Pharmacy Technician Project Support Manager

Job summary

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board has an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic, highly motivated registered pharmacy technician to apply for the Pharmacy Technician Project Support Manager role. The successful candidate will be a key member of the Integrated Care Board (ICB) Medicines Optimisation Team Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System, working within a team of highly skilled and motivated Pharmacists and Technicians who share an overarching goal to support quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness of prescribing in Staffordshire.

There is opportunity to be a key part in the delivery of broad range of medicines optimisation projects covering strategic programmes such as high cost medicines, formulary management, prescribing analysis, and Medicine Optimisation governance. These all building on and utilising the key skills of Pharmacy Technicians in providing technical support to agreed projects, facilitating the development, effective delivery and monitoring of the project plans within the overarching Medicines Optimisation Strategy

Main duties of the job

The successful applicant will require excellent IT skills, Office Packages, particularly Excel for data analysis. Candidates should also be able to demonstrate good communication and organisational skills.

Key responsibilities will include the ongoing monitoring and review of high cost drugs/technologies. Including the monitoring of projects and work streams (for example, prescribing data analysis) and the day-to-day management of BlueTeq and Net Formulary which are software systems used within the team. The post holder will use an extensive range of prescribing analysis and data systems such as ePACT2, PrescQIPP, BlueTeq, Net.formulary, MedOptimise and GP clinical systems to allow them to play a key role in detailed prescribing data and analysis for the general monitoring of the prescribing budget and clinical, quality prescribing performance management. This will embed the post holder in to the planning and organisation of key medicines optimisation activities and projects, both in conjunction with primary and secondary care.

The post holder will be able to plan their workload within agreed deadlines, targets and competing priorities allowing the postholder to effectively manage competing deadlines and day to day work to fit the longer-term strategic plan.

About us

The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) is responsible for planning functions; managing the NHS budget and arranging the provision of health services in the geographical area.

Location: Home based/hybrid working (most of posts). Travel on occasions to a Hub location with at least 1 days notice

New starters are expected to collect IT equipment, from offices in Stoke-on-Trent, and if based at home are required to have appropriate desk/chair/ relevant equipment in compliance with DSE regulations.

Posts at Band 8c and above, will take part in the On-call rota, flexible over 7 days, supporting the System Control Centre, with full training provided.

Unconscious Bias/Invisible Disability Training and Equality Induction are mandatory.

Interviews may take place via MS Teams or in person.

We promote a compassionate and inclusive environment and welcome applications from a diverse pool of talent and backgrounds. All individuals are valued and given every opportunity to succeed based on merit.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder is a key member of the Integrated Care Board (ICB) Medicines Optimisation Team, whose overarching goal is to support improvements in quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness of prescribing across the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System. (ICS)

The post holder will support delivery of a broad range of medicines optimisation projects covering strategic programmes such as high cost medicines, formulary management, prescribing analysis, and Medicine Optimisation governance.

Working as part of the ICB Medicines Optimisation Team, the post holder will provide technical support to agreed projects to facilitate the development, effective delivery and monitoring of the project plans within the overarching Medicines Optimisation Strategy

In the spirit of matrix working, the post holder will be expected to collaborate with other team members by supporting ongoing medicines optimisation activities.

As an employee of the ICB, the post holder may gain privileged knowledge of highly confidential nature relating to private affairs, diagnosis and treatment of patients, information affecting members of the public, personal matters concerning staff, commercial confidences of third parties and details of items under consideration by the ICB. Such information should not be divulged or passed to any unauthorised person or persons.

Key Responsibilities

To support and provide high quality, regular, timely prescribing data and other relevant data to the Medicines Optimisation team and the Integrated Care System to inform progress against Medicines Optimisation projects, clinical audits, and performance improvement.

To monitor progress of projects and work streams which will include production of high-quality reports on achievement of milestones, data analysis (including prescribing data analysis) and assessment of performance outcomes.

To support the maintenance of embedded digital prescribing tools used across Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Integrated Care System to ensure cost effective prescribing for example, Blueteq and Net Formulary.

This includes supporting the daily operational management of Blueteq and Net Formulary

The post holder will support the Integrated Care Board Health Economy NICE Health Technology Appraisal Implementation Group (HENIG) or equivalent and Formulary Harmonisation Group (FHG)

The job description and person specification are an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. The job holder will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by their line manager.

The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the Department and the Organisation.

Key Working Relationships

Internal

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB Portfolio Teams

ICB clinical and other executive directors, senior managers, and wider staff

External

Integrated Care System (ICS) which may include:

Primary Care networks

GP Practices

ICS partner organisations

NHS England and Improvement Directors and Senior managers

Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Service

University Hospital of North Midlands NHS Trust, other Acute providers

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Hospital consultants and other clinical staff

Local Representative Committees

Community Pharmacies

Job Responsibilities:

Communication & Relationships Skills

Provide high quality complex, relevant and timely prescribing data and other relevant data analysis and reports in a variety of accessible formats depending upon the audience, to support medicines optimisation strategy.

