Primary Care Network Pharmacist

Job responsibilities

Job Summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Clinical Pharmacist to develop a pioneering role within primary care. Working as part of a team across forward thinking practices within a Primary Care Network, you will work closely with GPs, Nurse Practitioners, and Social Prescribers as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

The ideal candidate will be a forward-thinking, enthusiastic individual with initiative, keen to work within a team of like-minded people.

The successful candidate will ideally be an independent prescriber and experience of a clinical pharmacist role in a primary care setting would be an advantage. If you are proactive, innovative, organised and enthusiastic, and possess the leadership qualities and skills essential for this post, then we look forward to hearing from you.

There is potential to be involved in shaping new and innovative models of care in line with health and social care strategies as integrated teams and services develop through Primary Care Network maturity

The post holder will play an integral role within the network and will be part of the MDT supporting monthly neighbourhood meetings with other providers and stakeholders to improve patient pathways.

Clinical Responsibilities

The post holder will:

- Provide expertise in clinical medicines review and address public health and social needs of patients.

- Be a key contact for and manage patients and health care professionals medicine queries in a professional and timely manner.

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

- Work within the practice teams to undertake medication reviews particularly in high risk groups.

- 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.

- See patients with chronic medical problems where medicine optimisation is required.

- Represent the Primary Care Network in a positive way.

- Communicate and work effectively with individuals in other departments/agencies to meet patient needs.

- Be available to undertake a variety of duties including telephone consultations and queries, attending practice based MDT meetings and dealing with queries, paperwork and correspondence in a timely fashion.

- Act as key contact and as a source of medicines information for all of the practices teams and patients.

- Make professionally autonomous decisions but also be aware of when it is necessary to liaise with other members of the healthcare team for support.

- Provide counselling and health education.

- Prescribe in accordance with the local prescribing formulary or working to PGDs whenever this is clinically appropriate.

- Refer to other care providers as deemed necessary

- Comply with relevant Locality policy/guidelines, e.g. Child Protection, confidentially issues etc.

Health & Safety

The post holder must be aware of the responsibilities placed on them under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) to ensure that the agreed procedures are carried out to maintain a safe environment for patients, visitors and staff.

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, to 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;

- Reporting potential risks identified.

Personal/Professional Development

In addition to maintaining continued education through attendance at any courses and/or study days necessary to ensure that professional development requirements are met, the post holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the Locality team as part of this employment, such training to include:

- Participation in an annual individual performance review, annual Clinical Appraisal including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development;

- 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 role, and will:

- Alert other team members to issues of Clinical Governance issues, quality and risk; participate in Significant Event Analysis reviews

- Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision;

- 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. The post holder will also contribute to the overall team-working of the Practice putting the needs of the Practice first.

Communication

The post holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the 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.

- Leadership personal and people development

- Take responsibility for own learning and performance including participating in clinical supervision and acting as a positive role mode.

- Support staff development in order to maximise potential.

- Critically evaluate and review innovations and developments that are relevant to the area of work.

- Enlist support and influence stakeholders and decision-makers in order to bring about new developments in the provision of services.

- Take a lead role in planning and implementing changes within the area of care and responsibility.

- Contribute to the development of local guidelines, protocols and standards.

- Market the role of the advanced nurse practitioner in general practice.

Team working

- Understand own role and scope and identify how this may develop over time.

- Work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working.

- Delegate clearly and appropriately, adopting the principles of safe practice and assessment of competence.

- Create clear referral mechanisms to meet patient need.

- Prioritise own workload and ensure effective time-management strategies are embedded within the culture of the team.

- Work effectively with others to clearly define values, direction and policies impacting upon care delivery.

- Discuss, highlight and work with the team to create opportunities to improve patient care

- Manage and lead on the delivery of specifically identified services or projects as agreed with the practice management team.

- Agree plans and outcomes by which to measure success.

Management of risk

- Manage and assess risk within the areas of responsibility, ensuring adequate measures are in place to protect staff and patients.

- Monitor work areas and practices to ensure they are safe and free from hazards and conform to health, safety and security legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines.

- Apply infection-control measures within the practice according to local and national guidelines.

- Advocate for policies that reduce environmental health risks, are culturally sensitive and increase access to health care for all.

- Interpret national strategies and policies into local implementation strategies that are aligned to the values and culture of general practice.

Managing information

- Use technology and appropriate software as an aid to management in planning, implementation and monitoring of care, presenting and communicating information.

- Review and process data using accurate Read codes in order to ensure easy and accurate information retrieval for monitoring and audit processes.

- Manage information searches using the internet and local library databases.

- Understand responsibility of self and others to the practice and primary care trust regarding the Freedom and Information Act.

Flexibility

This role profile is intended to provide a broad outline of the main responsibilities only. The post holder will be expected to be flexible in relation to duties undertaken and location of work where required by the Network.

For further information, please see the attached Job Description.

Experience

Essential

• Working autonomously in a Pharmacist Role
• Clinical Management
• Service Delivery
• Audit
• Research
• Promoting Health Education
• Working within a community setting

Desirable

• General Practice/ Primary Care Experience
• Experience of Case Management

Qualifications

Essential

• Successful completion of a Great Britain or Northern Ireland accredited MPharm degree
• Passed a registration assessment conducted by the GPhC
• Currently registered with GPhC

Desirable

• Independent Prescribing Qualification
• Clinical skills and diagnostics qualification

Skills

Essential

• Clinical Leadership skills
• Management of patients with long term conditions
• Management of patients with complex needs
• Accountability of own role and other roles
• Good interpersonal and communication skills

Desirable

• Clinical examination skills

Knowledge

Essential

• Management of patients with long term conditions/complex needs
• Knowledge of frail and elderly patient needs
• Local and national health policies
• Clinical Governance
• MDTs

Desirable

• Understand the changes of Primary care
• Locality/neighbourhood healthcare projects
• Advanced clinical practice skills

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).