pharmacy technician Northwich, England
Job description
Witton Street Surgery is seeking a Pharmacy Technician to join our team in Northwich.
We are a very friendly surgery, located in Northwich, for two years consecutively named by the Sunday Times as one of the best places in the country to both work and live. There are exceptional transport links, and excellent local schools.
We have been rated the top practice in Northwich in the National Patient Survey.
Our team consists of 4 Partners, 2 Salaried GP's, 2 Practice Nurses, 1 HCA, a Clinical Pharmacist, MSK Physician and Emergency Care Practitioner
We pride ourselves on delivering high quality, modern primary care with a focus on efficiency and a good patient experience, and more importantly a good work/life balance for our staff.
For more information please contact Marilla Maffezzoli, Clinical Pharmacist on 01606 544850 or email [email protected].
Job Description
Job Title: Pharmacy Technician
Responsible to: Clinical Pharmacist/Partners
Hours: 22.5 hours per week Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Grade: Equivalent to Agenda for Change Band 5 £15.73 per hour.
Disclosure required: Yes – Disclosure & Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure
We present an exciting opportunity for the role of Pharmacy Technician at Witton Street Surgery. You will work alongside our friendly Pharmacist/Medicines Team. Clinical Pharmacy in general practice is part of an exciting programme of transformation to develop a new model of care. This will utilise the role of pharmacy within primary care to help reduce the demands on general practice and to pro-actively help patients stay safe, well and out of hospital.
Witton Street Surgery
· GMS Teaching practice, 9,100 patients and growing
· Rated top practice in Northwich in National Patient Survey
· EMIS Health and Docman 10
· Training Practice including FY2 and ST1-3 Registrars, Medical students.
· High QOF Achievers, Minor Surgery & Family Planning Clinic
· 4 Partners, 2 Salaried GPs, 2 Practice Nurses, 1 HCA a Clinical Pharmacist, MSK physician and Emergency Care Practitioner
· Excellent transport links to Northwest Region. Excellent local schools
· CQC Rating 2022 – Good
· Friendly and supportive team who value a work/life balance
· Practice Website: www.wittonstreetsurgery.nhs.uk
We pride ourselves on delivering high quality, modern primary care with a focus on efficiency and a good patient experience, and importantly a good work / life balance for our staff.
The practice is supported by a variety of ARRS roles, including our own pharmacist, and MSK practitioner, Emergency Care Practitioner and we have access to PCN care co-ordinators, OTs, physios, and PCN paramedics also.
We are seeking candidates with drive and enthusiasm to help deliver improvements to our current systems. Candidates must be organised, flexible and show good leadership qualities.
Suggested duties include:
Duties and Responsibilities
1. Undertake patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared-decision making conversations with patients.
2. Carry 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
3, 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.
4. 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.
5. Take a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols and liaising with specialist pharmacists for more complex patients
6. Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.
7. Assist in the delivery of medicines optimisation and management incentive schemes and patient safety audits.
8. 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.
9. Work with the PCN multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation, including implementing efficient ordering and return processes, and reducing wastage.
10. Support medical receptionists in sorting and streaming general prescription requests, so as to allow GPs and clinical pharmacists to review the more clinically complex requests
11. Provide leadership for medicines optimisation 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.
12. Provide training and support on the legal, safe and secure handling of medicines, including the implementation of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS).
13. Develop 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.
Variations
This Job Description describes the main purpose and key responsibilities and accountabilities of the post. The post holder may be required to undertake any additional duties or responsibilities as may reasonably be required.
This Job Description is a guide to the nature and main duties of the post as they currently exist, but it is not intended as a wholly comprehensive or permanent schedule and it is not part of the contract of employment.
To reflect changing needs and priorities, some elements of this post may be subject to change and where required, any appropriate communication or consultation with the post holder will be undertaken prior to making any changes.
Special requirements of the post:
- An Understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality.
- An ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness and common sense to respond to patients’ enquiries and requests.
- Excellent communication skills.
- A willingness to undertake any other duties required to ensure the smooth running of the practice.
- A flexibility to do overtime to cover sickness and holiday within the practice team.
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, Practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the Practice as a business organisation. 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 the Practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data
Health & Safety:
The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others’ health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health & Safety Policy, to include:
- Using personal security systems within the workplace according to Practice 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
- Reporting potential risks identified
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 people’s rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
- Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
- Behaving in a manner which 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 the Practice as part of this employment, 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
Quality:
The post-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 on ways to improve and enhance the team’s performance
- Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
- Effectively manage own time, workload and resources
Communication:
The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
- Communicate effectively with other team members
- Communicate effectively with patients and carers
- Recognise people’s needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly
Contribution to the Implementation of Services:
The post-holder will:
- Apply Practice policies, standards and guidance and be aware of the CQC essential standards.
- Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, CQC standards and guidelines will affect own work
- Participate in audit where appropriate
Education and Qualifications
NVQ level 3 in Pharmaceutical Science, Professional Registration with GPhC, CPPE and NHS England Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway or a willingness to work towards with an agreed time frame.
Experience
Experience of working as a Pharmacy Technician is essential, experience working within the NHS/GP practice is desirable.
Job Types: Part-time, Permanent
Part-time hours: 22.5 per week
Salary: £15.73 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Northwich: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- Pharmacy: 1 year (preferred)
Work Location: In person
Application deadline: 08/08/2023
