Clinical Pharmacist

Job responsibilities

Please see attached job description for full details

Key Responsibilities

Medication review / medicines optimisation

Carry out face to face 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 where appropriate

Pathology results

Review daily pathology results for patients under their care

QOF, IIF and Prescribing Scheme

Contribute to achievement of QOF and IIF targets to improve health outcomes

Contribute to the achievement of the local prescribing scheme

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.

Alongside the Middlewood Prescribing Lead GP, 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 ICB Medicines Management Team members

New medicines

Provide education for the clinical team on new medicines

Drug safety

Alongside the Middlewood Prescribing Lead GP 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.

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).

Medication changes from clinic appointments

Reconcile medication from clinic appointment correspondence, identifying any unexplained changes and rectifying these by communication with the secondary care provider. Ensure patients are fully aware of any changes and that a plan for monitoring/dose titration is in place.

Community Pharmacy

Along with the Prescribing Team, act as the link with community pharmacy for joint working and related projects and build effective working relationships.

Hospital Pharmacy

Along with the Prescribing Team, act as the link with hospital pharmacy related projects and build effective working relationships.

Care Homes

Along with the nominated GP, ensure care home residents have an annual medication review. Any changes agreed with the patient and/or their representative should be communicated to the care home staff and the community pharmacy.

Newly registered patients

To review medications for new patients, to ensure safe, cost-effective prescribing in line with practice/local prescribing policies.

Lead on implementation of safe and efficient prescribing systems

Repeat prescribing system

To ensure the practice repeat prescribing system is safe, efficient and helps minimise waste.

Medication monitoring

To provide specialist knowledge on medication monitoring and ensure a system for implementation is in place

Prescription queries

To answer queries from administration staff regarding medication requests where appropriate to save GP time

Reauthorisation of repeat medication / medication review

To reauthorise medication for future repeat prescribing

To work with practice staff to ensure a robust medication review policy

Repeat dispensing

To identify patients suitable for repeat dispensing. Ensure this is implemented effectively by close working with patients, prescribers and community pharmacies.

Prescribing for vulnerable patients

Review the prescribing of medication for vulnerable patients to ensure it is appropriate e.g. weekly prescriptions for at risk-patients, monitored dosage systems or alternative solutions to improve patient compliance

Audit

With support and supervision undertake audits as required of patients with polypharmacy

Policy and service development

• Liaise with Cheshire and Merseyside ICB re. local prescribing policies
• Define and create protocols and formularies within the practice in consultation with other members of the team including the ICB medicine management team

Leadership

• Working as a clinical co-ordinator to ensure success in gaining Quality Outcome Framework and Investment and Impact Fund points
• Working autonomously with due attention to agreed protocols and practice

Clinical/Patient care

• Dealing with day-to-day patient queries/issues re medication

Qualifications

Essential

• Mandatory registration with General Pharmaceutical Council
• Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
• Undergraduate degree in Pharmacy
• Hold or be working towards a prescribing qualification (training will be provided if not already underway)
• Have undertaken the CPPE primary care pathway or a willingness to do so

Experience

Essential

• In-depth therapeutic and clinical knowledge and understanding of principles of evidence-based healthcare
• Experience of working with the general public
• Experience of working in a healthcare setting
• An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing
• Customer or patient service complaints resolution
• Understanding of the NHS strategy particularly relating to primary care
• Experience of working in a team
• Knowledge and experience of conflict management
• Experience of working closely with colleagues, managers and clinicians

Desirable

• Minimum of 2 years post-qualification experience
• Experience of working in Primary Care
• Knowledge and experience of safeguarding

Aptitude

Essential

• Personable and approachable and empathetic
• Sensible and able to use own initiative
• Demonstrates honesty and integrity and promotes organisational values
• An ability to maintain confidentiality and trust
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight and often changing deadlines
• Proven team worker with ability to motivate others.
• Able to manage conflict in a positive and supportive manner
• Able to demonstrate flexibility, enthusiasm and commitment.
• Ability to work on own initiative and organise workload

Skills

Essential

• Excellent written and verbal communication, interpersonal and negotiating skills
• Demonstrable ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to a variety of audiences
• Demonstrable IT skills
• Proven problem solving and analytical skills
• Ability to obtain and analyse complex technical information
• Ability to recognise personal limitations and refer to more appropriate colleagues as necessary
• Ability to produce timely and informative reports

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).