Pharmacy Technician

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-centered, coordinated care in our Practices. 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. 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.

Main duties of the job:

• Work with the Clinical Pharmacists and Clinicians in accordance with agreed practice prescribing standard operating procedures.
• Process repeat medication requests, including the conversion of acute requests to repeat medicines, changing quantities of medicines.
• Processing prescriptions in line with agreed clinical protocols and within your competency.
• Support medication reviews/monitoring and medicines reconciliation post discharge and synchronizing medicines for patients especially if transferring between care settings, linking with local community pharmacies.
• Undertake patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations with patients.
• Support the Clinicians and Clinical Pharmacists in Structure Medication Reviews i.e. organise necessary monitoring tests prior to SMR.
• Manage shared care protocols and liaise with Clinical Pharmacists for more complex patients.
• Develop and maintain medicines related communication to all Practice staff.
• Assist with the development and review of medicine audits.
• Provide a contact for patients and colleagues with medication queries.
• Support with project work/prescribing initiatives/clinical audits under the support of the Pharmacist.
• Liaise with Clinicians and staff to resolve prescribing queries.

Technical and Administrative:

• Update and maintain accurate patient medication records on the practice clinical computer system, including advice given and action taken.
• Assist the Pharmacist with data analysis of prescribing behaviour in line with NICE guidance and local clinical commissioning directives.
• Adhere to strict confidentiality policies at all times.
• Attend local meetings seeking to improve access to medicines or repeat prescribing processes.
• Support the PCN multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimization 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.
• Support promotion and maintenance of Electronic Repeat Dispensing and online ordering.
• Develop relationships with other pharmacy professionals and members of thematic-disciplinary team to support integration across health and social care including primary care, community pharmacy, secondary care and mental health.
• Support the development of practice reception teams in streaming general prescription requests, so as to allow GPs and clinical pharmacists to review the more clinically complex patients.
• 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, Quality and Outcomes Framework and locally commissioned enhanced services.
• Support the PCN in reviewing and developing practice policies for Care Quality Commission requirements.

All Pharmacy Technicians must work within their competencies, and have professional indemnity for their role.

Person Specification:

• Qualifications: BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical science; Professional registration with GPhC.
• Experience: Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician in primary care, community or hospital pharmacy.

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 to check for any previous criminal convictions.