Job summary
The Barnstaple Alliance has an exciting opportunity for another clinical pharmacist to join our Primary Care Network.
The Alliance of Brannam, Litchdon, Fremington and Queens Medical Centres has a long history of collaborative working. The practices are within close proximity and between them look after 50,000 patients.
You will act as part of a multi-professional NHS team in providing clinical pharmacy services that will protect, maintain and restore the health of patients.
The successful applicant (job share considered) will be supported by our two PCN pharmacists and three pharmacy technicians as well as three practice pharmacists. The nature of the role will evolve over time but will be divided between a patient facing role, which will include care reviews and home visits and medicines optimisation/quality improvement across the network.
You will be a proactive, highly organised, patient focused individual who is keen to learn or already experienced in a general practice setting.
Main duties of the job
The post holder is a pharmacist, who acts within their professional boundaries, supporting and working alongside a team of pharmacists in general practice. In this role they will be supported by a senior clinical pharmacist who will develop, manage and mentor them.
The post holder will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a patient-facing role. The post holder will take responsibility for areas of chronic disease management within the practice and undertake clinical medication reviews to proactively manage patients with complex polypharmacy.
The post holder will provide primary support to general practice staff with regards to prescription and medication queries. They will help support the repeat prescription system, deal with acute prescription requests, and medicines reconciliation on transfer of care and systems for safer prescribing, providing expertise in clinical medicines advice while addressing both public and social care needs of patient in the GP practice (s).
About us
Barnstaple is an excellent place to live and work. A popular holiday destination on the Taw estuary, it is close to surfing beaches and the beautiful Exmoor National Park. Sailing, cycling, walking and a host of other leisure activities are readily available and a link to the M5 motorway gives easy access to the rest of the country.
Date posted
27 July 2021
Pay scheme
Other
Salary
£38,890 to £45,753 a year
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
A2537-21-6861
Job locations
Brannam Square
Kiln Lane
Barnstaple
Devon
EX32 8GP
Job description
Job responsibilities
Patient facing long term condition clinics
See (where appropriate) patients with single or multiple medical problems where medicine optimisation is required (e.g. COPD, asthma).
Review the on-going need for each medicine, a review of monitoring needs and an opportunity to support patients with their medicines taking
ensuring they get the best use of their medicines (i.e. medicines optimisation). Make appropriate recommendations to Senior Pharmacists or GPs for medicine improvement.
Patient facing care home/residential clinical medication reviews
Undertake clinical medication reviews with patients and produce recommendations for the senior clinical pharmacist, nurses or GPs on prescribing and monitoring. Work with care home staff to improve safety of medicines ordering and administration.
Patient facing clinical medication review
Undertake clinical medication reviews with patients and produce recommendations for senior clinical pharmacist, nurses and/or GP on prescribing and monitoring.
Patient facing domiciliary/home visits
Undertake clinical medication reviews with patients and produce recommendations for the senior clinical pharmacists, nurses and GPs on prescribing and monitoring. Attend and refer patients to multidisciplinary case conferences.
Management of common/minor/self- limiting ailments
Managing caseload for patients with common/minor/self-limiting ailments while working within a scope of practice and limits of competence. Signposting to community pharmacy and referring to GPs or other healthcare professionals where appropriate.
Differential/ Undifferential diagnosis
Manage own caseload for patients and diagnosis people with long term and/or acute/common conditions/ailments while remaining within scope of practice and limits of competence. Referring to GP and/or other healthcare professionals where appropriate
Patient facing medicines support
Provide patient facing clinics for those with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines in the practice
Telephone medicines support
Provide a telephone help line for patients with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines.
Medicine information to practice staff and patients
Answers relevant medicine-related enquiries from GPs, other practice staff, other healthcare teams (e.g. community pharmacy) and patients with queries about medicines. Suggesting and recommending solutions. Providing follow up for patients to monitor the effect of any changes.
