Job Description
Central Watford PCN is looking for an enthusiastic Pharmacy Technician to come and support and complement our amazing Pharmacy team. We have a senior Pharmacist who specialises in diabetes and is Diabetes UK Champion, as well as two junior pharmacists who specialise in hypertension and asthma.
You will be primarily working at Watford Health Centre based in Watford Town Centre.
Watford Health Centre was formed in 2020 following the merger of Cassio Surgery and Upton Road Surgery. We have a list size of 18500. The role will support the practice teams within our network to ensure the delivery of safe, effective and efficient systems for repeat prescribing, medicines optimisation, reducing medicines waste and maximising patient outcomes.
The Pharmacy Technician will work alongside clinical pharmacists as well as with the GPs and Nurses based in the practices. We have a team of First Contact Physiotherapists, Mental Health workers, Social prescribers as well as a large team of doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants who support us to provide high level of care to our patients. We have close links with our local pharmacies.
We are walking distance to the town centre and have onsite parking.
The practice has a strong record of supporting further training and development for staff.
If you think you have the right experience and are up to the challenge, we would be keen to hear from you. Our pharmacy team would welcome informal discussions regarding the role and working environment as we look to build our high performing team.
Salary is negotiable and subject to experience.
Job description
Clinical Knowledge and skills
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.
As determined by the PCN, support medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new care home patients and synchronising medicines for patient transfers between care settings, linking with local community pharmacies
Support the Clinical Pharmacist in Structure Medication Reviews (SMR) i.e. organise necessary monitoring tests
Provide expertise to address both the public health and social care needs of patients, including lifestyle advice, service information, and help in tackling local health inequalities.
Manage shared care protocols and liaise with Clinical Pharmacists for more complex patients.
Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing locally.
Technical and Administrative skills
Support the PCN multi-disciplinary team to ensure efficient medicines optimisation processes are being followed.
Implement efficient ordering and return processes and reducing medication wastage.
Provide training and support on the legal, safe and secure handling of medicines, including the implementation of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS).
Promotion of Electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD) and online ordering
Develop relationships with other pharmacy professionals and members of the multi-disciplinary team to support integration across health and social care including primary care, community pharmacy, secondary care and mental health.
Support practice reception teams in streaming general prescription requests, so as to allow GPs and clinical pharmacists to review the more clinically complex requests.
Support the implementation of national prescribing policies and guidance within GP practices, care homes and other primary care settings
Support the PCN to deliver on QIPP agenda, QOF and locally commissioned enhanced services
Support the PCN in reviewing and developing practice policies for CQC requirements
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Excellent time keeping and prioritisation skills.
- Works effectively independently and as a member of a team.
- Flexible approach to meet service needs and ensure a stakeholder focused response.
- Self-motivated, proactive and reliable.
- Continued commitment to improve skills and competencies in new areas of work.
- Able to undertake the demands of the post with reasonable adjustments if required.
- Independently mobile to be able to work across several sites and travel to meet with stakeholders.
- Adaptability, flexibility and ability to cope with uncertainty and change.
- Demonstrate ability to work in a busy environment; ability to deal with both urgent and important tasks and to prioritise effectively whilst also supporting others.
Experience Essential
- Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician in primary care, community or hospital pharmacy.
- An appreciation of the nature of GPs and general practice, primary care networks and the GP contract 2020-2021.
- Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Experience of motivational interviewing and excellent patient medication counselling skills.
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to a variety of audiences.
- Is able to plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general medicine optimisation issues and feedback to the clinical pharmacist.
- Good IT skills- computer literate with Microsoft office.
- Able to think analytically; anticipating obstacles and thinking ahead; using analytical techniques to draw logical solutions to problems.
- An excellent understanding of data protection and confidentiality issues.
Desirable
- Awareness of systems to support management of patients in a primary care setting, delivering pharmaceutical input and support in the context of pathways of care and the business of the organisation(s).
- An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing.
- Familiarity with GP systems EMIS.
- Awareness of systems to support management of patients in a primary care setting.
- Able to obtain and analyse complex technical information.
Qualifications Essential
- BTEC/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical sciences Registration with General Pharmaceutical Council. Evidence of continued professional development (CPD)
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: £20,713.00-£35,760.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- On-site parking
Schedule:
- Day shift
- Monday to Friday
COVID-19 considerations:
We continue to follow COVID precautions, we wear face masks in the building and maintain social distance
Experience:
- Pharmacy: 1 year (preferred)
Work Location: In person