Practice Pharmacist

Nunwell Surgery

Information:

This job is now closed

Job summary

Nunwell Surgery is in a small market town in Herefordshire and serves a growing urban and rural population of around 9600 patients.

We have 5 partners and 4 salaried GPs, a nursing team with 2 nurse practitioners, 2 nurses and 2 health care assistants and currently recruiting a phlebotomist and a we have an on-site dispensary. Supported by our wonderful reception and administration teams, you will work closely with and across all areas.

The dispensary is run by our Practice Pharmacist and Dispensary Manager and we have a team of dispensers including a trainee. You will liaise daily with the team but will take responsibility for leading on our day to day medicines management ensuring a comprehensive, accurate and timely service to our patients.

We provide medical cover for our local community hospital and we also link closely with our Primary Care Network (PCN) colleagues and this role in particular will work closely with our PCN Pharmacist.

Main duties of the job

We would like an Independent Prescriber to lead on day to day management of issuing repeat medication to our patients, ensuring medication is available direct from our Dispensary or their chosen Pharmacy in a timely manner.

We have robust processes to ensure that patients are monitored appropriately and key staff from our nursing and pharmacy teams are involved in certain disease areas however you will oversee and manage all requests once they have been processed by our dispensary team. You will liaise with and be fully supported by the dispensary team, clincial colleagues and GPs to maintain a safe and timely service to our patients.

You will also work closely with our in practice pharmacists to ensure we adhere to local and national guidelines, contracts and directives whilst maintaining quality, cost-effective and appropriate prescribing within the practice.

You will be responsible for the residents of one of our care homes and develop close links with the staff to improve care and outcomes, monitoring and updating medication.

It is important we proactively review medication for everyone but in particular where patients are at increased risk of complications with complex polypharmacy or frailty and this will be key to your role.

About us

We pride ourselves on being a supportive and friendly practice and finding the right person to join our extensive existing team is paramount.

You will be supported by the whole team, one of the partners will be a named mentor for you and we are very supportive of continued professional development.

We work hard to deliver a quality and accessible service to our patients and are innovative and adapt for continual improvement.

Date posted

10 February 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience Practice pay scale

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

A2368-25-0003

Job locations

10 Pump Street

Bromyard

Herefordshire

HR7 4BZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

Key tasks

As an Independent Prescriber, you will lead on day to day management of issuing repeat medication to all patients with due regard to practice processes around monitoring and safety, implementing own changes and arranging relevant monitoring tests. This will be in partnership with key clinical staff who have responsibility for specific areas and GPs.

Assist to develop and manage a medicines management plan and deliver patient and pharmaceutical services as determined by practice policy and local and national guidance

Undertake structured medication reviews, including for an allocated care homes patients, proactively managing patients particularly those with complex polypharmacy especially the elderly and those with multiple co-morbidities

Support chronic disease management and medicines optimisation

Update and maintain accurate patient medication records on the practices clinical system

Keeping up-to-date with drug tariff price and category changes, checking for new or discontinued drugs

In association with the practice pharmacist and dispensary manager PPDM and nominated partner, maintain and update the practice prescribers regarding the computerised formulary, local and national guidance. supply issues and practice preferences, to improve the quality, safety and cost-effectiveness of prescribing

Carry out switches as required in line with practice and ICB agreed protocols, reviewing and amending patient records and informing patients

Undertake clinical audits of prescribing, make suggestions for improvement and disseminate to clinical colleagues.

Assist the PPDM to support the practice managers and GPs to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved

Provide support to staff with regards to prescription and medication queries

Job responsibilities

Staff management

Provide clinical supervision to the Dispensary team as required by PPDM in his absence

Contribute to the recruitment and retention of dispensary staff

Support training dispensary staff including encouraging and organising attendance at relevant recognised courses

Patient services

Assist in producing patient information leaflets and posters and run medicine awareness projects throughout the year.

Liaise with the PPDM to devise and manage public health campaigns to run at the Practice, providing specialist knowledge on immunisation and other medicines eg influenza campaign administering and co-ordinating clinics with management team

Assist PPDM and partners with the appropriate monitoring and management of their prescribing budgets and produce quarterly reports on practice progress to the Lead GP for monitoring medicines management

Prepare evidence-based resources and information to support the dispensary team and all other relevant health professionals in the implementation of rational cost-effective prescribing.

Help plan, develop and support the introduction of new working processes within the practice to optimise the quality of prescribing.

Pharmaceutical services

Reduce inappropriate poly-pharmacy and wasteful prescribing through clinical medication review and recommendations to clinicians

Support the identification of individuals at high risk of harm from medicines or hospitalisation as part of the risk stratification and practice care planning requirements when reviewing medication or by computer searches

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

Improve prescribing practice through educational support within the practice

Contribute to multidisciplinary reviews and multi morbidity reviews

Participate in our Birthday Clinic process and manage repeat prescribing reauthorisations by reviewing requests for medication reaching review dates ensuring compliance

Perform dispensing review of use of medications for dispensing patients as part of the practice procedures for monitoring patients

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

Promote repeat dispensing where appropriate

Promote online repeat prescription ordering where appropriate

Respond to patient and health care professionals medication queries

Work with primary care professionals and patients to implement NICE and other evidence based guidance

Support PPDM where changes in evidence require changes in prescribing across patient populations

Review pathology results for patients on agreed medications

Act as a source of medicines information for the practice team and patients

Support PPDM to provide leadership to the practice manager and GPs to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved

Clinical services

Provide medication review services to patients via telephone consultation or clinics as required in the practice and support the PCN and PPDM Pharmacists with medicines optimisation in residential and nursing homes, to deliver pharmaceutical care plans that maximise cost-effective prescribing and improve the quality of patient care.

