Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

The PCN Pharmacy Technician will need to be committed to improving health and putting patients first across the Primary Care Network. Key qualities will be the ability to build effective relationships with patients, GPs, nurses, other pharmacy colleagues, hospital and practice staff, and to work effectively as part of a team.

The post holder will:

• Support, promote and implement high quality, evidence-based, cost-effective and safe use of medicines.
• Improve prescribing practices across the Primary Care Network
• Undertake patient facing and support roles to ensure effective medicines use.
• Provide support to GPs, Clinical Pharmacists, other clinical staff and reception teams, with medicines-related queries and medication reviews.
• Continually develop clinical knowledge and skills, applying those skills to work plan projects to improve patient care.
• The Pharmacy Technician will undergo clinical supervision and mentorship from the Clinical Pharmacists and the Senior Clinical Pharmacist.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSBILITIES

Clinical Duties

• To undertake technical medication reviews or assist pharmacists with clinical medication reviews where applicable.
• Undertake clinical review of medication in specific clinical areas under the direction of a protocol.
• To assist practices with primary and secondary care interface issues.
• Assist patients with medication compliance issues and counsel them about medication.
• To support the pharmacists with medicines reconciliation in accordance with protocols and to update patients medical records / prescribing accordingly.
• Support medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new care home patients and synchronising medicines for patient transfers between care settings and linking with local community pharmacists.
• Provide specialist expertise, where competent, to address both the public health and social care needs of patients, including lifestyle advice, service information, and help in tackling local health inequalities.
• Take a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols and liaising with specialist pharmacists for more complex patients.
• Support the timely monitoring and management of high-risk medicines.
• Assist in answering medicine related enquiries from GPs, other practice staff and patients in a professional manner referring to the clinical pharmacist when appropriate.
• Undertake simple audits of prescribing in areas as directed, feedback the results and implement changes in conjunction with the practice team.
• Provide advice to GPs, staff and patients in changes to prescribing in order to support the improvement of prescribing safety, quality and cost effectiveness.

Technical and Administrative Duties

• Support the implementation of repeat prescribing policies to ensure safe prescribing processes and reduce medication wastage.
• Help to plan, develop and support the introduction of new working processes to optimise the quality of prescribing.
• Support the PCN/practices to deliver on QIPP agenda, QOF and locally commissioned enhanced services.
• Work with managers, practice pharmacists and GPs to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved.
• Carry out housekeeping whilst in patients records e.g., dose optimisation and medication alignment.
• Advise clinicians of alternative medication options when prescribed medication is out of stock or unavailable.
• To deliver information and training to a range of audiences including practice staff.

Safeguarding

• All members of staff have a responsibility to ensure the safeguarding of patients within the organisation.
• Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

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 will have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, member practices, staff and other healthcare workers. 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 organisation may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data
• Keep up to date with IG And GDPR legislation

Health & safety

The post-holder will ensure the promotion and management of their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the organisations Health & Safety policy and the Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include (but will not be limited to):

• Ensuring adherence to individual responsibilities for infection control and health and safety, using a system of observation, audit and check, hazard identification, questioning, reporting and risk management.
• Maintaining an up-to-date knowledge of health and safety and infection control statutory and best practice guidelines, and ensure implementation of these across all areas
• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to organisation guidelines
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards, and initiation of remedial / corrective action where needed
• Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
• Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, identifying issues and hazards / risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other managers
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)

Equality and diversity

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

• Acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with procedures and policies, and current legislation
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
• Behaving in a manner that is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/Professional development

• The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by GP Health Connect Limited/Lead Pharmacist as part of this employment, with such training to include:
• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development.
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.
• Ensure own actions contribute to the maintenance of a quality service provision
• Be responsible for the self-development of skills and competencies through participation in training and development activities and to maintain up to date technical and professional knowledge relevant to the post
• Undertake statutory and mandatory training as well as role specific training deemed appropriate

Quality

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the organisation, 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 on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources
• Act corporately as a member of the team and take a shared responsibility for the development of strategy, effectiveness and culture of the team and the organisation

Communication

The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to

• Communicate effectively with other team members, other stakeholders, including shareholders, contract holders, subcontractors, practice managers and other practice staff
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers
• Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Contribution to the implementation of services

The post-holder will

• Apply GP Health Connect Ltd and practice policies, standards and guidance
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
• Participate in audit where appropriate

Conditions of employment including hours of work, holidays etc. are covered in the Contract of Employment. The staff handbook contains employment policies.