Unplanned hospital admissions
Review the use of medicines most commonly associated with unplanned hospital admissions and readmissions through audit and individual patient reviews. Put in place changes to reduce the prescribing of
these medicines to highrisk patient groups.
Management of medicines at discharge from hospital
To reconcile medicines following discharge from hospitals, intermediate care and into care homes, including identifying and rectifying unexplained changes and working with patients and community
pharmacists to ensure patients receive the medicines they need post discharge. Set up and manage systems to ensure continuity of medicines supply to highrisk groups of patients (e.g. those with medicine compliance aids or those in care homes).
Signposting
Ensure that patients are referred to the appropriate healthcare professional for the appropriate level of care within an appropriate period of time e.g. pathology results, common/minor ailments, acute
conditions, long term condition reviews etc.
Repeat prescribing
Produce and implement a practice repeat prescribing policy. Manage the repeat prescribing reauthorisation process by reviewing patient requests for repeat prescriptions and reviewing medicines reaching review dates and flagging up those needing a review. Ensure patients are booked in for necessary monitoring tests where required.
Risk stratification
Identification of cohorts of patients at high risk of harm from medicines through pre-prepared practice computer searches. This might include risks that are patient related, medicine related, or both.
Service development
Contribute pharmaceutical advice for the development and implementation of new services that have medicinal components (e.g. advice on treatment pathways and patient information leaflets).
Information management
Analyse, interpret and present medicines data to highlight issues and risks to support decision making.
Medicines Quality Improvement programmes
Undertake clinical audits of prescribing in areas directed by the GPs, feedback the results and implement changes in conjunction with the practice team.
Medicines safety
Implement changes to medicines that result from MHRA alerts, product withdrawal and other local and national guidance.
Implementation of local and national guidelines and formulary recommendations
Monitor practice prescribing against the local health economys RAG list for medicines that should be prescribed by hospital doctors (red drugs) or subject to shared care (amber drugs). Assist practices in setting and maintaining a practice formulary that is hosted on the practices computer system. Auditing practices compliance against NICE technology assessment guidance. Provide newsletters on important prescribing messages.
Education and Training
Provide education and training to primary healthcare team on therapeutics and medicines optimisation.
Care Quality Commission
Provide leadership to the general practice team to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved.
Undertake risk assessment and management and ensure compliance with medicines legislation.
Public health
To support public health campaigns. To provide specialist knowledge on all public health programmes available to general public.
Collaborative Working Relationships
Recognises the roles of other colleagues within the organisation and their role to patient care
Demonstrates use of appropriate communication to gain the co-operation of relevant stakeholders (including patients, senior and peer colleagues, and other professionals, other NHS/private organisations e.g. CCGs)
Demonstrates ability to lead a team
Is able to recognise personal limitations and refer to more appropriate colleague(s) when necessary
Actively work toward developing and maintaining effective working relationships both within and outside the practice and locality
Foster and maintain strong links with all services across locality
Explores the potential for collaborative working and takes opportunities to initiate and sustain such relationships
Demonstrates ability to integrate general practice with community and hospital pharmacy teams
Liaises with CCG colleagues including CCG Pharmacists on prescribing related matters to ensure consistency of patient care and benefit
Liaises with CCG pharmacists and Heads of Medicines Management/ Optimisation to benefit from peer support
Liaises with other GP Practices and staff as needed for the collective benefit of patients including but not limited to
o Patients
o GP, nurses and other practice staff
o Other healthcare professionals including CCG pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, optometrists, dentists, health and social care teams and dieticians etc.
o Locality / GP prescribing lead
o Locality managers
o Community nurses and other allied health professionals
o Community and Hospital Pharmacy teams
o Hospital staff with responsibilities for prescribing and medicines optimisation
Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required
.
Completion of an undergraduate degree in pharmacy and registration with the
General Pharmaceutical Council
Minimum of 2 years experience as a pharmacist, demonstrated within a practice
portfolio.
