ARRS Pharmacy Technician

Priory Road Medical Centre; Swindon; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Swindon is seeking a dedicated pharmacy technician to join their primary care network. The role involves supporting prescription management, conducting medicines optimization tasks, and engaging with patients for effective medication use. Candidates should have a qualification in pharmaceutical sciences and strong communication skills. This position offers an opportunity to enhance clinical knowledge in a collaborative healthcare environment.

Benefits

Opportunities for professional development

Supportive team environment

Qualifications

• Registered pharmacy technician with experience in primary care.
• Ability to manage medications and resolve pharmacy queries effectively.
• Strong communication skills for patient interactions and team collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Support Prescription Coordinators with managing patient prescriptions.
• Conduct medicines optimization tasks including reviews and reconciliation.
• Assist in clinical audits and contribute to quality improvement measures.

Skills

Communication skills

Analytical thinking

Attention to detail

Teamwork

Flexibility

Education

BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical sciences

Professional registration with GPhC

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

We are looking for a pharmacy technician to join our teamat Wyvern Health PCN (Priory Road Medical Centre, The Lawn Medical Centre andOld Town Surgery) with a passion for primary care and working with our patientsand staff. You will join a PCN pharmacy team of pharmacists, pharmacytechnicians and prescription coordinators who will provide support.

There will be a variety of roles which will bring interestand diversity to your day, such as medicine reconciliation and supportingpatients post discharge from hospital, data collation for medicineoptimisation, audits, policy development, day-to-day medication issueresolution, researching medication shortages, supporting patients in use ofmedicines & promoting electronic dispensing, managing safety alerts &staff training.

Technicians play an important role in supportingprescription coordinators, clinical pharmacists, community pharmacists andother members of the team to enhance patient safety and improve patientshealth. The post holder will be a motivated individual with an enthusiasm forpeople, quality improvement and care, with opportunities to enhance yourclinical knowledge.

The role will encompass clinical, technical, educational,and administrative elements. There will be a mix of face to face, telephone,and video consultations with patients, providing a varied and interestingworking day.

Main duties of the job

Providing support to Prescription Coordinatorsand Clinical Pharmacists in managing daily patient prescription requirements

Discharge Summaries Managing and processing discharge summaries and clinical letters.

To include carrying out medicines optimisation tasks including effectivemedicine administration (e.g. checking inhaler technique), supportingmedication reviews and medicines reconciliation

Vaccination Programmes Supporting vaccination programmes for patients and staff asrequired

MHRA AlertsManaging MHRA alerts and actions, including leading the receipt andunderstanding of the alert, communicating with PCN contacts and completing allassociated actions.

Eclipse Alerts

To include running searches and deciding on the appropriate course ofaction based on findings, communicating with PCN contacts and completing allassociated actions

AuditsUndertaking clinical audits, supporting quality improvement measures andcontributing to the Quality and Outcomes Framework and enhancedservices.

LeadershipProviding training and support on the legal, safe and secure handling ofmedicines, including the implementation of the Electronic Prescription Service(EPS).

About us

Wyvern Health Primary Care Network incorporates TheLawn Medical Centre, Old Town Surgery and Priory Road Medical Centre. The PCN is based in Swindon supporting over 26,000 patients.

We are high performing practices with a strongethos of continuity of patient care, teamwork and peer support. We have a listsize of circa 26,000 patients, we use SystmOne and our most recent CQC ratingwas GOOD.

Job responsibilities

Providing support to Prescription Coordinators andClinical Pharmacists in managing daily patient prescription requirements. Toinclude the resolution of patient / pharmacy queries. In particular focussingon:

Out of stock medications

Managing and processing discharge summaries and clinical letters. Undertaking patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensureeffective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations withpatients.

Running Blood Pressure and medicines monitoringclinics either patient facing or virtually, including in Care Homes.

To include carrying out medicines optimisation tasks including effectivemedicine administration (e.g. checking inhaler technique), supportingmedication reviews and medicines reconciliation.

