Practice Pharmacy Technician

To support the Practice Pharmacist to ensure the delivery of safe, effective and efficient systems for repeat prescribing, medicines optimisation, reducing medicines waste and maximising patient outcomes. To support, train and oversee the administrative staff involved in the preparation of repeat prescriptions and to participate in the daily preparation of repeat prescriptions in order to ensure high quality, safe and timely repeat prescribing. To support the administration staff with medicines reconciliation in accordance with practice protocols and to update patients' medical records / prescribing accordingly. To support the achievement of the practices prescribing Quality and Outcomes Framework targets. To contribute to the review and development of repeat prescribing protocols / Standard Operating Procedures to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of repeat prescribing systems. To provide advice to GPs, staff and patients in changes to prescribing in order to support the improvement of prescribing safety, quality and cost effectiveness. To participate in medication audits. To assist in the appropriate monitoring and management of prescribing budgets and to liaise with the medicines management team at Dorset ICB. To prepare evidence-based resources and information to support the implementation of rational cost-effective prescribing. To support the Practice Based Pharmacist to provide medication reviews, patient information leaflets, medicine awareness. To take a proactive approach to the safe handling of prescriptions, including assessment of risk and making recommendations for improvement. To respond to medication queries from patients and staff in a professional manner referring to the appropriate GP in accordance with practice protocols. To advise on the sourcing and safe management of medicines as appropriate. To assist in the submission of claims for personally administered drugs as required. To assist in the control of medicines stocks within the practice and to advise on the safe and secure handling of controlled drugs and other medicines, ensuring compliance with medicines legislation. To help plan, develop and support the introduction of new working processes within the practice to optimise the quality of prescribing.

Other duties and responsibilities may include:

• Taking messages and passing on information as appropriate
• Computer data entry/data allocation and collation, processing and recording information in accordance with practice procedures
• Initiating contact with and responding to requests from patients, other team members and associated healthcare professionals and providers
• Helping to keep all practice areas tidy and free from obstructions and clutter
• Helping to maintain a positive, patient focussed culture
• Helping to maintain a positive, supportive culture across the whole of the practice team

Duties will vary from time to time under the direction of the Partners / Managers dependent on current and evolving practice workload and staffing levels.

Staff management

To provide supervision, training and professional leadership to the practice administrative staff.

Patient services

To provide medication review services to patients via clinics in the practice, domiciliary visits and in residential and nursing homes, and to deliver pharmaceutical care plans that maximise cost-effective prescribing and improve the quality of patient care. To present at patient group meetings or other appropriate events to give advice on the appropriate use of medicines. To produce patient information leaflets and posters and run medicine awareness projects throughout the year. Assist Partners with the appropriate monitoring and management of their prescribing budgets. To prepare evidence-based resources and information to support the medicine management team and all other relevant health professionals in the implementation of rational cost-effective prescribing. To help plan, develop and support the introduction of new working processes within the practice to optimise the quality of prescribing.

Communication

The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

• Communicate effectively with other team members
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers
• Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.

Confidentiality

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and 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 confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. 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 the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Health & safety

The post-holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management of their own and others health and safety and infection control as defined in the practice Health & Safety policy, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include (but will not be limited to):

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
• Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory / contractual / professional requirements, and good practice guidelines
• Correct use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Use and monitoring of the correct use of Standard operating Procedures for cleaning and infection control
• Responsible for correct hand hygiene of self and others
• Ownership of infection control and clinically based patient care protocols, and implementation of those protocols within the team
• Active observation of current working practices across the team in relation to infection control, cleanliness and related activities, ensuring that procedures are followed and weaknesses / training needs are identified, escalating issues as appropriate
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others across the full range of infection control and patient processes
• Monitoring practice facilities and equipment in relation to infection control, ensuring that provision of hand cleansing facilities, wipes etc are sufficient to ensure a good clinical working environment. Lack of facilities to be escalated as appropriate.
• Safe management of sharps procedures including training, use, storage and disposal
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean and sterile, and safe way, free from hazards.
• Initiation of remedial / corrective action where needed or escalation to responsible management
• Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
• Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, sterile, identifying issues and hazards / risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other sector managers
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum twice annually)
• Routine management of own team / team areas, and maintenance of work space standards
• Waste management including collection, handling, segregation, container management, storage and collection
• Spillage control procedures, management and training
• Decontamination control procedures, management and training, and equipment maintenance
• Maintenance of sterile environments
• Correct cleaning of equipment used for near patient testing such as blood glucose monitoring equipment and smokelysers, using manufacturers instructions as appropriate.

Equality and diversity

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

• Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
• Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/Professional development

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.