PCN Practice Pharmacy Technician

Job summary

We are delighted to offer this opportunity to join our expanding Pharmacy & Medicines Management Team in one of our GP practices. It is a busy & varied role and also includes liaison between the three practices' prescribing teams in our Banbury Alliance PCN.

We are a friendly & supportive, non-dispensing, training practice who are further developing our multi-disciplinary working, having innovated with practice pharmacists long before the national pilots. We therefore have a well-established team into which we want to recruit a motivated individual, to enhance our key role in supporting the GPs in medicines management.

Looking for an exciting & fulfilling new direction for your career? Do you love being part of a team but also working independently? Do you value your colleagues & being able to make a difference to patients?

If so, come& meet us

Main duties of the job

We are looking for applicants with enthusiasm for working in general practice, who have attention to detail and ability to work independently, as well as with clinical and reception/admin colleagues as part of the whole primary health care team. We value commitment, flexibility and enthusiasm for learning.

The ideal candidate will be proactive with excellent organisational skills & confident with IT.

They will also have an ability to communicate effectively between practice teams within the PCN and with secondary care & community pharmacies, as well as with patients (face to face & over the telephone).

About us

Hightown Surgery serves 12,000 patients in the thriving market town of Banbury& surrounding villages. We are a friendly,team-orientated, patient-focussed, learning-centred practice and strongly believe in the effectiveness of a supportive atmosphere& career development.

Banbury Alliance PCN is a network of three medium-sized, partnership practices, serving over 27,000 patients and being the smallest network in Oxfordshire. This gives us the advantages of excellent communication, co-operative working and agility of decision making, as well as being able to build on existing positive relationships and get to know one everyone in the PCN.

Job description

Job responsibilities

PRACTICE PHARMACY TECHNICIAN

HIGHTOWN SURGERY

JOB DESCRIPTION

Post Title: PCNPractice Pharmacy Technician

Working Hours Full time

Reports to: Clinical Pharmacists clinically, Practice ManagerAdministratively

JOBSUMMARY

Tosupport the practice Clinical Pharmacists and the primary care team to ensurethe delivery of safe, effective and efficient systems for repeat prescribing,medicines optimisation, reducing medicines waste and maximising patientoutcomes.

Jobresponsibilities

To support theClinical Pharmacists in medicines reconciliation and optimisation in accordancewith practice protocols and to update patients medical records andprescriptions accordingly, including using the Docman document workflow systemto check recent patient documents.

To support theClinical Pharmacists and reception staff in dealing with medication queries andin providing patient information leaflets, and improving medicine awarenessamong patients.

To support theachievement of the practices targets for the ICB. Prescribing Quality Scheme (PQS),including liaising with the medicines management team and participating inpractice prescribing audits.

Working with theClinical Pharmacists to contribute to the review and development of repeatprescribing protocols and to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of repeatprescribing systems.

To provide adviceto GPs, staff and patients in changes to prescribing in order to support theimprovement of prescribing safety, quality and cost effectiveness.

To prepareevidence based resources and information to support the implementation ofrational cost-effective prescribing.

To take aproactive approach to the safe handling of prescriptions, including assessmentof risk and making recommendations for improvement.

To advise on thesourcing and safe management of medicines as appropriate.

To assist in thesubmission of claims for personally administered drugs as required.

Responsibility for administration

Otherduties and responsibilities to be undertaken may include any or all of theitems in the following list:

Taking messagesand passing on information as appropriate.

Computer dataentry/data allocation and collation, processing and recording information in accordancewith practice procedures.

Initiatingcontact with and responding to requests from patients, other team members andassociated healthcare professionals and providers.

Helping to keepall practice areas tidy and free from obstructions and clutter.

Helping tomaintain a positive, patient focused culture.

Helping tomaintain a positive, supportive culture across the whole of the practice team.

Any other dutiescommensurate with this position. Duties will vary from time to time under thedirection of the Partners and the Practice Manager, depending on current andevolving practice workload and staffing levels, with discussion with thepost-holder and other colleagues.

Patientservices

To deal withmedication queries from patients and staff in a professional manner, workingwithin ones own capabilities and referring to the appropriate GP or ClinicalPharmacist in accordance with practice protocols when necessary.

