Primary Care Network (PCN) Pharmacy Technician

NHS Jobs; Norwich; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Primary Care Network (PCN) Pharmacy Technician to join the West Norwich PCN, working with GP practice teams to support safe prescribing, medicines optimisation and cost effectiveness.

Reporting to a Clinical Pharmacist, you will assist GPs, pharmacists and reception staff with discharge summaries, medication reviews and adherence to medicines management processes.

Qualifications

• Role requires working within GP practice teams to support medicines optimisation and safe prescribing.
• Involves coordinating discharge summaries and medicine reviews.
• Involves adherence to medicines management processes and national prescribing policies.

Responsibilities

• Undertake patient-facing roles to support effective medicines use and shared decision-making.
• Support medication reviews, medicines reconciliation and synchronisation across care settings.
• Assist with SMRs, monitoring tests, and quality improvement measures.
• Develop and support safe electronic prescribing and repeat dispensing processes.

Job description

Primary Care Network (PCN) Pharmacy Technician

Key Responsibilities: To be part of the West Norwich Primary Care Network (PCN), working as a key member within the GP practice teams, contributing to prescribing of the highest quality, safety and value and supporting medicines optimisation. Reporting to a Clinical Pharmacist, the post holder will provide support to the GPs, Pharmacists, Dispensers, other clinical staff and reception teams to co-ordinate discharge summaries, medication reviews and ensure the safe prescribing of medication. The post holder will support the development of a safe, cost effective, efficient practice repeat prescribing system through reviewing, improving and implementing medicines management processes. Your core role in the GP practices will cover responsibilities in clinical, and technical and administrative areas.

Clinical

Undertaking patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations with patients. Carrying 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. As determined by the PCN practices, supporting medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new care home patients and synchronising medicines for patient transfers between care settings, linking with local community pharmacists, and referring to the pharmacist for structured medication reviews. Providing 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. Taking a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols and liaising with specialist pharmacists for more complex patients. Supporting initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. Support the Clinical Pharmacist in SMRs i.e. organise necessary monitoring test prior to SMR Manage shared care protocols and liaise with Clinical Pharmacists for more complex patients.

Technical and Administrative

Working with the GP practice multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation, including implementing efficient ordering and return processes and reducing wastage. Providing training and support on the legal, safe and secure handling of medicines, including the implementation of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) and electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD) Developing relationships with other pharmacy technicians, pharmacists and members of the multi-disciplinary team to support integration of the pharmacy team across health and social care including primary care, community pharmacy, secondary care and mental health. Supervising practice reception teams in sorting and streaming general prescription requests, so as to allow GPs and clinical pharmacists to review the more clinically complex requests. The role will also require pharmacy technicians to support the implementation of national prescribing policies and guidance within GP practices, care homes and other primary care settings. 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, pharmacy technicians will assist in the delivery of medicines optimisation incentive schemes (e.g. medicines switches) and patient safety audits.

Training requirements Pharmacy technicians are registered healthcare professionals, who have been undertaking clinical and technical roles in hospitals, community and primary care. Their initial 2-year training is mandated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), which specifies criteria to register as a pharmacy technician and this covers the education, training and experience requirements. The role may require travel between GP practice sites within the PCN area.

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust