Main area Medicines Optimisation Pharmacy Technician Grade NHS AfC: Band 5 Contract Permanent Hours
* Full time
* Part time
* Job share
* Flexible working
* Home or remote working
37.5 hours per week (also part time pro rata) Job ref 125-ICB006-25
Employer NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board Employer type NHS Site County Hall Town Preston Salary £29,970 - £36,483 pa - pro rata for part time Salary period Yearly Closing 02/02/2025 23:59 Interview date 12/02/2025
Medicines Optimisation Pharmacy Technician - Central and West Lancs
NHS AfC: Band 5
Job overview
Are you ready to take your career to the next level? We are looking to expand our dynamic pharmacy team with innovative and passionate individuals. We are looking for team players with a collaborative spirit and ability to work well in a team-oriented environment, with innovative thinking and the confidence to bring new ideas to the table.
The postholder will work as part of the ICB Medicines Optimisation Team in Central and West Lancashire locality. They will contribute to the development and implementation of the Medicines Optimisation Strategy to meet the pharmaceutical care needs of the population, optimise the use of medicines whilst considering medicines value.
The postholder will have the potential to support prescribers, general practice staff and care homes (as required) in improving the health of their patients through the rational and safe use of medicines, and the development and implementation of safe medicines optimisation systems. They will utilise data and medicines optimisation software systems to identify and monitor prescribing information and produce reports for use with practice staff and within the ICB.
The ICB is committed to support staff to reach their potential and understands that the future workforce may want to work flexibly and create a portfolio of training and development, therefore the postholder has the option to work in hybrid ways within the locality Medicines Optimisation team, where training and development will be provided as necessary.
Main duties of the job
The role will be varied and will adapt over time as the ICB develops. However, the postholder is expected to fulfil the following key functions:
1. Support the ICB to deliver the Medicines Optimisation Strategy in locality, across the ICB and across the healthcare system in Lancashire and South Cumbria.
2. Support providers in improving the health of patients through the rational and safe use of medicines.
We are looking for team players with a collaborative spirit and ability to work well in a team-oriented environment, with innovative thinking and the confidence to bring new ideas to the table. We are particularly looking for someone with good analytical and communication skills who is capable of managing discrete projects from concept to completion.
The interview day is Wednesday 12th February 2025 at the Health Innovation Centre near Lancaster. This will be a day long group interview with activities including a short presentation.
Working for our organisation
Please read our information for candidates document to learn more about our organisation and how we work.
You will be part of a supportive and inclusive team that values your unique skills and perspectives, working on exciting projects that challenge the status quo. You will enjoy a balance that suits your lifestyle and explore opportunities to widen your portfolio.
You will have a work base, although the role is hybrid working including home working and you will be free to use any of our offices across Lancashire and South Cumbria.
At Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), we believe in fostering a collaborative environment where your creativity and expertise can thrive. We prioritise our workforce by implementing our Education and Training Plan with a particular focus on pharmacy workforce development, training and support. We support pharmacy leadership at all levels and we are building an integrated pharmacy workforce that is agile, engaged and enabled to actively improve health outcomes.
The role benefits from standard NHS terms and conditions.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached Job Description for more details including the person specification.
The main duties of the role are:
1. Work locally at place, across the wider ICB Medicines Optimisation team, other ICB teams and directorates and across the system to contribute to the implementation of Medicines Optimisation plans and priorities to meet the objectives of the ICB Medicines Optimisation Strategy, associated plans, and medicines value, safety and quality.
2. Contribute to the development and implementation of Medicines Optimisation policies, procedures and services, to improve the pharmaceutical care of patients and monitor the safe and secure handling of medicines throughout the ICB.
3. Contribute to the publication of ICB newsletters, prescribing bulletins and guidelines.
4. Assist in the implementation of local Lancashire and South Cumbria pathways, guidance and formulary and national evidence-based prescribing guidelines that support quality and medicines value.
5. Assist in the implementation of national strategies that pertain to medicine use and medicine-related aspects of primary care contracts.
6. Support audit of prescribing and medicine use across the locality place and the ICB.
7. Analyse data (e.g. e-PACT and population health) to support changes in prescribing patterns, Medicines Optimisation, improved patient outcomes, and services.
8. Review systems used for managing prescribing within the primary care setting, including Eclipse, OptimiseRx and repeat prescribing, recommending, and supporting the implementation of change where appropriate.
9. Advise on the safe and secure handling of medicines in primary care, including the use of controlled drugs, to ensure that relevant medicines management standards are met.
10. Support the investigation of performance issues relating to Medicines Optimisation.
11. Support the integration of Medicines Optimisation and Pharmacy across the system.
12. Develop or collaborate in research and audit programmes to review aspects of prescribing or pharmaceutical service provision.
13. Support projects across the ICB and system, working with the Medicines Optimisation teams in other localities as needed.
14. Support projects in the locality where there is a need specific to the locality considering if the need is applicable to other localities.
Person specification
Qualifications
* Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
* City and Guilds, B/Tech in Pharmaceutical Science, NVQ Level 3 or equivalent.
Experience
* Recent General Clinical Pharmacy Activity.
* Previous experience of providing prescribing support in primary care (Not essential).
Skills
* Good analytical and presentation skills (verbal and written).
* Multi-disciplinary working.
* Experience of managing discrete projects from concept to completion.
* Driving licence and access to a car.
* Experience of training both individually and in groups.
* Ability to work both as team member and independently.
* Ability to plan own workload with priorities and objectives.
* Enhanced IT skills (including word-processing and spreadsheets).
* Experience of using primary care clinical systems (Not essential).
* Experience of interpreting data (Not essential).
Skills
* Good analytical and presentation skills (verbal and written).
* Ability to work both as team member and independently.
* Need to meet deadlines and deal with complex issues, prominent level of concentration required to produce documents on a regular basis Intellectually demanding role commensurate with pay banding.
* Need to challenge assertively across all levels of both Trusts on a regular basis.
As we do not hold a Home office sponsorship license for visas, we are unable to process applications that would require a visa to work in the UK.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Name Julie Lonsdale Job title Pharmacy workforce and integration lead Email address julie.lonsdale@nhs.net Additional information
Please contact us if you have any questions or to arrange an informal chat.
If you have problems applying, contact
Address Level 1
Fusion House
Evolution Park
Blackburn
Lancashire
BB1 2FD
Telephone 01254 732075
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