Job Description

Job Title: Pharmacy Technician

Working hours: 37.5 hours

Bury GP Federation is committed to delivering Health Equality for all and provides the Clinical Pharmacy service to 3 of the Primary Care Networks in Bury. We are also part of the Local Care Organisation and work with our partners in Health and Social care to provide an integrated service for our patient population.

We are expanding our Primary Care Network Pharmacy team and have some exciting opportunities available for Pharmacy Technicians to join our networks.

Successful candidates must be motivated and flexible to respond to the developing nature of this role and be able to prioritise support depending on the needs of their allocated network.

The post holders will be supported by our existing team of Clinical Pharmacists and help deliver care as part of the Enhanced service to Care home residents and Housebound patients and help identify other cohorts of patients to prioritise for structured medication review.

The team have established links with our Neighbourhood multidisciplinary teams, and Intermediate Tier services and other Community services to ensure effective medicine management across the integrated care system.

The successful candidate will have excellent written and verbal communication skills and will need to develop working relationships within the Primary Care Network, and the wider team.

Experience in General Practice would be an advantage but is not essential, as training will be given.

Successful candidates will be eligible for the Primary Care Pharmacy Education Programme provided by CPPE.

We welcome applicants from Community, Hospital or Primary Care backgrounds.

Candidates will be notified via email, within 1 week of closing date.

For further information contact: Graeme Cawley - Pharmacy Technician at graeme.cawley@nhs.net or 07596 954 849.

Job Overview

To work with our team of Clinical Pharmacists to ensure patients are managing their medication safely and support the safe, accurate and timely prescribing of medication in our Primary Care Networks. Provide technical and administrative support to the Clinical Pharmacists and Clinicians. Support the Primary care team with audits, guidance and respond to queries around medication from patients, their carers, and other health professionals. This will include face to face and telephone support to patients, carers and primary care and community staff.

Job Purpose

Pharmacy technicians play an important role, complementing Clinical Pharmacists, Community Pharmacists and other members of the PCN multi-disciplinary team. The Pharmacy technician will provide support to the network as a whole and each member practice as needed. The aim is to improve the quality of prescribing and patient outcomes across the network through high quality medicines review and optimisation.

Job Responsibilities

The post holder will be involved in many aspects of medicines management and be supported and developed in this role by the PCN Clinical Pharmacy team.

Improving Patient Safety, Audits, and Supporting Reviews

Work with the pharmacy team and Clinicians to deliver QIPP and other local commissioned enhanced services to improve medicines optimisation

Work alongside the extended Pharmacy team to monitor and action safety and drug alerts in a timely and appropriate manner, including liaising with patients when necessary

Work with Clinicians and pharmacy team to undertake medicine audits and other quality improvement/ project work as required

Work alongside the admin team to promote and develop high quality prescribing processes including identifying quality improvement opportunities

Contribute to the development of the service, e.g., developing service pathways, paperwork and sharing good practice across network practices

To promote cost effective, safe, evidence-based prescribing in accordance with local formulary, medication review services to patients via clinics in PCN practices and care homes and to deliver plans that maximise cost-effective prescribing and improve the quality of patient care

Work with the Clinical Pharmacists and the Practice teams to identify patients suitable for Structured medication review, and help prioritise workload

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

Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship

Contribute to the achievement of KPIs and objectives, monitor against overall objectives of the role

Prescription Queries and Medication Reconciliation

To respond to medication queries or requests for medicines information from patients and staff in a professional and timely manner including escalating to clinicians or senior pharmacy colleagues when necessary Promote best practice for medicines use including supporting training of practice teams on medicines processes and policies Work closely with the practice teams, pharmacy colleagues and patients to ensure coordinated and efficient processing of prescription requests e.g. synchronising medication, setting up electronic repeat dispensing, monitoring medicines use to prevent waste or over usage Work with clinicians and the pharmacy team to develop and implement robust systems for shared care prescribing and high-risk drug monitoring and other drug monitoring for optimisation of long-term conditions 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, as required Update and maintain accurate and comprehensive patient medication records

Working in a wider team

Develop positive and professional working relationships with colleagues to ensure excellent patient care Work with practice teams to support the achievement of prescribing outcomes for Quality Outcomes Framework and other prescribing initiatives To attend and participate in practice clinical meetings and other multi-disciplinary meetings where necessary Establish positive working relationships and effective communication with network practices, integrated care health and care teams, and a range of local voluntary sector and community organisations 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 Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the PCN Clinical Directors, network practices or Bury GP Federation

General

Ensure that all activities are monitored and evaluated Attend internal meetings as required Attend any training courses and supervision sessions as required Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required from time to time

Codes of Conduct

Pharmacy Technicians must comply with the Code of Professional Conduct set by the General Pharmaceutical Council and to Bury GP Federation Code of Conduct

Equal Opportunities

The federation is committed to eliminating unlawful discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity. All staff have a personal responsibility to contribute towards an inclusive and supportive environment for patients, carers, visitors and other colleagues from all the equality strands (race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, disability)

Staff have a personal responsibility to:

Ensure their behaviour is not discriminatory

Does not cause offence

To challenge the inappropriate behaviours of others

Adhere to the Federation's values, including 'Respecting Everyone', as well as the Staff Conduct Policy and the Equal Opportunities policy

Health and Safety

Under the provisions contained in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, it is the duty of every employee to:

Take reasonable care of themselves and for others at work

To co-operate with the Trust as far as is necessary to enable them to carry out their legal duty

Not to intentionally or recklessly interfere with anything provided including personal protective equipment for Health and Safety or welfare at work

Management is responsible for the implementation of suitable arrangements to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all employees at work and the health and safety of other persons who may be affected by their activities. Where health and safety matters cannot be resolved the Chief Officer must be notified.

Managers are responsible for the health and safety management of all activities, areas and staff under their control. This includes responsibility for ensuring risk assessments are completed and implementation of suitable and sufficient control measures put in place. Health and safety issues are dealt with at the lowest level of management practicable. Where health and safety matters cannot be resolved at a particular management level the appropriate Senior Manager must be notified.

Everyone has a responsibility for contributing to the reduction of infections.

Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults

Bury GP Federation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults, and as such expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Quality and Clinical Governance

Quality in Health Care delivery has three core dimensions: Patient Safety, Patient Experience and Clinical Effectiveness.

Clinical Governance is about the systems, processes and behaviours to ensure that high quality services are provided to patients. Every member of staff has a role to play in striving for excellence: it is important that everyone is aware of and follows policies and procedures that govern their work; and if something goes wrong, everyone has an obligation to report it so lessons can be learned from mistakes, incidents and complaints.

If any member of staff has concerns on any clinical governance matters, they should raise them with their line manager, professional adviser, or a more senior member of management. Reference should be made to the federation's guidance on Raising Concerns about provision of patient care.

Information Governance

It is the responsibility of all staff to respect the confidentiality of patients and staff, as specified in the Caldicott Principles, Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act. It is the duty of every employee to:

Only access person identifiable information as required in the execution of their duties

Disclose information appropriately, in line with the Data Protection Act 1998

To ensure good quality data by recording, promptly and accurately, clinical and non-clinical information within agreed timescales to PAS, the health record or the appropriate clinical or non-clinical information system

Maintain the confidentiality of their password / username and if in possession of a 'Smartcard' abiding by the terms and conditions of its use

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: 29,970.00-32,500.00 per year

Benefits:

Company pension Cycle to work scheme Employee discount Free parking On-site gym On-site parking Sick pay
Experience:

Pharmacy technician: 1 year (required)
Licence/Certification:

registration with GPhC (required)
Work Location: In person