Job summary
The Clinical Pharmacist plays a key role within our primary care multidisciplinary team, delivering high-quality, patient-focusedcare through effective medicines management. Working closely with GPs, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, the role focuses on ensuring patients receive safe, appropriate, and optimised treatment.
This role involves proactive involvement in medicines optimisation, supporting patients with long-term conditions, and contributing to service development and quality improvement initiatives. The Clinical Pharmacist will help enhance prescribing standards, improve patient outcomes, and reduce medication-related risks.
The successful candidate will either hold an independent prescribing qualification or be actively working towards it, practising within their professional competence at all times. Duties will be undertaken collaboratively within the pharmacy team, with opportunities to take on defined areas of leadership aligned to service priorities, individual expertise, and ongoing professional development.
Main duties of the job
- Provide patient-facing clinical pharmacy services, including structured medication reviews for patients with long-term conditions, complex polypharmacy, frailty, and high-risk medicines.
- Prescribe within scope of practice (or provide prescribing recommendations) to ensure safe, evidence-based, and person-centred care.
- Deliver medicines optimisation initiatives to improve prescribing quality, safety, and adherence, including antimicrobial stewardship and high-risk drug monitoring.
- Support achievement of QOF and other quality frameworks through proactive patient identification, monitoring, and review.
- Undertake medicines reconciliation and support safe transitions of care following hospital discharge and transfers between settings.
- Contribute to safe repeat prescribing processes, shared care protocols, and implementation of local and national prescribing guidance.
- Work collaboratively within the multidisciplinary team and with external partners, including community pharmacy, hospital teams, and care homes.
- Participate in audit, service development, education, and quality improvement activities.
- Maintain accurate clinical records and practise in accordance with professional standards, governance requirements, and data protection legislation.
About us
The Swan Practice is a large, well-established healthcare provider serving Buckingham and the surrounding villages. With three clinical sites and an administration hub, we are dedicated to delivering high-quality care to over 30,000 patients, and our patient base continues to grow. As a forward-thinking practice, we are committed to creating opportunities for staff to progress and develop their careers, fostering a supportive and dynamic working environment.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Summary
The Clinical Pharmacist will work as part of the
multidisciplinary primary care team in a patient-facing role, providing expert
clinical pharmacy input to support safe, effective, and person-centred use of
medicines. The post holder will contribute to medicines optimisation, long-term
condition management, and quality improvement across the practice/Primary Care
Network (PCN).
The post holder will be an independent prescriber or be
working towards prescribing qualification and will practise within their scope
of competence. Responsibilities will be delivered collaboratively across the
pharmacy team, with specific lead roles allocated according to service
priorities, experience, and development needs.
Job Responsibilities
Patient-Facing Clinical Care
- Provide clinical pharmacy services
to patients with single or multiple long-term conditions where medicines
optimisation is required (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, heart failure).
- Manage patients with complex
polypharmacy, frailty, and high-risk medicine regimens.
- Undertake structured clinical
medication reviews (SMRs) to improve safety, effectiveness, and adherence.
- Optimise ongoing medication plans
in line with clinical guidelines, best practice, and patient preferences.
- Make prescribing decisions within
scope of practice or provide recommendations to GPs and other clinicians where
appropriate.
- Provide patient education and
support to promote shared decision-making and self-management.
- Provide clinical pharmacy support
to patients in care homes, including structured medication reviews for frail
older people and those with complex needs.
- Work collaboratively with care
home staff, GPs, and community teams to optimise medicines, reduce
polypharmacy, and minimise medicines-related harm.
Medicines Optimisation &
Safety
- Contribute to medicines
optimisation initiatives across the practice.
- Support safe prescribing by
identifying and addressing medicines-related risks.
- Contribute to the implementation
of national and local safety alerts, guidance, and best practice.
- Participate in antimicrobial
stewardship and other prescribing quality initiatives in line with agreed team
roles.
- Support review of medicines
associated with unplanned hospital admissions and readmissions.
- Support achievement of Quality and
Outcomes Framework (QOF) indicators through medicines optimisation, structured
reviews, and appropriate monitoring.
- Identify patients requiring
intervention to meet QOF and other quality framework requirements, including
long-term condition management and medicines safety indicators.
Care Transitions & High-Risk
Patients
- Support medicines reconciliation
following hospital discharge, intermediate care, care home admission, and
transfers between care settings.
- Help ensure continuity of
medicines supply for vulnerable, frail, and high-risk patients.
- Contribute to identification and
proactive management of patient cohorts at increased risk of harm from
medicines.
- Support medicines optimisation
initiatives within care homes, including falls prevention, anticholinergic
burden reduction, and end-of-life care planning.
- Repeat Prescribing &
Prescribing Systems
- Support safe and effective repeat
prescribing processes.
- Review medicines reaching review
dates and ensure appropriate monitoring is in place.
- Contribute to development and
maintenance of prescribing policies and formularies.
- Work within shared care protocols
and local prescribing guidance.
Multidisciplinary Working &
Service Development
- Work collaboratively with GPs,
nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
- Develop effective working
relationships with community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, and wider health and
social care teams.
- Contribute pharmaceutical
expertise to service development, pathway redesign, and quality improvement
initiatives.
- Support delivery of PCN
priorities, enhanced services, and quality frameworks including QOF and local
incentive schemes.
- Work with the multidisciplinary
team to improve prescribing quality, monitoring, and outcomes aligned with
national and local priorities.
- Contribute to audits and quality
improvement activity linked to QOF performance and prescribing indicators.
- Education, Training &
Information
- Provide medicines-related advice
and support to practice staff and patients.
