Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner

Job responsibilities

Main purpose of job:

• To contribute to improve health outcomes in long term conditions as a member of the multidisciplinary primary care team

• To provide specialist knowledge and advice on pharmaceutical matters, including cost-effective prescribing and clinical guidelines for disease treatment, and to also provide evidence-based education and training for colleagues in partnership with the practice

• To practice as an independent prescriber, holding face to face consultations

• To provide advice and support for patients with self-limiting conditions

• To work to improve communication about medication-related issues between the practice and other care providers

• To lead on implementation of safe and efficient repeat prescribing systems

• To fulfil the requirements of the PCN DES,

• To assist in meeting the targets in Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) and Morecambe Bay CCG Quality Improvement Scheme (QIS).

• To provide structured medication reviews for care home patients and other patients specified in the PCN DES, and cooperation and collaboration with other PCN pharmacists and members to fulfil the DES requirements.

This job description is not exhaustive and duties may vary with the requirements of the GP Practice.

Main tasks/overview of responsibilities:

Contribute to improved health outcomes in long term conditions

Long term condition clinics

Practice as an independent non-medical prescriber (or working towards this), holding clinics for long term conditions within scope of competence.

Aim to review multiple long term conditions at same clinic visit to provide holistic care and improve patient experience.

Support patients to manage their long term conditions.

Medication review / medicines optimisation

Carry out face to face and telephone clinical medication reviews for patients on multiple medications for long term conditions.

Review if prescribing is appropriate in line with current guidance, cost-effective and safe; identify unmet need, stop unnecessary/ineffective medicines. Implement own prescribing changes as an independent prescriber.

Pathology results

Review daily pathology results for patients under their care

Quality and Outcomes Framework (QoF)

Contribute to achievement of QOF targets to improve health outcomes

Quality Improvement Scheme (QIS)

Contribute to achievement of QIS targets to improve health outcomes

Care Quality Commission (CQC)

Contribute to achievement of CQC quality and safety standards

Domiciliary visits

Identify and visit housebound patients who would benefit from a clinical medication review or a review of their LTC by a clinical pharmacist.

Provide specialist knowledge and advice on pharmaceutical matters

Medical information queries

Answer medical information queries from GPs, Nurses, practice staff and patients.

Education

Provide education on medicines related topics for GPs, Nurses, medical students, registrars.

Evidence-based prescribing/ Clinical guidance

Review NICE and other evidence-based guidance as it is issued, to evaluate any impact on medicines and prescribing.

Undertake regular clinical audit to support implementation of clinical guidance across the practice.

Provide regular education sessions for the clinicians at the practice to discuss audit results and agree an action plan for improving standards within clinical areas.

Medicines unavailability

Provide advice on suitable alternative medications in the event of a medicine being unavailable.

Cost effective prescribing

Encourage cost effective prescribing within the practice, including adherence to local formulary.

Build good working relationships with local Medicines Management Team members

New medicines

Provide education for the clinical team on new medicines

Drug safety

Review all safety alerts (e.g. MHRA) and ensure any action required is undertaken

Unplanned Emergency Admissions

Work with the practice team to help reduce medicines related emergency admissions by running regular searches to identify patients at risk of harm from their medicines. Review these patients to reduce the risk of harm.

To provide advice and support for patients with self-limiting conditions

Patient advice

Provide patients with advice on treating self-limiting conditions through face to face/ telephone consultations and patient information leaflets/website. Conditions may include UTIs, hayfever, emergency contraception, conjunctivitis etc.

Improve communication about medication-related issues between the practice and both the patient and other care providers

Management of medicines related information at hospital admission

To review communication processes between practices/ hospitals/care homes/ community pharmacies at hospital admission to evaluate how this can be improved

Management of medicines at discharge from hospital

To reconcile medicines following discharge from hospital/ intermediate care; identify and rectify unexplained changes, manage these changes without referral to the GP; perform a clinical mediation review; produce a post-discharge medicines care plan including dose titration and booking of follow-up test, and work with patients and community pharmacists to ensure patients receive the medicines they need post discharge. Set up and manage systems to ensure continuity of medicines supply to high-risk groups of patients (e.g. those with medicine compliance aids).

Knowledge

Essential

• Broad clinical and pharmaceutical knowledge
• Relevant specialist knowledge
• Demonstrable understanding of current issues within pharmacy and the NHS
• Continuing professional development evidenced by portfolio.
• An appreciation of the nature of GPs, general practice and primary care prescribing.
• Computer literate.

Desirable

• IT including spreadsheet and database packages

Other requirements

Essential

• Able to travel between sites as required.
• Ability to participate in 7 day working rota.
• Basic Life Support training

Desirable

• Driving licence.

Skills and aptitudes

Essential

• Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to make judgements based on conflicting data using critical appraisal skills.
• Ability to manage time, people and resources to deliver timely outcomes.
• Able to organise and prioritise workload.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Able to work accurately to deadlines.
• Ability to identify and implement best practice.
• Ability to identify and manage risk.

Desirable

• Coaching skills.

Qualifications

Essential

• MPharm or equivalent
• Registration with General Pharmaceutical Council

Desirable

• Independent prescribing qualification or commitment to achieving this.
• Postgraduate clinical diploma
• RPS Membership

Experience

Essential

• Significant post-registration experience in hospital pharmacy, community pharmacy or primary care pharmacy.
• Have experience and an awareness of common acute and long-term conditions that are likely to be seen in general practice.

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).