Experienced Pharmacy Technician @ Farnham Medical Centre

Job summary

We are looking for an experienced Pharmacy Technician to join our friendly team. Medicines Management is an important part of our every day work and we have created this role to assist the prescribers in the practice to deliver high quality patient centred medicines optimisation.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will undertake medication reviews, support the safe and effective use of medicines, assist with repeat prescribing processes, and work collaboratively with GPs, pharmacists and the wider multidisciplinary team to improve patient outcomes and reduce medicines-related risks.

The Pharmacy Technician will play a key role in ensuring patients receive the maximum benefit from their medication whilst promoting safe, evidence-based prescribing and medicines management.

About us

We are a busy but friendly GP Practice with 16,200 patients, 6 GP Partners, Nurse Practitioners, Minor Illness Nurse, First Contact Practitioner, Practice Nurses, Health Care Assistants, Phlebotomists and supporting administrative staff.

We care about the wellbeing of our staff and offer initiates such as birthday off, employee of the month, long service awards, staff quizzes, social events and plenty free tea and coffee!

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Medication Reviews

• Undertake structured medication reviews for patients in line with practice protocols and national guidance.
• Identify patients who may benefit from medication reviews, including those with long-term conditions, polypharmacy, frailty, or high-risk medicines.
• Review medication records and identify opportunities to improve safety, adherence, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.
• Support patients to understand and optimise their medicines.
• Escalate complex clinical issues to the GP as appropriate.
• Document all interventions accurately within the patient's clinical record.

Medicines Optimisation

• Support medicines reconciliation following discharge from hospital and other care settings.
• Identify and address medication safety concerns.
• Promote safe prescribing and medication use.
• Assist with audits relating to prescribing and medicines management.
• Support initiatives to improve prescribing quality and reduce waste.

Repeat Prescribing

• Oversee the prescription team and ensure smooth and efficient prescription service delivery
• Process repeat prescription requests in accordance with practice policies.
• Identify and resolve medication queries relating to repeat prescribing.
• Support the review of repeat prescribing systems and processes.
• Liaise with community pharmacies regarding prescribing and medication issues.

Long-Term Condition Support

• Assist in monitoring patients prescribed long-term medication.
• Support the identification of patients requiring routine medication monitoring.
• Work with clinicians to ensure medication reviews are undertaken at appropriate intervals.

Patient Advice and Support

• Respond to medication-related enquiries from patients and carers.
• Support patients with medication adherence and understanding of treatment plans.
• Signpost patients to appropriate services where required.

Collaborative Working

• Work closely with GPs, Nurses and other healthcare professionals.
• Establish effective working relationships with community pharmacies, hospitals and other healthcare providers.
• Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings where appropriate.

Information Governance and Record Keeping

• Maintain accurate and contemporaneous clinical records.
• Adhere to GDPR, confidentiality and information governance requirements.
• Ensure medicines-related data is recorded accurately within clinical systems.

Professional Development

• Maintain professional registration and continuing professional development requirements.
• Participate in training, supervision, appraisal and service improvement activities.
• Keep up to date with developments in medicines optimisation and primary care.

General Responsibilities

• Comply with all practice policies and procedures.
• Contribute to quality improvement initiatives.
• Promote equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of work.

Support the practice's commitment to safeguarding

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Pharmacy Technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
• Level 3 BTEC/NVQ in Pharmaceutical Sciences (or equivalent recognised qualification).
• Evidence of continuing professional development.

Desirable

• Accuracy Checking Pharmacy Technician (ACPT) qualification.
• Medicines management or medicines optimisation training.
• Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway or equivalent training.

Knowledge

Essential

• Understanding of medicines optimisation principles.
• Knowledge of repeat prescribing processes.
• Understanding of medication safety and risk management.
• Knowledge of confidentiality, GDPR and information governance requirements.
• Understanding of the role of primary care within the NHS.

Desirable

• Knowledge of national prescribing guidance and quality standards.
• Knowledge of long-term condition management.
• Understanding of structured medication reviews

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to build rapport with patients and healthcare professionals.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills.
• Ability to prioritise workload and work independently.
• Accurate attention to detail.
• IT literacy and ability to use clinical systems effectively.
• Problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team

Desirable

• Experience using EMIS, or other primary care clinical systems.
• Advanced medicines optimisation skills.
• Experience producing reports and analysing prescribing data
• Supervising staff

Experience

Essential

• Experience working as a Pharmacy Technician.
• Experience supporting medicines management activities.
• Experience using clinical systems and maintaining accurate records.
• Experience working with healthcare professionals and patients.

Desirable

• Experience in a GP practice, Primary Care Network, community pharmacy or hospital pharmacy setting.
• Experience undertaking medication reviews.
• Experience of repeat prescribing and medicines reconciliation.
• Experience participating in clinical audits and quality improvement projects

Personal attributes

Essential

• Professional and patient-focused approach.
• Commitment to providing high-quality patient care.
• Flexible and adaptable.
• Reliable and trustworthy.
• Commitment to confidentiality.
• Positive and proactive attitude.
• Commitment to equality and diversity

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Farnham Medical Centre

Address

435 Stanhope Road

South Shields

Tyne and Wear

NE33 4QY

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://farnhammedicalcentre.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)