GP Practice Pharmacist

Job responsibilities

Review patients by consultation on complex medication regimens, screening & management of long term conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, COPD & hypertension

Deal with telephone based medication queries from patients, pharmacies & hospital

When appropriately qualified develop and utilise prescribing skills in face to face and remote settings to further support patient care.

Provide medicines management advice to doctors, practice nurses and other health professionals to promote the safe, effective, quality and cost effective use of medicines

Run audits & design of safer prescribing systems

Review of medications for nursing & residential home patients

Manage patients & health care professionals medicine queries

Reconcile medicines following hospital discharge & work with patients & community pharmacists to ensure patients receive the medicines they need post discharge

Contribute to reductions in medicine related hospital admissions & readmissions by supporting patients to get the best outcomes from their medicines & identifying & addressing medicines related issues

Manage practice formularies to improve the quality, safety & cost effectiveness of prescribing

Work with primary care professional & patients to implement NICE & other evidence based guidelines

Act as a source of medicines information for all of the practice team & patients (e.g. around doses, side effects, adverse events, possible alternatives e.g. around out of stocks)

Implement drug withdrawals & alerts e.g. MHRA aimed at improving medicines safety

Ensure that all dispensing errors and near misses are logged in accordance with the practice procedure and to undertake any activity necessary to rectify or prevent errors

Liaise with clinicians about prescriptions to ensure accuracy and prevent risk

Keep up-to-date with current pharmacy practice, new drugs and their uses for the purpose of continuing professional development

Provide regular support and feedback to the practice on prescribing action plans

Promote high quality, cost effective and evidence based use of medicines within the practice

Lead on identifying changes to minimise drug waste

Refer to ePACT data to analyse & review practice prescribing

Qualifications

Essential

• Practising Member of the General Pharmaceutical Council
• A demonstrable commitment to professional development

Desirable

• Relevant post-graduate qualification; i.e. PgDip/MSc or equivalent
• experience and relevant short courses
• Independent prescriber or prepared to work towards

Experience

Essential

• Post-registration experience - minimum three years
• Experience of primary care clinical IT systems
• Primary care and or medicines management in primary care

Desirable

• Team leadership experience
• Experience of training others
• Experience of Systmone

Knowledge & skills

Essential

• Understanding of current national policies, in particular those that impact on medicines management services
• A knowledge of prescribing issues affecting primary care and the interface with other areas of health and social care
• Up to date therapeutic and clinical knowledge
• Familiarity with the concept of evidence based medicine, effectiveness and appropriateness with critical appraisal skills
• Computer literate, including advanced word-processing, spreadsheet skills, email and other computer databases
• High level of analytical and literacy skills
• Ability to apply clinical knowledge appropriately in a variety of settings; e.g. practice and strategic
• Ability to plan, set objectives, priorities and review performance against
• objectives
• A solutions focussed approach
• Excellent communication (oral and written) and inter personal skills
• Ability to delegate
• Good time management
• Demonstrate a knowledge of the changing NHS structures and functions with particular emphasis on issues relating to pharmacy practice
• High level of understanding, interpretation and analysis of prescribing data; e.g. epact
• Able to develop & implement policy & procedure to sustain a quality service
• Membership of Primary Care Pharmacy Association

Desirable

• Demonstrate a knowledge of the changing NHS structures and functions with particular emphasis on issues relating to pharmacy practice
• High level of understanding, interpretation and analysis of prescribing data; e.g. epact
• Able to develop & implement policy & procedure to sustain a quality service
• Membership of Primary Care Pharmacy Association

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).