Prescribing Clinical Pharmacist

Job responsibilities

Primary responsibilities:

A prescribing clinical pharmacist at Network North PCN has the following key responsibilities in relation to delivering health services.

There will, on occasion, be a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels.

a. Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a patient-facing role to clinically assess and treat patients using their expert knowledge of medicines for specific disease areas.

b. Be a prescriber and work with and alongside the PCN and general practice team

c. Work with the 5 Practices across the PCN as and where needed

d. Be responsible for the care management of patients with chronic diseases and undertake clinical medication reviews to proactively manage people with complex polypharmacy, especially the elderly, people in care homes, those with multiple co- morbidities (in particular frailty, COPD and asthma) and people with learning disabilities or autism (through STOMP Stop Over Medication Programme)

e. Provide specialist expertise in the use of medicines whilst helping to address both the public health and social care needs of patients at the organisation and to help in tackling inequalities. Compared to a Clinical Pharmacist role, they must have a greater range of clinical skills relating to competences

f. Provide leadership on person-centered medicines optimisation (including ensuring prescribers in the PCN practices conserve antibiotics in line with local antimicrobial stewardship guidance) and quality improvement, whilst contributing to the Quality and Outcomes Framework and enhanced services

g. Through structured medication reviews, support patients to take their medications to get the best from them, reduce waste and promote self-care

h. Have a role in supporting further integration of general practice with the wider healthcare teams (including community and hospital pharmacy) to help improve patient outcomes, ensure better access to healthcare and help manage general practice workload

i. Develop relationships and work closely with other pharmacy professionals across the wider health and social care system

j. Take a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols, clinical research with medicines, liaison with specialist pharmacists (including mental health and reduction of inappropriate antipsychotic use in people with learning difficulties), liaison with community pharmacists, and anticoagulation

k. Be part of a professional clinical network and have access to appropriate clinical supervision.

l. To act as the point of contact for all medicine related matters, establishing positive working relationships

m. To consult patients within defined levels of competence and independently prescribe acute and repeat medication

n. To receive referrals and directed patients from triage services and other clinicians

o. To receive and resolve medicines queries from patients and other staff

p. To provide medication review services for patients in the practices and during domiciliary visits to local nursing homes

q. To manage a caseload of complex patients

r. To manage a therapeutic drug monitoring system and the recall of patients taking high risk drugs, i.e., anticoagulants, anticonvulsants and DMARDs, etc.

s. To deliver long term condition clinics and home visits, particularly for patients with complicated medication regimes, and prescribe accordingly

t. To provide pharmaceutical consultations to patients with long term conditions as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team

u. To review medications for newly registered patients

v. To improve patient and carer understanding of confidence in and compliance with their medication

w. To maintain accurate clinical records in conjunction with extant legislation

x. To encourage cost-effective prescribing throughout the PCN

y. To implement and embed a robust repeat prescribing system

z. To provide advice and answer medication related queries from patients and staff

aa. To organise and oversee the PCNs medicines optimisation systems, including the repeat prescribing and medication review systems

bb. To improve the quality and effectiveness of prescribing through clinical audit and education, to improve performance against NICE standards and clinical and prescribing guidance.

cc. To develop yourself and the role through participation in clinical supervision, training and service redesign activities

dd. To ensure appropriate supervision of safe storage, rotation and disposal of vaccines and drugs. To apply infection-control measures within the PCN practices according to local and national guidelines

ee. To provide subject matter expertise on medication monitoring, implementing and embedding a robust system

ff. Share expertise with the various students across the Practices and have students shadow them in clinic

gg. To support clinicians with the management of patients suffering from drug and alcohol dependencies

hh. To actively signpost patients to the correct healthcare professional

ii. To manage a caseload of complex patients and potential care institutions and to provide advice for the GP management of more complex patients or areas such as addictive behaviours, severe mental illness or end of life care

jj. To review the latest guidance, ensuring the organisation conforms to NICE, CQC guidance etc.

