Pharmacy Technician

Job summary

The Pharmacy Technician will support the Primary Care Network to ensure the delivery of safe, effective and efficient systems for repeat prescribing, medicines optimisation, reducing medicines waste and maximising patient outcomes and working on other DES areas.

Role is for 22.5hrs per week and option of working from home.

Main duties of the job

The purpose of the role is to promote and support improvements to maximise safe and best practice in prescribing, help to develop processes and systems for safer prescribing, reduce medicines waste and improve the quality of patient care.

You will undertake patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, carry out medicines optimisation tasks, clinical audit and medicines reconciliation to support our clinical pharmacists and the wider primary care team. The role will assist in delivery of our integrated work plan and incentive schemes.

If you are a motivated and enthusiastic pharmacy technician looking for a new challenge in primary care this could be an exciting opportunity for you.

About us

Kingswinford & Wordsley Primary Care Network is a network of 5 practices with a list size of over 51,000 patients. This role exists to support the delivery of the Kingswinford & Wordsley Primary Care Network agenda.

Job responsibilities

Responsibilities

To undertake medicines reconciliation in accordance with practice protocols and to update patients medical records / prescribing accordingly.

To support the achievement of the practices prescribing Quality and Outcomes Framework targets.

Working with the Practices to contribute to the review and development of repeat prescribing protocols / Standard Operating Procedures to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of repeat prescribing systems.

To provide advice to GPs, staff and patients in changes to prescribing to support the improvement of prescribing safety, quality and cost effectiveness.

To participate in medication audits.

To assist in the appropriate monitoring and management of prescribing budgets and to liaise with the medicines management team at the ICB.

To prepare evidence based resources and information to support the implementation of rational cost-effective prescribing.

To support the Practices to provide medication reviews, patient information leaflets, medicine awareness; and to undertake community visits as appropriate.

To take a proactive approach to the safe handling of prescriptions, including assessment of risk and making recommendations for improvement.

To respond to medication queries from patients and staff in a professional manner referring to the appropriate GP in accordance with practice protocols.

To advise on the sourcing and safe management of medicines as appropriate.

Be responsible for the organisation, planning and of own workload to meet set deadlines.

To undertake any other duties of a similar nature consistent with the responsibilities of this post in order to provide a quality service

Responsibility for administration

Other duties and responsibilities to be undertaken may include any or all the items in the following list:

Taking messages and passing on information as appropriate.

Computer data entry/data allocation and collation, processing and recording information in accordance with practice procedures.

Initiating contact with and responding to requests from patients, other team members and associated healthcare professionals and providers.

Helping to maintain a positive, supportive culture across the whole of the practice team.

Any other duties commensurate with this position.

Duties will vary from time to time under the direction of the Clinical Directors/PCN Pharmacists dependent on current and evolving practice workload and PCN Contract Requirements.

Patient services

To provide medication review services to patients in the practice, domiciliary visits and in residential and nursing homes, and to deliver pharmaceutical care plans that maximise cost- effective prescribing and improve the quality of patient care.

To prepare evidence based resources and information to support the medicine management team and all other relevant health professionals in the implementation of rational cost-effective prescribing.

To help plan, develop and support the introduction of new working processes within the practice to optimise the quality of prescribing.

Communication

The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

Communicate effectively with other team members.

Communicate effectively with patients and carers.

Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.

Key Relationships

Internal

Clinical Director

Practice Managers

Lead Pharmacist

PCN Manager

PCN colleagues across Dudley

Primary Care Network GPs, nurses and other practice staff

Community nurses and other healthcare professionals (e.g. OT, ICT, CPN, nursing home staff etc.)

Community and hospital pharmacy teams

Community pharmacists, PCN community pharmacy leads Other primary care health professionals

External

General public and patients

Care Quality Commission

Colleagues in neighbouring CCGs, PCNs and Health Economies

Generic Duties & Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities in this job description are intended to be indicative but not exhaustive of the responsibilities of the post holder. As KW PCN develops, the requirements of the job may develop and change. The job description will be reviewed and updated in discussion with the post holder to reflect these requirements.

Person specification

Experience

Essential

• Continued commitment to improve skills and ability in new areas of work
• Proficient in the use of IT e.g. MS Office Outlook, Excel working with spread sheets and databases
• Experience of clinical systems such as EMIS
• Issue medications
• Docman reviews
• Hypertension reviews

Desirable

• Recent previous experience within comparable role in General Practice
• Previous experience working within a patient facing role
• Awareness of Medicines Management agenda

Qualifications

Essential

• Good general level of education to GCSE (A* - C Grade) or equivalent
• Registered with the GPhC as a Pharmacy Technician
• Approved primary care pharmacy training pathway completed
• or Currently undertaking an approved primary care pharmacy training pathway

Desirable

• Medicines reconciliation Certificate or equivalent