Pharmacy Technician (Primary Care)

Job overview

We are looking for an experienced pharmacy professional to join our Practice and to spearhead our inhouse pharmacy team. Previous experience of working in or with primary care will be crucial in ensuring a strong foundation of knowledge to build upon.

The role of the Pharmacy Technician in general practice is vastly different to community pharmacy. There is no dispensing of medications, rather an important role in the safe and efficient prescribing, monitoring and review of medications.

Job description

The post-holder will be an integral part of the Practice's approach to safe prescribing, effective medication monitoring, and improving medicines optimisation.

See Job Description section for more detail.

Job responsibilities

The post-holder will work closely with Practice prescribers and pharmacy colleagues to:

• Manage daily prescription requests.
• Conduct standard medication reviews.
• Refer complex patients for structured medication reviews.
• Review and act upon changes to medications initiated by hospitals, secondary care and other third party providers.
• Carry out and document medicine reconciliations.
• Use Eclipse Live to optimise prescribing safety and flag potential patient risks.
• Track, review and act upon MHRA drug alerts.
• Deal with adhoc patient medication and prescription queries.
• Hold patient drop-in sessions to deal with FAQs regarding ordering and understanding medications.
• Provide clinical support to the Pharmacy Assistant, whose role it is to track, arrange and monitor medication reviews.
• Participate in pharmacy projects and audits.
• Participate in the ongoing review of medication policies and procedures.
• Liaise with Community Pharmacies and the ICB Pharmacy / Meds Management team to address and work to overcome challenges and improve the overall experience for patients.

About the organisation

Quedgeley Medical Centre (QMC) is a family run GP practice in Quedgeley, a suburban town of Gloucester and located 3.5 miles southwest of the city centre.

With approx. 8,000 patients, QMC is a growing practice with a team comprised of doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, administrative/secretarial staff, pharmacy professionals, and others.

At QMC, we strive to be known as a warm, friendly, and welcoming Practice, where our patients are always treated with respect and dignity and feel that they have been listened to with kindness and compassion at every interaction.

Our tight-knit team has a wonderful dynamic of mucking in and supporting one another, sharing responsibilities, and being confident and enabled to speak up and ask for help.

Person specification

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent ability to multi-task and switch between tasks of different types.
• Excellent ability to focus and concentrate.
• Excellent ability to analyse and interpret data and information in order to make sound assessments and judgements.
• Ability to keep abreast of the latest evidence-based prescribing practice.
• Excellent ability to work independently and autonomously within scope of own competence, recognising when and why to seek clinical input and support.
• Excellent understanding and prioritisation of patient safety.
• Excellent communication skills, written and oral.
• Excellent documentation and record keeping skills.
• High degree of personal credibility, emotional intelligence, patience and flexibility.
• Ability to support and coach others.
• Strong IT skills and an interest in using technology to create efficiencies and greater safety in processes.

Qualifications

Essential

• Professional registration with GPhC
• BTEC or NVQ level 3 or equivalent in pharmaceutical sciences
• Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development

Experience

Essential

• 5+ years' experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacy technician
• Experience of working in or closely with primary care as a pharmacy technician
• Experience of carrying out medication reviews
• Experience of carrying out research, audits or projects in relation to medications and prescribing