Pharmacy Technician

The Stokes Medical Group looks forward to welcoming a new pharmacy technician to our excellent pharmacy team. The Medical Group prides itself on providing high quality, patient-centred care in a happy working environment with excellent teamwork throughout all our practices. We have a strong focus on training and development and would welcome newly qualified applicants that can be recruited under the ARRS scheme.

Stokes Medical Group is a dynamic, forward-thinking training/teaching practice with a strong ethos of learning and development. This permeates through everything that we do. Most importantly, we are friendly and supportive, committed to helping you flourish. We have a great ethos of teamwork and professionalism and are proud of our working atmosphere.

Being part of the Clinical Pharmacy team in General Practice is part of an exciting programme of transformation to develop a new model of care which addresses our ambition to deliver a person-centred, coordinated care. Clinical Pharmacy in the 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 proactively help patients stay safe and well and out of hospital as well as helping to reduce the demands on general practice. This role is part of the PCN ARRS scheme which is part of this new way of thinking.

Job responsibilities:

• Support the role of the Clinical Pharmacist at PCN level in the delivery of the new Clinical Pharmacy in General Practice model.
• Medicines reconciliation post discharge and on other transfers of care.
• Day-to-day handling of prescription queries within area of own competence.
• File, action and forward pathology results according to Practice policy.
• Provide technical and administration support to clinical workforce and practice administration team (including prescription clerks).
• Delivery of training and development to practice-based prescribing clerks and administrators to support improved coordination and effective pharmacy administration within General Practice.
• Report on key performance indicators for CPGP to demonstrate added value for patients and General Practice in accordance with NICE guidance.
• Use and maintain information reporting systems and databases relevant to the position including incident reporting, medicines optimisation, prescribing data, cost savings, and patient outcomes.
• To support the development of and undertake (where applicable) audits within the agreed programme which address MHRA/NICE/CCG etc priorities.
• Work closely with the PCN CP Lead and CCG Clinical Pharmacy in General Practice lead as well as building strong relationships with other partners.
• Train prescription clerks to undertake workflow optimization in relation to prescription ensuring relevant paperwork is flowed to the relevant member of the team to action.
• To monitor and manage the PCN medicine management plan.
• Participate in PCN meetings (where applicable), patient participation groups, and other meetings to improve engagement of the role of pharmacy technician within the CPGP model and to promote issues relevant to prescribing and medicines optimisation.
• Work closely with the PCN Clinical pharmacist, review recommendations from NICE guidance and other national policies to ensure the practices work in a safe and effective manner.
• To support all practices within the PCN in the achievement of QOF contributions, PCN DES and other enhanced services.
• Promote the use of electronic Prescribing.
• Work closely with the Clinical Pharmacist, develop the protocols for safe repeat prescribing.
• To actively review how e-consult can be used to promote remote medicines management and actively support the process for managing e-consultations.
• Support self-care agenda through patient education on the importance of compliance and adherence to medication regimen and further provide holistic advice to manage patient health and well-being.
• Liaise with other pharmacy stakeholders e.g. Medicines Optimisation team, community pharmacy, and hospital pharmacy teams.
• Support the Medicines Optimisation team in the delivery of the Medicines Optimisation strategy.
• Handle function specific information, which may be sensitive, complex or confidential and appropriately record, transfer and/or coordinate such information in accordance with the Data Protection Act; Caldecott Guidelines and the Confidentiality Code of Conduct.
• Be responsible for the organisation, planning and of own workload to meet set deadlines.

General:

The post holder will develop a culture that promotes equality and values diversity. The post holder must be aware of and committed to the Equality and Diversity policies of the appointing GP Federation and comply with all the requirements of these policies and actively promote Equality and Diversity issues relevant to the post. Ensure the principles of openness, transparency and candour are observed and upheld in all working practices.

The post holder will have, or acquire through training provided by the organisation, the appropriate level of safeguarding and knowledge, skills and practice required for the post and be aware of and comply with the organisation's safeguarding protection policies and procedures. Ensure that any infection prevention and control issues are reported to the line manager/Infection Prevention and Control.

Support PCN priorities such as:

• Care homes
• Antimicrobial stewardship
• Supporting practices to reduce wastage and ensure medication optimisation

Utilise GP practice clinical systems to conduct prescribing audits e.g. EMIS Web. Undertake, participate and share the outcomes of clinical audits to facilitate improvement and changes in practice. Work within the shared care protocols. Help manage COPD patients during winter, ensuring they have safety netting advice and rescue packs in place to manage an exacerbation.

As instructed by the CCG Medicines Safety Officer, ensure that all major MHA drug alerts, where appropriate and within levels of competence, are acted upon within practices over an appropriate time frame and to advise on any medication changes that occur as a result. Regular monitoring of prescribing expenditure at individual practice level and propose changes to ensure containment within identified resource.

Undertake training and development, to ensure the required knowledge and skills for practice-based work. Carry out other duties which are appropriate to the skills and competencies of the post holder and grade of the post as the priorities of the service change. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with GP practices, CCG staff and other healthcare professionals/stakeholders across the interface. Provide clinical and professional support to GPs and members of the primary healthcare team. Provide direct support and advice to GP practices and health professionals to promote and implement high quality prescribing to the benefit of patients. Promote cost-effective, safe, evidence-based prescribing in accordance with national Medicines Optimisation Strategy.

About us:

Working days that are manageable, rewarding and fun. Team approach to driving change continuous improvement. Daily huddles to raise clinical queries, ask for help and share important social time. Having fun with social events and daily opportunities to unwind. 11 partners and 12 associate GPs supported by 4x NPs and PAs. Caring for over 40,000 patients. Friendly, supportive and professional team with excellent team working ethos. Excellent Pharmacist, Administrative and Prescribing teams to support you. Outward facing and engaged with PCN, Locality and System Partners.

Person Specification:

Personal Qualities:

• Ability to follow legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct.
• Ability to use own initiative, discretion and sensitivity.
• Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity.
• Flexible and cooperative.
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals.
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations.
• Able to finish work tasks.
• Problem solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance, and health and safety.

Qualifications:

• NVQ level 3 in pharmacy services or equivalent.

Other requirements:

• Flexibility to work outside of core Practice hours.
• Access to own transport and ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis, including to visit people in their own home.

Experience:

• Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Experience working in a primary care setting.
• Understanding and knowledge of healthcare provision in GP practices, QOF and enhanced services.
• An appreciation of the new NHS landscape including the relationships between individual practices, PCNs and the commissioners.
• Good clinical system IT knowledge of EMIS Web.

Skills:

• Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information effectively with people at all levels by telephone, email and face to face.
• Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports.
• Good personal organisational skills.
• Effective time management.
• Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure.

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.