Present at patient group meetings or other appropriate events to give advice on the appropriate use of medicines.

Work with care home staff to improve safety of medicines ordering and administration and medicines reconciliation

Promote and optimise cost effective prescribing such as taking advantage of manufacturing discount schemes

Clinical Governance

Support achievement of Dispensing Services Quality Scheme - DSQS standards

Assist in ensuring adherence to Standard Operating Procedures -SOPs

Contribute to the development of practice policies, protocols and procedures relevant to the department, review and update as required in association with the management team

Keep up to date with legislative changes with regard to prescribing and ensure compliance

Perform regular audit of prescribing activities

Undertake risk management and significant event activities

Support practice to achieve Quality Outcome Framework (QOF) with regard to medication indicator thresholds and support the achievement of non-medication indicators in collaboration with other departments

Support practice to achieve medicine indicators in NHS Primary Care Network -including Investment and Impact Fund - IIF - and CCG Clinical Excellence and Investment Funding - CEIF- or future iterations, contracts in liaison with PPDM and PCN colleagues

Ensure compliance with Care Quality Commission -CQC standards

Access Information Services Portal to analyse and interpret medicines data to highlight issues and risks to support decision making including EPACT2

Support PPDM to monitor practice prescribing against the local economys RAG list for medication that should be prescribed by hospital doctors - red drugs or subject to shared care - amber drugs. Liaise directly with hospital colleagues where prescribing needs to be returned to specialists

Promote and use computer decision support tools to help remind prescribers about the agreed formulary and local recommendations

Advise the primary health care team on the safe and secure handling of controlled drugs and other medicines, ensuring compliance with medicines legislation.

Effectively communicate with the dispensary team and the wider practice through GP TeamNet with regard to dispensary and pharmaceutical related matters

Closely liaise with the management team with regard to all dispensary, dispensing and prescribing matters to ensure wider implications are considered and legal or local requirements are met

This job description is neither exhaustive nor exclusive and will be reviewed periodically in conjunction with the post holder. The post holder is required to carry out any duties that may reasonably be requested by the PPDM, partners or the practice managers.

Future Development of Practice Pharmacist role

Support for frailty as part of PCN work

Primary Care Networks are increasingly becoming integral to the practice and as such you will be required to work closely with colleagues employed under the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme. The PPDM will co-ordinate pharmacist roles required regarding medicines to enable clear and effective management of achievement of indicators.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key tasks

As an Independent Prescriber, you will lead on day to day management of issuing repeat medication to all patients with due regard to practice processes around monitoring and safety, implementing own changes and arranging relevant monitoring tests. This will be in partnership with key clinical staff who have responsibility for specific areas and GPs.

Assist to develop and manage a medicines management plan and deliver patient and pharmaceutical services as determined by practice policy and local and national guidance

Undertake structured medication reviews, including for an allocated care homes patients, proactively managing patients particularly those with complex polypharmacy especially the elderly and those with multiple co-morbidities

Support chronic disease management and medicines optimisation

Update and maintain accurate patient medication records on the practices clinical system

Keeping up-to-date with drug tariff price and category changes, checking for new or discontinued drugs

In association with the practice pharmacist and dispensary manager PPDM and nominated partner, maintain and update the practice prescribers regarding the computerised formulary, local and national guidance. supply issues and practice preferences, to improve the quality, safety and cost-effectiveness of prescribing

Carry out switches as required in line with practice and ICB agreed protocols, reviewing and amending patient records and informing patients

Undertake clinical audits of prescribing, make suggestions for improvement and disseminate to clinical colleagues.

Assist the PPDM to support the practice managers and GPs to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved

Provide support to staff with regards to prescription and medication queries

Job responsibilities

Staff management

Provide clinical supervision to the Dispensary team as required by PPDM in his absence

Contribute to the recruitment and retention of dispensary staff

Support training dispensary staff including encouraging and organising attendance at relevant recognised courses

Patient services

Assist in producing patient information leaflets and posters and run medicine awareness projects throughout the year.

Liaise with the PPDM to devise and manage public health campaigns to run at the Practice, providing specialist knowledge on immunisation and other medicines eg influenza campaign administering and co-ordinating clinics with management team

Assist PPDM and partners with the appropriate monitoring and management of their prescribing budgets and produce quarterly reports on practice progress to the Lead GP for monitoring medicines management

Prepare evidence-based resources and information to support the dispensary team and all other relevant health professionals in the implementation of rational cost-effective prescribing.

