Pharmacy Technician (Primary Care) in Bristol

The purpose of the role is to work within the Pharmacy Hub located within Brooklea Health Centre, to support Prescribing Clerks, Clinical Pharmacists and GPs in managing all of the patient prescription requests for the five constituent practices within Connexus PCN: Birchwood Medical Practice (Brislington), Nightingale Valley Practice (Brislington), Priory Surgery (Knowle), Stockwood Medical Centre (Stockwood) and Wells Road Surgery (Totterdown).

Main duties of the job

• Be registered with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) as Pharmacy technician.
• Be confident to work with minimal supervision and plan and manage their own work.
• Have strong people skills and the ability to work with patients from a wide range of backgrounds.
• Be caring, dedicated, dependable and person-focused and demonstrate good written and verbal communication skills.
• Be initiative-taking with a flexible attitude, keen to work and learn as part of a team and committed to providing people, their families and carers with high quality support.
• Have experience of working in health, social care or other support roles including direct contact with people, families, or carers. Experience of working in Primary care is highly desirable, including knowledge and experience of using GP clinical systems.

About us

Connexus Primary Care Network brings together five GP Practices serving 50,000 patients in the Brislington, St Annes, Knowle, Totterdown and Stockwood areas of South Bristol. The PCN is located in South Bristol locality of BNSSG and employs a small staff team that is responsible for delivering a range of services under contract with NHS England.

Job responsibilities

Clinical responsibilities:

• Conduct medicine administration, support medication reviews and medicines reconciliation.
• Review clinic letters where medications have changed.
• Medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new care home patients.
• Synchronising medicines for transfers between care settings and linking with their local pharmacies.
• Management of stock levels of seasonal vaccination (i.e., Flu and Covid-19).
• Maintaining reports on high-risk medications to ensure efficient monitoring is taking place.
• Reviewing home blood pressure readings recorded by patients and discussing or initiating treatment when appropriate.
• Providing specialist opinions, where appropriate, to address social care needs of the patients, lifestyle advice, and consulting with specialist pharmacists for more complex patients.
• Initiating or alternating medication regimes as suggested by a GP based on patients blood results (i.e., Lipids, Thyroid).
• Monitor and amend incorrect PPA prescription claims to avoid financial loss for the practice.
• Liaise with patients and local pharmacies to resolve out of stock issues and coming up with alternative solutions.
• Review of patients on oral contraceptives, review of patient history to ensure safe prescribing.
• Supporting new Pharmacists with clinical or administrative issues.

Administrative responsibilities:

• Work closely with the PCN multi-disciplinary team for more efficient medicine optimisation.
• Supervise Pharmacy Hub with general prescription requests.
• Support and provide training to prescription clerks.
• Develop relationships with other professionals to support integration of the pharmacy team in the primary care.

Management:

• Assist with the management of the Prescription Hub under guidance of the Senior Pharmacist.
• Record and monitor all staff sickness and absences and inform payroll accordingly.
• Manage the Prescription Hub teams day to day activities.
• Complete annual appraisals for staff.
• Ability to work without direct supervision.
• A section of the role will be dedicated to supporting the PCN Prescribing Hub at Brooklea Health Centre. Full training will be provided for this role and previous experience as a Prescriptions Clerk is not essential.
• Process repeat prescriptions daily ensuring compliance with the prescribing hub protocols.
• Perform regular searches on drugs requiring monitoring hence minimising the risk of adverse effects.
• Ensure all current medications have relevant, current authorisations.
• Promote cost-effective prescribing at the practice through switching drugs to the generic preparation when appropriate and encouraging the use of local primary care trust formulary medication choices.
• Deal with prescription queries from a range of healthcare professionals including GPs, nurses, community pharmacists, nursing home staff as well as reception/administration staff at the practice.
• Deal with medication changes from all hospital letters, removing old medication, and adding new or making changes.
• Add any relevant monitoring diaries.
• Perform searches and act upon drug alerts.
• Add new patient medication. Pass to registered GP for approval highlighting any concerns found, add relevant diary entries/recall.
• Consult with patient via phone call, SMS, or letter.
• Consult with patients pharmacy regarding changes, if necessary.
• Consult with Pharmacies regarding monthly dosette box prescriptions.

This list of responsibilities is not exhaustive and is subject to changes based on business needs.

Person Specification

Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to supervise the Pharmacy Hub team when appropriate.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with people, their families, carers, community groups, partner agencies and stakeholders.
• Ability to provide a culturally sensitive service supporting people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity.
• Ability to deal with the members of the public and other healthcare workers in a professional manner.
• Knowledge of the technical aspects of the GP practice and a broad outlook of pharmaceutical issues.

Personal Qualities:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work flexibly and enthusiastically within a team or on own initiative.
• Ability to meet agreed targets and deadlines.
• Positive attitude towards self-development.
• Ability to demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure.
• Ability to recognise and work within limits of competence and seek advice when needed.

Experience:

• Experience working under appropriate clinical supervision.
• Experience working as a registered pharmacy technician in primary care, hospital or community pharmacy.
• Knowledge and understanding of pharmacy laws and ethics and current legislation.
• Experience working in a primary care setting.
• Accredited Checking (or nearing completion).

Qualifications:

• Registered with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) as Pharmacy Technician.
• Completion of the CPPE Primary care pharmacy education pathway or Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes pathway.
• Enrolled in or qualified from an approved training path.
• Evidence of continuing personal development.

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.

£29,000 to £34,500 a year depending on experience.