Job summary
The purpose of the role is to facilitateimprovements to maximise safe, cost- effective best practice in prescribing toimprove the quality of patient care.
The post holder will help patients to getthe best from their medicines by switching medications to agreed and approvedprotocols, improving repeat prescribing processes in General Practice,including promotion of repeat dispensing, 56 day prescribing and onlineordering, minimising clinical risk and aiming to reduce wasted medicines. Inaddition, the post holder will be responsible for encouraging the developmentof better understanding of the principles of medicines optimisation throughoutthe practice teams and promoting good practice in line with therapeuticdevelopments.
Main duties of the job
To supportthe Practice to deliver safe, effective and efficient systems for repeatprescribing, medicines optimisation, reducing medicines waste, prescribingprojects and audits. To work closely with the Prescribing Lead, Prescribingclerks, Practice and Community pharmacists to develop strong workingrelationships and high quality service to maximise patient outcomes.
About us
Ashgrove Medical Group is an establishedmulti-professional training practice working across two sites, with a patientpopulation of circa 20,000 patients. Ashgrove Medical Group provides long-termstability and unique opportunities for pharmacy technicians to develop theirskills for the future.
The practice boasts an excellent multi-professionalteam including 7 GP Partners, 3 pharmacists, 1 Pharmacy Technician, 5 salariedGPs, 1 Physician Associate and an enhanced nursing team, complimented by asupportive reception and administration team.
With a strong emphasis on education & training,the practice hosts training for Independent Prescribing, Foundation PharmacyTraining and pre-registration pharmacy students. The practice is also ahigh-tiered research centre and also offers Enhanced Services such as NearPatient Testing, Substance Misuse, Anti-Coagulation, Denosumab, Gonadorelins,and Gender Identity treatments, with the pharmacy team leading a majority ofthese.
The partners are passionate about supporting theirteam to enjoy a quality of life at work with a healthy work-life balance.Working patterns are designed to allow flexibility and the development ofspecialist interests and/or a portfolio career.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Responsibilities
Liaisingwith local pharmacies and hospitals regarding prescribing queries, to improveprescribing safety, quality and cost effectiveness
Tosupport the prescribing clerks to oversee the preparation of repeatprescriptions, synchronisation of repeat medication, medication review andrepeat dispensing
Processand update patient medication from hospital discharge and clinic letters
Tofacilitate prescribing meetings relating to practice prescribing reports,audits, protocols, targets, budget, education sessions relating to prescribingtopics.
To actionand process medication alerts, raising awareness within the practice
To helpplan, develop and support the introduction of new working processes within thepractice to optimise the quality of prescribing.
Tooversee patients on shared care drugs, ensuring recalls and protocols in placeto ensure safety and appropriate use of medicines and their management
Tosupport the Practice Based Pharmacists to provide medication reviews, patientinformation leaflets and cost effectiveness of prescribing.
Processall recalls relating to medication monitoring deemed necessary by the Practice
Reviewpractice processes and procedures relating to medication reviews for patientshousebound and care homes environments to optimise the quality of prescribing
OtherDuties
To keepprofessionally up to date to meet the General Pharmaceutical Council standardsfor continuing professional development and registration.
To ensurethat all information is recorded accurately using computer systems
To ensuremaintenance of accurate patient records and ensure all relevant information isdocumented in the patients medical records in a timely manner.
Initiating contact with and responding to requests from patients, other teammembers and associated healthcare professionals
To helpplan, develop and support the introduction of new working processes within thepractice to optimise the quality of prescribing
KeyRelationships
Toprovide support to the practice administrative staff
The postholder will be required to maintain constructive relationships with allpractice staff, and allied healthcare professionals
Communication
The postholder should recognise the importance of effective communication with teammembers, patients and carers
Torecognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respondaccordingly
Confidentiality
In theperformance of the duties outlined in the job description, the post-holder mayhave access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers,practice staff and other healthcare workers.
Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcareworkers or business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised personsin accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating toconfidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data
Patientsentrust the practice to maintain their information remains confidential andrespect their privacy and act appropriately
Healthand Safety
Thepost-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and othershealth, safety and security as defined in the practice Health and SafetyPolicy, the practice Infection Control Policy and published procedures. Thisincludes:-
Usingpersonal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking suchactivities in a way that manages those risks
Makingeffective use of training to update knowledge and skills
Usingappropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy andsafe way and keeping them free from hazards
Activelyreporting health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately whenrecognised
Keepingown work areas and general patient areas generally clean, assisting in themaintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope ofthe job holders role
Undertaking periodic infection control training
Reportingpotential risk identified
Correctuse of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Responsible for correct hand hygiene of self and others
Makingeffective use of training to update knowledge and skills and processes
Equalityand Diversity
Thepost-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carersand colleagues, to include:
Acting ina way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in away that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and currentlegislation
Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers andcolleagues
Behavingin a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental andrespects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights
Personal/ProfessionalDevelopment
Thepost-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by thepractice as part of this employment, such training to include:
Participation in an annual individual performance review, including takingresponsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professionaldevelopment
Takingresponsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstratingskills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work
Quality
Thepost-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice and will:
Alertother team members to issues of quality and risk
Assessown performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly orunder supervision
Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and teamactivities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teamsperformance
Workeffectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
Effectively manage own time workload and resources
Contributionto the implementation of Services
The postholder will
Applypractice policies, standards and guidance
Discusswith other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines willaffect own work
Participate in audit where appropriate
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
1. Qualified and registered with the GPhC as a Pharmacy Technician
2. Evidence of CPD
Desirable
3. Medicines Management Certificate or equivalent
Experience
Essential
4. Previous experience working within a patient facing role.
Desirable
5. Recent previous experience within comparable role in General Practice
6. Experience of prescribing/clinical systems such as Vision
Knowledge and skills
Essential
7. Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
8. Good IT skills.
9. Good organisational skills.
10. Ability to work under pressure in a busy environment.
11. Ability to work as part of a team.
12. Motivational & negotiation skills.
13. Time management skills.
14. Ability to plan, prioritise and organise workload.
Desirable
15. Ability to make decisions.
16. Teaching skills
Qualities/Attributes
Essential
17. Continued commitment to improve skills and ability in new areas of work.
18. Understanding of clinical governance and risk management
19. Self-motivated, able to work collaboratively and independently.
Desirable
20. Knowledge of audit and research.
Other
Essential
21. Flexible approach to work, with the ability to travel between sites and undertake domiciliary visits.
22. Clean/valid driving licence.
Desirable
23. Innovative