Have experience and an awareness of common acute and long-term conditions that
are likely to be seen in general practice
May hold or be working towards an independent prescribing qualification.
Recognises priorities when problem-solving and identifies deviations from normal pattern and is able to refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate.
Able to follow legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct
Involves patients in decisions about prescribed medicines and supporting adherence as per NICE guidelines.
Leadership
Demonstrate understanding of the pharmacy role in governance and is able to implement this appropriately within the workplace.
Demonstrate understanding of, and contributes to, the workplace vision
Engages with Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) and involves PPGs in development of the role and practices.
Demonstrates ability to improve quality within limitations of service
Reviews yearly progress and develops clear plans to achieve results within priorities set by others.
Demonstrate ability to motivate self to achieve goals
Promotes diversity and equality in people management techniques and leads by example.
Management
Demonstrate understanding of the implications of national priorities for the team and/or service and manage the team through these changes
Demonstrate understanding of the process for effective resource utilisation
Demonstrate understanding of, and conforms to, relevant standards of practice
Demonstrates ability to identify and resolve risk management issues according to policy/protocol
Follows professional and organisational policies/procedures relating to performance management
Demonstrate ability to extend boundaries of service delivery within the tea
Job description
Job responsibilities
Patient facing long term condition clinics
See (where appropriate) patients with single or multiple medical problems where medicine optimisation is required (e.g. COPD, asthma).
Review the on-going need for each medicine, a review of monitoring needs and an opportunity to support patients with their medicines taking
ensuring they get the best use of their medicines (i.e. medicines optimisation). Make appropriate recommendations to Senior Pharmacists or GPs for medicine improvement.
Patient facing care home/residential clinical medication reviews
Undertake clinical medication reviews with patients and produce recommendations for the senior clinical pharmacist, nurses or GPs on prescribing and monitoring. Work with care home staff to improve safety of medicines ordering and administration.
Patient facing clinical medication review
Undertake clinical medication reviews with patients and produce recommendations for senior clinical pharmacist, nurses and/or GP on prescribing and monitoring.
Patient facing domiciliary/home visits
Undertake clinical medication reviews with patients and produce recommendations for the senior clinical pharmacists, nurses and GPs on prescribing and monitoring. Attend and refer patients to multidisciplinary case conferences.
Management of common/minor/self- limiting ailments
Managing caseload for patients with common/minor/self-limiting ailments while working within a scope of practice and limits of competence. Signposting to community pharmacy and referring to GPs or other healthcare professionals where appropriate.
Differential/ Undifferential diagnosis
Manage own caseload for patients and diagnosis people with long term and/or acute/common conditions/ailments while remaining within scope of practice and limits of competence. Referring to GP and/or other healthcare professionals where appropriate
Patient facing medicines support
Provide patient facing clinics for those with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines in the practice
Telephone medicines support
Provide a telephone help line for patients with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines.
Medicine information to practice staff and patients
Answers relevant medicine-related enquiries from GPs, other practice staff, other healthcare teams (e.g. community pharmacy) and patients with queries about medicines. Suggesting and recommending solutions. Providing follow up for patients to monitor the effect of any changes.
Unplanned hospital admissions
Review the use of medicines most commonly associated with unplanned hospital admissions and readmissions through audit and individual patient reviews. Put in place changes to reduce the prescribing of
these medicines to highrisk patient groups.
Management of medicines at discharge from hospital
To reconcile medicines following discharge from hospitals, intermediate care and into care homes, including identifying and rectifying unexplained changes and working with patients and community
pharmacists to ensure patients receive the medicines they need post discharge. Set up and manage systems to ensure continuity of medicines supply to highrisk groups of patients (e.g. those with medicine compliance aids or those in care homes).
Signposting
Ensure that patients are referred to the appropriate healthcare professional for the appropriate level of care within an appropriate period of time e.g. pathology results, common/minor ailments, acute
conditions, long term condition reviews etc.
