Senior Pharmacist

Job responsibilities

Job Title: Senior Clinical Pharmacist

Salary Grade: To Be Confirmed (Depending on experience)

Team: Prescribing

Primary Location: 22 Maidenwell Avenue Hamilton Leicester LE5 1BL

Responsible to: Prescribing Leading GP and Practice Business Manager

Responsible for: Clinical Pharmacist(s), Practice Prescribing Support Technician, Prescribing Clerks

Role Purpose: Lead the delivery of the Practices Prescribing & Medicines Optimisation strategy, providing expert, evidence-based, cost-effective pharmaceutical advice. Manage the Prescribing Team for effective patient services and support the shift of workload from GPs to the team.

Key Areas:

Collaborate with Clinical Leads on the Medicines Optimisation Strategy.

Advise and educate patients, prescribers, and care coordinators on medicine management.

Provide professional advice on policies, contributing to clinical governance.

Support workload shift from GPs to the Prescribing Team.

Role Responsibilities:

Strategic Alignment:

Develop and deliver the Practice Medicines Optimisation Strategy.

Ensure effective dissemination of prescribing-related policies and guidelines.

Prepare and deliver performance reports/briefings for the Practice and commissioners.

Act as a link between hospitals and local community pharmacies.

Responsibilities for patient/client care:

Lead patient medication change programs and medicines optimisation projects.

Improve medicines management in GP care homes, ensuring appropriate monitoring.

Conduct medication reviews and de-prescribing support with direct patient contact.

Provide advice, information, and support to enhance medicines compliance and reduce waste.

Responsibilities for Policy & Service Development Implementation:

Lead development, training, and maintenance of prescribing policies.

Promote evidence-based prescribing to meet national guidelines.

Ensure implementation of NICE quality standards in medicines management.

Establish policies for medicines reconciliation during patient transfers.

Responsibilities for Financial & Physical Resources:

Coordinate prescribing information for QIPP (Quality, Innovation, Productivity, and Prevention) support.

Develop and implement schemes for medicines management initiatives.

Deliver cost savings as part of the QIPP program.

Investigate and advise on additional prescribing actions to stay within budget.

Responsibilities for Workforce Development:

Manage the Prescribing team for high-quality, efficient services.

Conduct proactive prescribing meetings in GP practices.

Implement change in GP practices, liaising with GPs, staff, and patients.

Support the development of local services to reduce practice workload.

Responsibilities for Information Resources:

Ensure up-to-date prescribing information and effective ordering systems.

Conduct manual and computerized searches for patient records.

Provide access to up-to-date medicines information for Practice staff.

Analyze and interpret complex prescribing data for improvement.

Communication and relationships:

Develop effective networks with GP Practice pharmacists, community pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals.

Provide advice and support to community pharmacies and GP practices.

Responsibilities for Research & Development:

Implement audit programs and quality reporting for medicines reconciliation.

Line Management: Manage the Practice Prescribing Team.

Communication and Relationship Skills:

Interpret complex information on prescribing, clinical trial evidence, and medicines legislation.

Negotiate and manage conflict to effect change in prescribing and medicines policy.

Respond to patient, public, and media inquiries and present complex information to meetings.

Knowledge, Training and Experience:

Pharmacy (masters) degree + 1 year pre-registration Prescriber qualification.

Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Postgraduate masters or diploma in clinical pharmacy.

Independent prescriber qualification.

Experience in a professional role with autonomy in the NHS.

Knowledge of NHS structure, strategy, vision, and policy.

Service improvement skills.

Analytical and Judgment Skills:

Analysis and interpretation of complex medicines, economic, and financial data.

Interpretation and application of complex medicines legislation and national policy.

Analysis and judgment on complaints, incidents, and professional concerns.

Planning and Organisational Skills:

Strategic and business planning for medicines management services.

Medicines project and program planning and management.

Personal planning and prioritization for organizational and personal objectives.

Freedom to Act:

Interpret overall health service medicines legislation, policy, and clinical evidence.

Initiate and coordinate implementation of national medicines legislation and policy.

Policy & Procedures:

Acquire and maintain knowledge of Practice protocols, policies, and procedures.

Support, promote, and adhere to all Practice policies.

Confidentiality:

Manage confidential information with respect to patients, practice staff, and the organization.

Health & Safety:

Promote health, safety, and security within the workplace.

Identify and report risks involved in work activities.

Adhere to fire safety and infection control policies.

Equality & Diversity:

Support equality, diversity, and rights of patients, carers, and colleagues.

Act in a way that recognizes peoples rights and respects privacy and dignity.

Quality:

Adhere to agreed standards of quality within the Practice.

Contribute to the effectiveness of the Practice and work effectively with other agencies.

Communication:

Recognize the importance of effective communication within the team.

Communicate effectively with patients, team members, and external organizations.

Other:

Undertake any other duties deemed relevant to the position and Practice needs.

Job description subject to periodic review and amendment in consultation with the post-holder.

Qualifications

Essential

• Criteria: Qualifications
• Masters degree Pharmacy or equivalent
• Registration with General Pharmaceutical Council
• Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development
• Post graduate masters or diploma in clinical pharmacy/
• management or equivalent (or working towards) or equivalent
• Independent Prescriber
• Experience in a professional role with autonomy within the NHS
• Experience in a senior professional and managerial role
• within the NHS Extensive specialist knowledge of pharmacy and medicines
• management, acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training.Understanding of background to aims of current healthcare policy and appreciate the implications of this for engagement.
• Understanding of national and local priorities.
• Knowledge of primary / secondary care interface issues.
• Knowledge of prescribing data analysis.
• Computer literate, knowledge of MS Office or equivalent.
• Experience with GP systems Emis web and Systmone.
• Sound knowledge of national guidance (including
• controlled drugs regulations, NPSA, NICE ) related to
• medicines and their implications for practice.
• Awareness of Equality & Valuing Diversity Principles
• Understanding of Confidentiality & Data Protection Act
• Highly motivated
• Able to work under pressure.
• Ability to set and meet multiple deadlines for a broad
• range of programmes/ projects.
• Highly developed political awareness and diplomacy.
• Effective decision making skills.
• Excellent negotiation and influencing skills.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Ability to work in partnership with other colleagues.
• Able to interpret and present complex information in an understandable format to large and influential groups.
• Negotiate on difficult and controversial issues including performance and change.
• Demonstrate capability to plan over short, medium and long term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly.

Desirable

• Experience of managing service/system change
• Experience of managing staff
• Previous experience of initiating and undertaking
• project/ audit work including the presentation of data
• Understanding of NHS structure, strategy, vision
• and policy.Knowledge of primary / secondary care interface issues.
• Ability to motivate others
• Ability to translate strategy into achievable objectives.
• Project management/principles techniques and tools such as Prince 2 and managing successful projects.
• Conflict management
• Car driver / owner or reasonable alternative.

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).