Pharmacy Technician

NHS; Bexleyheath; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job description

An exciting opportunity has been created to temporarily join our expanding team of healthcare professionals at Bexley Medical Group. There will be a wide range of initiatives for a Pharmacy technician to lead and develop further.

Main duties of the job

Responsibilities will include supporting the implementation of national prescribing policies and guidance within the practice. 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, the pharmacy technician will assist in the delivery of medicines optimisation incentive schemes (e.g. medicines switches) and patient safety audits.

Pharmacy technicians core role responsibilities will cover clinical, technical and administrative categories.

About us

The Practice has over 20,000 patients across 3 sites, Bexley, Bexleyheath and Erith. We are an innovative and forward-thinking practice and have already recruited to our team: Clinical Pharmacists and Physician Associates.

Job responsibilities

1. To undertake learning and development to ensure the required knowledge and skills for practice-based work.
2. To deliver training and support the development of practice-based medicines coordinators to improve co-ordination and effective pharmacy administration within the practice.
3. To support the practice reception team in streamlining prescription queries, allowing the clinical pharmacist to review the more complex requests.
4. To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team whilst in a supporting function to the clinical pharmacist and other clinicians within agreed prescribing standard operating procedures.
5. To participate in the daily preparation of repeat prescriptions in order to ensure high quality, safe and timely repeat prescribing.
6. To encourage cost-effective prescribing throughout the practice.
7. To undertake medicines reconciliation post discharge and on other transfers of care.
8. To update and maintain accurate and timely patient medication records on each practice clinical system, including advice given and action taken.
9. To liaise with secondary and primary care colleagues to ensure correct medicines are continued following the transfer of care.
10. To undertake patient-facing where appropriate and patient-supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared-decision making conversations with patients.
11. To carry 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.
12. To assist in the delivery of medicines optimisation and management incentive schemes and patient safety audits.
13. To provide 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.
14. To take a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols and liaising with pharmacists for more complex patients.
15. To support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.
16. To support the implementation of national prescribing policies and guidance within the practice. 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.
17. Duties may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibility.
18. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks. This will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels.

Person Specification

Experience

• Knowledge and understanding of drug laws.
• Interpersonal skills.
• Customer-service orientation.
• Computer and database skills.
• Respect for confidentiality.
• Experience of working in Primary care.

Qualifications

• Candidates must be a qualified and registered pharmacy technician with GPhC and hold a Diploma Level 3 or equivalent in Pharmacy Services.
• Knowledge and understanding of drug laws.
• Interpersonal skills.
• Customer-service orientation.
• Computer and database skills.
• Respect for confidentiality.

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.