PCN Pharmacy Technician
Job Description
Job summary
This role will work across the Rural West Primary Care Network (PCN), which comprises Watership Down Health and Tadley Medical Partnership based in the north of Hampshire.
We are seeking a qualified and registered Pharmacy Technician to work with our two existing Pharmacy Technicians and as part of our PCN's wider team,to support the clinical Pharmacists and GPs in prescribing for the patients of the Rural West Primary Care Network.
The purpose of the role is to assist the PCN Pharmacists 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
The full Job Description and person specification gives a detailed description of the role.
Core role responsibilities will cover clinical, technical and administrative categories. The post holder will be responsible for assisting the PCN's Pharmacists in encouraging the development of better understanding of the principles of medicines optimisation throughout the Practice teams, and promoting good practice in line with Network aims. This will involve assisting the PCN in achieving national requirements, with guideline implementation, patient safety audits and the utilisation of medicines optimisation initiatives.
The role requires accreditation in the 15 month CPPE Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway; Pharmacy Technicians who have already completed a previous CPPE pathway, or have a considerable amount of prior knowledge, skill and experience that they can demonstrate, may be exempt from part of/all of the pathway. For those requiring this training, the PCN will provide full support.
About us
The Rural West Primary Care Network (PCN) is friendly busy network of practices, comprising two GP Partnerships: Tadley Medical Partnership and Watership Down Health with surgeries in Kingsclere, Overton, Oakley and Tadley, Hampshire. The role is based within both Partnerships' practices within the PCN.
The Partnerships have similar patient populations and ideology. The work is interesting and varied and the post holder will have the benefit of working with our supportive and friendly multi-disciplinary teams to promote excellent patient care. We are always looking to improve the quality of our services and everyone is encouraged to share great ideas. The position offers a competitive salary dependent on experience and access to the NHS pension scheme, together with flexibility of working.
Job responsibilities
The Pharmacy Technician will work as an integral part of the PCN and will be based within both Practices within it.
The post holder will-
Undertake patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations with patients.
Undertake day to day handling of prescription queries within area of own competence
Undertake medicines reconciliation post discharge and on other transfers of care
Update and maintain accurate patient medication records on the practice clinical computer system (EMIS), including advice given and action taken
As determined by the PCN, support medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new care home patients and synchronising medicines for patient transfers between care settings, linking with local community pharmacies
Manage shared care protocols and liaise with Clinical Pharmacists for more complex patients.
Handle function specific information, which may be sensitive, complex or confidential and appropriately recording, transferring and/or coordinating such information in accordance with the Data Protection Act and GDPR, Caldicott Guidelines and the Confidentiality Code of Conduct
Support the PCN multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation processes are being followed.
Promote and support the legal, safe and secure handling of medicines, including the Electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD) service and online ordering.
Develop relationships with other pharmacy professionals and members of the multi-disciplinary team to support integration across health and social care including primary care, commissioners, community pharmacy, secondary care and mental health.
Support practice reception teams in streaming general prescription requests, so as to allow GPs and clinical pharmacists to review the more clinically complex requests.
Support the implementation of prescribing policies and guidance within GP practices, care homes and other primary care settings by undertaking clinical audits (e.g. use of antibiotics), supporting quality improvement measures and contributing to the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) and Enhanced services
Provide specialist expertise, where competent, to address both the public health and social care needs of patients, including lifestyle advice, service information, and help in tackling local health inequalities.
Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.
Assist in the delivery of medicines optimisation and management incentive schemes and patient safety audits.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Knowledge of the principles of medicines optimisation.
- Good clinical pharmacy knowledge including terminology.
- Knowledge and understanding of pharmacy law and ethics and current legislation.
Desirable
- Relevant advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of Primary Care Networks, General Practice and evidence-based medicine.
- An appreciation of the NHS agenda and Government targets.
- An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for the improvement of prescribing.
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified as a Pharmacy Technician with Professional registration with GPhC
- BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical sciences.
- Evidence of continued professional development (CPD)
- Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician in hospital or community pharmacy
Desirable
- Enrolled in, undertaking or qualified from an approved training pathway (e.g. the Primary Care Pharmacy Educational Pathway (PCPEP)
- Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician in general practice
- Postgraduate qualifications of a relevant nature. e.g. FdSc in Medicines Management/Pharmacy Services; BTEC Therapeutics (desirable).
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
- Polite and confident
- Flexible and cooperative
- Motivated
- Ability to work under pressure
- Effective time management (Planning & Organising)
- Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
Other requirements
Essential
- Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
- Access to own transport and ability to travel across the PCN on a regular basis
Desirable
- Flexibility to work outside of core office hours
Skills and competencies
Essential
- Computer literate with strong IT skills including competent use of Office and Outlook
- Able to analyse and interpret prescribing data
- Has attention to detail, able to work accurately, identifying errors quickly and easily
- Able to effectively manage allocated resources
Desirable
- Ability to use the required GP clinical systems (EMIS) and an understanding of clinical coding
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Tadley Medical Partnership
Address
Holmwood Health Centre
Franklin Avenue
Tadley
Hampshire
RG26 4ER
United Kingdom
