Job summary
This
is an exciting opportunity for a patient-centred GPhC registered pharmacist to
join our existing PCN pharmacy team. We are keen to hear from pharmacists of
all backgrounds and level of experience, whether you have worked in primary
care previously or not.
Full
time and part time will be considered.
Our friendly
and supportive PCN pharmacy team comprises of four clinical pharmacists two
pharmacy technicians and a pharmacy team administrator. The team have a wealth
of primary care experience to support your development. Several of our GP
practices also have pharmacy teams.
Our PCN
consists of 9 GP practices in East and Central Brighton working collaboratively
for our local population, including a large proportion living in areas of
relative economic deprivation experiencing significant health inequalities.
In order to be successful in this role you will need to have
excellent communication skills and good IT abilities, as well as a sound
knowledge of medicines management and optimisation gained in either community, primary
care or secondary care pharmacy settings.
Main duties of the job
The successful pharmacist will be committed to improving health and putting patients first. They will build effective relationships with patients, GPs, nurses, practice teams, community pharmacy and secondary care colleagues, delivering holistic, empathic consultations and working confidently both independently and as part of a wider MDT. The post holder will deliver a range of PCN pharmacy functions, including pharmacist clinics within GP practices, and will be an integral member of the PCN pharmacy team supporting delivery of the PCN DES and local PCN priorities for our population. Key responsibilities include: supporting delivery of the Network DES; conducting Structured Medication Reviews (SMRs); deprescribing dependence-forming medicines (DFMs); optimising medicines for long-term conditions (e.g. antihypertensives, lipid-lowering therapy, DOACs); providing clinical medicines expertise to patients and practice staff; improving prescribing quality and safety across the PCN; undertaking clinical audit and quality improvement activity.
The role includes outreach activity (e.g. home visits, community events and work at the PCN Health Hub). The post holder must be able to travel independently between practice sites, the PCN office and meetings. If not already completed, the successful candidate will be expected to enrol on the 18-month CPPE Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway.
About us
Our PCN has developed an Outreach Team spanning OT, physiotherapy, social prescribing, paramedics, health coaching, nursing, mental health and pharmacy. We are supportive and patient-focused. Working together across 9 surgeries for 75,000 patients, we aim to:
-
Improve population health through proportionate universalism improving the health of the poorest, fastest.
-
Break down barriers to primary care and community services: become more accessible, rooted in neighbourhoods, and better at connecting patients with local support, helping to de-medicalise distress linked to poverty, isolation and social fragmentation.
-
Reduce pressure on practices by supporting delivery of QOF and LCS, enabling earlier access to physio, mental health and OT input, and lowering avoidable demand.
We also prioritise colleague wellbeing through training, support and development, and by recognising Deep End pressures.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The list of duties in the job description should not be regarded as exclusive or exhaustive. There will be other duties and requirements associated with the job and the right to update the job description from time to time to reflect changes in or to the job.
Local and National Prescribing Schemes
-
Support delivery of the network Directly Enhanced Service (DES) specifications.
-
Be responsible for delivering local prescribing initiatives.
-
Contribute to the QOF and enhanced services.
-
Support other relevant campaigns, for example public health campaigns, antimicrobial stewardship and vaccination services.
Drug and Disease Monitoring
-
With appropriate training, monitor conditions and the effects of medication by checking clinical signs, for example blood pressure and pulse.
-
Order and review blood tests required for medication monitoring.
Conduct Structured Medication Reviews (SMRs)
-
Conduct SMRs to proactively manage patients with complex polypharmacy.
-
Provide expertise in medicines and discuss complex and sensitive information with patients during medication review including medical histories, lifestyles, and personal circumstances and refer on to other services and professionals as appropriate, addressing public health and social needs of patients.
-
Provide appropriate recommendations and action plans following medication reviews to optimise the patients treatment with medicines and ensure appropriate follow up with patients.
-
Improve patient and carer understanding of, confidence in and compliance with their medicines, while reducing waste and promoting self care.
-
These reviews will be held face to face in practice, via the phone and in patients homes, including care homes.
Work as part of the PCN and wider MDT
-
Work as part of the PCN in a patient facing role to clinically assess and treat patients using expert knowledge of medicines for specific disease areas.
-
Work across the PCN as required to ensure a consistent approach regarding medicines optimisation and safe, effective, high quality patient care.
-
Attend and contribute to PCN MDT meetings, providing information and feedback.