Where required, utilise consultation skills to work in partnership withpatients to ensure they use their medicines effectively.

Providing specialist expertise, where competent, to address both thepublic health and social care needs of patients, including lifestyle advice,service information, and help in tackling local health inequalities.

Supporting vaccination programmes for patients and staff asrequired

MHRA Alerts

Managing MHRA alerts and actions, including leading the receipt andunderstanding of the alert, communicating with PCN contacts and completing allassociated actions.

Actions may include, carrying out audits and patient searches,contacting patients and sending patient letters.

Eclipse Alerts

Managing Eclipse alerts. To include running searches and deciding on theappropriate course of action based on findings, communicating with PCN contactsand completing all associated actions.

Actions may include, carrying out audits and patient searches,contacting patients and sending patient letter.

Audits

Undertaking clinical audits, supporting quality improvement measures andcontributing to the Quality and Outcomes Framework and enhancedservices.

Assisting in the delivery of medicines optimisation incentive schemes(e.g. medicines switches) and patient safety audits.

Leadership

Being the point of contact for ICB for cost switches and cost savings

Supporting initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduceinappropriate antibiotic prescribing.

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

Developing relationships with other pharmacy technicians, pharmacistsand members of the multi-disciplinary team to support integration of thepharmacy team across health and social care including primary care, communitypharmacy, secondary care and mental health.

Support practice reception / admin teams in sortingand streaming general prescription requests, to allow GPs and clinicalpharmacists to review the more clinically complex requests.

Supporting the implementation of national prescribing policies andguidance within GP practices, care homes and other primary care settings

Taking a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocolsand liaising with specialist pharmacists for more complex patients.

Support trainees such as Pre-registration Pharmacy technicians andFoundation Pharmacists with their learning needs as required

All duties are performed within your level of competence. Youmay be gathering data and information, performing the task to your level of competence,and then liaising with or handing over to another professional. You will besupported to develop and expand your boundaries of competence as you grow inthe role. You will need to register with CPPE and complete the 15-month PrimaryCare Education Pathway (PCPEP) for which you will be fully supported.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Professional registration with GPhC
• BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical sciences
• Computer literate with an ability to use the required GP clinical systems (desirable) and Microsoft office packages (essential)
• Able to analyse and interpret prescribing data
• Has attention to detail, able to work accurately, identifying errors quickly and easily
• Able to effectively manage allocated resources
• Has a planned and organised approach with an ability to prioritise their own workload to meet strict deadlines
• Able to think analytically; anticipating obstacles and thinking ahead; using analytical techniques to draw logical solutions to problems
• Excellent communication skills, verbal and written, with the ability to adjust communication style and content to suit the audience
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Influencing and negotiating skills
• An excellent understanding of data protection and confidentiality issues

Knowledge and Understanding

• Relevant advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of general practice and evidence-based medicine
• An appreciation of the NHS agenda and government targets
• Good clinical pharmacy knowledge including terminology
• An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for the improvement of prescribing
• Knowledge and understanding of pharmacy law and ethics and current legislation

Experience

• Evidence of continued professional development (CPD)
• Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician in primary care, community or hospital pharmacy
• Demonstrate ability to influence and persuade partners and stakeholders of the respective merits of different options, innovations, new opportunities and challenges

Attributes

• Works effectively independently and as a member of a team
• Flexible approach to meet service needs and ensure a stakeholder focused response
• Self-motivated and proactive
• Continued commitment to improve skills and ability in new areas of work
• Able to undertake the demands of the post with reasonable adjustments if required
• Independently mobile to be able to work across several sites and travel to meet with stakeholders
• Adaptability, flexibility and ability to cope with uncertainty and change
• Demonstrate ability to work in a busy environment; ability to deal with both urgent and important tasks and to prioritize effectively whilst also supporting others
• Excellent time keeping and prioritisation skills

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.