Dr J A Simmons MBBS MRCGP LFHom
Dr C J Dodge MBBS MRCGP
Herstmonceux Integrative
Health Centre
Hailsham Road
Herstmonceux
East Sussex
BN27 4JX
Tel no: 01323 833535
Fax no: 01323 833998
www.hmxihc.co.uk
May 2017
Dear Applicant
Pharmacy Technician
Thank you for your interest in our Pharmacy Technician vacancy at Herstmonceux Integrative Health Centre. Since
moving into our new building in January 2014, our patient numbers have grown from 2,800 to 4,300. As a result, we
are looking to looking to expand our Team to ensure all our patients, both current and new, receive the great level of
service they all deserve and we aspire to deliver.
We are an integrative health centre which means we offer both primary care NHS services with our GPs and nurses
but also complementary medicine with our independent complementary practitioners. Our vision is to be able to
provide complementary medicine for free and we are looking at ways to do this in our 5 year plan. For now,
patients pay a fee direct to the practitioner.
Our eco-friendly building has been designed to create a place of calm, encompassing the health and well-being of
patients and staff alike. Customer service is key to us and we want all patients to receive a warm welcome and be
dealt with quickly and professionally. Team work is equally important and we recognise the important role everyone
has in making our Health Centre a success.
We are looking to recruit a part time NVQ-3 Pharmacy Technician to work five mornings each week.
The rate of pay will be £9.50 per hour.
We hope you are interested in working with us and would very much welcome your application.
Please send your CV along with covering letter/email for my attention at the address above or via email to me at
[email protected].
The closing date for applications is 31st August 2017.
If you would like any further information about the job or our terms and conditions of employment, please do not
hesitate to contact me on 01323 833935.
We look forward to receiving your application.
Yours faithfully
Mel Ingham
Practice Manager
Empowering health and wellbeing
Job description
Job Title:
Pharmacy technician
Reports to:
Dr C J Dodge
Hours:
5 mornings per week, hours negotiable with successful candidate
Herstmonceux Integrative
Health Centre
Job summary








To work with the clinical and administrative staff of Herstmonceux Integrative Health Centre to streamline
and improve the process of requesting and issuing repeat prescriptions
To ensure systems are in place to ensure that patients are reviewed appropriately
To deal with queries from patients, residential homes and pharmacies regarding medication
To undertake medicines reconciliation following hospital discharges, outpatients appointments, and for new
patients joining the practice
To liaise with clinical staff with any issues arising from these tasks
To ensure systems are in place for monitoring of high risk medicines
To ensure systems are in place for MHRA alerts
To support the practice with the Prescribing Support Scheme
Essential qualifications
NVQ-3 and registered with the GPC (General Pharmaceutical Council) as a pharmacy technician.
Line manager-Lead GP Dr C J Dodge
Training in house with Lead GP and administration team.
Initial steps
Familiarise with the practice team, the EMIS IT system, the current process for repeat prescribing, the local
prescribing formulary, Scriptswitch/OptimizeRX,ICE and QOF.
First phase
Enter requests for repeat prescriptions on EMIS( these may be on paper, electronic or by e-mail)
 Check last issue –early/late?
 If early, check with requesting patient or pharmacy if there is a good reason, reject if not (record
why)
 Use discretion, is a Bank Holiday coming up?
 Extra care with opiates , benzodiazepines and hypnotics(Discuss with GP if too soon, we could put
in place shorter prescriptions)
 Extra care with restarting medications in “past” section, sometimes they are there because they
have used all the authorised issues, but often they have been stopped at a GP/practice nurse
review, or by the hospital.
Empowering health and wellbeing



Extra care with DMARDs (disease modifying agents for rheumatoid disease) and anti-rejection
drugs(see below)
Requests for dressings from District Nurses, check on local CCG formulary.
Requests for appliances (eg stoma supplies) check on formulary and frequency of issues.
Check for review date, often “birthday review” but might be different depending on medication.
 Is the review “in date”?
 If not have the reviews been done, using protocols where available.
 QOF reviews needed? , check “QOF box”
 Relevant blood tests, especially for lithium, DMARDs (may need to check on ICE)
 Blood pressure checks (6 monthly usually, 150/90 target for most QOF)
 If all reviews done can update annual review date to birthday month, check with clinician if not
sure.