-
Work collaboratively with colleagues in GP practices, other PCNs, the ICB medicines management team (MMT), secondary care, community pharmacy and other professionals in the wider health and care system by developing an effective network and working relationships to ensure an effective and integrated approach to medicines optimisation for our population.
Primary and secondary care interface
-
Have a leadership role in supporting further integration of general practice with wider healthcare teams, including community and hospital pharmacy, to help improve patient outcomes, ensure better access to healthcare and help manage general practice workload.
-
Take a central role in liaison with specialist pharmacists, including mental health and reduction of inappropriate antipsychotic use in people with learning difficulties, and liaison with community pharmacists to help resolve medication related issues, ensure safe transfers of care, ensure continuity of care and proactively manage patients at high risk of medicine related harm, including before they are discharged.
Medicine information to practice staff, PCN team and patients
-
Provide clinical medicines expertise to patients and primary care teams.
-
Support, promote and implement high quality, evidence based, cost effective, and safe use of medicines.
-
Provide leadership on person centred medicines optimisation and quality improvement.
-
Discuss medication issues with patients, centred on shared decision making.
-
Ensure staff and clinicians are kept up to date regarding changes in national and local medicines guidance and legislation.
-
Provide education, training and guidance to primary healthcare teams and healthcare students regarding medicines management within scope of practice by contributing to practice team meetings, clinical meetings and case reviews.
Signposting
Clinical Areas of Priority for the PCN
Reducing Health Inequalities
-
Provide specialist expertise in the use of medicines whilst helping to address both the public health and social care needs of patients in order to help tackle health inequalities, including lifestyle advice and service information.
-
Contribute to and suggest work streams that could help to reduce health inequalities in relation to medication and prescribing.
Medicines safety
-
Assist in the delivery of medicines optimisation and management incentive schemes, patient safety audits and medicines optimisation projects, disseminating outcomes and results locally and nationally.
-
Improve prescribing practices across the PCN, for example by supporting the safe and effective repeat prescribing of high risk medicines ensuring that regular monitoring as per local and shared care guidance is taking place.
-
Take a central role in ensuring the clinical aspects of shared care protocols are in place, and where relevant liaise with clinical pharmacists, practices and specialists to ensure continuation of safe practice within primary care setting.
-
Undertake regular work to improve the safety of prescribed medicines highlighted by the MHRA and CQC.
-
Implement systems, via processes, system settings and training, to ensure that dependence forming medicines and medicines prescribed to high risk groups are prescribed appropriately and reviewed regularly.
-
Report medicines related incidents, contribute to investigations and root cause analyses as well as participating in serious incident investigations and multidisciplinary case reviews.
-
Work with the PCN pharmacy team to identify and perform prescribing audits and direct or supervise the audit activity of others, for example the PCN pharmacy technician.
Implementation of local and national guidelines and formulary recommendations
-
Work with local ICB MMT, primary and secondary care colleagues to implement local and national guidelines and policies where appropriate to support quality improvement measures, QOF and enhanced services.
Education and Training
-
The post holder will be given opportunities to shadow other healthcare professionals and supported to develop and advance the role within the PCN pharmacy team, working both autonomously and in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team.
-
Undertake the 18 month CPPE Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway to further support education and development, if not previously done.
-
Attend regular clinical supervision sessions with the lead PCN pharmacist.
-
Develop as an independent prescriber to manage and prescribe for patients within own areas of competence, if not already an independent prescriber.
Care Quality Commission (CQC)
-
Work with the PCN team to ensure protocols, policies and professional practice are compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved.
-
Ensure compliance with medicines legislation.
Person Specification
Essential Skills, Knowledge and Experience
-
Registered as a pharmacist with the GPhC
-
Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacist in primary care, community or hospital pharmacy
-
Able to critically appraise
-
Experience with patient consultations
-
Experience handling confidential and sensitive information
-
Good clinical knowledge
-
Able to apply clinical knowledge appropriately in practice
-
Recognises priorities when problem solving and identifies deviations from the normal pattern and is able to refer to senior clinicians when appropriate
-
Conducts oneself in a professional manner at all times
-
Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision
-
Works effectively independently and as a team member
-
Good organisational skills
-
Excellent communication skills, written and verbal
-
Attention to detail
-
Effective time management
-
Able to travel independently between multiple sites as needed
-
Able to work under pressure and to meet deadlines
-
Produces timely and informative reports
-
Self motivated and innovative
-
Adaptable with a flexible working approach
Desirable Skills, Knowledge and Experience
-
Knowledge of medical patient systems (SystmOne and EMIS)
-
Handling conflict
-
Able to analyse and interpret prescribing data
-
Knowledge of Information Governance and Data Quality
-
Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills
-
Full driving licence and access to a car
Job description
Job responsibilities
The list of duties in the job description should not be regarded as exclusive or exhaustive. There will be other duties and requirements associated with the job and the right to update the job description from time to time to reflect changes in or to the job.
