Pharmacy Technician

Southend Victoria Primary Care Network is an organisation of 9 GP practices with around 65,000 patients. We are based in the centre of Southend-On-Sea in Essex.

As well as the established GP surgery staff the PCN has added 2 Advanced Nurse Practitioners, 6 Physician Associates, 5 Pharmacists, 2 Physiotherapists, 3 Care Coordinators, 4 GP Assistants, 2 Paramedics, a Podiatrist and a Dietician.

The lead practice, The Queensway Surgery, is a GP Training Practice and that emphasis is carried through to the PCN Team and there is weekly teaching for all the clinicians. Southend Victoria PCN is also one of a handful of accredited training PCN's in the UK.

Identify, select dispense and distribute drugs for in and out patients prescriptions. Identify dispense and distribute pharmaceutical items including Controlled Drugs, Clinical Trials and extemporaneously prepared products to wards and departments throughout the Trust according to Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's) Take part in patient counselling and provide information on medicines to patients, doctors and other health care staff. Carry out reception duties, involving dealing with patients, relatives and all grades of healthcare workers.

Deal with telephone enquiries and handle prescription charges. Use the computer systems to track prescriptions. Accuracy check of dispensed items following completion of Regional Checking Accreditation.

As well as excellent clinical supervision and clinical teaching we offer all standard NHS benefits including NHS Pension

Where a PCN employs or engages one or more Pharmacy Technicians under the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, the PCN must ensure that each Pharmacy Technician has the key clinical, technical and administrative responsibilities as outlined below for delivering health services.

The post holder is a Pharmacy Technician and is an integral part of the general practice team, working within their professional boundaries in each practice within the Primary Care Network (PCN).

This role will work under the supervision of the clinical pharmacist to ensure the safe, accurate and timely supply of prescribed medication to patients. They will provide technical and administrative support to the clinical pharmacist and clinicians. The pharmacy technician will support the PCN and practice clinical teams with queries around medication from patients.

The pharmacy technician will complete audits around patient safety in the prescribing of medication and present the information for sharing with the clinical team.

The Pharmacy Technician is to undertake the following key responsibilities in delivering health services.

• Undertake patient facing and patient supporting roles to ensure effective medicines use, through shared decision-making conversations with
• Conduct medicines optimisation tasks including effective medicine reviews and medicines reconciliation. Where required, utilise consultation skills to work in partnership with patients to ensure they use their
• Support, as determined by the PCN, medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new care home patients and synchronise medicines for
• 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
• Maintain a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols and liaise 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
• Attend a formal appraisal with your manager at least every 12 months. Once a performance/training…