PCN Pharmacy Technician
2 weeks ago
Job summary
The Pharmacy Technician works as part of the Deal and Sandwich PrimaryCare Network (PCN) multi-disciplinary team (MDT) to deliver high qualityprimary care; by assisting clinical staff in the provision of treatment,preventative care, health promotion and patient education.
The post holder is required to work across the PCN to ensure thedelivery of safe, effective and efficient systems for medicines management,repeat prescribing, medicines optimisation, reducing medicines waste andmaximising patient outcomes. The post holder will be a registered Pharmacy Technicianwith the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), who is motivated, proactive,committed and with excellent communication skills.
Main duties of the job
The Pharmacy Technician will act within their professional boundaries tosupport the PCN Clinical Pharmacists to ensure effective and efficient use ofmedicines. This will include supporting the delivery of clinical medicationreviews to proactively manage patients with long-term conditions and complexpolypharmacy within General Practice, care homes and patients homes. Theambition is to better utilise the role of pharmacy within primary care topro-actively help patients stay safe and well and out of hospital as well ashelping to reduce the demands on general practice.
The Pharmacy Technician will play a central role in coordinatingdischarge summaries and medication reviews, medicines optimization, repeatprescribing processes, liaising with our patients, nursing homes, carers,hospitals and community pharmacies, responding to medication queries andupdating medical records. The Pharmacy Technicians core role responsibilitieswill cover clinical, technical and administrative categories.
About us
Deal &Sandwich Primary Care Network (PCN) comprises 5 GP practices: Balmoral Surgery,Cedars Surgery, Manor Road Surgery, Sandwich Medical Practice and St RichardsRoad Surgery, with a combined list size of around 48,000 patients. Thepractices work together to deliver care and support through new and innovativeways which enables our patients to live healthy and fulfilling lives.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The attached jobdescription and person specification gives you all the information you needabout this role. Please look carefully at the criteria in the personspecification and tell us what you have done that shows you meet this.
Thefollowing are the core responsibilities of the Pharmacy Technician. There maybe on occasion a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependenton factors such as workload and staffing levels. The Pharmacy Technician workswithin their scope of clinical practice to:
Undertake patientfacing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, throughshared decision-making conversations with patients
Carry out medicinesoptimisation tasks including effective medicine administration ( checkinginhaler technique), supporting medication reviews, and medicinesreconciliation. Where required, utilise consultation skills to work inpartnership with patients to ensure they use their medicines effectively
Support, as determinedby the PCN, medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new care homepatients and synchronising medicines for patient transfers between caresettings and linking with local community pharmacists
Provide specialistexpertise, where competent, to address both the public health and social careneeds of patients, including lifestyle advice, service information, and help intackling local health inequalities
Take a central role inthe clinical aspects of shared care protocols and liaising with specialistpharmacists for more complex patients
Support initiativesfor antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing
Assist in the deliveryof medicines optimisation and management incentive schemes and patient safetyaudits
Support theimplementation of national prescribing policies and guidance within GPpractices, care homes and other primary care settings. This will be achievedthrough undertaking clinical audits ( use of antibiotics), supportingquality improvement measures and contributing to the Quality and OutcomesFramework (QOF) and enhanced services
Work with the PCNmulti-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation, includingimplementing efficient ordering and return processes, and reducing wastage
Develop relationshipsand ensure effective communication across the wider MDT to support integrationof the role across health and social care including primary care, secondarycare, and mental health
Ensure continuity of care, arranging follow-up reviews as necessary andmaintaining accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patientconsultation, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures
Recognise and work within owncompetence and professional code of conduct in keeping with the Standards forPharmacy Professionals provided by the General Pharmaceutical Council
Adhere to organisational policies and procedures, includingconfidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, informationgovernance and health and safety
Participate in the administrativeand professional responsibilities of the PCN team
Communication
Utilise and demonstrate sensitivecommunication styles, to ensure patients are fully informed and consent totreatment.
Recognise the need for alternativemethods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding,cultural background and preferred ways of communicating.
Delivering a quality service
Prioritise, organise and manage ownworkload in a manner that maintains and promotes quality, includingparticipating in shared learning across the PCN and wider organisation. Workas part of the team to seek feedback, continually improvethe service and contribute to business planning.
Managing information
Use technology, read codes andappropriate software as an aid to planning, implementing and monitoring care,communicating information and reviewing and processing data for audit purposes.
Learning and development
Take responsibility for own learningand performance through continuousprofessional development, including participating in clinicalsupervision, acting as a positive role model and assessing own learning needs.
Actively promote the workplace as alearning environment, encouraging everyone to learn from each other and fromexternal good practice.
Disseminate learning and informationgained to other team members in order to share good practice and inform othersabout current and future developments ( courses and conferences).
Equality and diversity
Support the equality and diversityof patients, carers and colleagues by recognising the importance of peoplesrights and interpreting them in a way that is consistent with policy, proceduresand current legislation.
Respecting the privacy, dignity,needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues by behaving in a mannerwhich is welcoming, non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelingspriorities and rights.
Professional development
Participate in an annual individualperformance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record ofown professional development
Work as an effective and responsibleteam member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new waysof working
Workwith your line manager to undertakecontinual personal and professional development, accessregular supervision and take an activepart in reviewing and developing theroles and responsibilities.
Miscellaneous
Undertake any tasks consistent with the level ofthepost and the scopeof the role, ensuring thatwork is delivered in atimely and effective manner.
Dutiesmayvary from time totime, without changing the generalcharacter of the post or thelevel of responsibility.
This jobdescription is not meant to be exhaustive. It describes the main duties andresponsibilities of the post. The post holder would be expected to undertakeany other duties commensurate with the role as agreed with the PCN.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical sciences Undertaking or qualified from an approved training pathway, Primary Care Pharmacy Educational Pathway (PCPEP) or Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes (MOCH) GCSE Grade A-C in Maths and English or skills level 2 Maths and English or equivalent
Experience
Essential
Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician in primary care, community or hospital pharmacy Understanding of prescribing and medicines management issues Experience of working under own direction in a patient focused environment Experience of working under appropriate supervision as part of a multi-disciplinary team
Desirable
Experience of working within a primary care environment. Experience of EMIS.
Behaviours
Essential
Demonstrable ability to show kindness and compassion. Demonstrate ability to reflect and learn from situations. Demonstrates co-operative team working and awareness of the roles. of other professionals. Flexible approach to work.
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
Understands and acts in line with GPhC professional standards for practice. Ability to organise and prioritise own delegated workload Good IT skills including ability to record accurate clinical notes. Ability to communicate effectively (written, verbal and non-verbal communication) with patients/relatives and carers and all members of the multi-disciplinary team. Ability to develop effective and appropriate relationships with people, their families, carers and colleagues. Full, clean driving licence.
Desirable
Knowledge of primary care networks and collaborative ways of working.