Repeat prescribing
Produce and implement a practice repeat prescribing policy. Manage the repeat prescribing reauthorisation process by reviewing patient requests for repeat prescriptions and reviewing medicines reaching review dates and flagging up those needing a review. Ensure patients are booked in for necessary monitoring tests where required.
Risk stratification
Identification of cohorts of patients at high risk of harm from medicines through pre-prepared practice computer searches. This might include risks that are patient related, medicine related, or both.
Service development
Contribute pharmaceutical advice for the development and implementation of new services that have medicinal components (e.g. advice on treatment pathways and patient information leaflets).
Information management
Analyse, interpret and present medicines data to highlight issues and risks to support decision making.
Medicines Quality Improvement programmes
Undertake clinical audits of prescribing in areas directed by the GPs, feedback the results and implement changes in conjunction with the practice team.
Medicines safety
Implement changes to medicines that result from MHRA alerts, product withdrawal and other local and national guidance.
Implementation of local and national guidelines and formulary recommendations
Monitor practice prescribing against the local health economys RAG list for medicines that should be prescribed by hospital doctors (red drugs) or subject to shared care (amber drugs). Assist practices in setting and maintaining a practice formulary that is hosted on the practices computer system. Auditing practices compliance against NICE technology assessment guidance. Provide newsletters on important prescribing messages.
Education and Training
Provide education and training to primary healthcare team on therapeutics and medicines optimisation.
Care Quality Commission
Provide leadership to the general practice team to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved.
Undertake risk assessment and management and ensure compliance with medicines legislation.
Public health
To support public health campaigns. To provide specialist knowledge on all public health programmes available to general public.
Collaborative Working Relationships
Recognises the roles of other colleagues within the organisation and their role to patient care
Demonstrates use of appropriate communication to gain the co-operation of relevant stakeholders (including patients, senior and peer colleagues, and other professionals, other NHS/private organisations e.g. CCGs)
Demonstrates ability to lead a team
Is able to recognise personal limitations and refer to more appropriate colleague(s) when necessary
Actively work toward developing and maintaining effective working relationships both within and outside the practice and locality
Foster and maintain strong links with all services across locality
Explores the potential for collaborative working and takes opportunities to initiate and sustain such relationships
Demonstrates ability to integrate general practice with community and hospital pharmacy teams
Liaises with CCG colleagues including CCG Pharmacists on prescribing related matters to ensure consistency of patient care and benefit
Liaises with CCG pharmacists and Heads of Medicines Management/ Optimisation to benefit from peer support
Liaises with other GP Practices and staff as needed for the collective benefit of patients including but not limited to
o Patients
o GP, nurses and other practice staff
o Other healthcare professionals including CCG pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, optometrists, dentists, health and social care teams and dieticians etc.
o Locality / GP prescribing lead
o Locality managers
o Community nurses and other allied health professionals
o Community and Hospital Pharmacy teams
o Hospital staff with responsibilities for prescribing and medicines optimisation
Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required
.
Completion of an undergraduate degree in pharmacy and registration with the
General Pharmaceutical Council
Minimum of 2 years experience as a pharmacist, demonstrated within a practice
portfolio.
Have experience and an awareness of common acute and long-term conditions that
are likely to be seen in general practice
May hold or be working towards an independent prescribing qualification.
Recognises priorities when problem-solving and identifies deviations from normal pattern and is able to refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate.
Able to follow legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct
Involves patients in decisions about prescribed medicines and supporting adherence as per NICE guidelines.
Leadership
Demonstrate understanding of the pharmacy role in governance and is able to implement this appropriately within the workplace.
Demonstrate understanding of, and contributes to, the workplace vision
Engages with Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) and involves PPGs in development of the role and practices.
Demonstrates ability to improve quality within limitations of service
Reviews yearly progress and develops clear plans to achieve results within priorities set by others.
