Pharmacy Support Workers
What are Pharmacy Support Workers?
Pharmacy Support Workers in the NHS play a crucial role in supporting registered pharmacists and technicians with the dispensing and supply of medications, as well as providing patient care and administrative support. They work as part of a pharmacy team, interacting with patients and ensuring the smooth operation of the pharmacy.
Pharmacy Assistants
As a pharmacy assistant you could:
- serve customers and give advice about non-prescription items
- label products, stock shelves and put orders together
- take calls from GP surgeries, nursing homes and clinics
- deliver medicines to wards
- enter medicine data on computer systems
Pharmacy Assistant – Explore Careers
In primary care Pharmacy Assistants could:
- Manage the medications by keeping an inventory and maintaining stock as required
- Verify medication requests when they come in.
- Respond to patient queries
Pharmacy Assistant – Primary Care Careers
Prescription Clerks
A prescription clerk, also sometimes called a prescription administrator, is an administrative professional who works in healthcare settings like GP surgeries or pharmacies to manage medication requests. Their duties include processing prescription requests, handling patient and pharmacy inquiries, and ensuring prescriptions are issued in line with protocols. They also play a role in promoting electronic repeat dispensing and online ordering of prescriptions.
Key Responsibilities:
- This includes receiving and acting upon paper and electronic requests for repeat prescriptions, ensuring they are authorized and accurately recorded.
- Addressing patient queries regarding prescriptions, medication, and the prescription process, either in person, by phone, or online.
- Providing administrative assistance to GPs, clinical pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals in relation to prescription management.
- Maintaining accurate and up-to-date patient records, ensuring all information related to prescriptions is current and readily accessible.
- Coordinating with pharmacies, secondary care, and prescribing hubs to facilitate prescription requests and resolve queries.
- Verifying medication details, checking for necessary authorisations, and reconciling medications with discharge summaries and other relevant documents.
- Adhering to established protocols and guidelines for prescription processing and patient care.
- Contributing to the overall efficiency of the healthcare team by collaborating with colleagues and participating in team meetings.
- Handling sensitive patient information with discretion and adhering to confidentiality policies.
Essential Skills:
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills are essential for interacting with patients, pharmacies, and other healthcare professionals.
- The ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritise effectively, and maintain accurate records is crucial.
- Accuracy is paramount in processing prescriptions to ensure patient safety and prevent errors.
- The ability to identify and resolve issues related to prescriptions and patient inquiries.
- Handling sensitive patient information and addressing queries with empathy and respect.
- Familiarity with computer systems and software used for prescription management.