PCN Clinical Pharmacist

Job responsibilities

Below are the core responsibilities of the Clinical Pharmacist role. This list is not exhaustive and will be reviewed on an annual basis or sooner if deemed necessary. There may be times when the post-holder is required to carry out tasks outside of the list below to assist with the needs of the PCN and it's member Practices:

• Clinical Duties
• Work to provide patient centred care through expert medicine knowledge to clinically assess and treat patients
• Conduct structured medication reviews (SMRs), particularly for patients with complex needs, polypharmacy, frailty, or multiple long-term conditions
• Manage and support chronic disease care, including hypertension, diabetes, COPD, asthma, and other long term conditions, in line with current guidelines
• Focus care on high priority groups such as frail patients, those in Care Homes or Housebound, with multiple comorbidities, learning disabilities, or autism
• Receive and resolve medicines queries from patients and colleagues
• Deliver patient-facing and remote consultations, including medication counselling and health promotion
• Facilitate safe transfer of care by addressing medicines-related issues post-discharge and developing effective processes between hospitals and General Practice
• Provide clinical guidance and recommendations to Pharmacy and Practice teams to support prescribing, medication optimisation, and address public health and social care needs
• Support and respond to medicine-related queries from clinical staff, patients, carers, and other professionals
• Utilise SMRs to reduce medicine waste and promote self-care where appropriate
• Ensure compliance with CQC standards and operate in accordance with national and local guidelines
• Undertake and contribute to clinical audits for quality improvement and implement changes in practice where needed
• Assist in developing or refining procedures to improve clinical safety and operational efficiency
• Analyse data to identify and reduce health inequalities within the PCN population
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge and comply with legal, ethical, professional, and organisational policies, procedures, and codes of conduct
• Action MHRA alerts as required to ensure medication safety and compliance

Prescribing & Medicines Optimisation

• Independently prescribe medications (if qualified as an Independent Prescriber) or work under supervision while training toward the qualification
• Promote and ensure safe, appropriate, and evidence-based prescribing, in line with NICE guidance and local formularies
• Support medication optimisation, including deprescribing, improving outcomes, and reducing medicines-related harm
• Monitor and manage repeat prescribing systems and ensure the safe use of high-risk drugs (e.g., lithium, DMARDs)
• Provide expert advice on medicines management to the Practice and wider PCN, supporting safe, cost effective treatment choices
• Act as a source of support for clinicians, offering guidance on drug dosing, interactions, side effects, and alternatives (e.g., for out-of-stock medications).
• Maintain up to date knowledge of national prescribing guidelines, particularly those issued by NICE, to inform best practice

Multidisciplinary Working & Collaboration

• Attend Multidisciplinary meetings
• Attend Pharmacy Hub sessions and facilitate where necessary
• Work collaboratively with GPs, Nurses, Clinicians, Care Coordinators, Pharmacy Technicians, and other members of the MDT to support integrated, high quality patient care
• Liaise with community pharmacies, secondary care, and other healthcare providers to ensure continuity and safety in medication related care transitions
• Network across the PCNs multidisciplinary team to improve patient outcomes, enhance access to care, and reduce GP and Practice workload
• Contribute to team effectiveness and performance through personal reflection and make suggestions where required
• Schedule time with Clinical Leads for Clinical Supervision, professional and personal development
• Provide Clinical Supervision to Pharmacy Team staff where necessary

Pharmacy Team Support, Training and Supervision

• Support, mentor, and supervise members of the Pharmacy Team and other staff, as appropriate
• Provide education and training to Practice and PCN teams on therapeutics, medicine optimisation, and medication safety
• Promote the role and integration of the Pharmacy Team within the PCN, contributing to awareness and best Practice adoption across the wider team
• Demonstrate commitment to continual service and process improvement through reflective practice and collaboration
• Confidently collect, analyse, and present data to inform decision-making and improve clinical and operational outcomes

Quality & Safety Management

• Alert other team members to concerns about risk, quality, and safety
• Identify, report and take action on any safeguarding issues or quality of care concerns arising from working with patients and refer issues onwards as appropriate
• Participate in clinical governance activities and contribute to improving health outcomes through audits, risk management and quality improvement initiatives
• Use healthcare technologies to collect data for audits and utilise clinical audit to monitor service quality, service delivery, patient access and continuity of care
• Help develop efficient systems, processes and protocols
• Follow professional and organisational policies
• Effectively manage time, workload, and resources
• Meet all reporting requirement and deadlines per NHS Quality and Outcome Frameworks

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Positive and confident persona
• Approachable and supportive towards colleagues and patients (able to empathise in difficult/ distressing situations)
• Able to use initiative and problem solve
• Resilient and able to operate in a calm professional manner during busy and high demand periods
• Flexible and cooperative dependant on the needs of the PCN/ Practice
• Highly motivated and focussed
• Willing to learn and develop
• Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
• The right to work in the UK
• Able to drive to different PCN sites

Qualifications

Essential

• Master of Pharmacy (or equivalent)
• Mandatory registration with General Pharmaceutical Council
• Willing to complete the independent prescribing qualification

Desirable

• Completed the CPPE pathway
• A member or working towards a the Royal Pharmaceutical Society membership
• Postgraduate Certificate in Pharmacy Practice
• Hold or be working towards a GPhC Independent prescribing qualification

Experience

Essential

• Minimum of 2 years experience working as a Pharmacist
• Minimum of 1 years experience working as a Pharmacist in General Practice
• Obtains knowledge and experience of common acute and long term conditions
• Experience of common acute and long-term conditions
• Good knowledge of service development in medicines
• Strong knowledge of dealing with complex medication reviews relevant to General Practice

Skills

Essential

• Exceptional written and oral communication skills (including polite and professional telephone manner)
• Competent IT literacy, including clinical systems such as TPP SystmOne as well as MS Office and email
• Excellent negotiation, interpersonal and influential skills
• Able to efficiently plan and prioritise tasks and workflow
• Ability to apply evidence based researched into Pharmacy work and strategy
• Self-autonomous but able to work within both Practice and Pharmacy teams
• Able to follow but also develop policy and procedures were deemed as necessary
• Capable to identify and resolve risk management issues in accordance with PCN and Practice standards
• Demonstrates commitment to continual service and process improvement
• Confident in the collection, analysis and presentation of data

Desirable

• Possess lead and ambassadorial skills

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).