PCN Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy technicians play an important role, complementing clinical pharmacists, community pharmacists and other members of the PCN multi-disciplinary team. Pharmacy technicians are different to clinical pharmacists as they are not able to prescribe or make clinical decisions, instead working under supervision to ensure effective and efficient use of medicines.

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

Main duties of the job

Clinical

1. Patient supporting role to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making.
2. Medicines optimisation tasks - effective medicine administration (e.g. checking inhaler technique), supporting medication reviews and medicines reconciliation. Utilise consultation skills to work with patients to ensure they use their medicines effectively.
3. 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.
4. Provide specialist expertise, to both the public health and social care needs of patients, including lifestyle advice, service information, and help in tackling local health inequalities.
5. Supporting initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.

Technical and Administrative:

1. Working with the PCN multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation and implementing efficient ordering and return processes and reducing wastage.
2. Providing training and support on the legal, safe and secure handling of medicines, including the implementation of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS).
3. Processing monthly PPA claims.

About us

East Croydon Medical Centre is centrally located in the fast developing town of Croydon with its many transport links. The practice cares for 25,000 patients from a diverse population.

We are a large, hardworking General Practice with a multi-disciplinary Team which includes Pharmacists, Practice Nurses, Healthcare Assistants, Physician Associates, GPs, along with a supportive and experienced administrative Team. We enjoy and feel positive about modern General Practice but also strive to ensure a healthy home/work balance. We are active members of our Primary Care Network and support the ethos behind this.

Job description

JOB TITLE: Pharmacy Technician

EMPLOYING TRUST: East Croydon Medical Centre

CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent / Full-time ARRS Contract

ACCOUNTABLE TO: Practice Manager

Job Responsibilities

Pharmacy technicians play an important role, complementing clinical pharmacists, community pharmacists and other members of the PCN multi-disciplinary team. Pharmacy technicians are different to clinical pharmacists as they are not able to prescribe or make clinical decisions, instead working under supervision to ensure effective and efficient use of medicines.

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.

Pharmacy technicians will provide leadership for medicines management systems across PCNs, supporting practices with a range of services to get the best value from medicines by encouraging and implementing Electronic Prescriptions, safe repeat prescribing systems, and timely monitoring and management of high-risk medicines.

Training requirements

All pharmacy technicians must have completed or be enrolled in, be undertaking or be prepared to start an approved 18-month training pathway (e.g. Primary care pharmacy educational pathway (PCPEP) or Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes (MOCH)). Pharmacy technicians must be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. Entry to the PCPEP programme will include the option for an accreditation of Prior Learning (APEL) process.

Confidentiality

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately. Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

This job description is not exhaustive and may be adjusted periodically after review and consultation. You will also be expected to carry out any reasonable duties which may be requested from time-to-time.

Person Specification

Experience

• Awareness of general practice and the agenda for medicines optimisation
• Experience of working in Primary Care
• Experience of working in a busy environment and meeting deadlines
• Good clinical pharmacy knowledge including terminology
• Knowledge of pharmacy law and ethics
• Experience of carrying out monthly PPA Claims

Qualifications

• Professional registration with GPhC
• BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical sciences
• Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician in primary care, community or hospital pharmacy
• Evidence of continued professional development (CPD)
• Postgraduate qualifications of a relevant nature eg FdSc in Medicines Management/Pharmacy Services; BTEC Therapeutics

Skills

• Able to analyse and interpret prescribing data
• Computer literate and familiar with Microsoft Office packages
• Excellent communication skills, verbal and written
• Effective time management (Planning & Organising)
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
• Good interpersonal skills
• Problem solving & analytical skills
• Ability to follow policy and procedure

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.