You are employed in the role as specified within your job description. However, in order to meet the needs of service users and ensure the efficient running of the service, a flexible approach to your duties is required. You may be required to undertake any other reasonable duty which is required such as covering for colleagues and undertaking general administration tasks in relation to working within GP Health Connect and local practices, this may on occasion not be planned and will be on an, as and when required basis.

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

The PCN Pharmacy Technician will need to be committed to improving health and putting patients first across the Primary Care Network. Key qualities will be the ability to build effective relationships with patients, GPs, nurses, other pharmacy colleagues, hospital and practice staff, and to work effectively as part of a team.

The post holder will:

• Support, promote and implement high quality, evidence-based, cost-effective and safe use of medicines.
• Improve prescribing practices across the Primary Care Network
• Undertake patient facing and support roles to ensure effective medicines use.
• Provide support to GPs, Clinical Pharmacists, other clinical staff and reception teams, with medicines-related queries and medication reviews.
• Continually develop clinical knowledge and skills, applying those skills to work plan projects to improve patient care.
• The Pharmacy Technician will undergo clinical supervision and mentorship from the Clinical Pharmacists and the Senior Clinical Pharmacist.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSBILITIES

Clinical Duties

• To undertake technical medication reviews or assist pharmacists with clinical medication reviews where applicable.
• Undertake clinical review of medication in specific clinical areas under the direction of a protocol.
• To assist practices with primary and secondary care interface issues.
• Assist patients with medication compliance issues and counsel them about medication.
• To support the pharmacists with medicines reconciliation in accordance with protocols and to update patients medical records / prescribing accordingly.
• Support medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new care home patients and synchronising medicines for patient transfers between care settings and linking with local community pharmacists.
• Provide specialist expertise, where competent, to address both the public health and social care needs of patients, including lifestyle advice, service information, and help in tackling local health inequalities.
• Take a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols and liaising with specialist pharmacists for more complex patients.
• Support the timely monitoring and management of high-risk medicines.
• Assist in answering medicine related enquiries from GPs, other practice staff and patients in a professional manner referring to the clinical pharmacist when appropriate.
• Undertake simple audits of prescribing in areas as directed, feedback the results and implement changes in conjunction with the practice team.
• Provide advice to GPs, staff and patients in changes to prescribing in order to support the improvement of prescribing safety, quality and cost effectiveness.

Technical and Administrative Duties

• Support the implementation of repeat prescribing policies to ensure safe prescribing processes and reduce medication wastage.
• Help to plan, develop and support the introduction of new working processes to optimise the quality of prescribing.
• Support the PCN/practices to deliver on QIPP agenda, QOF and locally commissioned enhanced services.
• Work with managers, practice pharmacists and GPs to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved.
• Carry out housekeeping whilst in patients records e.g., dose optimisation and medication alignment.
• Advise clinicians of alternative medication options when prescribed medication is out of stock or unavailable.
• To deliver information and training to a range of audiences including practice staff.