 If needs blood test/blood pressure/other review, send task to reception to phone patient to make
appointments as needed, document on EMIS what is needed
 Antidepressants, if new have they seen a GP for a review within 10 to 56 days of first prescription?
 Oral contraceptive, 6 monthly prescriptions, task to book review with nurse if annual review due.
If all correct send to GP for electronic signing.
If not all correct but documented plan made, to GP for signing with note to say in hand.
Liaise with pharmacies regarding requests from them.
Second phase(once happy with basic tasks above)
Medication queries
 From patient via task (eg can I take this medication with other medications, can I have 3 months for
a holiday?)
 From residential homes (a lot). Residential home staff are carers not nurses and have little training
in medication, so need a lot of support. Medication instructions need to be explicit (eg “apply
cream twice daily to dry skin on legs”)
 If asking for medication not on current repeat slip, check has not been stopped by
GP/Hospital/medication rationalisation by pharmacist.
 If asking for creams/dressings/appliances check on formulary.
 If asking for small amounts of drugs to “make up the month” liaise with
pharmacy/care home to reduce waste and synchronise medication.
 If asking for new medication not on current script, check where they came from and
liaise with GP.
New patients
 Add medication to EMIS
 Check complex patients are called in for new patient check , liaise with lead practice nurse about
this.
 If new patient is moving from a local practice check bloods on ICE (hospital computer system) to
save duplication.
Empowering health and wellbeing
Electronic repeat dispensing
 Currently mostly levothyroxine patients
 Identify suitable patients on a small number of stable medications, contact and set up eRD if
patient consents. Develop a longer term plan to use eRD for all appropriate patients.
Third phase (only once secure in the above areas)
Medication queries arising from secondary care
 Outpatient prescribing recommendations- check for interactions/intolerances, add to EMIS and
send to GP with a note saying who advised it.
 Discharge summaries –check for changes to previous medication, complete medicines
reconciliation template and send to GP to check.
 Outpatients letters- when new meds advised such as new antihypertensives (contact patient and
ensure they understand the new medication and arrange follow up and monitoring as needed)
More specific prescribing areas, to be developed as the Pharmacy Technician becomes confident with
the previous phases. For example
 Alendronic acid, following up on DEXAs/vitD/fragility fractures
Empowering health and wellbeing
Generic requirements for all staff
Confidentiality
 To keep all information on patients, staff and the practice ‘as a business’ strictly confidential. All
new staff are required to sign our confidentiality statement: in the course of your employment or
associated work with the Practice, you may have access to, see or hear, confidential information
concerning the medical or personal affairs of patients, staff or associated healthcare professionals.
Unless acting on the instructions of an authorised officer within the practice, on no account should
such information be divulged or discussed except in the performance of your normal duties. Breach
of confidence, including the improper passing of registered computer data, will result in disciplinary
action, which may lead to your dismissal.
 Disclosures of confidential information or disclosures of any data of a personal nature can result in
prosecution for an offence under the Data Protection Act 1998 or an action for civil damages under
the same Act in addition to any disciplinary action taken by Practice.
Health & Safety:
 To manage and assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others’ health, safety and
security as defined in the Practice Health & Safety Policy, to include:
o Using personal security systems within the workplace according to Practice guidelines
o Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that
manages those risks
o Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
o Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe
way and free from hazards
o Reporting potential risks identified
Equality and Diversity:
 To manage and support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to
include:
o Acting in a way that recognises the importance of people’s rights, interpreting them in a way
that is consistent with Practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
o Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
o Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and
respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
Empowering health and wellbeing
Personal/Professional Development:
 To participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice as part of this employment,
such training to include:
o 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
Quality:
 The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, and will:
o Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under
supervision
o 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
o Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients’ needs
o Effectively manage own time, workload and resources
Communication:
 The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and
will strive to:
o Communicate effectively with other team members
o Communicate effectively with patients and carers
o Recognise people’s needs for alternative methods of communication and respond
accordingly
Contribution to the implementation of services:
 The post-holder will:
o apply Practice policies, standards and guidance.
Empowering health and wellbeing