Job Description

Salary - Depending on experience

Contract - Permanent

Working pattern - Full-time (part time can be considered)

Job locations - St. Martins Gate Surgery, 37 Newtown Road, Worcester, WR5 1EZ.

Job summary

We are recruiting a PCN Pharmacy Technician to support medicines optimisation and prescribing safety across GP practices within our Primary Care Network. This is an opportunity to work as part of a supportive multidisciplinary team, contributing to high-quality patient care in primary care settings.

The role offers varied day-to-day work, close collaboration with GPs, clinical pharmacists and wider PCN colleagues, and the chance to develop skills across a range of medicines-related activities. We welcome applications from motivated pharmacy technicians who enjoy working collaboratively and supporting safe, effective use of medicines.

The role is advertised full time, however we are open to considering part time applications for suitable candidates.

Main duties of the job -

Key Tasks

Supporting medicines optimisation and prescribing processes across PCN practices Medication reconciliation following hospital discharge and other care transitions Managing repeat prescriptions and supporting prescribing safety systems Responding to medicines-related queries from clinical teams Supporting audits, reviews and service improvement work Working collaboratively with pharmacists, GPs and the wider PCN team

About us

We are a federation of GP surgeries and PCNs in Worcestershire, serving over 600,000 NHS patients through a variety of local services. Our community of GPs are our stakeholders, meaning we are powered by the community we have created - and our goal is to find ways to make it easier for them to spend less time and money on administrative workload, and more time with their patients.

Our GP surgeries remain independent, while keeping the benefits of being part of a larger organisation - and we exist to protect the interests of our members through advocacy, business support & revenue generation.

We are ambitious about growth in our network and so our diversified services help our PCNs to reinvest in vital local healthcare initiatives, providing a sustainable future for their communities in the long term.

Equal Opportunities:

At Vertis Health we want to build a diverse workplace, and so we encourage women, people of colour, LGBTQIA individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign born residents, older members of society, and others from minority groups and diverse backgrounds to apply. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, colour, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. All Vertis employees and contractors are responsible for maintaining a work culture free from discrimination and harassment by treating others with kindness and respect. Website -https://www.vertishealth.org.uk/

Job Purpose

To support the Primary Care Network in maximising clinical outcomes for patients from medicines with an emphasis on safety, governance, professional collaboration and patient engagement. The role holder will also help to deliver the MOCH Contract as part of the Care Home Team. The core themes are based on;

Integrate care around the patient Design, implement and facilitate clinically led medicine optimisation services Improve the productivity and affordability of service Advise, engage and train health care professionals (where appropriate) Improve patient safety and reduce risk Empower patients through education and engagement Deliver improved patient outcomes Manage medication safety within the Worcester City Care Homes via annual audits and reviews Medication reconciliations of community patients and Care Home Residents when appropriate.

Key Responsibilities

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 the supervision of GPs and Clinical Pharmacists to ensure effective and efficient use of medicines. Pharmacy technicians core role responsibilities will cover clinical, and technical and administrative categories within surgeries and Care Homes.

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 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.

Clinical Responsibilities:

Undertaking patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations with patients and carers 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. As determined by the PCN, 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. 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 specialist pharmacists for more complex patients. Supporting initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.

Technical and Administrative Responsibilities:

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. Supervising practice reception 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:

To maintain the integrity of medicines delivery for the PCN Maintain a positive demeanour that supports a happy working environment, and remain flexible and professional at all times; Treat other staff as one expects to be treated oneself; Be a good ambassador for the PCN in any external dealings; Undertake continuing professional Development (CPD) in line with the relevant institute requirements; Undertaken any other duties as directed by the Clinical Director and PCN Board.

Person Specification

Skills and Abilities - Essential

Good understanding of medicines safety, governance and error prevention Understanding of prescribing and repeat medication processes in primary care Strong verbal and written communication skills Ability to work independently and manage workload across multiple tasks or practices High level of accuracy and attention to detail Confident use of IT systems and electronic records Understanding of confidentiality, information governance and safeguarding Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team

Desirable

Experience using GP clinical systems (e.g. EMIS Web) Knowledge of QOF, IIF or other primary care quality frameworks Experience supporting audit, service evaluation or quality improvement work

Experience - Essential

Experience working as a qualified, registered Pharmacy Technician Experience maintaining accurate medicines-related or clinical records Experience working collaboratively with healthcare professionals Experience supporting medicines reconciliation, including post-discharge

Desirable

Experience working in primary care (GP practice or PCN) Experience supporting medicines optimisation activities Experience liaising with community pharmacy, secondary care or other interfaces

Qualifications Essential

Registered Pharmacy Technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) BTEC/NVQ Level 3 Diploma in Pharmacy Services (or equivalent) Evidence of ongoing CPD relevant to pharmacy technician practice

Desirable

Completion of CPPE Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway (or willingness to complete) Additional training in medicines optimisation or long-term condition management

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details -

Vertis Health, Address St. Martins Gate Surgery, 37 Newtown Road, Worcester, WR5 1EZ.

Employer's website -

https://www.vertishealth.org.uk/

Job Types: Permanent, Full-time

Benefits:

Flexitime
Work Location: In person