Pharmacy Technician

Allscreens Nationwide Ltd; Reading; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

Achellan Allscreens Nationwide Ltd in Reading is seeking a committed pharmacy professional to lead repeat prescribing and medicines management within the GP setting. You will review prescription requests, perform safety checks and coordinate monitoring and blood tests as needed.

You will liaise with community pharmacy, handle medicine queries, set up electronic Repeat Dispensing, perform medicines reconciliation after discharge, and support patient care with adherence and lifestyle advice.

Qualifications

• Candidates will review prescription requests in line with practice protocols.
• Carry out medicines safety checks before prescriptions are issued.
• Identify overdue monitoring and arrange appropriate blood tests.
• Support medicines synchronisation after changes or hospital discharge.
• Escalate urgent prescription requests and complex prescribing issues to the Clinical Pharmacist or GP team.
• Assist with electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD) and shared care arrangements.
• Undertake medicines reconciliation for discharge summaries and clinical communications.
• Deliver patient care with medicines adherence support and lifestyle guidance.
• Support medicines optimisation, prescribing safety and quality improvement initiatives.
• Contribute to training and development within the pharmacy team.

Responsibilities

• Manage the daily repeat prescribing workflow, reviewing prescription requests in line with practice protocols.
• Undertake medication safety checks before prescriptions are issued.
• Identify and manage overdue medication monitoring requirements and arrange appropriate blood tests where needed.
• Support medication synchronisation and alignment following medication changes or hospital discharge.
• Identify prescribing outside agreed formulary guidance and elevate where appropriate.
• Escalate urgent prescription requests and complex prescribing issues to the Clinical Pharmacist or GP team.
• Act as a first point of contact for medicine-related queries from patients, reception staff and community pharmacies.
• Resolve non clinical prescribing and medication availability queries within scope of practice.
• Liaise with community pharmacy teams regarding prescription issues, stock shortages and medication synchronisation requests.
• Escalate complex clinical queries appropriately.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with community pharmacy colleagues.
• Identify suitable patients for electronic Repeat Dispensing.
• Set up and maintain eRD arrangements in line with practice procedures.
• Monitor patients receiving eRD and support those who have fallen off the process.
• Assist with monitoring requirements for patients prescribed medicines under shared care agreements.
• Support safe and cost-effective prescribing in accordance with local formularies and guidance.
• Undertake medicines reconciliation for non complex discharge summaries and clinical correspondence.
• Process medication related communications from secondary care, community pharmacies and other healthcare providers.
• Update clinical systems accurately following medication changes.
• Escalate high-risk or complex medication changes to the Clinical Pharmacists.
• Conduct simple medication reviews within agreed competency and protocols.
• Support patients with medicines adherence and lifestyle interventions.
• Deliver blood pressure and cholesterol lifestyle review appointments.
• Undertake inhaler technique reviews and provide patient education.
• Prepare patients for Structured Medication Reviews by ensuring required monitoring and information is available.
• Support delivery of medicines optimisation, prescribing safety and quality improvement initiatives.
• Undertake audits relating to high-risk medication monitoring.
• Assist with QOF, PQS, CQC and internal audit programmes.
• Support implementation of MHRA alerts, medicines recalls and patient safety actions.
• Contribute to the monitoring and reporting of prescribing safety outcomes.
• Support the training of reception and administrative staff in medicines-related processes.
• Assist with the induction and development of junior pharmacy technicians and foundation pharmacists.
• Contribute to the development and review of pharmacy procedures and workflows.
• Participate in continuing professional development activities.
• Support ongoing service improvement and innovation within the pharmacy team.

Job description

Repeat Prescribing and Medicines Management

• Manage the daily repeat prescribing workflow, reviewing prescription requests in line with practice protocols.
• Undertake medication safety checks before prescriptions are issued.
• Identify and manage overdue medication monitoring requirements and arrange appropriate blood tests where needed.
• Support medication synchronisation and alignment following medication changes or hospital discharge.
• Identify prescribing outside agreed formulary guidance and elevate where appropriate.
• Escalate urgent prescription requests and complex prescribing issues to the Clinical Pharmacist or GP team.

Medicines Queries and Community Pharmacy Liaison

• Act as a first point of contact for medicine-related queries from patients, reception staff and community pharmacies.
• Resolve non clinical prescribing and medication availability queries within scope of practice.
• Liaise with community pharmacy teams regarding prescription issues, stock shortages and medication synchronisation requests.
• Escalate complex clinical queries appropriately.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with community pharmacy colleagues.

Electronic Repeat Dispensing eRD and Shared Care Support

• Identify suitable patients for electronic Repeat Dispensing.
• Set up and maintain eRD arrangements in line with practice procedures.
• Monitor patients receiving eRD and support those who have fallen off the process.
• Assist with monitoring requirements for patients prescribed medicines under shared care agreements.
• Support safe and cost-effective prescribing in accordance with local formularies and guidance.

Medicines Reconciliation

• Undertake medicines reconciliation for non complex discharge summaries and clinical correspondence.
• Process medication related communications from secondary care, community pharmacies and other healthcare providers.
• Update clinical systems accurately following medication changes.
• Escalate high-risk or complex medication changes to the Clinical Pharmacists.

Clinical Support and Patient Care

• Conduct simple medication reviews within agreed competency and protocols.
• Support patients with medicines adherence and lifestyle interventions.
• Deliver blood pressure and cholesterol lifestyle review appointments.
• Undertake inhaler technique reviews and provide patient education.
• Prepare patients for Structured Medication Reviews by ensuring required monitoring and information is available.

Audit, Quality Improvement and Prescribing Safety

• Support delivery of medicines optimisation, prescribing safety and quality improvement initiatives.
• Undertake audits relating to high-risk medication monitoring.
• Assist with QOF, Prescribing Quality Scheme (PQS), CQC and internal audit programmes.
• Support implementation of MHRA alerts, medicines recalls and patient safety actions.
• Contribute to the monitoring and reporting of prescribing safety outcomes.

Training and Service Development

• Support the training of reception and administrative staff in medicines-related processes.
• Assist with the induction and development of junior pharmacy technicians and foundation pharmacists.
• Contribute to the development and review of pharmacy procedures and workflows.
• Participate in continuing professional development activities.
• Support ongoing service improvement and innovation within the pharmacy team.