Role: Pharmacy Technician Derby Road, Ipswich
As part of Suffolk Primary Care, which is a group of 7 GP practices across Suffolk, we are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic and flexible pharmacy technician, with strong customer service skills, for Derby Road in Ipswich who look after over 19,500 patients.
Derby Road have 2 sites, based in the heart of Ipswich, with close travel links to the beautiful Suffolk countryside and the Suffolk coast.
The vacancy is for a part time role; we can be flexible on the number of hours available for the right candidate. Flexibility is crucial to accommodate training, holidays and occasional sickness.
We have an established team with a strong focus on customer service and communication. We would love to hear from candidates with GP surgery experience although we would also like to hear from those that can show flexibility and a range of transferable skills.
The successful candidate should be able to work calmly and professionally as part of a team. You should have the ability to multi-task. A strong command of written and spoken English with an excellent telephone manner is a must. Good time management skills and the ability to follow protocols and instructions and attention to detail are essential.
The interview panel will consist of a minimum of 2 people. Shortlisting will be on 8th April 2026 with interviews on 14th April 2026.
Main duties of the job
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.
Support medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new care home patients, synchronising medicines for patient transfers between care settings, and linking with local community pharmacists.
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.
Take 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.
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 efficient medicines optimisation.
About us
Suffolk Primary Care (SPC) is a forward-thinking partnership of GP surgeries across Suffolk. Our collaborative approach enables doctors and staff to share resources, ensuring the continued delivery of high-quality healthcare.
We are committed to equal employment opportunities and encourage applications from all qualified individuals.
Benefits of Working with SPC
* Defined benefits scheme
* Life insurance
* Family benefits, including adult dependents & children's pensions
* Ill health benefits
Electric Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme:
* Fully comprehensive insurance, servicing, tyres & breakdown cover
* Up to £2,000 annual SPC contribution (subject to conditions)
Flexible Working Arrangements:
GP remote working options to accommodate personal commitments
Additional Benefits:
* Health service discounts, including a complimentary Blue Light Card for new starters
* Minimum 33 days annual leave (inclusive of bank holidays) for full-time employees, with enhancements for long service
* Enhanced maternity & paternity terms
* Salary sacrifice schemes for technology, homewares (Currys, John Lewis, Decathlon), cycling, and gym memberships
At SPC, we invest in our staffs professional growth and well-being, fostering a positive work environment that benefits both our team and the communities we serve.
Job responsibilities
Base: Derby Road and Pinewood Surgery
Job Summary
As a Pharmacy Technician you will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to improve the quality and safety of care offered to our patients. You will have regular contact with patients and working alongside pharmacists will help seek to reduce the workload of GP prescribers in practices.
Key Responsibilities
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.
Support medication reviews and medicines reconciliation for new care home patients, synchronising medicines for patient transfers between care settings, and linking with local community pharmacists.
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.
Take 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.
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 efficient medicines optimisation.
Help guide and advise practice care navigation in sorting and streaming general prescription requests to allow GPs and clinical pharmacists to review the more clinically complex requests.
Provide leadership for medicines optimisation systems across practices, supporting with a range of services to get the best value from medicines by encouraging and implementing Electronic Prescriptions, safe repeat prescribing systems, and timely monitoring and management of high-risk medicines.
Provide training and support on the legal, safe, and secure handling of medicines, including the implementation of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS).
Plan and organise own workload, and support Clinical Pharmacists and colleagues, as well as patients and carers.
Maintain registration as a pharmacy technician and comply with appropriate professional codes.
Maintain and develop professional competence and expertise, keep up to date with medical/therapeutic evidence and opinion, local and national service, legislation, and policy developments. Agree on objectives and a personal development plan, and participate in the appraisal process.
Attend local, regional, and national meetings of relevance as agreed with the post holder's line manager.
Undertake any other duties commensurate with the post holder's grade as agreed with the post holder's line manager.
