Job summaryNew Forest PCN is a forward-thinking and well-established Primary Care Network in Southwest Hampshire, bringing together a group of innovative practices with a strong ethos of collaborative working. New Forest Primary Care Network is based in Lymington and involves the following GP Surgeries:
- Wistaria and Milford Surgeries
- Chawton House Surgery
- Lyndhurst Surgery
- New Forest Medical Group
Main duties of the jobJob SummaryThis is an exciting opportunity for a qualified
Pharmacy Technician to join our PCN team, providing essential support for medicines optimisation, repeat prescription processes, and clinical audits across our practices. Youll work closely with our Clinical Pharmacists, GPs, and administrative teams to help ensure safe, effective, and efficient use of medicines within the PCN. This role will suit someone who is proactive, detail-oriented, and committed to delivering excellent patient care.
Key Responsibilities- Support the repeat prescribing process, ensuring medication reviews are up-to-date and safe
- Conduct medicines reconciliation following hospital discharge
- Assist in audits and reviews of high-risk drugs, polypharmacy, and prescribing indicators (e.g. QOF, IIF)
- Provide support in reducing waste, improving cost-effectiveness, and promoting best practice in prescribing
- Offer advice and guidance to patients around medication queries (non-clinical)
- Liaise with community pharmacies to ensure continuity of care
- Input into the development of prescribing and medicines management protocols
- Work across multiple practices as needed, with some flexibility for remote admin work
About usWe are passionate about proactive, patient-centred care and continually invest in our workforce to improve health outcomes across our population. As part of our growing team, we are looking to recruit aPharmacy Technicianto support our medicines optimisation and prescribing efficiency workstreams.
Job descriptionClinical Pharmacy in General Practice is part of an exciting programme of transformation to develop a new model of care which addresses our ambition to deliver person-centred, coordinated care across the district. The Clinical Pharmacy in General Practice model is supported by the direction of national policy including the Five Year Forward View and GP Forward View where there is a need to better utilise the role of pharmacy within primary care to pro-actively help patients stay safe and well and out of hospital as well as helping to reduce the demands on general practice.
Pharmacy technicians play an important role, complementing clinical pharmacists, community pharmacists and other members of the PCN multi-disciplinary team. Pharmacy technicians are different to clinical pharmacists as they do not routinely prescribe or make clinical decisions, but instead use their logistical expertise under the supervision of a wider team to ensure effective and efficient use of medicines.
Pharmacy technicians core role responsibilities will cover some clinical, technical and administrative categories.
The purpose of the role is to lead improvements to maximise safe and cost effective best practice in prescribing to improve the quality of patient care. The post holder will help patients to get the best from their medicines by switching medications to agreed and approved protocols, improving repeat prescribing processes in General Practice, including promotion of repeat dispensing and online ordering, minimising clinical risk and aiming to reduce wasted medicines.
In addition, the post holder will be responsible for encouraging the development of better understanding of the principles of medicines optimisation throughout the practice teams and promoting good practice in line with therapeutic developments.
This will involve assisting the PCN in achieving national requirements, NICE implementation and utilisation of medicines optimisation initiatives.
Key role requirementsClinical- 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.
- Supporting admin staff with prescription processing and improving the service to patients, including community pharmacy liaison
- 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 prior to SMR.
- 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 drug monitoring of medicines prescribed under shared care.
- Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing locally.
Technical and administration- 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
General- Attend internal meetings as required.
- Work in accordance with PCN policies, including the equal opportunities policy and practice.
- Attend any training courses and supervision sessions as required.
- Work with due regard to the PCN Health and Safety Policy, ensuring that all practices and procedures are undertaken in accordance with issued guidelines.
- Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required from time to time.
Special working conditionsTo be prepared to work flexibly, including evenings and weekends if required.
Equality and diversityThe post-holder will support equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers & colleagues, to include:
- Acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
- Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
- Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
Person SpecificationQualificationsEssential- Professional registration with GPhC
- Evidence of continued professional development
- Demonstrate ability to influence and persuade partners and stakeholders of the respective merits of different options, innovations new opportunities and challenges
Desirable- Experience working with GP surgeries in this role
Any other factorsEssential- Ability to multi-task, work independently and in a team
- Ability to be flexible with hours if required
- Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
- Clear understanding of confidentiality
Desirable- Ability to drive/ have own car
Knowledge and understandingEssential- Good clinical pharmacy knowledge including terminology
- An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improvement of prescribing
- Knowledge and understanding of pharmacy law and ethics and current legislation
Desirable- Relevant theoretical and practical knowledge of Primary Care Networks, General Practice and evidence based medicine
- An appreciation of NHS agenda and government targets
- Awareness of GP budget management and funding systems to enable GP clinical pharmacist services to assist delivery of PCN and NHS priorities and requirements for financial balance and quality
- 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 organisations
Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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 RegistrationApplicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer contact detailsFor questions about the job, contact:
PCN Manager
Becky Higgins
rebecca.higgins2@nhs.net