Local and National Prescribing Schemes
-
Support delivery of the network Directly Enhanced Service (DES) specifications.
-
Be responsible for delivering local prescribing initiatives.
-
Contribute to the QOF and enhanced services.
-
Support other relevant campaigns, for example public health campaigns, antimicrobial stewardship and vaccination services.
Drug and Disease Monitoring
-
With appropriate training, monitor conditions and the effects of medication by checking clinical signs, for example blood pressure and pulse.
-
Order and review blood tests required for medication monitoring.
Conduct Structured Medication Reviews (SMRs)
-
Conduct SMRs to proactively manage patients with complex polypharmacy.
-
Provide expertise in medicines and discuss complex and sensitive information with patients during medication review including medical histories, lifestyles, and personal circumstances and refer on to other services and professionals as appropriate, addressing public health and social needs of patients.
-
Provide appropriate recommendations and action plans following medication reviews to optimise the patients treatment with medicines and ensure appropriate follow up with patients.
-
Improve patient and carer understanding of, confidence in and compliance with their medicines, while reducing waste and promoting self care.
-
These reviews will be held face to face in practice, via the phone and in patients homes, including care homes.
Work as part of the PCN and wider MDT
-
Work as part of the PCN in a patient facing role to clinically assess and treat patients using expert knowledge of medicines for specific disease areas.
-
Work across the PCN as required to ensure a consistent approach regarding medicines optimisation and safe, effective, high quality patient care.
-
Attend and contribute to PCN MDT meetings, providing information and feedback.
-
Work collaboratively with colleagues in GP practices, other PCNs, the ICB medicines management team (MMT), secondary care, community pharmacy and other professionals in the wider health and care system by developing an effective network and working relationships to ensure an effective and integrated approach to medicines optimisation for our population.
Primary and secondary care interface
-
Have a leadership role in supporting further integration of general practice with wider healthcare teams, including community and hospital pharmacy, to help improve patient outcomes, ensure better access to healthcare and help manage general practice workload.
-
Take a central role in liaison with specialist pharmacists, including mental health and reduction of inappropriate antipsychotic use in people with learning difficulties, and liaison with community pharmacists to help resolve medication related issues, ensure safe transfers of care, ensure continuity of care and proactively manage patients at high risk of medicine related harm, including before they are discharged.
Medicine information to practice staff, PCN team and patients
-
Provide clinical medicines expertise to patients and primary care teams.
-
Support, promote and implement high quality, evidence based, cost effective, and safe use of medicines.
-
Provide leadership on person centred medicines optimisation and quality improvement.
-
Discuss medication issues with patients, centred on shared decision making.
-
Ensure staff and clinicians are kept up to date regarding changes in national and local medicines guidance and legislation.
-
Provide education, training and guidance to primary healthcare teams and healthcare students regarding medicines management within scope of practice by contributing to practice team meetings, clinical meetings and case reviews.
Signposting
Clinical Areas of Priority for the PCN
Reducing Health Inequalities
-
Provide specialist expertise in the use of medicines whilst helping to address both the public health and social care needs of patients in order to help tackle health inequalities, including lifestyle advice and service information.
-
Contribute to and suggest work streams that could help to reduce health inequalities in relation to medication and prescribing.
Medicines safety
-
Assist in the delivery of medicines optimisation and management incentive schemes, patient safety audits and medicines optimisation projects, disseminating outcomes and results locally and nationally.
-
Improve prescribing practices across the PCN, for example by supporting the safe and effective repeat prescribing of high risk medicines ensuring that regular monitoring as per local and shared care guidance is taking place.
-
Take a central role in ensuring the clinical aspects of shared care protocols are in place, and where relevant liaise with clinical pharmacists, practices and specialists to ensure continuation of safe practice within primary care setting.
-
Undertake regular work to improve the safety of prescribed medicines highlighted by the MHRA and CQC.
-
Implement systems, via processes, system settings and training, to ensure that dependence forming medicines and medicines prescribed to high risk groups are prescribed appropriately and reviewed regularly.
-
Report medicines related incidents, contribute to investigations and root cause analyses as well as participating in serious incident investigations and multidisciplinary case reviews.
