Specialist Clinical Pharmacy Technician

Be a leading clinical pharmacy technician expert in a defined area of speciality agreed with the Lead Clinical Technician and Lead Virtual Pharmacist for the area collaboratively developing protocols and delivering the service in virtual wards. To work closely with the Chief Pharmacy Technician and Lead Clinical Pharmacy Technician to develop a bespoke clinical pharmacy technician service in the area of speciality. To write protocols and training packages for the service. To train and ensure competency for other pharmacy staff to provide the service.

To collect data and regularly review the service provided with a view to optimisation and continuous improvement of the service. To undertake training in order to assess biochemical and pathological results and apply them to clinical situations, where appropriate. To undertake training and education to support the role of the Specialist clinical pharmacy technician within virtual wards. To proactively promote bespoke and novel services, presenting at conferences such as the Clinical Pharmacy Congress (CPC).

To recognise the limitations of their personal and professional practice. Virtual wards Support and manage the day-to-day pharmacy service provided to virtual wards, ensuring patients receive treatment within agreed timeframes. Support the lead pharmacist in promoting collaboration with community partners (community hospitals, GPs, community pharmacy, Prisons, Medway and Swale local council) to improve medicines access for virtual hospital patients. Liaise with the virtual wards team to develop and implement innovative pathways that optimise working relationships between virtual wards and the pharmacy team.

Provide a clinical pharmacy service to virtual wards, including medicines reconciliation, structured medication review and counselling. Assessment of patients ability to take medication. Assessment of patients own drugs as appropriate in accordance with the pharmacy procedure and assess their re-use. Develop, maintain, and implement systems for identifying cohort of patients requiring medication reviews.

Identification and referral of pharmaceutical issues to the pharmacist or clinical team within Virtual Wards. Provide governance support including the writing and review of relevant SOPs and polices within virtual wards. Provide medicine optimisation, to include signposting potential prescribing and deprescribing to the virtual ward pharmacist. To support with developing, reviewing medicine prescribing, supply and administration pathways.

Manage virtual ward and clinical rotas to ensure the virtual ward and clinical service is covered. Support and manage the virtual wards satellite pharmacy. Ensuring medicines are dispensed, checked safely and accurately in line with polices and SOPs. Support, complete and action medicine related audits.

Develop education and training within virtual wards. To be onboard and monitor patients via virtual monitoring system. Develop the virtual wards service to implement innovate new ways of working for pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants. Undertake technical and clinical verification of specific virtual ward prescriptions in accordance with local and national standards, following completion of competency-based training and assessment.

Undertake clinical and practical management of patients on nebuliser wean in patients own home, following completion of competency-based training and assessment. Undertake clinical and practical administration of intravenous antibiotics, following completion of competency-based training, assessment, intravenous drug administration training and anaphylaxis training, in line with the local policy. Provide patient education and counselling for patients within virtual wards, in line with local SOPs. Promote the safe, effective, and economic use of medicines.

Monitor and review blood results, referring out-of-range values to the virtual wards Pharmacist. Co-ordinate with the Main Dispensary Manager and multidisciplinary teams, including virtual wards, to streamline delivery of Clinical Pharmacy Services. Work with the Lead Pharmacist for virtual wards and the Lead Clinical Pharmacy Technician to implement and manage compassionate use of medicines in line with Trust policy. Review, monitor and implement the virtual dispensing process to ensure efficiency, safety, and compliance with standards.

Conduct patient counselling and medicines reconciliation in patients home