- Contribute to education and
training on medicines optimisation and therapeutics.
- Support dissemination of key
prescribing messages and updates.
Quality,
Governance & Professional Responsibilities
- Contribute to prescribing audits
and quality improvement activity.
- Support compliance with CQC
standards where medicines are involved.
- Maintain accurate, timely and
high-quality clinical records and documentation.
- Adhere to professional standards,
practice policies, and relevant legislation.
- Maintain patient confidentiality
in line with data protection and Caldicott principles.
- Participate in appraisal, CPD, and
service development.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Summary
The Clinical Pharmacist will work as part of the
multidisciplinary primary care team in a patient-facing role, providing expert
clinical pharmacy input to support safe, effective, and person-centred use of
medicines. The post holder will contribute to medicines optimisation, long-term
condition management, and quality improvement across the practice/Primary Care
Network (PCN).
The post holder will be an independent prescriber or be
working towards prescribing qualification and will practise within their scope
of competence. Responsibilities will be delivered collaboratively across the
pharmacy team, with specific lead roles allocated according to service
priorities, experience, and development needs.
Job Responsibilities
Patient-Facing Clinical Care
- Provide clinical pharmacy services
to patients with single or multiple long-term conditions where medicines
optimisation is required (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, heart failure).
- Manage patients with complex
polypharmacy, frailty, and high-risk medicine regimens.
- Undertake structured clinical
medication reviews (SMRs) to improve safety, effectiveness, and adherence.
- Optimise ongoing medication plans
in line with clinical guidelines, best practice, and patient preferences.
- Make prescribing decisions within
scope of practice or provide recommendations to GPs and other clinicians where
appropriate.
- Provide patient education and
support to promote shared decision-making and self-management.
- Provide clinical pharmacy support
to patients in care homes, including structured medication reviews for frail
older people and those with complex needs.
- Work collaboratively with care
home staff, GPs, and community teams to optimise medicines, reduce
polypharmacy, and minimise medicines-related harm.
Medicines Optimisation &
Safety
- Contribute to medicines
optimisation initiatives across the practice.
- Support safe prescribing by
identifying and addressing medicines-related risks.
- Contribute to the implementation
of national and local safety alerts, guidance, and best practice.
- Participate in antimicrobial
stewardship and other prescribing quality initiatives in line with agreed team
roles.
- Support review of medicines
associated with unplanned hospital admissions and readmissions.
- Support achievement of Quality and
Outcomes Framework (QOF) indicators through medicines optimisation, structured
reviews, and appropriate monitoring.
- Identify patients requiring
intervention to meet QOF and other quality framework requirements, including
long-term condition management and medicines safety indicators.
Care Transitions & High-Risk
Patients
- Support medicines reconciliation
following hospital discharge, intermediate care, care home admission, and
transfers between care settings.
- Help ensure continuity of
medicines supply for vulnerable, frail, and high-risk patients.
- Contribute to identification and
proactive management of patient cohorts at increased risk of harm from
medicines.
- Support medicines optimisation
initiatives within care homes, including falls prevention, anticholinergic
burden reduction, and end-of-life care planning.
- Repeat Prescribing &
Prescribing Systems
- Support safe and effective repeat
prescribing processes.
- Review medicines reaching review
dates and ensure appropriate monitoring is in place.
- Contribute to development and
maintenance of prescribing policies and formularies.
- Work within shared care protocols
and local prescribing guidance.
Multidisciplinary Working &
Service Development
- Work collaboratively with GPs,
nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
- Develop effective working
relationships with community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, and wider health and
social care teams.
- Contribute pharmaceutical
expertise to service development, pathway redesign, and quality improvement
initiatives.
- Support delivery of PCN
priorities, enhanced services, and quality frameworks including QOF and local
incentive schemes.
- Work with the multidisciplinary
team to improve prescribing quality, monitoring, and outcomes aligned with
national and local priorities.
- Contribute to audits and quality
improvement activity linked to QOF performance and prescribing indicators.
- Education, Training &
Information
- Provide medicines-related advice
and support to practice staff and patients.
- Contribute to education and
training on medicines optimisation and therapeutics.
- Support dissemination of key
prescribing messages and updates.
Quality,
Governance & Professional Responsibilities
- Contribute to prescribing audits
and quality improvement activity.
- Support compliance with CQC
standards where medicines are involved.
- Maintain accurate, timely and
high-quality clinical records and documentation.
- Adhere to professional standards,
practice policies, and relevant legislation.
- Maintain patient confidentiality
in line with data protection and Caldicott principles.
- Participate in appraisal, CPD, and
service development.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
Desirable
- Independent Prescriber qualification
- Completion of, or working towards, the CPPE Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to work autonomously and as part of a multidisciplinary team
- Strong clinical, communication, and decision-making skills
- Understanding of medicines optimisation and prescribing safety
- Commitment to continuing professional development (CPD)
Desirable
- Understanding of QOF, PCN DES, and prescribing quality initiatives
Experience
Desirable
- Experience working in primary care (general practice or PCN)
- Experience delivering structured medication reviews (SMRs)
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
Desirable
- Independent Prescriber qualification
- Completion of, or working towards, the CPPE Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to work autonomously and as part of a multidisciplinary team
- Strong clinical, communication, and decision-making skills
- Understanding of medicines optimisation and prescribing safety
- Commitment to continuing professional development (CPD)
Desirable
- Understanding of QOF, PCN DES, and prescribing quality initiatives
Experience
Desirable
- Experience working in primary care (general practice or PCN)
- Experience delivering structured medication reviews (SMRs)
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).
