L&G Screening Pharmacy Technician Pilot
Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust and Southeast London ICS
Background
Pharmacy Technicians are integral to the pharmacy workforce, yet their clinical roles remain limited. This project aims to develop clinical progression pathways for Pharmacy Technicians, enhancing their roles and supporting workforce development. The initiative aligns with NHS England future plans and the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, aiming to integrate Pharmacy Technicians into clinical settings and maintain high standards of patient care. The project addresses the need for independent screening of prescriptions, especially as pharmacist prescribing becomes more routine. This project will help manage the workload and ensure safe, robust medicines management across various healthcare settings.
Project Aims
The primary aims are to develop a model for clinical screening of prescriptions by Pharmacy Technicians. This involves creating a structured pathway that allows Pharmacy Technicians to take on more advanced clinical roles, thereby supporting the overall pharmacy workforce and improving patient care. The project seeks to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of this model initially within the Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust and expand this across Southeast London Integrated Care System (SEL ICS).
Project Objectives
To identify opportunities within secondary care for the early adoption of Pharmacy Technician clinical screening.
Develop a clear governance model for the practice of Pharmacy Technician clinical screening, including training and clinical supervision.
Develop and implement a training programme to upskill current senior Pharmacy Technicians to safely and accurately clinically screen prescriptions.
Pilot the clinical screening model in at least two defined areas of practice at Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust.
Evaluate the training programme and pilot.
Scope and define opportunities to spread and scale the model system-wide across South East London ICS.
Expected Outputs
To develop a training programme and a locally approved governance model for clinical screening by Pharmacy Technicians.
To ensure a minimum of four Pharmacy Technicians complete the training programme.
To successfully complete a four-month pilot of Pharmacy Technician clinical screening in at least two clinical areas.
To create comprehensive evaluation reports detailing the quantitative and qualitative outcomes of the training program and pilot.
To create a detailed plan for spreading and scaling the model across the wider healthcare system, including potential applications in community pharmacies and PCNs
To create publication and presentations at conferences to share the project’s findings and promote adaptation.
Project Team
Name
Rachel Knight
Daniel Connolly
Richard Pudney
Simon Weekes
William Swain
Organisation
Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust
Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust
Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust
Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust
South East London ICS
Role
Senior Responsible Officer
Project Lead
Project Lead
Project Manager
Project Manager