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Job description

Basic purpose of the role

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.

Pharmacy technicians’ core role responsibilities will cover clinical, and technical and administrative categories.

Duties

Clinical

(Due to the covid 19 pandemic, we would anticipate that this role would involve telephone and video consultations for the foreseeable future and may involve some remote working.)

• Undertaking patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations with patients.
• Carrying out medicines optimisation tasks including effective medicine administration (e.g. 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.
• Supporting medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new care home patients and synchronising medicines for patient transfers between care settings, linking with local community pharmacists, and referring to the pharmacist for structured medication reviews, as required.
• Providing 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.
• Taking a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols and liaising with the PCN and other specialist pharmacists for more complex patients.
• Supporting initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.

Technical and Administrative

• Working with the PCN multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation, including implementing efficient ordering and return processes and reducing wastage.
• Providing training and support on the legal, safe and secure handling of medicines, including the implementation of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS).
• Developing relationships with other pharmacy technicians, pharmacists and members of the multi-disciplinary team to support integration of the pharmacy team across health and social care including primary care, community pharmacy, secondary care and mental health.
• Working with, and supervising where appropriate, practice reception and/or Prescription Clerk teams in sorting and streaming general prescription requests, so as to allow GPs and clinical pharmacists to review the more clinically complex requests.

The role will also require pharmacy technicians to support the implementation of national prescribing policies and guidance within GP practices, care homes and other primary care settings. This will be achieved through undertaking clinical audits (e.g. use of antibiotics), supporting quality improvement measures and contributing to the Quality and Outcomes Framework and enhanced services. In addition, pharmacy technicians will assist in the delivery of medicines optimisation incentive schemes (e.g. medicines switches) and patient safety audits.

Pharmacy technicians will provide leadership for medicines management systems across PCNs, supporting practices with a range of services to get the best value from medicines by encouraging and implementing Electronic Prescriptions, safe repeat prescribing systems, and timely monitoring and management of high-risk medicines.

General

• Ensure that all activities are monitored and evaluated.
• Attend internal meetings as required.
• Work in accordance with PCN policies, including the equal opportunities policy and practice.
• Attend any training courses and supervision sessions as required.
• Work with due regard to the PCN Health and Safety Policy, ensuring that all practices and procedures are undertaken in accordance with issued guidelines.
• Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required from time to time.

Special working conditions

• To be prepared to work flexibly if required and at different locations across the primary care network.

Person Specification – Primary Care Network Pharmacy Technician

Qualifications and Training

Must have completed or be enrolled in, be undertaking or be prepared to start an approved 18-month training pathway (e.g. Primary care pharmacy educational pathway (PCPEP) or Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes (MOCH)). Entry to the PCPEP programme will include the option for an accreditation of Prior Learning (APEL) process.

Evidence of Continuous Professional Development

Registered with General Pharmaceutical Council

Experience

Experience of working in primary care (i.e. GP Practice or Community Pharmacy)

Experience of working in secondary care.

Skills, ability and knowledge

Exceptional organisational and administrative skills

Competent word processing skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office software

Proven written, numerical and oral communication skills

Formal minute taking skills

Self-motivator and able to work autonomously

Ability to prioritise own workload and work to tight time scales

Able to confidently deal with a wide range of public sector professionals and outside organisations, including the general public

Knowledge of establishing and maintaining databases

Ability to deal with sensitive situations involving conflict and diplomacy.

Ability to manage priorities and personal workloads and meet deadlines.

Ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with all managers and staff at all levels both verbally and in writing.

Ability to develop effective working relationships with colleagues and other health professionals

Ability to analyse data and prepare simple reports

Ability to problem solve effectively

High level of confidentiality

Personal attributes

Ability to work with and develop effective relationships with a range of key stakeholders

Flexible Approach to work

Motivated and enthusiastic

Mature and calm disposition

Team player

Ability to work to and delivery to deadlines

Well organised

Open and honest

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/adults who are at risk of neglect or abuse

Demonstrates understanding of safeguarding issues

Working within Professional Boundaries

Highly motivated and resourceful

Able to maintain high standards of diplomacy and understands the principle of confidentiality.

Accepts responsibility and accountability for own work and can define the responsibilities of others

Able to establish positive relationships and mutual respect with people at all levels

Ability to contribute effectively

Emotional Awareness

Demonstrates empathy and concerns for others

Shows respect for others’ feelings, views and circumstances

Self-awareness

Can demonstrate a flexible approach

Has realistic knowledge of personal strengths and areas for development

Behaviour we expect

Treat everyone in a friendly, courteous manner

Treat colleagues and contacts with dignity and respect

Understand people come from varied backgrounds: challenge bias, prejudice and intolerance

Learn from mistakes and ask for support where necessary

Ensure appearance is professional

Look for better ways of working to achieve improvements

Question poor behaviour

Job Type: Permanent

Salary: From £27,055.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Cambridge: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Experience:

• Pharmacy: 1 year (preferred)

Work Location: In person

Reference ID: Primary Care Network Pharmacy Technician