Pharmacy Technician

Job summary

We are looking to employ a dedicated, experienced Pharmacy Technician to join our busy 4 partner training practice.

You will join a clinical team of 4 GP Partners, 2 Salaried GPs, GP trainees, 1 Trainee Advanced Nurse Practitioner, 2 Practice Nurses, 1 Paramedic and 1 GP Assistant, led by the Practice Manager & Operations Manager.

The successful candidate will be enthusiastic, flexible and well organised. They will have experience in General Practice and be proficient in both administrative and patient-facing duties. They will have a Pharmacy technician qualification and have completed, or be enrolled in, the PCPEP .

Your role will also consist of a variety of duties including answering the prescriptions telephone line, medicines reconciliation, answering queries from patients and staff, lead improvements in best medicines practice and undertaking basic medication reviews.

Salary would be dependent on previous experience and qualifications in range of NHS AFC Band 5.

Interviews to take place on the afternoon of Thursday 19 December.

Main duties of the job

Facilitate & document the correct addition & removal of medications following receipt of discharge summaries, secondary care, and community clinic letters. Taking telephone prescription orders from patients Organising repeat & acute medication lists Advising practice team, care homes and patients on administrative aspects of medicines management Undertaking basic medication reviews and associated physical health checks Coordinating medical device prescription requests catheters, nutritional supplements/feeds and stoma care products Provide independent information to patients with regard to medicines and prescribing changes, initiating further support from other healthcare professionals where appropriate

A full job description is available on request.

About us

The New Hall Lane Practice is a long-established, 4 partner, family practice with a list size of around 7,200 patients, centrally located in the heart of Preston.

We are a multi-cultural, dynamic and friendly team who work hard to provide quality care and clinical excellence, backed by high QOF & IIF achievements.

We take pride in being a long-standing training practice for ST2 & 3 doctors and Medical Students from Lancaster University.

We use the EMIS Web clinical system.

We are an active member of our 10 practice PCN - Greater Preston PCN and part of Lancashire & South Cumbria ICB.

CQC rating Good.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key tasks & Responsibilities

Answering patient prescription ordering telephone line Determine accuracy of both hospital and GP prescriptions with regard to medication Provide independent information to patients with regard to medicines management and through assessment initiate further support/input from other healthcare professionals where appropriate Make independent decisions regarding prescribing issues in accordance with CCG guidelines where there is a range of possible options which impact on the prescribing budget Work with the partners to develop medicines guidelines and policies and deliver training and education on prescribing and therapeutics in general practice Implement procedural and service changes relating to prescribing to GP practice staff to ensure best practice is adopted in accordance with local guidelines and legislation Ensure the provision and distribution of information to the primary healthcare team including GPs, practice managers, practice and district nurses, local community pharmacists and their patients as necessary To link into local clinical governance structures to report on risk management issues relating to the prescribing process To establish and maintain an effective working relationship with practice staff and other healthcare professionals in order to influence prescribing behaviour according to local CCG policy To support the surgery in the planning and delivery of medicines management services To work within the full range of technical pharmacy and codes of practice and protocols in order to maximise pharmaceutical support. Assist in and perform other routine tasks related to patient care directed by GP Partners & managers

Other tasks include:

Nursing home Prescriptions monitoring prescription requests Appliance/wound care contractor request monitoring Prescription queries from healthcare professionals / More complex queries from healthcare professionals Daily queries/information requests from clinicians Daily queries from all outside agencies including patients Working with nursing homes- answering queries/checking compliance Discharge summaries - change of medication, adding new medication before checked by the clinicians and inform necessary people eg. Patients, Nursing/care homes, Pharmacies and where needed blister pack patients Patient advice Liaising with pharmacies for best practice Action any new guidelines from LSCMMG/CCG Paperwork: Discharges / Outpatient scripts or letters & add on new meds and change / Doses Participation in administrative systems in the Practice. At all times to maintain accurate clinical records. To attend and participate in practice education sessions.

Confidentiality:

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately. In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description the post holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential. Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Health & Safety

The post holder will assist in promoting andmaintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in thepractice health and safety policy including:

Using personal security systems within the practice. Identifying risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks. Make effective use of training to update skills and knowledge. Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way free from hazards. Reporting potential risks identified.

Personal/ProfessionalDevelopment

Thepost holder will participate in any training programme implemented by thepractice as part of this employment this will include:

Participation in annual performance review including taking responsibility for maintaining own personal/professional development. Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.

Quality

Thepost holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice and will

Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk. Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions either directly or under supervision. Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions to improve and enhance the teams performance. Effectively manage own time, workload and resources. Work effectively with individuals from other agencies to meet patient needs.

Safeguarding

Thepractice is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children,young people and adults, but also service users and visitors to our services.All staff have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare ofchildren and adults. The post-holder in conjunction with the management will beresponsible for ensuring they undertake the appropriate level of training relevantto their individual role and responsibilities and that they are aware of andwork within the relevant safeguarding policies and procedures.

The post-holder is expected to treat patients, and carers, care and compassionat all times, treating each person as an individual by offering a personalisedservice. The practice staff will adopt, behaviours and attitudes which promote,support and respect, privacy and dignity. Staff are expected to challenge poorpractice in relation to dignity and treat each other with respect.

The practice is committed to providing consistently excellent and safepatient-centred care for all those who access our services, through highlyskilled, committed and compassionate staff working together. The practice doesthis by putting our patients at the centre of all that we do and providing thebest quality care with passion and pride. All staff are required to advocate,champion, and demonstrate the practices vision and values.

Communication

The post holder shouldrecognize the importance of effective communication within the team and striveto

Communicate effectively with other team members. Communicate effectively with patients and carers Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.

Equity and Diversity

Thepost holder will support the equity, diversity and rights of patients, carersand colleagues, to include

Acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedure and policy. Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients carers and colleagues. Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, in non judgemental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Equal Opportunities

Youare required to comply with and maintain awareness of the practice Policiesrelating to Equal Opportunities.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

Familiar with drug names, classes and terminology Proficient in Microsoft suite of products Excel, Word

Qualities and attributes

Essential

Able to demonstrate enthusiasm to developing own skills An understanding, acceptance, initiative and common sense Ability to work without direct supervision and determine own workload priorities Ability to work as part of an integrated multi skilled team Adherence to the need for strict confidentiality Ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness Ability to work in isolation as well as being part of a team Pleasant and articulate Ability to work under pressure Ability to work in a changing environment Strong communication skills, verbal and written

Experience

Essential

Experience of working in General Practice Experience of data collection & analysis

Desirable

Experience of dealing with patients independently on a one to one basis

Qualifications

Essential

Registered with GPhC as a Pharmacy Technician Enrolled in, undertaking, or qualified from Primary Care Pharmacy Educational Pathway (PCPEP) Appropriate Pharmacy Technician qualification

---