PCN Pharmacy Technician
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The Organisation
FedBucks is a federation of 45 GP practices covering a population of over 485,000 patients across Buckinghamshire. We began in 2016 and now employ around 200 members of staff across our head office sites, and our planned and unplanned care services.
As a GP Federation, we are proud to represent our member practices and to champion primary care by working with local general practice and system partners in the provision of community-based healthcare services. We are dedicated to providing safe and compassionate care to our patients across our range of planned and unplanned healthcare services in Buckinghamshire and believe in continuous commitment to quality service delivery and positive patient outcomes.
Patients are at the heart of everything we do, and we pride ourselves in ensuring our patients feel safe, supported, communicated with and respected, at a time when they may be feeling vulnerable. Our vision is to provide high quality, seamless health care that enables people to lead healthier lives, whilst feeling supported and cared for.
Aylesbury Central Primary Care Network (PCN) is a collaboration of two practices in central Aylesbury, Whitehill Surgery and Berrycroft Community Health Centre, collectively we care for a patient population of 41,000. The successful applicant will be working with a team of clinical pharmacists and become part of a fast-moving PCN looking for innovative ways to meet our patient needs.
Job Summary
Primary Duties
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Pharmacy Technician to join our growing pharmacy team at Aylesbury Central PCN. The network is already experienced in working with clinical pharmacists and this role provides a great opportunity to join a committed team as well as having access to national training through the NHS England Clinical Training Pathway and be part of a local network of clinical pharmacists/technicians.
We are looking for collaborative, motivated, and forward-thinking technician. The role will involve supporting medicines management by working within the general practice setting, with the support of Senior Clinical Pharmacists. You will provide specialist medicines management advice to patients and other healthcare professionals, to promote the safe, effective and high-quality, cost-effective use of medicines in all prescribing decisions. The role will also focus on improving the repeat prescribing process, relieving clinical workload pressures.
Aylesbury Central Primary Care Network (PCN) is a collaboration of two practices in Aylesbury, Whitehill Surgery and Berrycroft Community Health Centre, collectively we care for a patient population of 41,000. The successful applicant will become part of a fast-moving PCN looking for innovative ways to meet our patient needs.
Responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities:
- undertake patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations with patients.
- carry 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.
- support, as determined by the PCN, medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new care home patients and synchronising medicines for patient transfers between care settings and linking with local community pharmacists.
- provide 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.
- take a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols and liaising with specialist pharmacists for more complex patients.
- support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.
- assist in the delivery of medicines optimisation and management incentive schemes and patient safety audits.
- 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.
Technical and Administrative Responsibilities:
- work with the PCN multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation, including implementing efficient ordering and return processes, and reducing wastage;
- supervise 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.
- provide leadership for medicines optimisation 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.
- provide training and support on the legal, safe and secure handling of medicines, including the implementation of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS).
develop 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.
Person Specification
Education / Qualification / Experience
- Professional registration with GPhC
- BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical sciences
- Evidence of recent and relevant Continuing Professional Development
- Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician in primary care, community or hospital pharmacy
- Experience of working with clinicians and multidisciplinary/multiagency work
- Experience of facilitating change to improve clinical practice
- Experience of delivering training sessions to varied groups
Skills & Knowledge
- Demonstrate ability to influence and persuade partners and stakeholders of the respective merits of different options, innovations, new opportunities and challenges
- Relevant theoretical and practical knowledge of Primary Care Networks, General Practice and evidence-based medicine
- Understanding of NHS long term plan and priorities relevant to primary care
- Capacity to be innovative and develop the role of a pharmacy technician
- Ability to work with a range of clinical and non-clinical personnel as part of a team
- Ability to communicate medicines and service-related information to decision makers at all levels and have advice challenged
- Ability to work independently and effectively with a high degree of motivation for long periods
- Ability to prioritise and work to deadlines, often with frequent interruptions and urgent requests
- Ability to define, collate, analyse and interpret data
- Able to utilise databases and information technology, including word processing, spreadsheets and presentation packages effectively
- Ability to communicate information to patients and carers in an appropriate manner, using well developed empathy skills
- Knowledge of medicines management issues across primary, acute and domiciliary care settings including strategies for the improvement of prescribing
- Understanding and appreciation of National and local policies which impinge on primary care prescribing
Personal Attributes
- Professional approach to work demonstrating excellent interactive patient skills. Guided by professional code, accountable and responsible for own professional actions
- Ability to gain the confidence and credibility of a range of professionals
- Able to work under pressure and prioritise tasks to ensure urgent work is completed on time
- Able to engage rapidly with existing stakeholder and networks
- Builds credibility (personal and organisational) and rapport quickly
- Able to communicate effectively and engage with individuals from other agencies, including patients and the public
- Ability to travel between sites in a timely manner if required
