Clinical Pharmacist

Job responsibilities

Title:PCN Clinical Pharmacist

Responsible To:Senior Clinical Pharmacist

Main Purpose of the Post:

To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a patient-facing role. Providing primary support to general practice staff with regards to prescription and medication queries. Support the repeat prescription system, medicines reconciliation on transfer of care and systems for safer prescribing.

Provide clinical leadership on medicines management and quality improvement as well as managing some aspects of the quality and outcomes framework and enhanced services.

Duties & Responsibilities of the Post:

Main Duties:

Ensure delivery of safe, evidence based, cost effective prescribing within an overall quality and clinical effectiveness framework.

Reconcile medicines following discharge form hospitals, intermediate care and into care homes, including identifying and rectifying unexplained changes and working with community pharmacists and secondary care to ensure patients are supported and receive the medicines they need post discharge

Undertake clinical medication reviews with patients both remotely and face to face. As an independent prescriber take responsibility for implementing changes through medicines optimisation and reviewing the need for each medicine, drug monitoring and support required by the patient.

Action medication adjustments following receipt of discharge summary/clinic letter

Ensure patients have appropriate monitoring tests in place when required for repeat prescribing.

Carry out clinical audits to review patients on high risk medications and monitor prescribing against local and national guidelines. Analyse and present results to highlight areas for improvement

Work with the practice team to review the practice repeat prescribing policy, and manage the repeat prescribing authorisation process. Make necessary changes and interventions for the reauthorisation of long term medications

Run own long term condition clinics where responsible for prescribing as an independent prescriber for conditions where medicines have a large component.

Set up and manage systems to ensure continuity of medicines supply to high-risk groups of patients

Make recommendations for medicines switches designed to save on medicine costs

Answer all medicines related queries from GPs, Practice staff, other Healthcare Professionals and patients. Suggest and recommend solutions offering to follow up patients where any changes to medications have been made.

Support clinical staff and non-clinical practice staff with medicine related queries. Provide education and training to practice teams on therapeutics and medicines optimisations

Provide expert specialist clinical knowledge, advice and guidance on prescribing and pharmaceutical matters in line with local and national policies including formularies.

Actively promote and increase uptake and utilisation of electronic Repeat Dispending (eRD) and Electronical Prescribing (EPS) in line with local and national targets.

Assist the practice to achieve QoF and Enhanced Service objectives / targets

Confidentiality:

As per both Government legislation and Practice Policies ensure that all confidentiality, data protection and information governance policies and guidelines are followed and strictly adhered to, reporting any infringements to the Operations Office immediately.

Health & Safety:

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the practice Health & Safety policy, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include:

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards
• Actively reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
• Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holders role
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)
• Reporting potential risks identified
• Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
• Reporting potential risks identified.

Equality and Diversity:

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

• Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Practice procedures and policies, and current legislation.
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues.

• Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/Professional Development:

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

• Participation in an annual staff performance review.
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.

Quality:

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, and will:

• Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk.
• Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision.
• Lead on induction and training of new staff at site
• Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance.
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs.
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources.

Communication/Information:

The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the practice and management team and will strive to:

• Communicate effectively with other team members.
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers.
• Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.

Contribution to the Implementation of Services:

The post-holder will:

• Apply practice policies, standards and guidance
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
• Participate in audit where appropriate

Any other delegated duties considered appropriate to the post.

This job description is not intended to be exhaustive, but to indicate the main areas of responsibility. It may be changed after consultation with the post holder. The employee shares with the employer the responsibility for review and modification of duties. Suggestions and discussions are welcome.

Policies and Procedures - the duties and responsibilities of the post will be undertaken in accordance with the policies, procedures and practices of the Practice, which may be amended from time to time. You are required to be flexible and the practice reserves the right to alter such fixed hours as may be considered necessary to ensure the surgery runs smoothly.

The business operates between the hours of 0700 2100 hours Monday to Friday (0800 1300 Saturday), with possible requirement for some future evening and weekend working as the business develops.

Qualifications

Essential

• Masters degree in pharmacy
• Professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council of Great Britain
• Independent prescriber

Desirable

• Member of Royal Pharmaceutical Society
• Postgraduate diploma in clinical pharmacy or prescribing

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in community pharmacy, primary and secondary care experience of medicine optimisation
• Minimum 5 years post qualification experience
• Experience of dealing with people, to maintain a high level of care

Desirable

• Basic management training or equivalent experience
• Some experience in general practice or a primary care setting

Knowledge

Essential

• In depth therapeutic and clinical knowledge and understanding of the principles of evidence-based healthcare
• Good understanding of prescribing clinical governance, and risk management relating to primary care
• Sound understanding of the need for confidentiality

Desirable

• An appreciation of the working nature of GPs and general practice
• Familiarity with general practice clinical systems / SystmOne

Skills

Essential

• Able to plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general medicine optimisation issues in core areas for long term conditions
• Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills
• Ability to influence, motivate and persuade prescribers to comply with the recommendations or agreed course of action where there may be significant barriers
• Ability to work under pressure and deal with unpredictable issues arising on a daily basis
• Good IT skills
• Enthusiastic, innovative and highly motivated

Desirable

• Proven ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to a variety of audience

Other

Essential

• Flexible approach to working patterns and ability to adapt to changing priorities
• Must have a full UK driving licence and be able to travel to a number of locations within the City of Portsmouth

Desirable

• Available of occasional working outside of normal working hours

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).