Job summary
We are looking to recruit enthusiastic and self-motivated pharmacy technicians to join the Mersey Care Medicines Management Team. The Medicines Management service has been restructured and is working under a newly established senior management team which is fully committed to delivering outstanding pharmacy services and invest in the professional development of the pharmacy workforce.
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust is commissioned to provide Medicines management support to community physical health services in Liverpool and Knowsley as well as inpatient physical health, community mental health and inpatient mental health services. This post is working within the community physical health division in Liverpool. The Medicines Management Team within Mersey Care is looking for enthusiastic patient focused technicians to join our friendly and experienced team of pharmacists and technicians working within GP practices and care homes in Liverpool. You will work with our existing, well-established team who will provide management support, training and supervision. We are keen to develop our team with current staff completing clinical diplomas, CPPE - Primary care education pathway and non-medical prescribing when opportunities arise.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be an experienced Pharmacy Technician working independently to support evidence-based cost effective and safe prescribing of medicines via an agreed workplan in GP practices across a named locality/Primary Care Network (PCN).
The post holder will be accountable to the Senior Project Lead Technician - Primary Care Prescribing Support and the pharmacist team leader for the locality/PCN for the delivery of the medicines management technical work plan across a named community locality/Primary Care Network (PCN). The post holder will be expected to work flexibly to deliver the technical workplan as part of a team working within GP practices with the aim of reducing risks to patients and promoting effective high quality and cost-effective prescribing. This post is part of the Physical Health pharmacy team and the standard working hours are Monday - Friday, 7.5hours per day. There is no requirement to cover dispensary work or participate in on-call rotas. The role will involve regular travel across multiple sites within Liverpool Place.
About us
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 11 million people.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide.
Our ambition is to deliver perfect care to become the world's leading organisation in holistic health and well being.
Mersey Care's vision and values of Continuous Improvement, Accountability, Respect, Enthusiasm and Support (CARES) drive our organisation and the way we work together to deliver services. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate, during recruitment and any subsequent employment with the Trust, that their behaviour supports our values.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The core function of this role is to provide services to GP practices in Liverpool Place as follows:
- Plan and deliver own workload to meet activity levels and deadlines.
- Undertake a broad range of audits on clinical care, prescribing and repeat prescribing systems in GP practices
- Support evidence-based, cost effective and safe prescribing of medicines through delivering an agreed workplan
- Promote medicines safety, including monitoring of high-risk medication & advising clinicians on robust systems to ensure safe prescribing and monitoring is in place
- Undertake timely medicines reconciliation following transfer between care settings
- Work within standard operating procedures and Medicines Management protocols for identified projects/audits.
- Undertake audit and analysis of prescribing activity data to provide assurance for prescribing practices against national/local guidance and safety alerts
- Educate patients and carers in the use of medication and recommend appropriate support to address non-concordance.
- Deliver training to a variety of health and social care professionals on principles of safe and robust repeat prescribing processes, medicines optimisation and record keeping.
- Support the Place Based Prescribing Lead in managing the Medicines Budget, through promoting cost-effective prescribing, to maximise resources.
The service also underpins medicines safety and evidence based practice within the Trust by supporting community services e.g. safeguarding in care homes, policy and PGD development and non-medical prescribing oversight.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The core function of this role is to provide services to GP practices in Liverpool Place as follows:
- Plan and deliver own workload to meet activity levels and deadlines.
- Undertake a broad range of audits on clinical care, prescribing and repeat prescribing systems in GP practices
- Support evidence-based, cost effective and safe prescribing of medicines through delivering an agreed workplan
- Promote medicines safety, including monitoring of high-risk medication & advising clinicians on robust systems to ensure safe prescribing and monitoring is in place
- Undertake timely medicines reconciliation following transfer between care settings
- Work within standard operating procedures and Medicines Management protocols for identified projects/audits.
- Undertake audit and analysis of prescribing activity data to provide assurance for prescribing practices against national/local guidance and safety alerts
- Educate patients and carers in the use of medication and recommend appropriate support to address non-concordance.
