Clinical Pharmacist

Job responsibilities

The Clinical Pharmacist at Ellison View Surgery plays a pivotal role in patient care, working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to optimise medicines, improve outcomes, and support safe, cost-effective prescribing.

Clinical and Patient-Facing Responsibilities:

• Conduct structured medication reviews and reconcile clinical letters and hospital discharge summaries.

• Manage complex patients, including those with polypharmacy, chronic diseases, frailty, learning disabilities, or in care homes.

• Independently prescribe acute and repeat medications and provide consultations for patients with long-term conditions.

• Deliver long-term condition clinics, home visits, and virtual consultations to optimise medicines use.

• Support STOMP initiatives to reduce inappropriate medication use in vulnerable populations.

• Monitor high-risk medications (e.g., anticoagulants, DMARDs, anticonvulsants) and implement recall systems.

• Provide proactive support for patients at risk of hospital admission, ensuring safe and effective care.

• Address patient and staff medication queries and act as the point of contact for medicines-related issues.

Medicines Optimisation and Governance:

• Provide leadership on medicines optimisation, cost-effective prescribing, and antimicrobial stewardship.

• Implement and oversee repeat prescribing systems, medication review systems, and safe storage/disposal of medicines.

• Conduct prescribing audits and support QOF, enhanced services, and local incentive schemes.

• Review and apply NICE guidance, clinical protocols, and shared care agreements.

• Participate in quality improvement initiatives, clinical research, and service redesign.

• Contribute to safeguarding, clinical governance, and mandatory training requirements.

Collaboration and Leadership:

• Work closely with GPs, nurses, pharmacists, and multi-disciplinary teams across primary, secondary, and community care.

• Support integration of general practice with local hospitals, care homes, and other healthcare providers.

• Mentor, train, and guide clinicians and practice staff on medicines and prescribing issues.

• Produce communication materials, such as prescribing newsletters, bulletins, or training resources.

• Lead and coordinate services across patient-facing, administrative, and clinical teams to improve efficiency and patient experience.

Wider Responsibilities:

• Support virtual, remote, and telehealth models for consultations and medication reviews.

• Develop a specialist area of practice interest.

• Participate in public health campaigns (e.g., flu or COVID-19 clinics).

• Maintain a clean, organised, and effective working environment.

• Undertake additional tasks as required, consistent with the scope of the role.

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Effective time management (planning and organising)
• Ability to follow legal, ethical and professional policies/local policies/procedures and codes of conduct
• Ability to use own initiative, discretion, and sensitivity
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals
• Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure
• Knowledge of IT systems including the ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet
• Problem solving and analytical skills
• Knowledge of and ability to work to key policies and procedures
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
• Commitment to ongoing professional development
• Good interpersonal and organisational skills
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
• Clear, polite telephone manner

Desirable

• Effectively utilise resources

Qualifications

Essential

• GPC registered pharmacist
• Proof of relevant professional and educational qualifications, coupled with details of any training
• To be enrolled in, or have qualified from, an approved 18-month training pathway or equivalent that equips them to be able to practice and prescribe safely and effectively in a primary care setting (for example, the CPPE clinical pharmacist training pathways)
• Hold or be working towards an GPhC independent prescribing qualification

Experience

Essential

• An appreciation of the nature of general practice and the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing
• Minimum of two years working as a pharmacist demonstrated within a practice portfolio
• An appreciation of the new NHS landscape, including the relationships between individual practices, PCNs and the commissioners

Desirable

• Experience in managing pharmacy services in primary care
• In-depth therapeutic and clinical knowledge and understanding of the principles of evidence-based healthcare
• Understanding of the mentorship process
• Experience of working autonomously

Clinical Knowledge & 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
• Understanding of safeguarding adults and children
• Ability to promote best practice regarding all pharmaceutical matters
• Ability to work within own scope of practice and understand when to refer to GPs
• Ability to record accurate clinical notes

Desirable

• Good clinical system IT knowledge - EMIS
• Plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general medicine optimisation issues in core areas for long term conditions
• Broad knowledge of clinical governance

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).