Job Description

- Pharmacy Technician - Workington Primary Care Network

Location

: Workington GP Practice

Hours

: 30 per week, part-time

Salary

: 28,129.51- 32,834.80 based on WTE- Dependant on experience

Responsible to

: Clinical Lead GP /Service Operational Lead

Job Summary

Pharmacy Technicians play an important role in Primary Care, complementing clinical and community pharmacists and other members of the PCN multi-disciplinary team.

The purpose of this role if to lead improvements to maximise safe, cost-effective best practice in prescribing to improve patient care.The role involves reviewing and recording the medication the patients should be taking, ensuring sufficient supplies, administering medicines, and counselling patients to support their understanding on how to use their medicines safely.

Optimising and rationalising medication, switching medications to agreed and approved protocols, improving repeat prescribing processes, including promotion of repeat dispensing, online ordering, minimising clinical risk and aiming to reduce waste in medicines.

The post holder will support the primary care team with queries around medication from patients; including face to face and telephone support to patients, primary and community staff. You will work under supervision to ensure safe, accurate and timely supply of prescribed medication to patients as well as providing technical and administrative support to the Clinical Pharmacists and Practice Clinicians

Primary care clinical pharmacy is developing, and we are looking for a motivated individual who is flexible to respond to the developing nature of the role and the needs and priorities of individuals requiring support working under the direction of the clinical pharmacists.

We expect that you will be able to work independently and manage your own workload. You will need excellent communication skills to be able to liaise with patients, primary care staff, community pharmacists and other partners.

Hours of work should reflect general practice hours 30 hours per week within 8.30am to 6.30pm.

Main duties & responsibilities

Work with the Clinical Pharmacist, Community Pharmacists and Clinicians in accordance with agreed practice prescribing standard operating procedures. Process repeat medication requests, including the conversion of acute requests to repeat medicines, changing quantities of medicines. Issuing prescriptions in line with agreed clinical protocols and within your competency Regular liaison with community and acute hospital pharmacists. Provide advice and guidance to patients regarding medication optimisation and lifestyle e.g. inhaler techniques. To provide medication review services to patients via clinics in the practice, domiciliary visits and in residential and nursing homes, and to deliver pharmaceutical care plans that maximise cost-effective prescribing and improve the quality of patient care. To support the achievement of the practice's prescribing Quality and Outcomes Framework targets. Dealing with medication queries including acute medication requests, patient medication and prescription queries. To update and maintain accurate patient medication records on the practice clinical computer system, including advice given and action taken. Liaise with secondary and primary care colleagues to ensure correct medicines are continued following the transfer of care. To assist the Senior Clinical Pharmacist with data analysis of prescribing behaviour in line with NICE guidance and local clinical commissioning directives. To assist with the development and review of medicine audits. Provide a contact for patients and colleagues with medication queries. Project work/prescribing initiatives under the support of the Pharmacist. Conduct medication reconciliation following discharge from hospital, clinic visits and other transfers of care (e.g. new patients, care home residents), to ensure that medication changes are safely implemented in a timely fashion. To link with hospital and community pharmacy colleagues to address discrepancies, supply issues and queries within competency. Liaise with the wider health care team including primary care staff, community nurses and care home staff with medication queries. To undertake regular audits using different tools, for example to identify priority patients for medication review. To support the safe and effective repeat prescribing of high-risk medicines ensuring that regular monitoring as per local/shared care guidance is taking place. Supporting patients to manage their medications, for example; synchronisation of medications, reviewing patient's suitability for monitored dosage systems, and setting up electronic repeat dispensing. To document interventions made to patients' medications in their health care records to ensure there is a clear audit trail and changes are clearly accounted for. To promote cost effective, safe, evidence-based prescribing in accordance with local formulary, medication optimisation strategy and national guidance. Attend local meetings seeking to improve access to medicines or repeat prescribing processes. Seek advice from the patient's GP or practice lead GP as appropriate. Ensure patients' and their families/carers views are considered in every stage of the decision-making process.

Communication

Link/liaise with local strategic groups (e.g. ICCs/PCN) to ensure work is aligned with local health and wellbeing priorities. Establish positive working relationships and effective communication with the Workington GP Practices, integrated care health and care teams, and a range of local voluntary sector and community organisations. Utilise and demonstrate sensitive communication styles to ensure patients are fully informed and consent to treatment. Communicate effectively to overcome communication barriers with patients and the public displaying emotional crisis, vulnerability, verbal/physical aggression, learning difficulties, recognising the need for alternative methods of communication. The ability to communicate in a clear and concise manner both written and oral, displaying an awareness of the needs of the patients and making reasonable adjustments to communicate effectively Ability to cope with frequently challenging, diverse and stressful situations.

Admin & Professional

To use highly developed knowledge and skills to provide high standards of patient centred care. To maintain accurate contemporaneous records on all aspects of the care process and patient contact. To ensure that all project paperwork e.g. performance information is completed and available in a timely manner. Contribute to the development of the service, e.g. developing service pathways, paperwork and sharing good practice across Workington and North Cumbria. Awareness of, and compliance with, all relevant local/clinical policies and guidelines. Participate in data collection data for audit purposes and be responsible for monitoring progress against key performance targets. Effectively manage own time, workload and resources. Value and respect colleagues, other members of staff and patients and show commitment to working as a team member. To attend and participate in practice clinical meetings and other multi-disciplinary meetings where necessary.

Confidentiality

While 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. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential. Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other health care workers or the business of the Practices may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of sensitive data.

Equality & 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 procedures and policies, and current legislation; Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues.

Education

Participate in clinical supervision To be accountable for own professional development including compliance with all mandatory training such as Safeguarding and Information Governance. To maintain own competency in line with GPhC requirements Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills

Health & Safety

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, as an employee, you must take reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself and for other persons who may be affected by your acts or omissions at work. The Act also states that you must not intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety and welfare. Use personal security systems within the workplace according to local guidelines Identify risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages risks You are also required to make yourself aware of the site health and safety policy and how to report any accidents/incidents.

Person Specification

Qualifications- Essential

GPhC Registered Pharmacy Technician BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmacy services Accredited Checking Technician Enrolled in or willing to be, undertaking or qualified from, an approved training pathway. For example, the Primary Care Pharmacy Educational Pathway (PCPEP) or Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes (MOCH)

Experience- Essential

2 year experience in a hospital, community or primary care pharmacy

Experience- Desirable

Primary care experience

Skills- Essential

Excellent communication skills (written and oral) Clear, polite telephone manner Excellent IT skills including Microsoft Office packages and case management systems Knowledge of the principles of medication optimisation Good pharmacy knowledge including terminology An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improvement of prescribing Knowledge and understanding of pharmacy law and ethics and current legislation Understanding of current national policies, in particular those that impact on medicines management services Effective time management (Planning & Organising) High levels of analytical literacy skills Organised with good time management Ability to follow policy and procedure

Skills- Essential

EMIS user skills Experience of medicines reconciliation Understanding of community pharmacy systems Ability to develop and implement policy and procedure to sustain a quality service Understanding of QOF

Personal Qualities- Essential

Polite and confident Ability to work within a multi-disciplinary team Flexible and cooperative Displays self-confidence and self-awareness, especially in dealing with staff and patients High levels of integrity and loyalty Excellent communication skills including the ability to communicate complex information in situations where there may be barriers to understanding both to patients, their families /carers and other professionals Ability to work under pressure

Other requirements- Essential

Flexibility to work outside of core office hours Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check Evidence of continuing professional development
Job Type: Part-time

Pay: 28,129.51-32,834.80 per year

Expected hours: 30 per week

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 28/12/2025