Pharmacy Technician

Job description Job responsibilities Undertaking medication reviews, including reviews to ensure adherence to monitoring and shared care protocols.Ensuring patient safety when they are transferred between care providers through reconciliation of prescribed medicines.Inform patients regarding changes to their medicines in a professional manner and have the capacity to support and reassure patients when necessary, dealing with any issues or concerns that may arise within the boundaries of the post.To assess and facilitate patient concordance with prescribed medicines.To record all relevant pharmaceutical information in patient's medical notes and interventions in line with practice policy.Carry out housekeeping whilst in patient records e.g. dose optimisation and medicines synchronisation.Conduct appropriate clinical/physical assessments e.g. BP, pulse and pulse oximetry (within approved competence)Provide vaccinations within scope of practice and under suitable direction.Analyse and interpret prescribing data from a range of sources.Support improvements in clinical care through regular practice-based audit and implementing change.Liaise with Clinical Pharmacist, GPs & Community Pharmacists on issues regarding medication supply.Deal with medication related queries from patients and staff on a day-to-day basis.Assist practice with MHRA drug alerts, where appropriate and within levels of competence. Working with the practice to ensure actions are undertaken over an appropriate time frame and to advise on any medication changes that occur as a result.Promote cost-effective, safe, evidence-based prescribing in accordance with national and local guidance.Develop good working relationships within the practice to engage stakeholders in effective and cost-efficient prescribing practice.Communicate with the wider multidisciplinary team on issues of medication supply.To take the lead to provide prescribers with reports and interpretations of prescribing data, to help support them in achieving cost effective use of medicines and to facilitate change where necessary.To contribute to investigations or significant events that are medication related.Communicate complex, highly sensitive information with potential barriers to understanding.To undertake thorough reasoned analysis on possible medications switches which maintain the quality of therapy of the original drug with a lower average unit cost.To undertake analyses of prescribing processes which maintain or increase patient safety but also eliminate waste and duplication.Ensure working practice follows all current data protection requirements, i.e. Caldicott, Data Protection Act, local Confidentiality Agreements, etc.Collate information, including converting raw prescribing data into meaningful graphs, reports etc. to disseminate at education sessions.To use relevant IT system(s) to accurately record activity / data as appropriate for job role within an agreed time frame.To support the implementation and active development of a wide range of medicines management Standard Operating Policies (SOPs), requiring good knowledge of the relevant policies.Promoting the use of SOPs/good practice guides to support system improvements within the team and General Practice. E.g. Develop a repeat prescribing SOPsAssist all healthcare professionals who use medicines, through the delivery of technical services, to promote cost effective use of medicines. This involves the monitoring of medicines usage and their trends. Audits of patients to ensure appropriate cost-effective prescribing and adherence of prescribers to local formularies/guidelines.Implement appropriate changes to ensure the delivery of high quality, safe, cost effective and evidence-based prescribing within the patient medication records.Observe personal duty of care in relation to equipment and resources in course of work.To work with all of the health and social care professions to ensure there is sound practice and understanding of patient medication supply issues.To be involved in the training of staff who use medicines around the technical aspects of safe and cost-effective medicine usage.The work is of a wide variety and prioritisation of workload will be required.To contribute to sage transfer of care and planning for the patient. To work with patient's GP and pharmacists to expedite efficient and seamless discharges/out-patient correspondence in an effective and efficient way.To participate in continuing professional development/review and annual appraisal, facilitated using Personal Development Plans. Including a review of what aspects of your role are being done well, and the identification of any areas for development.To contribute, under the direction of senior pharmacy staff, to the training/supervision of other NHS staff including foundation/pre-registration and pharmacy undergraduates.Checks and enters patient details on computerised records system from prescriptions or clinic letters prepared by other health care professionals.Creates prescribing activity spreadsheets/databases to support patient monitoring, audit and quality improvement projects.Utilises different electronic prescribing tools to identify patients at riskUndertake continuing professional development as required by GPhC for continued registration.Undertake CPPE 15-month Primary Care Pharmacy Education pathway (PCPEP) or other accredited postgraduate qualifications relevant to general practice as required and if not already completed.To support the development of skills and knowledge of new team members and pre-registration trainees.To provide ad hoc training sessions for staff on medicines SOPs.On-going training of practice staff on safe management of medicines.Undertake surveys or audits to improve patient care and quality of work performed by self and other team members.To provide regular monthly audits of medications used in General Practice and to provide feedback on safe medication use.