Help plan, develop and support the introduction of new working processes within the practice to optimise the quality of prescribing.

Pharmaceutical services

Reduce inappropriate poly-pharmacy and wasteful prescribing through clinical medication review and recommendations to clinicians

Support the identification of individuals at high risk of harm from medicines or hospitalisation as part of the risk stratification and practice care planning requirements when reviewing medication or by computer searches

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

Improve prescribing practice through educational support within the practice

Contribute to multidisciplinary reviews and multi morbidity reviews

Participate in our Birthday Clinic process and manage repeat prescribing reauthorisations by reviewing requests for medication reaching review dates ensuring compliance

Perform dispensing review of use of medications for dispensing patients as part of the practice procedures for monitoring patients

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

Promote repeat dispensing where appropriate

Promote online repeat prescription ordering where appropriate

Respond to patient and health care professionals medication queries

Work with primary care professionals and patients to implement NICE and other evidence based guidance

Support PPDM where changes in evidence require changes in prescribing across patient populations

Review pathology results for patients on agreed medications

Act as a source of medicines information for the practice team and patients

Support PPDM to provide leadership to the practice manager and GPs to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved

Clinical services

Provide medication review services to patients via telephone consultation or clinics as required in the practice and support the PCN and PPDM Pharmacists with medicines optimisation in residential and nursing homes, to deliver pharmaceutical care plans that maximise cost-effective prescribing and improve the quality of patient care.

Present at patient group meetings or other appropriate events to give advice on the appropriate use of medicines.

Work with care home staff to improve safety of medicines ordering and administration and medicines reconciliation

Promote and optimise cost effective prescribing such as taking advantage of manufacturing discount schemes

Clinical Governance

Support achievement of Dispensing Services Quality Scheme - DSQS standards

Assist in ensuring adherence to Standard Operating Procedures -SOPs

Contribute to the development of practice policies, protocols and procedures relevant to the department, review and update as required in association with the management team

Keep up to date with legislative changes with regard to prescribing and ensure compliance

Perform regular audit of prescribing activities

Undertake risk management and significant event activities

Support practice to achieve Quality Outcome Framework (QOF) with regard to medication indicator thresholds and support the achievement of non-medication indicators in collaboration with other departments

Support practice to achieve medicine indicators in NHS Primary Care Network -including Investment and Impact Fund - IIF - and CCG Clinical Excellence and Investment Funding - CEIF- or future iterations, contracts in liaison with PPDM and PCN colleagues

Ensure compliance with Care Quality Commission -CQC standards

Access Information Services Portal to analyse and interpret medicines data to highlight issues and risks to support decision making including EPACT2

Support PPDM to monitor practice prescribing against the local economys RAG list for medication that should be prescribed by hospital doctors - red drugs or subject to shared care - amber drugs. Liaise directly with hospital colleagues where prescribing needs to be returned to specialists

Promote and use computer decision support tools to help remind prescribers about the agreed formulary and local recommendations

Advise the primary health care team on the safe and secure handling of controlled drugs and other medicines, ensuring compliance with medicines legislation.

Effectively communicate with the dispensary team and the wider practice through GP TeamNet with regard to dispensary and pharmaceutical related matters

Closely liaise with the management team with regard to all dispensary, dispensing and prescribing matters to ensure wider implications are considered and legal or local requirements are met

This job description is neither exhaustive nor exclusive and will be reviewed periodically in conjunction with the post holder. The post holder is required to carry out any duties that may reasonably be requested by the PPDM, partners or the practice managers.

Future Development of Practice Pharmacist role

Support for frailty as part of PCN work

Primary Care Networks are increasingly becoming integral to the practice and as such you will be required to work closely with colleagues employed under the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme. The PPDM will co-ordinate pharmacist roles required regarding medicines to enable clear and effective management of achievement of indicators.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Practical experience of working in a dispensary or pharmacy
  • Experience of working in a patient centred environment

Desirable

  • Experience of working in General Practice or NHS environment

Qualifications

Essential

  • Pharmacy degree accepted by GPhC
  • Non-medical prescriber qualification

Desirable

  • Clinical Pharmacy diploma or equivalent experience
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Practical experience of working in a dispensary or pharmacy
  • Experience of working in a patient centred environment

Desirable

  • Experience of working in General Practice or NHS environment

Qualifications

Essential

  • Pharmacy degree accepted by GPhC
  • Non-medical prescriber qualification

Desirable

  • Clinical Pharmacy diploma or equivalent experience

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).

Additional information

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Nunwell Surgery

Address

10 Pump Street

Bromyard

Herefordshire

HR7 4BZ


Employer's website

https://www.nunwellsurgery.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Nunwell Surgery

Address

10 Pump Street

Bromyard

Herefordshire

HR7 4BZ


Employer's website

https://www.nunwellsurgery.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

For questions about the job, contact:

Practice Pharmacist and Dispensary Manager

Mark Allen

01885483412

Date posted

10 February 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience Practice pay scale

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

A2368-25-0003

Job locations

10 Pump Street

Bromyard

Herefordshire

HR7 4BZ


Supporting documents

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