kk. To provide targeted support and proactive reviews for vulnerable, complex patients and those at risk of admission and re-admission to secondary care

ll. To handle prescription queries and requests directly

mm. To provide proactive leadership on medicines and prescribing systems to the organisation, patients and their carers

nn. To support in the delivery of enhanced services and other service requirements on behalf of the organisation

oo. To participate in the management of patient complaints when requested to do so, and participate in the identification of any necessary learning brought about through clinical incidents and near-miss events

pp. To undertake all mandatory training and induction programmes

qq. To contribute to and embrace the spectrum of clinical governance

rr. To attend a formal appraisal with your manager at least every 12 months. Once a performance/training objective has been set, progress will be reviewed on a regular basis so that new objectives can be agreed

ss. To attend pharmacy team meetings and other clinical team meetings

tt. To contribute to public health campaigns (e.g., COVID-19 or flu clinics) through advice or direct care

uu. To maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times.

vv. Support delivery of QOF, IIF, other incentive schemes, QIPP and other quality or cost effectiveness initiatives

Secondary Responsibilities:

In addition to the primary responsibilities, the prescribing clinical pharmacist may be requested to:

a. Agree and review prescribing formularies and protocols, and monitor compliance levels

b. Improve the data quality of medicines records and linking to conditions

c. Deliver training, mentoring and guidance to other clinicians and staff on medicine issues

d. Working in partnership with pharmacists and clinicians in local hospital(s), improve the safety and quality of prescribing after discharge from hospital admissions and attendance

e. Provide support to prescription administrative/dispensary staff

f. Produce pharmacy updates (e.g. Bulletins) and share other communications as needed

g. Develop a specialist area of interest

h. Work with community pharmacists, hospital pharmacists and other stakeholders in the medicines supply chain to improve patient experience and manage incidents

i. Support virtual and remote models of consultation and support, including e- consultations, remote medication review, and telehealth and telemedicine

j. Undertake any tasks consistent with the level of the post and the scope of the role, ensuring that work is delivered in a timely and effective manner

k. Duties may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibility

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties. Other duties will be added and/or amended to suit the ever changing needs of General Practice.

See job description attached for additional generic responsibilities.

Qualifications

Essential

• The prescribing clinical pharmacist must have qualified from an approved 18-month CPPE training pathway or equivalent that equips them to:
• a.Be able to practice and prescribe safely and effectively in a primary care setting
• b.Be able to assist Practices to deliver the key responsibilities outlined in the annual Network Contracted Enhanced Service Specification
• Be a GPhC registered pharmacist
• Hold a GPhC Independent Prescribing qualification

Desirable

• Minor ailments certification
• Medicines management qualification

Experience

Essential

• - An appreciation of the nature of PCNs, GPs and general practice.
• - An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing
• - Experience and an awareness of common acute and chronic conditions that are likely to be seen in general practice
• - An appreciation of the NHS landscape, including the relationships between individual practices, PCNs and the commissioners
• - Broad knowledge of PCNs and general practice

Desirable

• - Minimum of two years working as a pharmacist demonstrated within a practice portfolio
• - In-depth therapeutic and clinical knowledge and understanding of the principles of evidence-based healthcare
• - Understanding of the mentorship process

Skills

Essential

• - Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information effectively with people at all levels by telephone, email and face to face
• - Excellent interpersonal, influencing, negotiation and organisational skills with the ability to constructively challenge the views and practices of managers and clinicians.
• - Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports
• - Ability to plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general medicine optimisation issues in core areas for long term conditions
• - Clear, polite telephone manner
• - Good clinical system IT knowledge of EMIS/SystmOne
• - Ability to promote best practice regarding all pharmaceutical matters
• - Effective time management (planning and organising)
• - Demonstrate personal accountability and emotional resilience, and work well under pressure

Personal Qualities

Essential

• - Ability to follow legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct
• - Ability to use own initiative, discretion and sensitivity
• - Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity
• - Flexible and cooperative
• - Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals
• - Compassionate and maintain integrity
• - Able to provide leadership and to finish work tasks
• - Problem solving and analytical skills
• - Ability to maintain confidentiality
• - Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance and health and safety

Other requirements

Essential

• - Clear Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
• - Evidence of continuing professional development
• - Access to own transport and ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis, including to visit people in their own home

Desirable

• Flexibility to work outside of core office hours

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).