Pharmacy Technician

NHS; Esher; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A community healthcare provider in Esher seeks a Pharmacy Technician to enhance patient care and safety by managing medicines optimization and repeat prescription processes. The role requires excellent communication skills, professional registration, and experience in primary care settings. Join a dedicated team and contribute to improving healthcare outcomes in the community.

Benefits

Hybrid working arrangements

Supportive leadership team

Qualifications

• Experience of working as a qualified pharmacy technician in primary care.
• Evidence of recent Continuing Professional Development.
• Experience working with clinicians.

Responsibilities

• Support medicines optimisation and manage repeat prescribing processes.
• Respond to patient queries face to face and over the phone.
• Check accuracy of medicines for prescriptions.

Skills

Excellent interactive patient skills

Ability to work under pressure

Communication skills

Education

BTEC/NVQ level 3 in pharmaceutical sciences

Professional registration with the GPhC

Job description

OurPharmacy Technicians play a pivotal role in Contributing to the provision ofsafe and effective pharmacy services.

We appreciate the interest of all applicants in this opportunity. Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we identify a suitable candidate before the advertised closing date. We encourage interested applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible.

Main duties of the job

ThePharmacy Technician will improve patient care and safety by supportingmedicines optimisation, managing repeat prescribing processes, reducingworkload for GPs and pharmacists, and ensuring cost-effective prescribing. Thepharmacy technician acts as a bridge between patients, prescribers, andpharmacies, ensuring that medicines are used appropriately and that systems forprescribing and repeat supply run smoothly.

About us

Bourne Health is the largest primary careprovider in South West London, serving diverse communities across multiple GPsurgeries. We are committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centred care,underpinned by innovation, community engagement, and operational excellence.

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

• Carry out housekeeping whilst in patient records e.g. dose optimisation and medicines synchronisation
• Undertaking medicines reconciliation in line with practice protocols and standard operating procedures to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of prescriptions and repeat prescriptions.
• Responding to patients queries both face to face and over the phone; referring complex problems or queries to the pharmacist.
• Participating in patient reviews and updating of patient records via clinics in the practice, domiciliary visits? and in nursing and residential care homes.
• Use consultation skills to work in partnership with patients to support effective medicine use
• Checking the accuracy of medicines for prescriptions.
• Participate in shared care protocols and liaise with pharmacists for complex patients
• Follow local pathways to process simple pathology results, referring to the pharmacist when appropriate
• Processing drug alerts e.g. MHRA alerts/CAS alerts
• High risk drug monitoring including updating the diary
• Prediabetes: diet discussion and referral to prevention programmes
• Reviewing AccuRx Floreys and updating Regime reviews accordingly.
• Providing advice and information to GPs, staff and patients to support the improvement of prescribing safety, quality, cost-effectiveness and the appropriate use of medicines to get the best outcomes for patients.
• Assisting in the monitoring and management of prescribing budgets and the preparation of evidence-based resources and information that support cost-effective prescribing.
• Contribute to Quality Improvement measures, including the Quality and Outcomes Framework and enhanced services
• Contribute to medicines management incentive schemes, patient safety audits, and the implementation of national prescribing policies within the PCN
• To support and promote a safe working environment in accordance with Health & Safety and Infection Control policies.
• To respect and protect patient confidentiality and information.
• Keeping up to date with professional responsibilities and CPD requirements.
• Supervising and training other pharmacy staff such as pre-registration pharmacy technicians.
• Build relationships with other pharmacy technicians, pharmacists, and healthcare professionals across primary care, community pharmacy, and social care settings to support integrated patient care

This list is not exhaustive, and all team members should be prepared to accept additional, or surrender existing duties, to enable the efficient running of the organisation.

Your individual job plan will be agreed with your line manager. This will be subject to change in accordance with the needs of the organisation.

Key Relationships:

Internal:

Members of the Senior Management team

Colleagues within The Bourne Partnership

External:

Other GP practices and practice groups

Other external organisations

Confidentiality / Data Protection / Freedom of Information

Post holders must maintain the confidentiality of information about patients, staff and other health service business in accordance with the Data Protection Act of 1998. Post holders must not, without prior permission, disclose any information regarding patients or staff. If any member of staff has communicated any such information to an unauthorised person, those staff will be liable to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. Moreover, the Data Protection Act 1998 also renders an individual liable for prosecution in the event of unauthorised disclosure of information. Following the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) 2005, post holders must apply the organisations FOI procedure if they receive a written request for information.

