Lead Clinical Pharmacist

Job responsibilities

Job responsibilities

• Assess, triage, and signpost patients, including urgent same-day requests, providing definitive treatment where appropriate. This includes prescribing in line with policy, PGDs, NICE guidance, and local clinical guidelines, or referring to other members of the primary care team or external services as required.
• Act as an Independent Prescriber, including the digital signing of electronic repeat prescriptions.
• Respond to prescribing and medicines-related queries from clinicians and the wider practice team in a timely manner, with due consideration to cost-effective prescribing and local formulary guidance.
• Conduct structured medication reviews (SMRs), face-to-face or remotely, for patients (and carers where appropriate) with polypharmacy or those prescribed high-risk medicines (e.g. opioids, benzodiazepines).
• Review and action clinic correspondence, including hospital discharge summaries and specialist letters, ensuring accurate medicines reconciliation.
• Manage a non-filtered clinical workload, identifying potential red flags or serious underlying pathology, and taking appropriate and timely action.
• Use advanced clinical reasoning and complex decision-making to assess, diagnose, investigate, and manage complete episodes of care within a broad scope of practice.
• Adopt a personalised care and population health approach, supporting shared decision-making with patients.
• Complete and maintain relevant training to provide multi-professional clinical practice supervision and CPD support to colleagues across primary care, including First Contact Practitioners and personalised care roles.
• Build effective relationships and promote collaborative working across practices and the wider healthcare system to support high-quality patient care.
• Lead and coordinate the PCN/practice pharmacy team, including clinical supervision, appraisals, identifying training needs, and managing annual leave and sickness absence.
• Demonstrate an understanding of primary care financial and contractual frameworks, prioritising and delegating work appropriately throughout the year.
• Support practices in achieving QOF, Network DES IIF, service level agreement, and other relevant organisational targets.
• Support the practice in meeting CQC requirements, particularly those relating to medicines management.
• Ensure robust clinical governance around prescribing and medicines monitoring, including compliance with MHRA drug safety alerts and appropriate blood monitoring for high-risk medicines.
• Review, develop, and update prescribing policies and procedures.
• Lead, plan, and support the development and implementation of new ways of working across the local system.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• Educated to master's degree level Advanced Clinical Practitioner
• Working at a master's level or equivalent that encompasses the four pillars
• Qualified from an approved 18-month training pathway or equivalent (CPPE)
• Qualified as an independent prescriber

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Understanding of the implications of national priorities for the team and/or service
• Excellent communication skills at all levels in varying communication formats
• Understanding of the pharmacy role in governance and is able to implement this appropriately within the workplace.
• Progress and develops clear plans to achieve results within priorities set by others
• Competent in producing reports, letters, and general correspondence in an agreed format to a high standard
• Participates in the delivery of formal education programmes
• Critically evaluate and review literature
• Identify gaps in the evidence base to support practice and the ability to generate evidence suitable for presentations at practice and local level
• Ability to apply research evidence base into working place
• Working across multiple organisations

Desirable

• Understanding of the process for effective resource utilisation
• Understanding of the mentorship process
• Ability to conduct teaching and assessment effectively according to a learning plan

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Ability to work independently and in a team
• Ability to work under pressure and be flexible
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiation skills
• Excellent organisation skills
• Proactive approach

Experience

Essential

• Working knowledge of GP IT systems including EMIS, Docman, AccuRx
• Experience of working with operational teams, cross organisations and a range of professionals
• 3 years GP / Primary Care experience
• Delivery of structured medication reviews and long-term condition management
• Experience of leading prescribing audits or medicines optimisation projects
• Experience of line management, supporting or supervising pharmacy colleagues

Desirable

• 10 years post qualification experience

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).