Confidentiality
In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately.
In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder will have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to Suffolk Primary Care as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential
Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of Suffolk Primary Care may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with Suffolk Primary Care policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data
Health & Safety
The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in Suffolk Primary Care's Health & Safety Policy, to include:
* Using personal security systems within the workplace according to Suffolk Primary Care guidelines
* Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
* Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
* Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards
Equality and Diversity
The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:
* Acting in a way that recognises the importance of people's rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Suffolk Primary Care 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.
Personal/Professional Development
The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by Suffolk Primary Care as part of this employment, such training to include:
* Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
* Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work
* Monthly training sessions as necessary
Quality
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within Suffolk Primary Care, and will:
* Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
* Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
* Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the team's performance
* Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
* Effectively manage own time, workload and resources
Communication
The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
* Communicate effectively with other team members
* Communicate effectively with patients and carers
* Recognise people's needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly
Contribution to the Implementation of Services
The post-holder will:
* Apply Suffolk Primary Care policies, standards and guidance
* Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
Participate in audit where appropriate
Suffolk Primary Care is an equal opportunities employer and you will be expected to comply with all relevant policies and procedures
Right to work
All applicants must have the legal right to work in the United Kingdom at the time of application and throughout the duration of employment. This includes holding a valid visa or immigration status that permits employment in the UK, if applicable.
Suffolk Primary Care is unable to employ or continue to employ individuals who do not have, or are unable to provide evidence of, their right to work in the UK.
Code of Conduct
All staff are required to work in accordance with the code of conduct for their professional group (e.g. Nursing and Midwifery Council, Health Professions Council, General Medical Council, NHS Code of Conduct for Senior Managers).
Infection control
It is the responsibility of all staff, whether clinical or non-clinical, to familiarise themselves with and adhere to current policy in relation to the prevention of the spread of infection.
Clinical staff, on entering and leaving clinical areas and between contacts with patients, must apply alcohol gel to their hands and also wash their hands frequently with soap and water. Staff are required to communicate any infection risks to the Infection Control lead.
Complaints
From time to time, complaints may occur, no matter how professional the approach of our staff. All complaints are investigated promptly, and the full co-operation of staff is required. The current guidelines amplify the above points with policies and procedures explained.
Clinical Governance and Risk management
Suffolk Primary Care believes everyone has a role to play in improving and contributing to the quality of care provided to our patients. As an employee of the practice you are expected to take a proactive role in supporting Suffolk Primary Care's clinical governance agenda by:
* Taking part in activities for improving quality such as clinical audit
* Identifying and managing risks through incident and near miss reporting and undertaking risk assessments
* Following policies, guidelines and procedures
* Clinical staff making entries into patient health records are required to follow any Suffolk Primary Care standards of record keeping
Information Quality Assurance
As an employee of Suffolk Primary Care it is expected that you will take due diligence and care in regard to any information collected, recorded, processed or handled by you during the course of your work and that such information is collected, recorded, processed and handled in compliance with Suffolk Primary Care requirements and instructions.
Person Specification
Personal Attributes
* Good computer skills including proficiency in using Microsoft Office
* Able to observe confidentiality
Qualifications
* GCSE in Maths, English and
* Science or equivalent NVQ
* Level 3 in Pharmaceutical Services and be registered with the GPhC
* Evidence of Continued Professional Development
* Primary Care Experience
Experience
* Have 3 years' experience as a pharmacy technician within a hospital, community or primary care setting
* Experience of Clinical Audit
* Experience of using TPP SystmOne
* Ability to influence and persuade partners and stakeholders of the respective merits of different options, innovations, new opportunities and challenges
Ability and Skill
* The ability to work either alone or as part of a multiskilled team
* Accurate and detail oriented
* Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
* Ability to work under pressure
* Able to adapt and adjust to changing environments, guidance and protocols
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This 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.
£29,604 to £34,493 a yearPay range is for a full time equivalent
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