Practice Pharmacist

Job description

Job responsibilities

We are seeking a positive- caring and self- motivated ARRS Pharmacist to bring their knowledge and expertise into our experienced and welcoming clinical team, on a fixed term basis funded through ARRS scheme. Band7. There is currently funding in place for 12 months.

Are you a pharmacist looking for a new challenge?

• Would you like to help build a new and exciting way of working?
• Would you like to make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of the local population?
• Would you like to develop your skills and knowledge in a supportive and enjoyable environment?

Main duties of the job

The post holder can expect to work in an encouraging and supportive practice environment. They will undertake a range of health needs in a primary care setting, ensuring the highest standards of care in a timely manner. The post holder with contribute both administratively and in direct patient-facing interactions.

A key responsibility of the post holder will be conducting clinical medication reviews to proactively manage patients with complex polypharmacy, ensuring their treatment regimens are both safe and effective.

The post holder will serve as a primary point of contact internally, providing expert advice on prescription and medication queries. They will play a crucial role in supporting the repeat prescription system, handling acute prescription requests, conducting medicines reconciliation during transfers of care, and implementing systems for safer prescribing. Additionally, they will offer expert clinical guidance on medicines, addressing the public and social care needs of patients.

The post holder will take a leading role in medicines optimisation and quality improvement, overseeing aspects of the quality and outcomes framework as well as enhanced services.

This is a part-time position over 3 days per week (including Mondays and Fridays).

Supported by our excellent clinical and non-clinical teams, we are a top performer in the QOF markers.

We offer:

• A comprehensive induction which introduces you to Betts Avenue Surgery, how we work and our team of approximately 30+ members of staff.
• Peer support
• The chance to work with and educate students as part of a teaching practice that works closely with local universities
• 25 days annual leave, (exclusive of public holidays)
• Provision of annual Pharmacist insurance fees
• Occupational Sick Pay scheme after one year
• Access to NHS Pension.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder is a ARRS funded Pharmacist who acts within their professional boundaries, working alongside the clinical team.

They will improve patients' health outcomes and the efficiency of the primary care team by providing direct, accessible and timely medicines and expertise including face to face contact with patients.

The post holder will be an integral part of the general practice team, as well as part of a wider multi-disciplinary team. This includes being a conduit of patient medicines information into and out of Newcastle hospitals. They will work to optimise medication issues to improve patient care and safety and support clinical staff in the management of patients.

As part of their employment, the post holder will hold qualifications from an accredited training pathway, including independent prescribing, equipping the Clinical Pharmacist to be able to practice and prescribe safely and effectively in a primary care setting.

Supervision and mentorship will be provided to support the Clinical Pharmacist.

See attached job description

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please seeNHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Job responsibilities

A key job role for Practice Clinical Pharmacists is to undertake structured medication reviews, ensuring patients have appropriate monitoring tests in place, maximising QoF achievements, when required for patients:

a. in care homes,

b. with complex and problematic polypharmacy, specifically those on 10 or more medications,

c. on medicines commonly associated with medication errors,

d. with severe frailty,

e. who are particularly isolated or housebound or who have had recent hospital admissions and/or falls,

f. using particularly addictive pain management medication.

Domiciliary Clinical Medication Reviews to address polypharmacy and improve concordance.

Patients identified as requiring extra support with their medication or those with questions, queries and concerns about their medication.

Other duties are not limited to, but may include:

Telephone consultations and multimedia contacts will also be undertaken where appropriate

Work to collaborate in a common framework for medication standards agreed by all PCN practices to ensure equity, clarity and consistency for all patients and health and social care staff.

Work to maximise GP practice incomes through pro-active involvement in QoF Contract to achieve targets through high quality clinical reviews and data analysis.

Identify cohorts of patients at high risk of harm from medicines - this might include risks that are patient related, medicine related, or both.

Review the use of medicines most commonly associated with unplanned hospital admissions and readmissions through audit and individual patient reviews. Put in place changes to reduce the prescribing of these medicines to high-risk patient groups.

Contribute pharmaceutical advice for the development and implementation of new services that have medicinal components (e.g. advice on treatment pathways and patient information leaflets).

Analyse, interpret and present medicines data to highlight issues and risks to support decision making.

Contribute to the implementation of changes that result from MHRA alerts, product withdrawal and other local and national guidance.

Contribute to the implementation of local and national guidelines and formulary recommendations, monitor practice prescribing and make recommendations to GPs.

Provide education and training to primary healthcare team on therapeutics and medicines optimisation.

Work with the general practice teams to ensure the practices are compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved.

Provide specialist knowledge on all public health programmes available to the general public.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• The post holder will need to provide the following evidence:
• That they are enrolled in, or have qualified from, an approved 18-month training pathway or equivalent that equips them to:
• Be able to practice and prescribe safely and effectively in a primary care setting (for example, the CPPE clinical pharmacist training pathways)
• Although optional, it is thought advisable that they are able to deliver the key responsibilities outlined in section B1 of the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service 2024-25 specification
• GPhC registered pharmacist

Experience

Essential

• An appreciation of the nature of GPs and general practice.
• An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing
• Experience and an awareness of common acute and chronic conditions that are likely to be seen in general practice
• An appreciation of the new NHS landscape, including the relationships between individual practices, PCNs and the commissioners

Desirable

• Interest in improving polypharmacy outcomes.
• Minimum of two years working as a pharmacist demonstrated within a practice portfolio
• Experience of using SystmOne

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Betts Avenue Medical Centre

Address

2 Betts Avenue

Newcastle Upon Tyne

NE15 6TQ

Employer's website

https://www.bettsavenue.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)