Clinical Pharmacy in General Practice is part of an exciting program of transformation to develop a new model of care which addresses our ambition to deliver person-centred, coordinated care across the PCN. The Clinical Pharmacy in General Practice model is supported by the direction of national policy, where there is a need to better utilise the role of pharmacy within primary care to proactively help patients stay safe and well and out of hospital as well as helping to reduce the demands on general practice.
Pharmacy technicians play an important role, complementing and working alongside the PCN clinical pharmacists, community pharmacists and other members of the PCN multi-disciplinary team. Pharmacy technicians are different from 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, technical, and administrative categories.
Main duties of the job
The purpose of the role is to lead improvements to maximise safe, cost-effective best practice in prescribing to improve the quality of patient care. The post holder will help patients to get the best from their medicines by actioning clinical letters and discharge summaries, assist with drug monitoring including high-risk drug monitoring, switching medications to agreed and approved protocols, improving repeat prescribing processes in General Practice, minimising clinical risk and aiming to reduce wasted medicines.
In addition, the post holder will be responsible for encouraging the development of better understanding of the principles of medicines optimisation throughout the practice teams and promoting good practice in line with therapeutic developments. This will involve assisting the PCN in achieving national requirements, NICE implementation, and utilisation of medicines optimisation initiatives.
Mentorship and supervision will be provided by PCN pharmacists working at each practice. The level and type of supervision will be dependent on the post holder's acquisition of skills and knowledge and determined by the organisation's clinical governance arrangements.
About us
The Deben Health Group PCN is seeking a pharmacy technician to join its friendly, supportive, and forward-thinking team. Our PCN comprises four member practices, Wickham Market Medical Centre, The Peninsula Practice, Little St Johns Street Surgery, and Framfield House Surgery with a joint patient population of approximately 40,000, each with its unique strengths and expertise. Our aim is to leverage these strengths and foster collaboration among our network members to deliver its key objectives contained in the Directed Enhanced Service Contract (DES) from NHSEngland and NHS Improvement and enhance the quality and efficiency of care delivery. By working together, we can offer a wide range of services, support, and coordinated care effectively, and improve patient outcomes.
Job responsibilities
1. Clinical
1. Undertake 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), actioning clinical letters and discharge summaries, supporting medication reviews, medicines reconciliation, and drug monitoring. Where required, utilise consultation skills to work in partnership with patients to ensure they use their medicines effectively.
3. As determined by the PCN, support medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new care home patients and synchronising medicines for patient transfers between care settings, linking with local community pharmacies.
4. Support the Clinical Pharmacist in Structured Medication Reviews (SMR) e.g., organise necessary monitoring tests prior to SMR.
5. Provide expertise to address both the public health and social care needs of patients, including lifestyle advice, service information, and help in tackling local health inequalities.
6. Manage shared care protocols and liaise with Clinical Pharmacists for more complex patients.
7. Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing locally.
2. Technical and Administrative
1. Work with the clinical pharmacists and support the PCN multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation processes are being followed.
2. Action clinical letters and discharge summaries, daily and within a timely manner.
3. Provide training and support on the legal, safe, and secure handling of medicines, including the implementation of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS).
4. Promotion of Electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD) and online ordering.
5. Develop relationships with other pharmacy professionals and members of the multi-disciplinary team to support integration across health and social care including primary care, community pharmacy, secondary care, and mental health.
6. Support practice prescriptions teams in streaming general prescription requests, so as to allow GPs and clinical pharmacists to review the more clinically complex requests.
7. Support the implementation of national prescribing policies and guidance within GP practices, care homes, and other primary care settings.
8. Support the PCN to deliver on QIPP agenda, QOF, and locally commissioned enhanced services.
9. Support the PCN in reviewing and developing practice policies for CQC requirements.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical sciences
* Registered with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
* Completed or be willing to complete the Primary Care Pharmacy Education Program (CPPE)
* Additional clinical pharmacy training/qualification
Experience
* Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician in primary care, community or hospital pharmacy
* Confident in use of electronic records and systems; databases and spreadsheets.
* Able to obtain and analyse complex technical information.
* Can work independently on a day-to-day basis
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills (Email, telephone & online meetings)
* Experience of using SystmOne
* Able to analyse and interpret prescribing data
* An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for the improvement of prescribing
* Awareness of GP budget-management and funding systems to enable GP clinical pharmacist services to assist delivery of PCN and NHS priorities and requirements for financial balance and quality
Personal Qualities
* Self-motivated and able to work independently, resourcefully and under pressure, without direct supervision and determine own workload priorities.
* An understanding and acceptance of one's capabilities and awareness of own limitations.
* Must be reliable and accurate in all aspects of work.
* Able to work under pressure.
* Flexible and Adaptable.
* Flexibility of working hours to cover changes in service demand as required by business needs.
* Must be adaptable and comfortable dealing with changing priorities.
* Able to work in a challenging and changing environment, responding quickly and flexibly to new developments.
* Confident in communication methods and able to communicate effectively with a wide variety of people with different skill sets, verbally and in writing.
* Needs to be able to remain calm in fraught circumstances.
* Diplomatic when dealing with sensitive information or managing potential conflict.
* Understanding of the need to maintain confidentiality and data security.
* The ability to work as part of an integrated multi-skilled team.
* Ability to lead, support and motivate a team successfully.
* An understanding, acceptance and adherence for the need to work to set guidelines and procedures with having work checked directly and indirectly by other members of the practice health care team.
* Show professional attitude and demeanour including courteous interaction with team members and managers.
* Ability to work effectively and build relationships with a wide variety of people with different skill sets.
* Able to use initiative and develop new ideas to improve services.
* Ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness, common sense and local knowledge, to respond to enquiries and requests while adhering to practice limitations.
* Must be non-prejudicial.
* Sensitive & empathetic in distressing situations.
* Ability to make decisions appropriate to the situation while adhering to practice policies.
* Ability to investigate and resolve discrepancies while adhering to practice policies.
* Able to demonstrate innovation and resourcefulness.
* Full driving licence.
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.
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