To present atpatient group meetings or other appropriate events to give advice on theappropriate use of medicines.

To help producepatient information leaflets and posters and run medicine awareness projectsthroughout the year as necessary.

To help plan,develop and support the introduction of new working processes within thepractice to optimise the quality of prescribing.

Communication

Thepost-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication withinthe team and will strive to:

Communicateeffectively with other team members.

Communicateeffectively with patients and carers.

Recognisepeoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respondaccordingly.

Confidentiality

In the course ofseeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitiveinformation in relation to their health and other matters. They do so inconfidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacyand act appropriately.

In theperformance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder mayhave access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers,practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access toinformation relating to the practice as a business organisation. All suchinformation from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.

Informationrelating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or thebusiness of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons inaccordance with the practice policies and procedures relating toconfidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Health& safety

Thepost-holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotion and managementtheir own and others health and safety and infection control as defined in thepractice Health & Safety policy, the practice Health & Safety manual,and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This willinclude (but will not be limited to):

Using personalsecurity systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines.

Awareness ofnational standards of infection control and cleanliness andregulatory/contractual/professional requirements, and good practice guidelines.

Correct use ofPersonal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Use andmonitoring of the correct use of Standard operating Procedures for cleaning andinfection control.

Responsible forcorrect hand hygiene of self and others.

Ownership ofinfection control and clinically based patient care protocols, andimplementation of those protocols within the team.

Activeobservation of current working practices across the team in relation toinfection control, cleanliness and related activities, ensuring that proceduresare followed and weaknesses or training needs are identified, escalating issuesas appropriate.

Identifying therisks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way thatmanages those risks across clinical and patient process

Making effectiveuse of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage thetraining of others across the full range of infection control and patientprocesses.

Monitoringpractice facilities and equipment in relation to infection control, ensuringthat provision of hand cleansing facilities, wipes etc. are sufficient toensure a good clinical working environment. Lack of facilities to be escalatedas appropriate.

Safe managementof sharps procedures including training, use, storage and disposal.

Using appropriateinfection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean andsterile, and safe way, free from hazards. Initiation of remedial/correctiveaction where needed or escalation to responsible management.

Activelyidentifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards andinfection hazards immediately when recognised.

Keeping own workareas and general/patient areas generally clean, sterile, identifying issuesand hazards/risks in relation to other work areas within the business, andassuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanlinessacross the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other sectormanagers.

Undertakingperiodic infection control training (minimum twice annually).

Routinemanagement of own team / team areas, and maintenance of work space standards.

Waste managementincluding collection, handling, segregation, container management, storage andcollection.

Spillage controlprocedures, management and training.

Decontaminationcontrol procedures, management and training, and equipment maintenance.

Maintenance ofsterile environments.

Correct cleaningof equipment used for near patient testing such as blood glucose monitoringequipment, using manufacturers instructions as appropriate.

Equalityand diversity

Thepost-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carersand colleagues, to include:

Acting in a waythat recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a waythat is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and currentlegislation.

Respecting theprivacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues.

Behaving in amanner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental andrespects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Vulnerable Adults, Children& Young People

Allmembers of staff have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of vulnerableadults, children and young people in all relevant areas of their work. This will include timely attendance atrelevant training events and compliance with practice, local, and nationalpolicy.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Post qualification experience in community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, or general practice pharmacy/dispensing. Experience in dealing regularly with the public and patients. Skills and knowledge An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality. Ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness and common sense. Ability to work as part of an integrated multi-skilled team. Able to work under pressure. Able to work in a changing environment. Able to use own initiative. Ability to self-motivate, organise and prioritise own workload. Good verbal and written communication. Motivated and enthusiastic. Able to respond to change and apply new developments without difficulty.

Desirable

Experience working in the NHS. Understanding of primary care prescribing and Medicines Management issues. Understanding of working effectively within multidisciplinary groups in healthcare. Training in using the EMIS Web clinical system and Docman workflow system. Excellent attention to detail. Advanced numeracy skills. Excellent keyboard and computer skills. Excellent communication skills. Good interpersonal skills and an ability to make effective relationships with others. Driving licence and access to own car.

Qualifications

Essential

NVQ3 Pharmacy services (or equivalent). Registration as a Pharmacy Technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council. Evidence of CPD.

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