Pharmacy Technician

NHS; Workington; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in the United Kingdom seeks a motivated Pharmacy Technician to enhance patient care through medication optimization and support tasks. Key responsibilities include processing medication requests, liaising with patients, and collaborating with pharmacists. The ideal candidate will possess excellent communication skills, a BTEC/NVQ level 3 in pharmacy services, and experience in pharmacy settings. This role offers a salary of £28,129.51 to £32,834.80 annually based on experience, working 30 hours a week.

Qualifications

• 2 years' experience in a hospital, community or primary care pharmacy.
• Enrolled in or qualified from an approved training pathway.

Responsibilities

• Support patients with medication queries effectively.
• Process repeat medication requests accurately.
• Maintain accurate patient medication records in the clinical system.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Clear, polite telephone manner

Excellent IT skills

Knowledge of medication optimisation

Education

BTEC/NVQ level 3 in pharmacy services

Job description

Pharmacy Technicians play animportant role in Primary Care, complementing clinical and communitypharmacists and other members of the PCN multi-disciplinary team.

The purpose of this role if tolead improvements to maximise safe, cost-effective best practice in prescribingto improve patient care.The role involvesreviewing and recording the medication the patients should be taking, ensuringsufficient supplies, administering medicines, and counselling patients tosupport their understanding on how to use their medicines safely.

Optimising and rationalisingmedication, switching medications to agreed and approved protocols, improvingrepeat prescribing processes, including promotion of repeat dispensing, onlineordering, minimising clinical risk and aiming to reduce waste in medicines.

Main duties of the job

Work with the Clinical Pharmacist, CommunityPharmacists and Clinicians in accordance with agreed practice prescribingstandard operating procedures.

Process repeat medication requests, includingthe conversion of acute requests to repeat medicines, changing quantities ofmedicines.

Issuing prescriptions in line with agreedclinical protocols and within your competency

Regular liaison with community and acutehospital pharmacists.

Provide advice and guidance to patientsregarding medication optimisation and lifestyle e.g. inhaler techniques.

To provide medication review services topatients via clinics in the practice, domiciliary visits and in residential andnursing homes, and to deliver pharmaceutical care plans that maximise cost-effectiveprescribing and improve the quality of patient care.

To support the achievement of the practicesprescribing Quality and Outcomes Framework targets.

Dealing with medication queries including acutemedication requests, patient medication and prescription queries.

To update and maintain accurate patientmedication records on the practice clinical computer system, including advicegiven and action taken.

Liaise with secondary and primary carecolleagues to ensure correct medicines are continued following the transfer ofcare.

To assist the Senior Clinical Pharmacist withdata analysis of prescribing behaviour in line with NICE guidance and localclinical commissioning directives.

About us

North Cumbria Primary Care Ltd (NCPC) is an innovative not for profit social enterprise, established to create a network of great surgeries which sustains and supports the development of general practice across the local area. We enable our member general practices to continue to operate as local family practices with the benefit of a large and robust infrastructure to provide support.

Job responsibilities

The post holder will support the primary care team with queries aroundmedication from patients; including face to face and telephone support topatients, primary and community staff. You will work under supervision toensure safe, accurate and timely supply of prescribed medication to patients aswell as providing technical and administrative support to the ClinicalPharmacists and Practice Clinicians

Primary care clinical pharmacy is developing, and we are looking for amotivated individual who is flexible to respond to the developing natureof the role and the needs and priorities of individuals requiring supportworking under the direction of the clinical pharmacists.

We expect that you will be ableto work independently and manage your own workload. You will need excellentcommunication skills to be able to liaise with patients, primary care staff,community pharmacists and other partners.

Hours of workshould reflect general practice hours 30 hours per week within 8.30am to6.30pm.

Person Specification

Personal Qualities

• Polite and confident
• Ability to work within a multi-disciplinary team
• Flexible and cooperative
• Displays self-confidence and self-awareness, especially in dealing with staff and patients
• High levels of integrity and loyalty
• Excellent communication skills including the ability to communicate complex information in situations where there may be barriers to understanding both to patients, their families /carers and other professionals
• Ability to work under pressure

Qualifications

• BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmacy services
• Enrolled in or willing to be, undertaking or qualified from, an approved training pathway. For example, the Primary Care Pharmacy Educational Pathway (PCPEP) or Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes (MOCH)

Experience

• 2 year experience in a hospital, community or primary care pharmacy
• Primary care experience

Skills

• Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
• Clear, polite telephone manner
• Excellent IT skills including Microsoft Office packages and case management systems
• Knowledge of the principles of medication optimisation
• Good pharmacy knowledge including terminology
• An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improvement of prescribing
• Knowledge and understanding of pharmacy law and ethics and current legislation
• Understanding of current national policies, in particular those that impact on medicines management services
• Effective time management (Planning & Organising)
• High levels of analytical literacy skills
• Organised with good time management
• Ability to follow policy and procedure
• Experience of medicines reconciliation
• Understanding of community pharmacy systems
• Ability to develop and implement policy and procedure to sustain a quality service
• Understanding of QOF

Other Requirements

• Flexibility to work outside of core office hours
• Evidence of continuing professional development

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.

£28,129.51 to £32,834.80 a yearbased on WTE- Depending on Experience