Practice Pharmacy Technician

Job description Job responsibilities Job Description Job Title: Pharmacy Technician Hours: 30 hours per week Band: Agenda for Change Band 4 or Band 5, dependent on experience Responsible to: Practice Manager / Lead Pharmacist / GP Partners Accountable to: GP Partners Job Purpose The Pharmacy Technician will work as part of the practice multidisciplinary team to support safe, effective and efficient medicines management across the practice population. The post holder will support repeat prescribing processes, medicines reconciliation, medication queries, high-risk drug monitoring, prescribing safety audits and medicines optimisation work. The role will involve working closely with GPs, pharmacists, nurses, administrative teams, community pharmacies, care homes, hospital teams, patients and carers. The post holder will work within agreed protocols, professional competence and practice policies, escalating clinical or safety concerns to the GP or pharmacist as appropriate. Main Duties and Responsibilities Medicines Reconciliation The post holder will:

Support medicines reconciliation following hospital discharge, outpatient letters and other clinical correspondence.

Identify medication changes, discrepancies and actions required.

Update patient medication records accurately and in a timely manner.

Escalate medication discrepancies, safety concerns or complex queries to the GP or pharmacist.

Liaise with patients, carers, community pharmacies, care homes and hospital teams where required.

Support safe transfer of care between secondary care and primary care.

Repeat Prescribing and Prescription Management The post holder will:

Support the safe and efficient processing of repeat prescription requests.

Review prescription requests in line with practice protocols.

Identify overdue medication reviews, monitoring requirements and potential prescribing safety issues.

Support repeat medication synchronisation where appropriate.

Respond to medication queries from patients, pharmacies, care homes and practice staff.

Promote safe, appropriate and cost-effective prescribing.

Escalate complex or clinical queries to the pharmacist or GP.

Medicines Optimisation The post holder will:

Support medicines optimisation work across the practice.

Assist with preparation for medication reviews by pharmacists and GPs.

Identify patients who may benefit from medication review, including those on multiple medicines or high-risk medicines.

Support patients to understand their medicines and reduce medicines waste.

Assist with formulary switches and prescribing improvement work in line with local guidance.

Contribute to improving prescribing quality, safety and efficiency.

Medication Safety and Monitoring The post holder will:

Support monitoring systems for high-risk medicines.

Identify patients who are overdue monitoring and support recall processes.

Assist with medicines safety searches, audits and action plans.

Support the implementation of medicines safety alerts and local prescribing guidance.

Record actions accurately in the clinical system.

Escalate urgent medication safety concerns appropriately.

Audits, Searches and Data Quality The post holder will:

Undertake searches and audits to support prescribing safety, medicines optimisation and quality improvement.

Support accurate medicines-related clinical coding and data quality.

Assist with action plans arising from audits and searches.

Maintain accurate records of work completed.

Support reporting requirements where required.

Communication and Team Working The post holder will:

Communicate effectively with patients, carers and healthcare professionals.

Work closely with GPs, pharmacists, nurses, reception, administration and management teams.

Liaise with community pharmacies, hospital teams and other external organisations.

Attend relevant meetings where required.

Support improvements to practice prescribing processes.

Contribute to a positive, professional and supportive team culture.

Patient Support The post holder will:

Support patients with medication-related queries within their competence.

Provide clear information about prescription processes and medication changes.

Signpost patients appropriately to community pharmacy, Pharmacy First, NHS services or clinical colleagues.

Promote patient safety, adherence and understanding of medicines.

Maintain confidentiality and professionalism at all times.

Professional Responsibilities The post holder will:

Work within professional competence and seek advice when required.

Maintain registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council where applicable.

Follow practice policies, procedures and protocols.

Maintain accurate and contemporaneous patient records.

Complete mandatory training and role-specific training.

Participate in appraisal, supervision and continuing professional development.

Contribute to service improvement and quality improvement activity.

Confidentiality and Information Governance The post holder will have access to confidential patient information and must ensure that all information is handled securely and in line with practice policies, NHS requirements, GDPR and information governance standards. Safeguarding The post holder must be aware of safeguarding responsibilities and report any concerns relating to children, young people or vulnerable adults in accordance with practice safeguarding procedures. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion The post holder will treat patients, carers and colleagues with dignity, fairness and respect, supporting an inclusive and accessible service for all. Health and Safety The post holder will follow practice health and safety policies, report risks or incidents appropriately and contribute to maintaining a safe working environment. Flexibility This job description is not exhaustive and may be reviewed in line with service needs. The post holder may be required to undertake other duties appropriate to the role, banding and level of competence.