Pharmacy Technician

Job summary

The East Lancashire Alliance is currently looking to recruit a Pharmacy Technician on behalf of the Ribblesdale PCN.

Main duties of the job

Pharmacy technicians play an important role, complementing clinical pharmacists, community pharmacists and other members of the PCN multi- disciplinary team. Pharmacy technicians are different to clinical pharmacists as they are not able to prescribe or make clinical decisions, instead working under supervision to ensure effective and efficient use of medicines.

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 repeat dispensing and online ordering, minimising clinical risk and aiming to reduce wasted medicines.

About us

The East Lancashire Alliance is a network of 9 PCNs covering 48 GP practices covering a population of over 390,000 patients across East Lancashire. Patients are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves in ensuring our patients feel safe, supported, communicated with and respected at a time when they may be feeling vulnerable. The Alliance are proud to represent our member practices and to champion our Primary Care Partners, by working with local general practice and other system partners in the provision of patient centred, local healthcare services.Each practice has a close-knit team of staff who collectively seek to improve the health of their patient populations.East Lancashire is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside, to the heart of the vibrant inner Towns and Villages with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key duties and responsibilities

Clinical

Undertake patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations withpatients.

Carry out medicines optimisation tasks including effective medicine administration ( 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 PCN, 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 Structured Medication Reviews (SMR) organise necessary monitoring tests prior to SMR Provide expertise to address both the public health and social care 3needs 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.

Technical and Administrative

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 PrescriptionService (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 prescriptionrequests, 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 caresettings. Support the PCN to deliver on QIPP agenda, QOF and locally commissioned enhanced services Supporting quality improvement measures and contributing to theQuality and Outcomes Framework and enhanced services; Support the PCN in reviewing and developing practice policies forCQC requirements

For further details please see the attached job description

*Please note as this is an ARRS role, the banding is currently in line with the 23/24 scale. This is currently being reviewed and should be updated to reflect the 24/25 banding shortly.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Professional registration with GPhC meets the specific qualification and training requirements as specified by the GPhC criteria to register as a Pharmacy Technician meets the specific qualification and training requirements as specified by the GPhC criteria to register as a Pharmacy Technician; c. enrolled in, undertaking or qualified from, an approved training pathway. For example, the Primary Care Pharmacy Educational Pathway (PCPEP) or Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes (MOCH); BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical sciences Evidence of continued professional development (CPD) Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician in primary care, community 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

Experience

Essential

Computer literate with an ability to use the Microsoft office packages Able to analyse and interpret prescribing data Has attention to detail, able to work accurately, identifying errors quickly and easily Has a planned and organised approach with an ability to prioritise their own workload to meet strict deadlines Able to think analytically; anticipating obstacles and thinking ahead; using analytical techniques to draw logical solutions to problems Excellent communication skills,verbal and written, with the ability to adjust communication style and content to suit the audience Excellent verbal and written communication skills with team members, patients, carers, and other healthcare professionals. Whilst recognising peoples needs for alternative methods of communication

Desirable

Computer literate with an ability to use the required GP clinical systems Understand the aims of current healthcare policy within the PCN

Attributes

Essential

Works effectively independently and as a member of a team Flexible approach to meet service needs and ensure a stakeholder focused response Self-motivated and proactive Able to undertake the demands of the post with reasonable adjustments if required Independently mobile to be able to work across several sites and travel to meet with stakeholders Adaptability, flexibility and ability to cope with uncertainty and change

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