Pharmacy Technician (Maternity Cover)NHS

Job summary

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Clinical Pharmacy Technician to join our friendly, family-like Practice team. The successful candidate will be responsible for supporting our very experienced and knowledgeable Clinical Pharmacist Team in implementing medicines management within the Practice. They will identify areas for improvement, initiate and manage change under supervision to ensure effective and efficient use of medicines, and be supported by a team of GP Assistants and Care Coordinators.

The post-holder will be responsible for supporting the Clinical Pharmacist in implementing effective medicines management within the Practice, identifying areas for improvement, and initiating and managing change, under supervision to ensure effective and efficient use of medicines.

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 switching medications to agreed and approved protocols, improving repeat prescribing processes in General Practice, including promotion of repeat dispensing and online ordering, minimising clinical risk and aiming to reduce medicines wastage.

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 the national requirements, NICE implementation and utilisation of medicines optimisation initiatives.

Job description

The post-holder's main duties will include:

Services to Patients

Undertaking patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations with patients.

Supporting medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new patients, synchronising medicines for patient transfers between care settings, and linking with community pharmacies.

Reviewing new patient medications, hospital discharge and/or clinic letters ensuring accurate information is recorded on the patient record.

Supporting the Clinical Pharmacist in Structured Medication Reviews (SMR) i.e. organise necessary monitoring tests prior to SMR.Providing 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.

Managing shared care protocols and liaise with the Clinical Pharmacist for more complex patients.

Synchronising quantities on prescriptions and align medications to minimise medication reviews and improve patient satisfaction. Medicines Optimisation and Management

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 initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing locally.Supporting the PCN multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation processes are being followed.

Implementing efficient ordering and return processes and reducing medication wastage.

Conducting audits and searches to ensure targets for various locally commissioned projects are met.

Being responsible for patient medication queries and changes through the Eclipse software package, ensuring high standards are met.

Supporting the implementation of national prescribing policies and guidance within GP Practices, care homes, and other primary care settings.

Supporting the Practice/PCN to deliver on the QIPP agenda, QoF and other locally commissioned enhanced services.

Supporting the Practice/PCN in reviewing and developing Practice policies for CQC requirements. Staff Training, Development and Supervision

Providing training and support on the legal, safe and secure handling of medicines including the implementation of the Electronic Prescribing Service (EPS).

Supervising Administrative staff involved with Practice repeat prescribing process and conducting training and providing further support where appropriate.

Ensuring effective management of the repeat prescribing processes within the Administrative Team. IT

Proficiency in using the practice clinical system and relevant modules for repeat prescribing and medicines management: o EMIS Web o Workflow Manager for Medicines Management o AccuRx o EPS Tracker o Docman 10 o Eclipse o ScriptSwitch

Entering patient information on to the computer as required and in accordance with practice guidelines. Repeat Prescriptions

Supporting the Practice Reception Team in streaming general prescription requests, so as to allow GPs and Clinical Pharmacists to review the more clinically complex requests.

Undertaking prescription request updates in line with Practice Protocols and Standard Operating Procedures.

Actionning NOMAD and Electronic Repeat Dispensing update requests effectively and accurately in line with the Practice Protocols and Standard Operating Procedures.

Promoting the use of Electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD) and online ordering.

Liaising with the Clinical Pharmacist or Lead GP where appropriate and have knowledge of local and national prescribing policies relevant to own duties and responsibilities.

Maintaining awareness of prescribing budgets and the importance of this in relation to own duties and responsibilities. #

Ensuring a good and timely service for patients, minimising complaints with regard to the Repeat Prescription Service.

Additional Duties:

Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the Partners, Practice Manager and Clinical Pharmacist.

The above list of tasks is not exhaustive and may be subject to change as deemed necessary to meet the changing needs of the Practice and/or PCN

About us

At The Vine Medical Centre, we are a friendly, "family-like" team which thrives on developing individuals in their career within the NHS.

The Practice currently serves just over 13,000 patients and is part of the Maidstone Central PCN with 3 other practices in the ME16 area.

We are comprised of 3 partners and 4 salaried GPS in addition to a strong team of ACP nurses, specialist nurses, paramedics, podiatrists, midwives, pharmacists, GPAs and care-co-coordinators.

We pride ourselves on our high standards and excellent quality of care for our patients and it is therefore vital that a new addition to our team is able to adapt to a thriving practice environment.