Pharmacy Technician

NHS; Burnley; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 50,000

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and proactive individual to work within a supportive team and collegiate environment.

You will have a good work ethic and a desire to make a difference to patients' lives whilst positively contributing to the clinical service delivered by Prestige Medical Group.

Main duties of the job

Ownership of the Practice prescribing process, including training and guidance of the administration staff that routinely deliver prescription services.

Delivery of the ICB medicines Optimisation LES 25/26.

Lead improvements to maximise safe, cost-effective best practices in prescribing to improve the quality of patient care. The position will help patients get the best from their medicines by switching medications to agreed and approved protocols, improving repeat prescribing processes in general practices, including promoting repeat dispensing and online ordering, minimising clinical risk and aiming to reduce wasted medicines.

About us

We are focused on patient and workforce health and well-being, ensuring that we deliver the best patient care while supporting each other in achieving an effective work-life balance.

Professional, dedicated, caring while also being collaborative, supporting and mindful. We are a busy GP practice with three locations, led by five GP partners with five salaried GPs, five Advanced Care Practitioners, four Practice Nurses, three Healthcare Assistants, three GP assistants, and a large administrative team.

Job responsibilities

Pharmacy Technician Primary Care

Job Summary

We are seeking a proactive Pharmacy Technician to support the Medicines Optimisation Local Enhanced Service within the Practice. This role focuses on delivering high-quality medicine management and ensuring safe, effective, and cost-efficient prescribing practices within Prestige Medical Group.

They will take ownership of the internal prescribing processes, providing direction and guidance to the reception team and acting as an interlocutor between the admin and clinical teams.

The technician will work collaboratively with our aligned care homes, and community healthcare teams to improve patient outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct medicines reconciliation for patients transitioning between care settings.
• Identify and review high-risk medicines e.g., anticoagulants, opioids, and monitored drugs to reduce patient harm.
• Assist in managing medication-related safety alerts and drug recalls, ensuring timely action is taken.

Cost-Effective Prescribing

• Analyse prescribing data to identify cost-saving opportunities while maintaining clinical effectiveness.
• Support the implementation of ICB formulary guidance, reducing variation and ensuring cost-efficient prescribing.
• Promote the use of biosimilars and generic medicines, where clinically appropriate.
• Assist in reducing medicines waste through deprescribing initiatives and patient education.

Care Homes & Vulnerable Patient Support

Assist care homes to improve their medicines handling, storage, and administration in line with CQC requirements, by providing generic guidance.

Support medication reviews for residents, ensuring safe polypharmacy management.

Assist care home staff by providing guidance on medicines optimisation best practices.

Sustainable and Digital Medicines Management

• Promote greener prescribing initiatives, supporting NHS sustainability goals.
• Assist in the implementation of electronic repeat dispensing and digital prescribing tools.
• Use medicines optimisation software to audit and improve prescribing patterns.

Collaboration and Education

• Deliver training and support to healthcare professionals on safe and effective prescribing.
• Provide guidance on national and local prescribing policies to ensure compliance with ICB directives.
• Provide oversight, direction, and guidance on the internal prescribing process of Prestige Medical Group.
• Contribute to audit projects and service improvement initiatives across the local healthcare system.

Qualifications and Skills

• Registered Pharmacy Technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Experience in medicines optimisation, ideally within primary care or an NHS setting.
• Strong knowledge of clinical prescribing systems and data analysis.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
• Experience in auditing prescribing practices and implementing change initiatives.
• Knowledge of Local Enhanced Services frameworks and objectives.
• Understanding of ICB formularies, policies, and national medicines optimisation strategies.
• Access to training and career development support.
• Opportunity to work within a collaborative and innovative medicines optimisation team.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Registered Pharmacy Technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Experience in auditing prescribing practices and implementing change initiatives.
• Knowledge of Local Enhanced Services frameworks and objectives.
• Understanding of ICB formularies, policies, and national medicines optimisation strategies.

Experience

• Previous experience of working within a primary care setting.

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.