Pharmacy Technician
Job Description
Job summary
Melksham and Bradford on Avon Primary Care Networks goal is to be a leading innovator in the new and developing Primary Care Networks (PCNs)
Our local PCN consists of three GP practices: Bradford on Avon & Melksham Health Partnership, Giffords Surgery and Spa Medical Practice together we cover a population of c.48,000 residents across the towns of Bradford on Avon and Melksham
We are looking for an enthusiastic, innovative, and forward-thinking Pharmacy Technician to work with our GP practices. We see Pharmacy Technicians in our PCN Clinical Pharmacy team as a key clinical resource, delivering excellence in patient health and care while supporting our GP practices with everything about medicines and prescribing.
You will join an enthusiastic and friendly team of three Pharmacy Technicians and five Pharmacists
If you are looking for a new challenge where you see and support patients with their healthcare needs as an integral part of a GP practice and clinical pharmacy team, then this role is for you.
Main duties of the job
This is an exciting opportunity to provide key pharmacy expertise to our GP practices. As a PCN Pharmacy Technician you will manage your own workload to provide patient advice on medication related issues, assist the practice team with prescribing related tasks and process clinical tasks, letters, and discharges. You will help support the PCN with core medicine optimization activities and ensure the safe and effective use of medicines utilizing a wide range of safety searches to ensure we care for all our patients.
We will provide you with professional mentoring and tailored coaching support so you can expand your clinical skills and confidence to best support your patients. You will be enrolled on the excellent CPPE Clinical Pharmacy Pathway to structure your learning. This is a 15-month clinical pathway with protected study time and team support throughout.
Ideally (but not essential) you will have previous experience of working in primary care, however, key to this role is a patient focused, innovative, and forward-thinking person that wants to develop into an effective clinician. This new role represents an exciting opportunity to support patients and surgery teams at a time of rapid and radical change.
About us
At the Spa Medical Centre, we aim to provide the highest quality of care to the people of Melksham, we are compassionate, friendly and professional. We work collaboratively with our patients to achieve the best health outcomes. The practice extends its ethos of caring to its staff and aspires to provide a nurturing and rewarding environment in which to work.
Key features of our practice:
We have four partners, six salaried GPs, one retainer GP and 2 GPSTs
CQC rated good with outstanding features, very high achieving QOF practice
Fully engaged in a successful, progressive Primary Care Network and the clinical director is currently one of our partners
Fantastic Christmas and Summer socials and wellbeing events through the year, we also have a running club and are a Parkrun practice.
Purpose built modern facilities with on-site staff parking
Located in a rapidly growing area of North Wiltshire, with many affordable homes and excellent transport links by rail and the M4. Our staff enjoy short rural commutes from Chippenham, Bath, Swindon and the surrounding villages.
Job responsibilities
Purpose of the role:
Based at Spa Medical Centre in Melksham, Pharmacy technicians play an important role in complementing clinical pharmacists, community pharmacists and other members of the PCN multi-disciplinary team.
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 electronic repeat dispensing and online ordering, minimising clinical risk and reducing wasted medicines.
In addition, the post holder will be responsible for encouraging the development of better understanding of the principles of medicines optimisation throughout the practice teams and promoting good practice in line with therapeutic developments. This will involve assisting the PCN in achieving national requirements, NICE implementation and utilisation of ICB medicines optimisation initiatives.
Key role Requirements:
Undertake patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations with patients.
Carry out medicines optimisation tasks including effective medicine administration (e.g. checking inhaler technique), supporting medication reviews and medicines reconciliation. Where required, utilise consultation skills to work in partnership with patients to ensure they use their medicines effectively.
As determined by the practice, 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.
Support the Clinical Pharmacist in Structure Medication Reviews (SMR) i.e. organise necessary monitoring tests prior to SMR.
Provide expertise to address both the public health and social care needs of patients, including lifestyle advice, service information, and help in tackling local health inequalities.
Manage shared care protocols and liaise with Clinical Pharmacists for more complex patients.
Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing locally.
Support the PCN multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation 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 (EPS).
Promotion of Electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD) 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, 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 national prescribing policies and guidance within GP practices, care homes and other primary care settings.
Support the PCN to deliver on QIPP agenda, QOF and locally commissioned enhanced services
Support the PCN in reviewing and developing practice policies for ICB requirements.
Person Specification
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Relevant theoretical and practical knowledge of Primary Care Networks
- General Practice and evidence-based medicine
- An appreciation of the NHS agenda and Government targets
- 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)
- Awareness of GP budget-management and funding systems to enable GP clinical pharmacist services to assist delivery of PCN and NHS priorities and requirements for financial balance and quality
- Good clinical pharmacy knowledge including terminology
Qualities
Essential
- Puts the patients best interests at the heart of all they do
- Works effectively, both independently and as a member of a team
- Self-motivated and proactive
- Adaptability, flexibility and ability to cope with change.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician in primary care or hospital pharmacy.
Desirable
- Demonstrate ability to influence and persuade partners and stakeholders of the respective merits of different options, innovations, new opportunities and challenges
Qualifications
Essential
- Professional and registration with GPhC
- BTEC/NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical sciences
- Completion of CPPE Pathway required (already complete/partly complete/willing to complete).
- Evidence of continued professional development (CPD)
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.