Support with influencing health care professionals within the health economy of the importance of medicines optimisation projects. This may involve supporting negotiation and motivation on complex project delivery, including linking in with other Integrated Care Systems or stakeholder initiatives.

Work with members of the ICB Medicines Optimisation Team and key relevant internal and external stakeholders to investigate the causes of any variance from planned delivery and contribute to the implementation of resolutions.

To support members of the ICB Medicines Optimisation Team by contributing to internal/external prescribing queries around high-cost medicines/technologies, corporate governance requests and formulary queries.

Analytical & Judgement Skills

The post holder will support the collation of data pertaining to prescribing to aid the preparation of project related reports (including presentations) to the required standard.

The post holder will need to use an extensive range of prescribing data systems such as ePACT2, Open Prescribing, PrescQIPP, OptimiseRx, Blueteq, Net.Formulary, MedOptimise, Primary care GP clinical systems and EMIS Enterprise, to provide. Detailed prescribing data and analysis for the general monitoring of the prescribing budget and clinical, quality prescribing performance management. The post holder will need to establish the most appropriate. source of data to be used or bring multiple components together.

The post holder will support the monitoring, identifying prescribing trends and benchmarking in key therapeutic areas.

Planning & Organisational Skills

Planning and organising several complex medicine optimisation activities or projects which require formulation and adjustment of plans daily.

Plans own workload within agreed targets and deadlines. Plans must be regularly reviewed and updated in the light of changes to current guidance or area priorities. This will necessitate the ability to manage the competing demands of day-to-day work and working to tight deadlines within the longer-term strategic plan.

Physical Skills Knowledge, Training & Experience

Diploma in Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians or a qualification listed by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) pre 2017 standard.

Registration with GPhC as Pharmacy Technician and maintains fitness to practice via GPhC revalidation.

The role requires knowledge and experience of pharmacy across the health economy.

The postholder must be proficient in the use of a keyboard to an advanced level, and Microsoft Office tools through experience to produce clinical audits, documents, and reports.

Knowledge of analysis, interpretation and manipulation of prescribing data using Microsoft software such as Word, Excel, and Access.

The ability and willingness to undertake further training subject to support from the Integrated Care System.

Patient/Client Care

Contact with patients is incidental.

Policy/Service Development

The post holder will support the development of new Blueteq drug protocols to be used across the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System. (ICS)

Undertakes Medicines Optimisation data gathering to inform local intelligence which is based on best practice, legal requirements, local policies, or national directives.

Be expected to implement policies within their own work area, and propose changes to existing policies and procedures.

Financial & Physical Resources

Contribute to system financial initiatives and cost improvement programmes by ensuring projects are delivered on time and milestones met.

Support and inform the requirement and targeting of resources, monitoring budgets, implementing, and evaluating projects and programmes or work, supporting the delivery of financial recovery/savings strategy by providing high quality project management and analysis.

Responsibility for the financial verification of documents/information submitted to the organisation to support medicines optimisation performance improvement.

Human Resources/Staff Management

To work with the ICB Medicines Optimisation Team to regularly deliver specialist training, advice, and support within the scope of the role to both existing and new staff. This may include delivering training and support on Medoptimise, Optimise RX, ePACT2, Net.Formulary and Blueteq.

Information Resources

To be responsible for the integrity of the data used for monitoring and reporting on the medicines optimisation strategy and supportive projects.

Develop and maintain prescribing related activity databases.

Set up and establish robust systems that enable effective audit of project delivery.

The post holder will need to use a range of IT applications to create reports and maintain project information. This requires regular requirement to use one or more applications such as Medoptimise, Optimise RX, ePACT2, Open Prescribing, PrescQIPP, Net.Formulary, Blueteq and EMIS Enterprise.

The post holder will support the delivery and operational aspects of Integrated Care Board Health Economy NICE Health Technology Appraisal Implementation Group (HENIG) or equivalent and Formulary Harmonisation Group (FHG)

Research & Development

The post holder will undertake complex data audits, surveys, and other research tools to support successful delivery of medicines optimisation innovation, as required.

Carry out regular research in the form of a collation of system prescribing related data, for a specified set of patients.

Freedom to Act

Expected results may be defined but the post holder will decide how they are best achieved. The job holder acts independently within appropriate guidelines and is aware when to refer to their line manager.

The job holder works autonomously on projects, but guidance may be provided by relevant members of the ICB Medicines Optimisation Team.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

oThe role requires knowledge and experience of pharmacy across the health economy. oKnowledge of analysis, interpretation and manipulation of prescribing data using Microsoft software such as Word, Excel, and Access

Qualifications

Essential

Diploma in Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians or a qualification listed by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) pre 2017 standard. Registration with GPhC as Pharmacy Technician Maintain fitness to practice via GPhC revalidation. Educated to degree level or equivalent experience in relevant subject

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

Clear communicator with excellent writing, report writing and presentation skills; capable of constructing and delivering clear ideas and concepts concisely and accurately. Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands.

Personal Qualities

Essential

Use a computer for variable periods of time, using VDU and keyboard. High degree of self-motivation and ability to work on own initiative Adaptability, flexibility, and ability to cope with uncertainty and change.

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