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office including Word and Excel.
- Understanding of Data Protection legislation and information governance.
Desirable
- Experience of working in an administrative environment and working with general practice computer systems.
- Knowledge of NHS issues.
- Familiarity with drug names and terminology.
- Participation in Audit.
Communication Skills
Essential
- Clear communicator with good writing, data entry and telephone skills.
- Ability to work effectively as part of a team and speak to clinicians & patients at an appropriate level.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Good written & verbal communication.
- Good IT skills and able to use Microsoft Office software packages.
- Read and apply national directives.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to motivate and inspire.
- Self motivated.
Autonomy
Essential
- Able to work on own initiative within the set parameters, organising and prioritising own workload to set deadlines.
- Able to work alone within an agreed framework whilst unsupervised, within defined policies and procedures to set timescales.
Person Specification
Other
Essential
- Understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.
- An ability to maintain confidentiality and trust.
- Good time keeping.
- Flexible approach to work.
Qualifications
Essential
- A standard level of education to GCSE level or equivalent.
Experience
Essential
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office including Word and Excel.
- Understanding of Data Protection legislation and information governance.
Desirable
- Experience of working in an administrative environment and working with general practice computer systems.
- Knowledge of NHS issues.
- Familiarity with drug names and terminology.
- Participation in Audit.
Communication Skills
Essential
- Clear communicator with good writing, data entry and telephone skills.
- Ability to work effectively as part of a team and speak to clinicians & patients at an appropriate level.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Good written & verbal communication.
- Good IT skills and able to use Microsoft Office software packages.
- Read and apply national directives.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to motivate and inspire.
- Self motivated.
Autonomy
Essential
- Able to work on own initiative within the set parameters, organising and prioritising own workload to set deadlines.
- Able to work alone within an agreed framework whilst unsupervised, within defined policies and procedures to set timescales.