- Deliver training to a variety of health and social care professionals on principles of safe and robust repeat prescribing processes, medicines optimisation and record keeping.
- Support the Place Based Prescribing Lead in managing the Medicines Budget, through promoting cost-effective prescribing, to maximise resources.
The service also underpins medicines safety and evidence based practice within the Trust by supporting community services e.g. safeguarding in care homes, policy and PGD development and non-medical prescribing oversight.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- BTEC level 3 in pharmaceutical science (or equivalent qualification) or NVQ level 3 in pharmacy service skills, (or equivalent qualification)
- Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
- Requirement to be working towards level 4 BTEC Diploma or willingness to work towards post-registration qualification such as Level 4 BTEC Diploma in Pharmacy Clinical Services (2 years), or the post registration CPPE Primary care pharmacy education pathway (18 months)
Desirable
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Significant post registration experience of working within pharmaceutical service
- Experience of multi-disciplinary team working
- Clear understanding of relevant legislation and guidance
- Demonstrable evidence of commitment to self-development and CPD
- Knowledge of medicines management services within primary care
- Demonstrable experience in medicines audits
Desirable
- Experience of working within an NHS organisation
- Able to demonstrate an understanding of longterm conditions
- Knowledge of GP Prescribing systems & ePACT
Values
Essential
- Continuous Improvement
- Accountability
- Respectfulness
- Enthusiasm
- Support
- High professional standards
- Responsive to service users
- Engaging leadership style
- Strong customer service belief
- Transparency and honesty
- Discreet
- Change oriented
Skills
Essential
- Excellent organisational skills
- Good IT skills
- Excellent communication skills: - written - verbal - listening
- Ability to communicate complex or sensitive information with patients/carers, who may have communication difficulties
- Evidence of influencing skills in practice to improve quality / safety of medicines
- Ability to work both independently and as a team player
- Ability to work in a methodical way and produce accurate work
- Ability to analyse data
- Ability to work flexibly
- Ability to work under pressure
- Ability to prioritise workload and manage time effectively to meet specified deadlines
- Self-motivated and able to use initiative
- Problem-solving skills
- Ability to adapt to changing environments, needs and demands
- Recognition of own limitations and ability to ask for support when necessary
- Professional manner
- Keyboard skills
- Ability to travel between different sites
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- BTEC level 3 in pharmaceutical science (or equivalent qualification) or NVQ level 3 in pharmacy service skills, (or equivalent qualification)
- Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
- Requirement to be working towards level 4 BTEC Diploma or willingness to work towards post-registration qualification such as Level 4 BTEC Diploma in Pharmacy Clinical Services (2 years), or the post registration CPPE Primary care pharmacy education pathway (18 months)
Desirable
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Significant post registration experience of working within pharmaceutical service
- Experience of multi-disciplinary team working
- Clear understanding of relevant legislation and guidance
- Demonstrable evidence of commitment to self-development and CPD
- Knowledge of medicines management services within primary care
- Demonstrable experience in medicines audits
Desirable
- Experience of working within an NHS organisation
- Able to demonstrate an understanding of longterm conditions
- Knowledge of GP Prescribing systems & ePACT
Values
Essential
- Continuous Improvement
- Accountability
- Respectfulness
- Enthusiasm
- Support
- High professional standards
- Responsive to service users
- Engaging leadership style
- Strong customer service belief
- Transparency and honesty
- Discreet
- Change oriented
Skills
Essential
- Excellent organisational skills
- Good IT skills
- Excellent communication skills: - written - verbal - listening
- Ability to communicate complex or sensitive information with patients/carers, who may have communication difficulties
- Evidence of influencing skills in practice to improve quality / safety of medicines
- Ability to work both independently and as a team player
- Ability to work in a methodical way and produce accurate work
- Ability to analyse data
- Ability to work flexibly
- Ability to work under pressure
- Ability to prioritise workload and manage time effectively to meet specified deadlines
- Self-motivated and able to use initiative
- Problem-solving skills
- Ability to adapt to changing environments, needs and demands
- Recognition of own limitations and ability to ask for support when necessary
- Professional manner
- Keyboard skills
- Ability to travel between different sites
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).
