PCN Clinical Pharmacist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Responsibilities

Prescribing Systems and Policies:

To work with the GP Leads and practice managers to review, develop and implement prescribing policies and strategies for whole practices.

To suggest and design audits in relation to prescribing targets, implementation of locality policies, Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) and IIF

Medication Review and Optimisation:

To respond to internal practice queries to amend prescriptions, re-authorise repeats, clarify doses, clarify products, give appropriate alternatives when availability is an issue.

To discuss specific patient and prescribing issues (e.g. complicated regimes/polypharmacy, compliance difficulties, multiple adverse effects, medication reduction regimes) with other clinicians as necessary.

To undertake structured medication reviews

To discuss medication issues with patients as needed and appropriate by telephone, e.g. adverse effects/interactions, overdose/inadvertent ingestion, OTC remedies, internal queries from staff and queries from care homes.

To complete DTA (direction to administer) forms for district nurses for GPs to authorise.

Medicines Reconciliation:

To review secondary care requests for new medication (as communicated by discharge summaries, outpatient letters, etc.) and raise any queries with the relevant GP, and discuss how to respond when inappropriate prescribing requests arise.

To review and continue repeat medications for new patients who have just registered with the practice, and suggest GP medication review where appropriate.

Medicines Information/Education:

To monitor and inform colleagues as relevant about ongoing prescribing issues, e.g. new guidelines (national and local), new products being asked for by secondary care, manufacturing and supply problems, new prescribing restrictions or contraindications, and individual and systematic errors made by colleagues.

To advise on cost effective prescribing and prescribing budget issues.

To keep the prescribing folder on the practice intranet up to date, with administrative support.

Chronic Disease Medicines Management:

According to experience and training working within the multidisciplinary team to assist with medical management of conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and asthma.

Teaching training:

Hightown Surgery is a G P training practice and teaches Oxford medical students in the autumn. Students and trainees sit in on consultations and occasionally have tutorials one-to-one. The Clinical Pharmacist(s) will be sometimes asked to participate in the education of learners in these settings. You may also be asked to contribute to training of our PCN pharmacy technicians, foundation pharmacists, medicines management clerks and receptionists who deal with prescriptions. More informally, we all love to learn from each other and see sharing of expertise as integral to working in our GP practices.

Confidentiality:

In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, Practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the Practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential. Information requested by individual members will be collated and authorised through formal channels.

Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the Practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the Practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data

Equality and Diversity:

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

Acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Practice / PCN procedures and policies, and current legislation

Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues

Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights

Personal Professional Development:

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice as part of this employment, such training to include

Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development

Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work

Quality

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practice and will

Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk

Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision

Contribute to the effectiveness of the teams by reflecting on own and teams activities and making suggestions/recommendations on ways to improve and enhance the teams performances

Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs

Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

Communication:

The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

Communicate effectively with other team members

Communicate effectively with patients and carers

Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.

Safeguarding

All staff have a responsibility to:

• Know how to act should they recognise indicators of abuse or neglect.
• Understand the organisations and local safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Partake in meetings and case conferences regarding safeguarding matters when requested.
• Attend and or complete regular training commensurate with their role in accordance with their individual terms of reference and practice policy.

• You must consider the needs and welfare of people (adults, children and young people) who may be vulnerable, and offer them help if you think their rights are being abused or denied. You must follow our more detailed guidance on Protecting children and young people and 0 to 18 years: guidance for all doctors.
• You must act promptly on any concerns you have about a patient - or someone close to them - who may be at risk of abuse or neglect or is being abused or neglected.

Contributing to the protection of children and adults from abuse and neglect using the specific skills, resources and capacity available in general practice by:

• Implementing professional safeguarding responsibilities which includes continual professional development in safeguarding.
• Preventing abuse and neglect.
• Identifying abuse and neglect.
• Responding appropriately to abuse and neglect, including supporting victims and survivors of abuse.
• Having governance systems and processes in place to support safeguarding and
• Working collaboratively with other health colleagues, safeguarding partners and agencies.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• The appointed applicant will be a prescriber or be working towards prescriber status, taking full advantage of the CPPE training pathways (details in addendum).

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

Hightown Surgery

Address

Hightown Gardens

Banbury

Oxfordshire

OX16 9DB

Employer's website

https://www.hightownsurgery.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)