-
Work with the PCN pharmacy team to identify and perform prescribing audits and direct or supervise the audit activity of others, for example the PCN pharmacy technician.
Implementation of local and national guidelines and formulary recommendations
-
Work with local ICB MMT, primary and secondary care colleagues to implement local and national guidelines and policies where appropriate to support quality improvement measures, QOF and enhanced services.
Education and Training
-
The post holder will be given opportunities to shadow other healthcare professionals and supported to develop and advance the role within the PCN pharmacy team, working both autonomously and in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team.
-
Undertake the 18 month CPPE Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway to further support education and development, if not previously done.
-
Attend regular clinical supervision sessions with the lead PCN pharmacist.
-
Develop as an independent prescriber to manage and prescribe for patients within own areas of competence, if not already an independent prescriber.
Care Quality Commission (CQC)
-
Work with the PCN team to ensure protocols, policies and professional practice are compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved.
-
Ensure compliance with medicines legislation.
Person Specification
Essential Skills, Knowledge and Experience
-
Registered as a pharmacist with the GPhC
-
Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacist in primary care, community or hospital pharmacy
-
Able to critically appraise
-
Experience with patient consultations
-
Experience handling confidential and sensitive information
-
Good clinical knowledge
-
Able to apply clinical knowledge appropriately in practice
-
Recognises priorities when problem solving and identifies deviations from the normal pattern and is able to refer to senior clinicians when appropriate
-
Conducts oneself in a professional manner at all times
-
Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision
-
Works effectively independently and as a team member
-
Good organisational skills
-
Excellent communication skills, written and verbal
-
Attention to detail
-
Effective time management
-
Able to travel independently between multiple sites as needed
-
Able to work under pressure and to meet deadlines
-
Produces timely and informative reports
-
Self motivated and innovative
-
Adaptable with a flexible working approach
Desirable Skills, Knowledge and Experience
-
Knowledge of medical patient systems (SystmOne and EMIS)
-
Handling conflict
-
Able to analyse and interpret prescribing data
-
Knowledge of Information Governance and Data Quality
-
Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills
-
Full driving licence and access to a car
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Registered as a pharmacist with the GPhC
- Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacist in primary care, community or hospital pharmacy
- Able to critically appraise
- Experience with patient consultations
- Experience handing confidential sensitive information
- Good clinical knowledge
- Able to apply clinical knowledge appropriately in practice
- Recognises priorities when problem solving and identifies deviations from the normal pattern and is able to refer to senior clinicians when appropriate
- Conducts oneself in a professional manner at all times
- Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision
- Work effectively independently and as a team member
- Good organisational skills
- Excellent communication skills, written and verbal
- Attention to detail
- Effective time management
- Able to travel independently between multiple sites as needed
- Able to work under pressure and to meet deadlines
- Produce timely and informative reports
- Self-motivated & innovative
- Adaptable with a flexible working approach
Desirable
- Handling conflict
- Able to analyse and interpret prescribing data
- Knowledge of Information Governance and Data Quality
- Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills
- Full driving licence and access to a car
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered as a pharmacist with the GPhC
Desirable
- NMP (Independent Prescriber)
- CPPE Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Registered as a pharmacist with the GPhC
- Experience of working as a qualified, registered pharmacist in primary care, community or hospital pharmacy
- Able to critically appraise
- Experience with patient consultations
- Experience handing confidential sensitive information
- Good clinical knowledge
- Able to apply clinical knowledge appropriately in practice
- Recognises priorities when problem solving and identifies deviations from the normal pattern and is able to refer to senior clinicians when appropriate
- Conducts oneself in a professional manner at all times
- Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision
- Work effectively independently and as a team member
- Good organisational skills
- Excellent communication skills, written and verbal
- Attention to detail
- Effective time management
- Able to travel independently between multiple sites as needed
- Able to work under pressure and to meet deadlines
- Produce timely and informative reports
- Self-motivated & innovative
- Adaptable with a flexible working approach
Desirable
- Handling conflict
- Able to analyse and interpret prescribing data
- Knowledge of Information Governance and Data Quality
- Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills
- Full driving licence and access to a car
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered as a pharmacist with the GPhC
Desirable
- NMP (Independent Prescriber)
- CPPE Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway
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).
Additional information
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).
Employer details
Employer name
East and Central Brighton Primary Care Network
Address
Freedom Works
4th Floor Barts House, Black Lion Street
Brighton
BN11JE