Prescribing Pharmacist

Job responsibilities

Working as part of a multidisciplinary 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 Clinical Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians, to ensure and effective and integrated approach to medicines optimisation for our population.

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 action plans following medication review clinics with patients to optimise the patients 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 withpatients 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.

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 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 repeats prescribing protocols and processes and support staff in their implementations.

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.

Experience

Essential

• Knowledge of IT systems and ability to grasp new systems quickly.
• Evidence of experience as a pharmacist demonstrated.
• An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing.
• Experience of patient consultation.
• Experience of working with GPs
• Evidence of Continued Professional Development.
• General Practice and/or PCN experience.

Desirable

• Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations.
• In depth, therapeutic and clinical knowledge and understanding of the principles of evidence-based healthcare.
• Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic, and environmental factors and their impact on communities.
• Knowledge of General Practice clinical systems, such as, EMIS and SystmOne. Able to plan, manage, monitor, and review general medicine optimisation issues in core areas for long term conditions.

Personal qualities

Essential

• Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from all communities.
• Ability to work flexible and enthusiastically within a team or on own initiative.
• Is able to recognise personal limitations and refer to more appropriate colleague(s) when necessary.
• Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships and to promote collaborative practice with all colleagues.
• High level of written and oral communication skills.

Qualifications

Essential

• Masters degree in Pharmacy (MPharm)
• Mandatory registration with General Pharmaceutical Council
• Minimum of 2 years post qualification experience

Desirable

• Non-medical Prescriber Registration
• Completed or in progress CPPE pathway

Skills

Essential

• Demonstrates use of appropriate communication to gain the co-operation of relevant stakeholders (including patients, senior and peer colleagues, and other professionals, other NHS/private organisations, e.g., CCGs).
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals and demonstrates personal accountability, emotional resilience and works well under pressure.
• Able to provide leadership and finish work tasks.
• Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative, including when under pressure and meeting deadlines.
• Able to gain acceptance for recommendations and influence/motivate/persuade the audience to comply with the recommendations/agreed course of action where there may be significant barriers.
• Able to identify and resolve risk management issues according to policy/protocol.
• Good critical appraisal skills.

Desirable

• Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision.
• Demonstrates ability to integrate general practice with community and hospital pharmacy teams and community groups.

Other requirements

Essential

• Flexibility to work outside core office hours.
• Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check.
• Maintain confidentiality at all times.
• Full UK driving licence.

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).