Pharmacy Technician

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Luton Adults Community services for an experienced, forward thinking, registered Pharmacy Technician to join our established and respected pharmacy team working in our community settings.

We are looking for a pro-active, enthusiastic, and motivated pharmacy technician who will work closely with members of the multidisciplinary team to help deliver a high quality, patient-focused pharmacy service across the Luton Adults team.

The role will involve assessing, planning and providing medicines management interventions for patients across the community/primary care interface, in co-operation with other members of the integrated health and social care teams.

should we receive a high number of applications, we reserve the right to close the advert earlier than advertised

Main duties of the job

Provide innovative medicines management services to patients in their own home as part of a crisis response and also planned pro-active interventions. Working closely with other health and social care professionals involved in the patient's re-enablement.

The aim is to improve patient outcomes by optimising the use of medicines by patients in the community. This will improve patient care by ensuring that the right patients get the right choice of medicine at the right time. By focusing on patients and their experiences the goal is to help patients to; improve their outcomes; take their medicines correctly; avoid taking unnecessary medicines; reduce waste of medicines and improve medicines safely. Ultimately medicines optimisation can help encourage patients to take ownership of their treatment.

Communicate clear and accurate medicine related information, both verbal and written to patients/carers and other health professionals.

The post-holder will promote effective medicines management, escalating poor practice and sharing best practice in the domiciliary setting.

The responsibilities of this post require significant autonomy and decision making supported by policies and procedures. The post does not include dispensing of medication.

There is also a requirement to be able to handle sensitive and potentially difficult patient issues and lone working as well as travel across Luton

About us

Rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, we are proud to provide high quality innovative services across most of the east of England that enable people to receive care closer to home and live healthier lives.

There's one reason why our services are outstanding - and that's our amazing staff who, for the seventh year running, rated us incredibly highly in the national staff survey.

If you share our passion for innovative and high-quality care delivery, then please submit your application and join us on our exciting journey as a leading-edge specialist community provider. All are welcome to apply and our promise to you is a culture which prioritises staff engagement and development.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main Responsibilities

