Pharmacy Technician

Primary Integrated Community Services

Information:

This job is now closed

Job summary

Primary Care Networks (PCN) are partnerships between local general practices to help with integration of primary care with secondary and community services. We are recruiting a Pharmacy Technician on behalf of Arrow Health PCN covering: Westdale Lane Surgery, Daybrook Medical Practice, The Ivy Medical Group, Peacock Healthcare, Plains View Surgery and Unity Surgery.

At PICS, patient safety is at the core of everything we do and we recognise the importance of the support provided by Pharmacy Technicians in improving best practice to maximise safe and cost effective prescribing. Our Senior Pharmacy staff will support you to fulfil the requirements of the role and you will have access to the CPPE pathway in order to develop your skills. We are committed to further the development of Pharmacy Technicians within Primary Care.

You will be part of a wider team of Pharmacy staff and supported by our Clinical Lead who is on the PICS leadership team.

Main duties of the job

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Be responsible for encouraging the development of better understanding of the principles of medicines optimisation throughout the practice teams and promoting good practice in line with therapeutic developments.
  • Undertake patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations with patients.
  • Be a key player in the multi-disciplinary PCN team.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

  • General Pharmaceutical Council professional registration
  • Good clinical knowledge (including terminology) and knowledge and understanding of pharmacy law, ethics and current legislation
  • Evidence of continued professional development

About us

Benefits of working for PICS

We offer a comprehensive package which includes:

  • Access to the CPPE Pathway which will give you the opportunity to develop within your career

  • Part of a team of experienced practitioners and supported by a Senior Clinical Pharmacist who will help support your professional development
  • Part of the NHS Pension Scheme or an alternative government based scheme (based on eligibility) with generous employer contributions
  • Competitive salaries with clear progression pathways referenced to NHS Agenda for Change
  • Fully integrated with NHS IT systems
  • Generous annual leave entitlement which references NHS Agenda for Change and recognises previous NHS service
  • Competitive leave entitlement that includes sickness pay and maternity leave
  • Join a caring culture and a company of can do experts
  • Access to NHS Discounts

Date posted

23 April 2021

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£24,907 to £30,615 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

E0220-21-2718

Job locations

Unit H4 Ash Tree Court

Nottingham Business Park

Nottingham

Nottinghamshire

NG8 6PY


Plains View Surgery

55 Plains Road

Nottingham

NG3 5LB


Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY:

Clinical Pharmacy in General Practice is part of an exciting programme of transformation to develop a new model of care which addresses our ambition to deliver person-centred, coordinated care across the district. The Clinical Pharmacy in General Practice model is supported by the direction of national policy including the Five Year Forward View and GP Forward View where there is a need to better utilise the role of pharmacy within primary care to pro-actively help patients stay safe and well and out of hospital as well as helping to reduce the demands on general practice.

Pharmacy Technicians play an important role, complementing Clinical Pharmacists, Community Pharmacists and other members of the PCN multi-disciplinary team. 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.

Pharmacy Technicians core role responsibilities will cover clinical, and technical and administrative categories.

The purpose of the role is to lead improvements to maximise safe, cost effective best practice in prescribing to improve the quality of patient care. The post holder will help patients to get the best from their medicines by switching medications to agreed and approved protocols, improving repeat prescribing processes in General Practice, including promotion of repeat dispensing and online ordering, minimising clinical risk and aiming to reduce wasted medicines.

In addition, the post holder will be responsible for encouraging the development of better understanding of the principles of medicines optimisation throughout the practice teams and promoting good practice in line with therapeutic developments. This will involve assisting the PCN in achieving national requirements, NICE implementation and utilisation of medicines optimisation initiatives.

SPECIFIC DUTIES

CLINICAL:

  • Undertake patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations with patients.
  • Carry 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.
  • As determined by the PCN, support medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new care home patients and synchronising medicines for patient transfers between care settings, linking with local community pharmacies.
  • Support the Clinical Pharmacist in Structure Medication Reviews (SMR) i.e. organise necessary monitoring tests prior to SMR.
  • Provide expertise to address both the public health and social care needs of patients, including lifestyle advice, service information, and help in tackling local health inequalities.
  • Manage shared care protocols and liaise with Clinical Pharmacists for more complex patients.
  • Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing locally.

TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATION:

  • Support the PCN multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation processes are being followed.
  • Implement efficient ordering and return processes and reducing medication wastage.
  • Provide training and support on the legal, safe and secure handling of medicines, including the implementation of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS).
  • Promotion of Electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD) and online ordering.
  • Develop relationships with other pharmacy professionals and members of the multi-disciplinary team to support integration across health and social care including primary care, community pharmacy, secondary care and mental health.
  • Support practice reception teams in streaming general prescription requests, so as to allow GPs and clinical pharmacists to review the more clinically complex requests.
  • Support the implementation of national prescribing policies and guidance within GP practices, care homes and other primary care settings.
  • Support the PCN to deliver on QIPP agenda, QOF and locally commissioned enhanced services.
  • Support the PCN in reviewing and developing practice policies for CQC requirements

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY:

Clinical Pharmacy in General Practice is part of an exciting programme of transformation to develop a new model of care which addresses our ambition to deliver person-centred, coordinated care across the district. The Clinical Pharmacy in General Practice model is supported by the direction of national policy including the Five Year Forward View and GP Forward View where there is a need to better utilise the role of pharmacy within primary care to pro-actively help patients stay safe and well and out of hospital as well as helping to reduce the demands on general practice.

Pharmacy Technicians play an important role, complementing Clinical Pharmacists, Community Pharmacists and other members of the PCN multi-disciplinary team. 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.

Pharmacy Technicians core role responsibilities will cover clinical, and technical and administrative categories.

The purpose of the role is to lead improvements to maximise safe, cost effective best practice in prescribing to improve the quality of patient care. The post holder will help patients to get the best from their medicines by switching medications to agreed and approved protocols, improving repeat prescribing processes in General Practice, including promotion of repeat dispensing and online ordering, minimising clinical risk and aiming to reduce wasted medicines.

In addition, the post holder will be responsible for encouraging the development of better understanding of the principles of medicines optimisation throughout the practice teams and promoting good practice in line with therapeutic developments. This will involve assisting the PCN in achieving national requirements, NICE implementation and utilisation of medicines optimisation initiatives.

SPECIFIC DUTIES

CLINICAL:

  • Undertake patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations with patients.
  • Carry 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.
  • As determined by the PCN, support medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new care home patients and synchronising medicines for patient transfers between care settings, linking with local community pharmacies.
  • Support the Clinical Pharmacist in Structure Medication Reviews (SMR) i.e. organise necessary monitoring tests prior to SMR.
  • Provide expertise to address both the public health and social care needs of patients, including lifestyle advice, service information, and help in tackling local health inequalities.
  • Manage shared care protocols and liaise with Clinical Pharmacists for more complex patients.
  • Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing locally.

TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATION:

  • Support the PCN multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation processes are being followed.
  • Implement efficient ordering and return processes and reducing medication wastage.
  • Provide training and support on the legal, safe and secure handling of medicines, including the implementation of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS).
  • Promotion of Electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD) and online ordering.
  • Develop relationships with other pharmacy professionals and members of the multi-disciplinary team to support integration across health and social care including primary care, community pharmacy, secondary care and mental health.
  • Support practice reception teams in streaming general prescription requests, so as to allow GPs and clinical pharmacists to review the more clinically complex requests.
  • Support the implementation of national prescribing policies and guidance within GP practices, care homes and other primary care settings.
  • Support the PCN to deliver on QIPP agenda, QOF and locally commissioned enhanced services.
  • Support the PCN in reviewing and developing practice policies for CQC requirements

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrate ability to influence and persuade partners and stakeholders of the respective merits of different options, innovations new opportunities and challenges Evidence of continued professional development

Desirable

  • Experience of working as a qualified registered pharmacy technician in primary care community or hospital Experience of working in primary care

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

  • Awareness of systems to support management of patients in a primary care setting, delivering pharmaceutical input and support in the context of pathways of care and the business of the organisations An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improvement of prescribing

Desirable

  • Relevant advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of Primary Care Networks, General Practice and evidence based medicine
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrate ability to influence and persuade partners and stakeholders of the respective merits of different options, innovations new opportunities and challenges Evidence of continued professional development

Desirable

  • Experience of working as a qualified registered pharmacy technician in primary care community or hospital Experience of working in primary care

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

  • Awareness of systems to support management of patients in a primary care setting, delivering pharmaceutical input and support in the context of pathways of care and the business of the organisations An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improvement of prescribing

Desirable

  • Relevant advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of Primary Care Networks, General Practice and evidence based medicine

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

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Primary Integrated Community Services

Address

Unit H4 Ash Tree Court

Nottingham Business Park

Nottingham

Nottinghamshire

NG8 6PY


Employer's website

http://picsnhs.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Primary Integrated Community Services

Address

Unit H4 Ash Tree Court

Nottingham Business Park

Nottingham

Nottinghamshire

NG8 6PY


Employer's website

http://picsnhs.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


For questions about the job, contact:

Date posted

23 April 2021

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£24,907 to £30,615 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

E0220-21-2718

Job locations

Unit H4 Ash Tree Court

Nottingham Business Park

Nottingham

Nottinghamshire

NG8 6PY


Plains View Surgery

55 Plains Road

Nottingham

NG3 5LB


Supporting documents

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