Demonstrate ability to motivate self to achieve goals
Promotes diversity and equality in people management techniques and leads by example.
Management
Demonstrate understanding of the implications of national priorities for the team and/or service and manage the team through these changes
Demonstrate understanding of the process for effective resource utilisation
Demonstrate understanding of, and conforms to, relevant standards of practice
Demonstrates ability to identify and resolve risk management issues according to policy/protocol
Follows professional and organisational policies/procedures relating to performance management
Demonstrate ability to extend boundaries of service delivery within the tea
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Minimum of 2 years post--
- qualification experience.
Knowledge & skills
Essential
- An appreciation of the nature of GPs and general practices
- An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing
- Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to a variety of audiences (e.g. patients)
- Is able to plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general medicine optimisation issues in core areas for long term conditions.
- Good IT skills
- Able to obtain and analyse
- complex technical information
- Recognises priorities when problem solving and identifies deviations from the normal pattern and is able to refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate
- Able to work under pressure and to meet deadlines
- Produce timely and informative reports
- Gain acceptance for recommendations and influence/motivate/ persuade the audience to comply with the recommendations/
- agreed course of action where there may be significant barriers
- Work effectively independently and as a team member
- Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision
Desirable
- In depth therapeutic and clinical knowledge and understanding of the principles of evidence-based healthcare.
- Is able to plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general medicine optimisation issues in core areas for long term conditions.
Qualifications
Essential
- Mandatory registration with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- Masters degree in pharmacy (MPharm)
Desirable
- Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
- A member of or working towards Faculty membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
- specialist knowledge acquired through post- graduate diploma level or equivalent training/experience
- Independent prescriber or working towards/intent of gaining independent prescribing qualification.
Qualities & attributes
Essential
- Self-motivation
- Adaptable
Other
Essential
- Full driving licence
- In date CRB
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Minimum of 2 years post--
- qualification experience.
Knowledge & skills
Essential
- An appreciation of the nature of GPs and general practices
- An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing
- Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to a variety of audiences (e.g. patients)
- Is able to plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general medicine optimisation issues in core areas for long term conditions.
- Good IT skills
- Able to obtain and analyse
- complex technical information
- Recognises priorities when problem solving and identifies deviations from the normal pattern and is able to refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate
- Able to work under pressure and to meet deadlines
- Produce timely and informative reports
- Gain acceptance for recommendations and influence/motivate/ persuade the audience to comply with the recommendations/
- agreed course of action where there may be significant barriers
- Work effectively independently and as a team member
- Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision
Desirable
- In depth therapeutic and clinical knowledge and understanding of the principles of evidence-based healthcare.
- Is able to plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general medicine optimisation issues in core areas for long term conditions.
Qualifications
Essential
- Mandatory registration with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- Masters degree in pharmacy (MPharm)
Desirable
- Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
- A member of or working towards Faculty membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
- specialist knowledge acquired through post- graduate diploma level or equivalent training/experience
- Independent prescriber or working towards/intent of gaining independent prescribing qualification.
Qualities & attributes
Essential
- Self-motivation
- Adaptable
Other
Essential
- Full driving licence
- In date CRB
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.
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).
Additional information
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).
Employer details
Employer name
Brannam Medical Centre
Address
Brannam Square
Kiln Lane
Barnstaple
Devon
EX32 8GP
Employer's website
https://www.brannammedicalcentre.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
Employer details
Employer name
Brannam Medical Centre
Address
Brannam Square
Kiln Lane
Barnstaple
Devon
EX32 8GP
Employer's website
https://www.brannammedicalcentre.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
For questions about the job, contact:
Date posted
27 July 2021
Pay scheme
Other
Salary
£38,890 to £45,753 a year
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
A2537-21-6861
Job locations
Brannam Square
Kiln Lane
Barnstaple
Devon
EX32 8GP
Privacy notice
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