Information Governance

All staff must comply with information governance requirements. These includes statutory responsibilities (such as compliance with the Data Protection Act), following national guidance (such as the NHS Confidentiality Code of Practice) and compliance with local policies and procedures (such as the Trust's Confidentiality policy). Staff are responsible for any personal information (belonging to staff or patients) that they access and must ensure it is stored, processed and forwarded in a secure and appropriate manner

Post holders must at all times fulfil their responsibilities with regard to The Bourne Partnerships Equal Opportunities Policy and equality laws.

Health and Safety

All post holders have a responsibility, under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and subsequently published regulations, to ensure that The Bourne Partnerships health and safety policies and procedures are complied with to maintain a safe working environment for patients, visitors and employees.

Infection Control

All post holders have a personal obligation to act to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). They must attend mandatory training in Infection Control and be compliant with all measures required to reduce HCAIs. All post holders must comply with the Partnerships Infection Control Policies, including those that apply to their duties, such as Hand Decontamination Policy and Personal Protective Equipment Policy. Risk Management All post holders have a responsibility to report risks such as clinical and non-clinical accidents or incidents promptly. They are expected to be familiar with The Bourne Partnerships use of risk assessments to predict and control risk, as well as the incident reporting system for learning from mistakes and near misses in order to improve services. Post holders must also attend training identified by their manager or stated to be mandatory.

Flexible Working

As an organisation we are committed to developing our services in ways that best suit the needs of our patients. This means that some staff groups will increasingly be asked to work a more flexible shift pattern and multiple sites so that we can offer services in the evenings or at weekends.

Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults

Post holders have a general responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their daily duties and for ensuring that they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.

Sustainability

It is the responsibility of all staff to minimise the environmental impact by recycling wherever possible, switching off lights, computers monitors and equipment when not in use, minimising water usage and reporting faults promptly.

The Bourne Partnership is committed to providing a healthy and safe environment for staff, patients and visitors. Staff are therefore not permitted to smoke on organisational property.

What We Offer

Opportunity to shape the marketing strategy for a leading primary care provider.

Work that has a direct and positive impact on community health outcomes.

Hybrid working arrangements, with opportunities to engage directly with practice teams and communities.

Supportive, forward-thinking leadership team committed to innovation and professional growth.

If this aligns with your skills and ambition, we would love to hear from you. Apply now and help us shape the future of patient engagement and primary care in London.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Professional registration with the GPhC
• BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical sciences
• Evidence of recent and relevant Continuing Professional Development
• Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician in primary care, community or hospital pharmacy
• Experience of working with clinicians and multidisciplinary/multiagency work
• Experience of facilitating change to improve clinical practice
• Experience of delivering training sessions to varied groups

Personal Attributes

• Professional approach to work demonstrating excellent interactive patient skills. Guided by professional code, accountable and responsible for own professional actions
• Able to work under pressure and prioritise tasks to ensure urgent work is completed on time
• Able to engage rapidly with existing stakeholder and networks
• Builds credibility (personal and organisational) and rapport quickly
• Able to communicate effectively and engage with individuals from other agencies, including patients and the public
• Ability to gain the confidence and credibility of a range of professionals
• Ability to travel between sites in a timely manner if required.

Skills & Knowledge

• Relevant theoretical and practical knowledge of Primary Care Networks, General Practice and evidence-based medicine
• Ability to work with a range of clinical and non-clinical personnel as part of a team
• Ability to communicate medicines and service-related information to decision makers at all levels and have advice challenged
• Ability to work independently and effectively with a high degree of motivation for long periods
• Ability to prioritise and work to deadlines, often with frequent interruptions and urgent requests
• Ability to define, collate, analyse and interpret data
• Able to utilise databases and information technology, including word processing, spreadsheets and presentation packages effectively
• Ability to communicate information to patients and carers in an appropriate manner, using well developed empathy skills
• Knowledge of medicines management issues across primary, acute and domiciliary care settings including strategies for the improvement of prescribing
• Understanding and appreciation of National and local policies which impinge on primary care prescribing
• Demonstrate ability to influence and persuade partners and stakeholders of the respective merits of different options, innovations, new opportunities and challenges
• Understanding of NHS long term plan and priorities relevant to primary care
• Capacity to be innovative and develop the role of a pharmacy technician
• Understanding of the current issues facing primary care team.

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.