Job responsibilities
Job Summary
- To promote high quality, safe and cost effective prescribing as informed by evidence based practice and national and local guidance etc. To ensure prescribing conforms to relevant legislation.
- Working with the Brownlow Pharmacy Lead and Brownlow GP Pharmacist Lead in delivering the Medicines Management Work Plan for your allocated practice in addition to directing and advising on medicines management issues in general.
- To work collaboratively with the network pharmacist team
- To become an integral part of your named practice team and to undertake those clinical and administrative duties as determined by shared agreement with the Lead GP
- To initiate & complete medication and prescribing related audits. To develop a systematic timetable for regular audit as and when required. To present audit for discussion at Practice MDT meetings and when agreed, implement the relevant actions
Main Duties
- To work as part of the multidisciplinary team, to provide advice and support on all prescribing issues. When clinically appropriate, to implement and action changes to the patients medical prescribing record as directed by primary, secondary or community care; working at all times within professional limits.
- To influence the prescribing behaviour of all members of the Practice MDT including GPs and practice nurses.
- Liaise with health professionals in secondary care on interface medicines management issues.
- Ensure prescribing and administration of medicines and disposal of medicinal waste follows appropriate legislation and health and safety policies.
Patient Care
- Negotiate with and influence patients to improve concordance with treatment in order to achieve better health outcomes.
- Undertake medication review of referred patients, either in Practice or on a domiciliary visit. Such patients may be referred for the practitioners specialist clinical advice, or because of medication issues arising from complex multiple pathologies.
- Run review clinics in defined therapeutic areas e.g. anti-coagulation, long term conditions, etc.
To act as a Non - Medical Prescriber. The NMP must work within the RPSGB code of practice, CCG policy and guidance. (Band 7 only)
- To work with Community Pharmacists to improve the quality of service to patients by communicating relevant issues from the practice work plan, involving staff as appropriate in practice meetings e.g. repeat prescribing systems, and training / monitoring of service level agreements for enhanced and advanced services under the Pharmacy Contract.
Medicines Management
- To identify, develop and agree prescribing plans with the lead practice GP and the network pharmacy team
- Develop prescribing guidelines or formularies for use in practice and negotiate adoption of these with the appropriate health professionals
- Encourage safe repeat prescribing in the practice by facilitating development of protocols, audit and feedback.
- Influence and monitor prescribing budgets, promote cost effective prescribing and minimise wastage of medicines eg by monitoring high level prescribing indicators facilitating the achievement of DoH targets
- To maintain appropriate records.
- To utilise the full functionality of EPS
- To co-operate with initiatives that promote a good quality service and make active use of:-
- PAIR (Practice Adverse Incident Reporting) Reports
- Medication error reporting
- Clinical audit and research projects
- Reporting adverse drug reactions to the Committee on Safety of Medicines via the yellow card reporting scheme
- To actively participate in local clinical governance arrangements at practice or locality level, identifying any relevant prescribing issues
- To provide a Public Health role in relation to use of medicines, including representing the practice on campaign stands (e.g. Ask About Medicines week, diabetes awareness, flu campaign)
- To co-operate in the implementation of future developments within the Medicines Management area, in-line with stated service objectives (e.g. strategy, work plan, LDP etc).
- To be aware of the wider issues within the NHS which will impact on the Medicines Management Agenda
Education and Training
- To analyse information, present this in an appropriate format and influence prescribing trends within the practices e.g. through timely information about new drugs, production of guidelines, financial/prescribing trends feedback e.g. ePACT data (statistical information obtained from dispensed prescriptions) and interpretation of prescribing indicators, education, critical appraisal of trial data etc. Such audiences may consist of professional groups, multidisciplinary groups or patient groups.
Provide education sessions for GPs, practice staff, other health professionals and patient groups. This may be by academic detailing (one to one) or in small or large groups e.g. a GP forum or at in-house educational events e.g. small MDT meetings, practice Synergy events.
Plan and maintain a personal portfolio of continuing professional development as relevant to your post and professional responsibilities. To undertake an annual staff appraisal and portfolio review
- Provide formal and informal training to other team members. Participate in training and in-house update sessions.
Policy, Research and Audit
- Develop and implement patient group directions for use across the practice.
- Lead and develop clinical audit work relating to the Work Plan, or local / national guidance e.g. NICE or as required to fulfil the needs of individual practices. Provide interpretation and suitable feedback on audit results, medicine management alerts and new or revised prescribing pathways.
Practice development, clinical governance and personal professional development
- Participate in primary healthcare team meetings and training and development activities.
- Provide data, as requested, for practice development plans and reports
- Collect data as part of clinical and organisational audit process
- Be aware of practice policies on risk management / incident reporting and health and safety and operate appropriate procedures for minimising risk
- Review your own professional development and discuss and agree a personal professional development plan at annual appraisal.
- Seek patient satisfaction and multi source colleague feedback prior to an initial appraisal and subsequently at no less than 3 yearly intervals.
- Be aware of the practice based complaints procedure and forward complaints as appropriate.
Operation of the Computer / Telephone System
Ensure familiarity with the database system including the ability to issue repeat prescriptions, book appointments, process registration forms, change patient details, recall patients, enter information, etc.
Comply with all systems for data security and protection
Receive and make calls as required. Divert calls and operate the phone system. Take messages and follow the appropriate message procedure.
Health and Safety Responsibilities
- Employees must take reasonable care for the Health and Safety of him/herself and/or others who may be affected by his/her acts or omissions at work
- Must Co-operate with the employer in so far as necessary to enable that duty or requirement to be performed or complied with.
- No person shall intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interests of Health, Safety or Welfare.
Confidentiality
- All information relating to patients and staff gained through your employment and after leaving employment with Brownlow Group Practice is confidential. Disclosure to any unauthorized person is a serious disciplinary offence or may result in litigation.
Equality and Diversity
It is the responsibility of every member of staff to understand our equality and diversity commitments and statutory obligations under current equality legislation including the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, the Equality Act 2006 and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and to:
- Act in ways that support equality and diversity and recognises the importance of peoples rights in accordance with legislation, policies, procedures and good practice.
- Value people as individuals and treat everyone with dignity and respect, consideration and without prejudice, respecting diversity and recognising peoples expressed beliefs, preferences and choices in working with others and delivering appropriate services.
- Recognise and inform immediate superior about behaviours that undermines equality under practice policy.
- Be consciously aware of own behaviour and encourage the same levels of behaviour in colleagues.
- Acknowledge others different perspectives and recognise the diverse needs and experiences of everyone they come into contact with.
- Identify own contributions to equality and diversity in the workplace, supported by the PDR process.
Other Duties and Responsibilities
To carry out any other reasonable duties with appropriate training as may be required.
The post-holder:
1. Is advised that the job description describes responsibilities as they are currently required and these are subject for review and updating in the light of changing service needs. Any changes will be subject to consultation as part of the annual appraisal.
2. Should be aware that job descriptions are not fixed although every effort is made to ensure that the responsibilities reflect what you are being asked to do. However by the nature of the business that Brownlow Health undertakes this demands flexibility in order to provide a service to our patients and Doctors. The job title and description may be amended and you may be asked to undertake additional duties not specified that may be reasonably required.
3. May be expected to work at any of the medical practice sites in line with service needs
