Practice and PCN Clinical Pharmacist

Job responsibilities

• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a patient-facing role

• Support, promote and implement high quality, evidence-based, cost-effective, and safe use of medicines
• Support delivery of the new network Directly Enhanced Service (DES) specifications
• Conduct structured medication reviews to proactively manage patients with complex polypharmacy
• Provide clinical medicines expertise to both patients and general practice teams
• Improve prescribing practices across the Primary Care Network
• Improve service and quality through mechanisms such as clinical audits
• Interface with community and hospital colleagues to help resolve medication-related issues
• Assist with delivery of enhanced health in care homes initiatives across the PCN footprint.
• Work collaboratively with other pharmacy colleagues across the PCN footprint, including CCG Pharmacists and Technicians, to ensure an effective and integrated approach to medicines optimisation for our population.

Clinical Duties

• Perform face to face medication reviews for patients with polypharmacy, in practice and in patients’ homes (including care homes).
• Through structured medication reviews, support patients to take their medications to get the best from them, reduce waste and promote self-care.
• Provide expertise in clinical medicines review and address public health and social needs of patients in GP practices.
• Discuss complex and sensitive information with patients during medication review including medical histories, lifestyles, and personal circumstances and to refer on to other services and professionals as appropriate.
• Improve patient and carer understanding of, confidence in and compliance with their medicines.
• Provide leadership on person-centred medicines optimisation and quality improvement whilst contributing to the quality and outcomes framework and enhanced services.
• Provide general practitioners with appropriate recommendations and actions plans following medication review clinics with patients to optimise the patient’s treatment with medicines and ensure appropriate follow up with patients.
• Record medication review plans, recommendations and outcomes on GP computer clinical systems and own clinical notes in accordance with practice procedures.
• Reconcile medicines following discharge from hospitals, intermediate care and into care homes; identify and rectify unexplained changes; manage changes by referral to the GP; perform clinical medication review; support the production of post-­‐discharge medicines care plans and work with patients and other pharmacy colleagues to ensure patients receive the medicines they need.
• Support the processing of complex repeat prescribing medication requests made by patients or other repeat prescribing queries.
• Work in partnership with hospital clinicians to proactively manage patients at high risk of medicine-­‐related problems before they are discharged to ensure continuity of care
• Liaise with the Practice Clinical team on prescribing and medication issues, especially around management of long-term conditions.
• Develop as an independent prescriber to manage and prescribe for patients within a specific chronic disease area and within own areas of competence.
• With appropriate training, monitor the effects of medication by checking clinical signs (e.g., BP, pulse, etc)
• Attend regular clinical supervision sessions to promote a culture of continuous professional development and shared learning.

Supportive Clinical Duties

• As part of the multi-disciplinary team, attend relevant MDT Network meetings, providing information and feedback.
• Report medicines related incidents, contribute to investigations and root cause analyses as well as participating in serious incident investigations and multidisciplinary case reviews
• Deliver training, mentoring and guidance to other clinicians and staff on medicine issues.
• Ensure that, within each practice you work, staff and clinicians are kept up to date regarding changes in national and local medicines guidance and legislation.
• Critically appraise clinical evidence and present information to prescribers via prescribing meetings and educational events, as required.
• Lead on medicines management governance arrangements to adhere to CQC standards, including assisting in developing policies and SOPs.
• Review repeat prescribing protocols and processes and support staff in their implementation
• Perform prescribing audits and direct/supervise the audit activity of others
• Facilitate good working relationships between practices and local community pharmacists.
• Be responsible for delivering local prescribing quality initiatives in collaboration with CCG medicine management.
• Develop an effective network and working relationship with individual practice GPs, practice staff, CCG medicines management colleagues, secondary care and other professionals.

Safeguarding

• All members of staff have a responsibility to ensure the Safeguarding of patients within the organisation.
• Ensure knowledge of Safeguarding policies and training is up to date

Confidentiality

• In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder will have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, member practices, staff and other healthcare workers. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential
• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the organisation may only be divulged to authorized persons in accordance with the policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data
• Keep up to date with IG and GDPR legislation

Health & safety

The post-holder will ensure the promotion and management of their own and others’ health, safety and security as defined in the organisations Health & Safety policy and the Infection Control policy and published procedures.

Equality and diversity

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

Personal/Professional development

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice and the PCN as part of this employment

Quality:

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the organisation, 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 team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the team’s performance
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients’ needs
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources
• Act corporately as a member of the team and take a shared responsibility for the development of strategy, effectiveness and culture of the team and the organisation

Communication

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

• Communicate effectively with team members and other stakeholders, including shareholders, contract holders, subcontractors, practice managers and other practice staff
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers
• Recognise people’s needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Contribution to the implementation of services

• Apply relevant policies, standards and guidance of practice within which you work
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
• Participate in audit where appropriate

Qualifications

Essential

• Vocational 4-year Masters degree in pharmacy
• 1 years pre-registration training
• Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
• Covid Vaccination Training

Desirable

• Postgraduate diploma/MSc in Clinical or Community Pharmacy or equivalent
• Non-medical prescriber registration
• Advanced assessment and history taking skills, or be willing to enrol in a current training pathway to develop these

Experience

Essential

• Good critical appraisal skills
• Experience of patient consultation
• Experience of working with GPs

Desirable

• Post- registration experience in primary, secondary or community pharmacy
• Experience of clinical pharmacy

Knowledge

Essential

• Good understanding of primary care structure and General Practice
• Good clinical knowledge
• Able to apply clinical knowledge appropriately in a variety of practice settings or patient groups

Desirable

• Knowledge of GP clinical computer systems

Skills

Essential

• Excellent communication skills written and verbal
• Organisational skills
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
• Computer literate including Microsoft office packages and web-based searching
• Conducts oneself in a professional manner at all times
• Be able to travel freely and travel between multiple sites on a daily basis
• Enthusiastic and self-motivated
• Flexible working approach
• Able to work under pressure

Desirable

• Valid driving licence and access to a car on a daily basis

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).