Pharmacy Technician in Nantwich

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 across the PCN. 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. Pharmacy technicians' core role responsibilities will cover clinical, technical and administrative categories.

Main duties of the job

• An exciting opportunity has arisen to work within Tudor Surgery.
• You will be undertaking clinical, technical, and administrative roles.
• You will support our Clinical Pharmacist in delivery of clinical pharmacy services.
• You will perform medicines improvement work to maximise safe, cost-effective best practice in prescribing under the supervision of the GP or Clinical Pharmacist.
• You will assist with medication safety monitoring systems.
• You will liaise with clinicians and administrative staff to resolve medicine-related queries.
• You will monitor practice prescribing and local and national prescribing policies.
• You will support the Clinical Pharmacist in Structured Medication Reviews.
• You will undertake patient-supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use through shared decision-making.
• You will also support medicine reconciliation of patients whose care is transferred back into primary care in a timely and effective manner liaising with patients and other providers to ensure patients receive appropriate medication post discharge.
• A key aspect of this role will involve supporting the practice in providing pharmaceutical care to four local care homes, including medication management, reconciliation, liaison with care home staff and community pharmacies, and helping to ensure safe and effective prescribing for residents.
• This role is expected to develop and evolve over time as the successful post holder gains experience.

About us

Tudor Surgery is a close-knit, cohesive practice with a friendly working environment, providing quality care via a proven record of innovation and adapting to change. Situated in the market town of Nantwich, South Cheshire, we share purpose-built premises with on-site community staff. We are part of Nantwich and Rural PCN who are a group of five practices working together to focus on the care of 35,000 local patients. Tudor Surgery has an expanding list of 5,500 patients, we are supportive of professional development and pride ourselves on working in a supportive and friendly environment and facilitated peer development.

Job responsibilities

• Support the role of our Clinical Pharmacist in the delivery of clinical pharmacy services.
• Perform medicines improvement work to maximise safe, cost-effective best practice in prescribing under the supervision of the GP or Clinical Pharmacist.
• Assist with medication safety monitoring systems (e.g. high-risk drugs).
• Liaise with clinicians and administrative staff to resolve medicine-related queries.
• Monitor practice prescribing and local and national prescribing policies.
• Improve service and quality through mechanisms such as audits.
• Support the Clinical Pharmacist in Structured Medication Reviews.
• Undertake patient-supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use through shared decision-making.
• Support medicine reconciliation of patients whose care is transferred back into primary care in a timely and effective manner.
• Carry out medicines optimisation tasks including effective medicine administration, supporting medication reviews and medicines reconciliation on transfer of care.
• Assist our Clinical Pharmacist with any searches, data collection, medicine safety tasks.
• Increase uptake of Electronic Repeat Dispensing and the use of the Electronic Prescription Service.
• Support the Practice to deliver on QOF and locally commissioned enhanced services.
• Implement changes to medication that result from CAS/MHRA alerts, product withdrawal and other local/national guidance.
• Work collaboratively with the clinical team.
• Develop relationships and work closely with community, hospital and MMT pharmacy colleagues and the wider health system.
• Participate in practice meetings, patient participation groups and other local meetings to improve engagement with the role of pharmacy technician.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Professional Registration: Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
• BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical science/pharmacy services.
• Evidence of continued professional development.
• Understanding of clinical knowledge and principles of evidence-based healthcare.

Experience

• Experience of dealing with a range of clinical conditions.
• Experience of working within a primary care, community or hospital setting.

Skills and Knowledge

• Good clinical pharmacy knowledge including terminology.
• Relevant advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of Primary Care Networks, General Practice and evidence-based medicine.
• Awareness of systems to support management of patients in a primary care setting, delivering pharmaceutical input and support in the context of pathways of care and the business of the organisation(s).
• Understand the aims of current healthcare policy within the PCN.
• An appreciation of NHS agenda and government targets.
• Has a planned and organised approach with an ability to prioritise their own workload to meet strict deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills, verbal and written, with the ability to adjust communication style and content to suit the audience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with team members, patients, carers, and other healthcare professionals.
• Able to effectively manage allocated resources.
• Able to interpret and analyse prescribing data.
• Minimum of 2 years post qualification experience of EMIS.

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.