Work in partnership with a range of muti-disciplinary and organisational personnel within both the hospital and setting and community, this will require a collaborative approach, together with the patient and their family and social network, as well as colleagues in health and social care including the Interface Pharmacist. Act as liaison between the community and acute sector in relation to the pharmacy pathway for the patient when required. Liaise and collaborate with Luton Integrated Care Board (ICB) medicines management team. This includes attending relevant meetings where improvements to local service delivery and patient outcomes will be discussed. Facilitate clear and effective communication channels between patients, relatives, carers and professional community colleagues to ensure seamless patient care. Communicate/ provide/ receive sensitive patient medical information, taking into account peoples backgrounds, cultures and personal preferences. Enable patients and carers to participate in their mediation regime, thus encouraging independence and self-reliance. Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust: delivering excellence in children and adults community health services across Luton. Support aversion of admission in the community and hospital admissions by contributing to rapid assessment and appropriated medication support for patients to remain in the community including rehabilitation/ respite beds/units when required. Devise and provide individualised, structured medication counselling programmes taking a holistic view of the patients and /or informal carers, social situation and health and social support networks. Particularly those identified as being at risk of medication related problems. This will include the purpose of medication, potential side effects and their management and when seek help. It will also include counselling / demonstration of inhaler and other medical device techniques. Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust: delivering excellent in children and adults community health services across Luton. Complete complex assessment, contribute to care plans in the community ensuring adequate liaison for safe discharge /transfer and seamless service. Provide domiciliary visits to review medication-taking activities in patients identified as being at high risk of medicine related problems that have been recently discharged from acute care. Accept referrals from other healthcare professionals for patients deemed to be at risk from their medicines. Working with patients and residential homes to contribute to safe medicines management. Contribute to overall patient health and social care though identification of non-medication related issues. Refer to the appropriated agencies as required. Contribute to discharge from hospital, care home or on other transfer of care avoid problems associated with medicines. Be aware of Health &Safety issues relevant to the Trusts working environment and report as appropriated to the designated Health & Safety Officer in accordance with Trust policy. Be aware and follow all the Trusts Policies relevant to own role. The pharmacy technician is responsible for maintaining accurate documentation and records as per Trust record keeping policy, inclusive of computer and patient held records. Contribute to the development of Standard Operating Procedures and processes for Trust staff as necessary and relevant. Maintain safe systems of working accordance with relevant Medicines Act and Health and Safety legislation, and to ensure that defects, which may affect Safety at Work, are brought to attention of appropriated manager. To actively identify areas of that would benefit form changes/ service development and liaise with patients GP and/ or hospital Consultant/ health care professional/community pharmacy/community teams to propose change to practices that will improve patient experience/ safety. Communication To communicate effectively with CCS staff, hospital colleagues, patients, their family/carers, as well as colleagues in primary care, integrated care board, community pharmacy and social care. The pharmacy technician will be expected to effectively and respectfully communicate information regarding prescribed medicines to patients and carers. They will need to explain the reasoning for and purpose of each medicine to the patient, and the risks of not taking them as prescribed. There may be communication difficulties, which may require the application of different strategies. They will provide information to patients and carers regarding common drug dosage and use, as relevant to the patient in question The important relationships job holder must maintain:o Patients and familieso Range of hospital personnelo Full range of Community health services teams, including safeguarding o Team and administratorso General Practitionerso Primary Care Network personnel, including clinical pharmacistso Community pharmacistso Local Authority personnel, including social serviceso Domiciliary care agencies o Integrated Care Board They must make an accurate record of their activities, plans and strategies in the clinical record. Budgetary Responsibility The post-holder will be expected to support the cost-effective use of medicines and avoid waste wherever possible. Support the services to ensure the security and appropriate use of stocks of drugs and other devices used for pharmaceutical purposes To improve patient care, reduce medication related problems, avoidable hospital admissions and reduce drug costs and waste They should be alert to hoarding of unused medicines and work with the patient and the prescriber to reduce the wastage associated with this. People Management Maintaining own professional development and requirement to take part in appraisal and KSF process They must provide guidance and advice to colleagues within and outside the Trust in regard to the safe management of medicines. This may involve liaising with care agencies, or healthcare support workers. Training of healthcare support workers may be required. They will be involved in the checking of transcribing of medication and records of medicines administered by others in a diplomatic and non-judgmental way, in order to ensure safe patient care. This may include those administered by care agency staff. Research & Development Activity The post holder will participate in research and audit to identify education, training needs and areas for service development relevant to the organisation. Work collaboratively with other members of the Pharmacy Team to develop and share best practice and integrate research evidence into practice to enhance the quality of service provision Clinical and Practice Governance Observe and maintain strict confidentiality with regards to any patient/family/staff/records and information in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act. Any data that is taken/shared as part of a phone call or transported, faxed, or transferred electronically must be undertaken with regard to the Trust Information Governance and Information Security policies. The post holder must adhere to the Trust risk assessment and risk management processes The post holder must adhere to infection control policies and procedures It is a condition of your employment that you are currently registered with your professional body, and it is your responsibility to maintain your professional registration. Undertake mandatory training and any other training relevant to the role as required by Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust. The post holder must participate in clinical and safeguarding audits as required Provide patients and their families /carers with information on standards they should expect from the team The post holder is required to participate in relevant emergency preparedness process for their team. Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

BTEC or NVQ Level 3 in Pharmaceutical Services sufficient for registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Desirable

Completion of 'in house' medicines management competency programme or equivalent

Experience

Essential

Significant experience of medicine management and understanding its application in community settings Understanding of issues involved in stock control Understanding of importance of monitoring quality of service CPD portfolio demonstrating substantive experience of competent pharmacy practice. Experience of direct patient care and patient medication counselling. Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team and autonomous working

Desirable

Experience of fostering compliance and concordance with medicines, including knowledge of common compliance aids concordance with medicines, including knowledge of common compliance aids Experience of working with social care providers

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

Standard keyboard skills Good verbal and written communication skills Able to work independently to meet agreed objectives Adaptable, able to respond to changing service demands in an innovative manner Able to work independently to meet agreed objectives

Desirable

Experience of using SystmOne

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults

Essential

Ability to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults Appreciates the significance of safeguarding and interprets this accurately for all individual children and young people/vulnerable adults whatever their life circumstances. Has a good understanding of the Safeguarding agenda Can demonstrate an ability to contribute towards a safe environment Can demonstrate how they have promoted 'best practice' Shows a personal commitment to safeguarding children

Other

Essential

Due to the nature of the role it is essential that applicants are able to travel independently across the locality and have access to a suitable mode of transport for business purposes. If necessary, adjustments can be considered, in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act

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