Safeguarding

• All members of staff have a responsibility to ensure the safeguarding of patients within the organisation.
• Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

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 will have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, member practices, staff and other healthcare workers. 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 organisation may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data
• Keep up to date with IG And GDPR legislation

Health & safety

The post-holder will ensure the promotion and management of their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the organisations Health & Safety policy and the Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include (but will not be limited to):

• Ensuring adherence to individual responsibilities for infection control and health and safety, using a system of observation, audit and check, hazard identification, questioning, reporting and risk management.
• Maintaining an up-to-date knowledge of health and safety and infection control statutory and best practice guidelines, and ensure implementation of these across all areas
• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to organisation guidelines
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards, and initiation of remedial / corrective action where needed
• Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
• Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, identifying issues and hazards / risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other managers
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)

Equality and diversity

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

• Acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with procedures and policies, and current legislation
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
• Behaving in a manner that is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/Professional development

• The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by GP Health Connect Limited/Lead Pharmacist as part of this employment, with such training to include:
• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development.
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.
• Ensure own actions contribute to the maintenance of a quality service provision
• Be responsible for the self-development of skills and competencies through participation in training and development activities and to maintain up to date technical and professional knowledge relevant to the post
• Undertake statutory and mandatory training as well as role specific training deemed appropriate

Quality

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the organisation, 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 on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources
• Act corporately as a member of the team and take a shared responsibility for the development of strategy, effectiveness and culture of the team and the organisation

Communication

The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to

• Communicate effectively with other team members, other stakeholders, including shareholders, contract holders, subcontractors, practice managers and other practice staff
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers
• Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Contribution to the implementation of services

The post-holder will

• Apply GP Health Connect Ltd and practice policies, standards and guidance
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
• Participate in audit where appropriate

Conditions of employment including hours of work, holidays etc. are covered in the Contract of Employment. The staff handbook contains employment policies.

You are employed in the role as specified within your job description. However, in order to meet the needs of service users and ensure the efficient running of the service, a flexible approach to your duties is required. You may be required to undertake any other reasonable duty which is required such as covering for colleagues and undertaking general administration tasks in relation to working within GP Health Connect and local practices, this may on occasion not be planned and will be on an, as and when required basis.

Person Specification

Knowledge

Essential

• Good clinical knowledge
• Good understanding of Primary Care structure and General Practice

Desirable

• Knowledge of GP clinical computer systems

Qualifications

Essential

• BTEC in pharmaceutical sciences / NVQ level 3 or equivalent.
• Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Evidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

• Enrolled on or qualified from Primary Care Pharmacy Educational Pathway (PCPEP)

Skills

Essential

• Excellent communication skills written and verbal
• Organisational skills
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
• Computer literate including Microsoft office packages and web-based searching
• Conducts oneself in a professional manner at all times
• Be able to travel freely and travel between multiple sites on a daily basis
• Enthusiastic and self-motivated
• Flexible working approach
• Able to work under pressure

Desirable

• Valid driving licence and access to a car on a daily basis

Experience

Essential

• Experience of patient consultation
• Experience of working with GPs

Desirable

• Post qualification experience in community pharmacy, secondary care or primary care

Knowledge

Essential

• Good clinical knowledge
• Good understanding of Primary Care structure and General Practice

Desirable

• Knowledge of GP clinical computer systems

Qualifications

Essential

• BTEC in pharmaceutical sciences / NVQ level 3 or equivalent.
• Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Evidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

• Enrolled on or qualified from Primary Care Pharmacy Educational Pathway (PCPEP)

Skills

Essential

• Excellent communication skills written and verbal
• Organisational skills
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
• Computer literate including Microsoft office packages and web-based searching
• Conducts oneself in a professional manner at all times
• Be able to travel freely and travel between multiple sites on a daily basis
• Enthusiastic and self-motivated
• Flexible working approach
• Able to work under pressure

Desirable

• Valid driving licence and access to a car on a daily basis

Experience

Essential

• Experience of patient consultation
• Experience of working with GPs

Desirable

• Post qualification experience in community pharmacy, secondary care or primary care

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

GP Health Connect Limited

Address

Suite J, Axis House

Tudor Road, Manor Park

Runcorn

Cheshire

WA7 1BD

Employer's website

https://www.gphealthconnect.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)