PCN Pharmacy Technician

Job description

Job responsibilities

Hatters Health PCN Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy technicians play an important role, complementing clinical pharmacists, community pharmacists and other members of Hatters Health PCN multi-disciplinary team.

The purpose of the Pharmacy Technician Role is to lead improvements which maximise safe, cost-effective best practice in prescribing to improve the quality of patient care. The post holder will support patients to get the best from their medicines by switching medications to agreed and approved protocols, improving repeat prescribing and drug monitoring 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 Hatters Health PCN in achieving national requirements, NICE implementation and utilisation of medicines optimisation initiative.

Key Responsibilities:

This is a guide and duties may vary depending on Hatters Health PCN priorities.

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.

Monitor high-risk medicines according to local systems and processes

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 delivery of Structure Medication Reviews

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 and other MDT members for more complex patients. Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing locally.

Technical and administrative

Implement policies and effective processes for medicines governance including controlled drugs and repeat prescribing and drug monitoring.

Ensure all information, including allergy, is recorded accurately and contemporaneously

Identify missing information, discrepancies and errors on repeat prescription requests and resolve according to local policy and procedures.

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 multidisciplinary 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.

Complete audits and reviews as requested

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Professional registration with GPhC BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical sciences

Experience

Essential

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

Desirable

• Experience of working within multi - professional team environments Experience of working with elderly or vulnerable people, complying with best practice and relevant legislation

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Hatters Health PCN LTD

Address

Sundon Park Health Centre

Tenth Avenue

Luton

LU33EP

Employer's website

https://hattershealthnetwork.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)