ICB Pharmacist

Job responsibilities

ICB Pharmacists will work with a number of general practices. They will be responsible for offering the teams interventions to the practices they serve, and for delivering the interventions in each practice. Interventions will deliver savings or improve the quality of medicines use.

The post holder will be asked to contribute to the development of new medicines management interventions that provide good value for money.

The role will entail coaching other team members, notably ICB Support Pharmacists, and some post holders will be asked to deliver more formal training.

This job description is to be read in conjunction with the Generic Job Description for the band.

Key Activities and Responsibilities

The table below identifies the key activities and responsibilities:

Area of ResponsibilityRole Specific Responsibilities/key activities

Strategic Focus

Work with link practices to avoid overspent prescribing budgets, reduce medicines-related harm and increase the benefit patients get from their medicines.

Liaise with practices about their choice of incentive scheme targets if the ICB operates a prescribing incentive scheme.

Operational Focus

Offer and deliver interventions to a group of practices to increase the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of medicines use and exert downward pressure on unnecessary expenditure.

Respond to questions, mainly from primary care staff.

Use the teams intervention to reduce medicines-related harm.

Contribute to the development of cost-effective medicines optimisation interventions.

Deliver new medicines management interventions that are developed by the team.

Provide reports and contribute to written communication material as required.

Contribute to updating and maintenance of a prescribing decision support software profile.

Contribute to training new staff, especially on the teams work in practices.

Coach staff, especially ICB Support Pharmacists.

ICB Support Pharmacists will generally be managed by Borough Lead Pharmacists, but from time to time an ICB Pharmacist may be asked to undertake this management. In this instance, responsibilities would include the following:

oManage, motivate and inspire team members, investing time in their development

oConduct annual appraisal for direct reports, setting personal objectives and development plans and providing constructive feedback to assist with development

oWorking with the Borough Lead Pharmacist, proactively manage poor performance in a sensitive and professional manner.

oBuild effective relationships with colleagues at all levels through open communication and constructive feedback.

oOther tasks delegated by the post holders line manager or Head of Medicines Management as necessary.

Other

This is not an exhaustive list of duties; staff are therefore required to undertake any other duties commensurate with the grade and in line with the requirement of this post.

All employees must not, without prior permission, disclose any information regarding clients, carers or staff. In instances where it is known that a member of staff has communicated information to unauthorised persons, those staff concerned will be liable to dismissal. Moreover, the Data Protection Act also renders an individual liable for prosecution in the event of unauthorised disclosure of information.

Confidential information may be accessed at times and all staff must ensure that the highest level of confidentiality is maintained at all times.

All staff must comply with the Staff Code of Conduct. Senior Managers must also comply with the NHS Code of Conduct for Managers, based on the Nolan principles of public accountability.

Membership of a professional body in order to practice (e.g. NMC registration for nursing staff) is a requirement of some roles, for those staff it is a condition precedent of employment to maintain membership of such a professional body. Individuals are also responsible for complying with the relevant professional bodys code of practice.

This job description is a reflection of current thinking and may be subject to change from time to time, in discussion with the post holder.

Qualifications

Essential

• Vocational Masters Degree in Pharmacy or other degree enabling registration as a pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Registered pharmacist (General Pharmaceutical Council)
• Mandatory continuing professional development to maintain fitness to practice
• Postgraduate clinical pharmacy qualification or relevant short courses and experience providing equivalent knowledge
• Enthusiasm for the post.

Experience

Essential

• Of consistently delivering agreed work on schedule.

Desirable

• Of providing medicines management support to general practices
• Of decision-making whilst working in general practices, e.g. decisions on whether to refer something to a GP or line manager

Skills

Essential

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Negotiation skills
• Problem solving skills
• Ability to respond effectively and efficiently to unexpected demands
• Ability to find and critically appraise literature on medicines and reach appropriate conclusions from available evidence
• Time management
• Ability to deliver agreed work on schedule
• Competence in using Microsoft Office programmes efficiently, especially Word, Outlook and Excel
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently in busy and sometimes noisy spaces
• Ability to cope well with uncertainty and change
• Ability to pay appropriate attention to ensuring the service delivers good value for money
• Ability to project a professional manner

Desirable

• Ability to deliver agreed work on schedule
• Coaching skills
• Staff management skills
• Training skills
• Committee secretarial skills
• Ability to use ePACT effectively and efficiently

Knowledge

Essential

• Good knowledge of therapeutics, especially of medicines used in primary care
• Knowledge of the evidence about medicines-related harm
• Knowledge of NICEs guidance on medicines adherence and techniques to help people get more benefit from their medicines
• Knowledge of general practice.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).