PCN Clinical Pharmacist (ARRS)

Job responsibilities

• To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a patient facing role to clinically assess and treat patients using expert knowledge of medicines for specific disease areas.
• To consult patients within defined levels of competence and independently prescribe acute and repeat medication.
• To receive referrals and directed patients from triage services and other clinicians.
• To receive and resolve medicines queries from patients and other staff.
• To provide medication review services for patients in the practice and during domiciliary visits to the local nursing home.
• To manage a caseload of complex patients.
• To manage therapeutic drug monitoring system and recall of patients taking high risk drugs, i.e. anticoagulants, anticonvulsants and DMARDs etc.
• To deliver long term conditions clinics and home visits particularly for patients with complicated medication regimes and prescribe accordingly.
• To provide pharmaceutical consultations to patients with long term conditions as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team.
• To review medications for newly registered patients.
• To improve patient and carer understanding of, confidence in and compliance with their medication.
• To encourage cost-effective prescribing throughout the PCN.
• To liaise with practices and implement and embed a robust repeat prescribing system for use across all practices.
• To provide advice and answer medication related queries from patients and staff.
• To improve the quality and effectiveness of prescribing through clinical audit and education to improve performance against NICE standards and clinical and prescribing guidance.
• To develop yourself and the role through participation in clinical supervision, training, and service redesign activities.
• To ensure appropriate supervision of safe storage, rotation and disposal of vaccines and drugs. To apply infection-control measures within the practice according to local and national guidelines.
• To provide subject matter expertise on medication monitoring, implementing, and embedding a system.
• To support clinicians with the management of patients suffering from drug and alcohol dependencies.
• To actively signpost patients to the correct healthcare professional.
• To manage a caseload of complex patients and potential care institutions and to provide advice for the GP management of more complex patients or areas such as addictive behaviours, severe mental illness or end of life care.
• To review the latest guidance ensuring the practice conforms to NICE, CQC etc.
• To provide targeted support and proactive reviews for vulnerable, complex patients and those at risk of admission and re-admission to secondary care.
• To handle prescription queries and requests directly.
• To support in the delivery of enhanced services and other service requirements on behalf of the PCN.
• To participate in the management of patient complaints when requested to do so and participate in the identification of any necessary learning brought about through clinical incidents and near-miss events.
• To undertake all mandatory training and induction programs.
• To attend a formal appraisal with their manager at least every 12 months. Once a performance/training objective has been set, progress will be reviewed on a regular basis so that new objectives can be agreed.
• To contribute to public health campaigns (e.g. flu clinics) through advice or direct care.
• To maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times.

In addition to the primary responsibilities, the pharmacist may be requested to:

• Support delivery of QOF, incentive schemes, QIPP and other quality or cost effectiveness initiatives.
• Agree and review prescribing formularies and protocols and monitor compliance levels.
• Improve the data quality of medicines records and linking to conditions.
• Working in partnership with pharmacists and clinicians in Croydon hospital(s), improve the safety and quality of prescribing after discharge from hospital admissions and attendance.
• Produce pharmacy/prescribing newsletters or bulletins on a quarterly basis.
• Support virtual and remote models of consultation and support including e-consultations, remote medication review and telehealth and telemedicine.
• Undertake any tasks consistent with the level of the post and the scope of the role, ensuring that work is delivered in a timely and effective manner.
• Duties may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibility.

Confidentiality:

• In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately.
• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Qualifications

Essential

• GPhC registered pharmacist;
• Hold or be working towards an GPhC independent
• prescribing qualification.

Desirable

• Minor ailments certification;
• Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society;
• Working towards faculty membership of the Royal
• Pharmaceutical Society;
• Medicines Management Qualification;
• MUR and repeat dispensing certification;
• Independent Prescriber Qualification.

Personal qualities

Essential

• Ability to follow legal, ethical, professional, and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct;
• Ability to use own initiative, discretion, and sensitivity;
• Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles, and diversity;
• Flexible and cooperative;
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals;
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations;
• Able to provide leadership and to finish work tasks;
• Problem solving and analytical skills;
• Ability to maintain confidentiality;
• Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance and health and safety.

Experience

Essential

• Minimum of two years working as a pharmacist
• demonstrated within a practice portfolio;
• An appreciation of the nature of GPs and general practice;
• An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing;
• Experience in managing pharmacy services in primary care;
• Experience and an awareness of common acute and chronic conditions that are likely to be seen in general practice;

Desirable

• In-depth therapeutic and clinical knowledge and understanding of the principles of evidence-based healthcare;
• An appreciation of the new NHS landscape including the relationships between individual practices, PCNs and the commissioners;
• Broad knowledge of general practice;

Other requirements

Essential

• Flexibility to work outside of core office hours;
• Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check;
• Evidence of continuing professional development;
• Access to own transport and ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis, including to visit people in their own home.

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 and negotiation skills organisation skills with the ability to constructively challenge the view and practices of managers and clinicians;
• Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports;
• Clear, polite telephone manner;
• Effective time management (planning and organising);
• Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure.

Desirable

• Ability to plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general medicine optimisation issues in core areas for long term condition;
• Good clinical system IT knowledge of EMIS/Systmone/Vision;

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).