Clinical Pharmacist

Job responsibilities

KEY RESPONSIBILITES

To provide prescribing advice and support to the practice(s), on all medication issues.

To advise the practice on the implications of prescribing and admission/referral data provided by the ICB.

To implement change in prescribing behaviour, where required, in order to promote quality, rational, safe and cost-effective prescribing.

To promote prescribing in line with national, and ICB guidelines and policies.

To identify and advise on any areas of clinical risk connected with prescribing.

To undertake medication reviews and therapeutic specific medication reviews of patients with chronic diseases to proactively manage people with complex polypharmacy, especially the elderly, people in care homes, those with multiple co-morbidities (in particular frailty, COPD and asthma) and people with learning disabilities or autism (through STOMP Stop Over Medication Programme)

To work directly with patients on medication issues to ensure patients take their medications to get the best from them, reduce waste and promote self-care

To provide leadership on person centred medicines optimisation (including ensuring prescribers in the practice conserve antibiotics in line with local antimicrobial stewardship guidance) and quality improvement, whilst contributing to the quality and outcomes framework and enhanced services.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR PATIENT CARE (including monitoring, diagnostics + investigations)

To support all practice staff on all medication issues

To update patients medication records post hospital discharges and outpatient appointments, and advise the GP of all issues that may arise

To implement all monitoring requirements as detailed in agreed shared care protocols.

To be responsible for ensuring recall systems are in place and working and for the correct monitoring of amber drugs and those included in the Shared Care Local Enhanced Service.

To deal with medication queries, especially those that require follow up and problem solving techniques.

To participate/run medication review clinics or chronic disease management clinics as agreed with the practice.

To reduce waste, minimise risk and improve the repeat prescribing process.

To ensure prescription security by introducing best practice guidelines

To resolve all practice EPS issuesqueries and ensure that the practice maximises the benefits of EPS.

GENERAL PRACTICE SUPPORT

To practice and promote cost-effective, safe, evidence based prescribing.

To identify prescribing issues within the practice, bring these to the attention of the Lead GP and, develop an appropriate strategy, implement the strategy and monitor progress

To monitor practices prescribing for known areas of increased clinical risk, and advise the practice on appropriate measures to minimise such risk.

To ensure that all major MHRA drug alerts are acted upon within practices over a suitable timeframe and to advise and implement any medication changes that occur as a result

To work closely with the Barnsley Place Medicines Optimisation Team to monitor and advise practices regarding their prescribing costs.

To monitor, prescribing costs of specific drugs or therapeutic areas as agreed with the GP practice.

COMMUNICATION

To be the first point of contact for patients, secondary/tertiary care, community pharmacists, ICB, staff, Nursing/Care home staff and other healthcare professionals and patients who have queries relating to medication and repeat prescriptions.

ADMINISTRATIVE AN CLERICAL DUTIES

To maintain comprehensive and accurate records of work undertaken for the Practice Pharmacist projects and activities

To be able to use MS Office programmes necessary for the role

To be able to use the searching and administrative capabilities of the GP clinical systems.

To be able to evidence activity and demonstrate outcomes as agreed by the practice.

To manage time effectively to ensure all targets are met.

To carry out any other associated tasks required to develop this role in the future as requested by the PCN.

INFORMATION SUPPORT AND RECORD KEEPING

To keep an accurate record of all activity undertaken within practices.

To ensure all patient interventions are recorded on the practice computer in accordance with the working procedures developed with the practice.

To be responsible for keeping accurate retrievable records of all formal queries, data collection exercises, and audits.

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

To supervise and train practice receptionists undertaking the generation of repeat prescriptions and to explain and inform them of any prescribing changes being carried out.

Be willing to undertake any training required for the role e.g. the CPPE Primary care pharmacy education pathway

To providing training to practice clinical/administration staff on any medicines management issues as agreed by the practice.

PLANNING AND ORGANISATION: FREEDOM TO ACT

To be responsible for the organisation, planning and managing own time, within a broad agenda set by the identified the practice.

To demonstrate professional accountability and responsibility.

To recognise professional and personal limitations.

To observe Health and Safety regulations.

To observe the principles of clinical governance.

COLLABORATIVE WORKING ARRANGEMENTS

Participate in the PCN MDT

Foster and maintains strong links with all services across the PCN

Explore the potential for collaborative working and takes opportunities to initiate and sustain such relationships

Attend Barnsley Place Medicine Optimisation Team meetings (monthly)

Liaise with colleagues including the ICB Medicines Optimisation Team on prescribing matters to ensure consistency of patient care and benefit

Liaise with colleagues in the Barnsley Place Medicines Optimisation Team to benefit from peer support

Work with primary care to ensure practices are compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved

To support public health campaigns and to provide specialist knowledge on all public health programmes available to the general public

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Liaise with other stakeholders as needed for the collective benefit of patients, key relationships include (but are not limited to):

Patients and their representatives

GPs, nurses and other practice staff

Social prescribers, first contact physiotherapists, physician associates and paramedics

Community pharmacists and support staff

Barnsley place Medicines Optimisation Team including pharmacists and technicians

Locality/GP prescribing lead

Locality Managers

Community nurses and other allied health professionals

Hospital staff with responsibilities for prescribing and medicines optimisation

ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountable to the Accountable Clinical Director of Barnsley PCN and to the Clinical Directors of the Neighbourhood Networks

PROFESSIONAL

Maintain registration of General Pharmaceutical Council

Maintain professional indemnity insurance

Be part of a professional clinical network, working alongside the Barnsley Place Medicines Optimisation Team

Undertake continual personal and professional development to keep up to date with relevant clinical practice

Access regular clinical supervision

Review yearly progress and develop clear plans to achieve results within priorities set by others

Demonstrate an understanding of current educational policies relevant to working areas of practice and keep up to date with relevant clinical practice

Participate in the delivery of formal education programmes

Deposition/Personal

Essential

• Takes responsibility for CPD, as evidence by portfolio.
• Uses reflective practice for personal and professional development.
• Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from all communities.
• Demonstrates the 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. ICBs)
• Able to recognise their personal limitations and refer to more appropriate colleagues when necessary.
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals.
• Able to maintain effective working relationships and to promote collaborative practice with all colleagues.
• Full UK driving license and exclusive use of a car.

Desirable

• Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision.

Experience

Essential

• An appreciation of the nature of Primary Care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing.
• Up to date pharmaceutical knowledge.
• Experience and an awareness of the breadth of common acute and long-term conditions that are likely to be seen in general practice.
• Experience or clear understanding of working in Primary Care with Primary Care systems.
• Demonstrates ability to integrate general practice with community and hospital pharmacy team community groups.
• Understanding of the wider determinant of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities.
• Understanding of confidentiality issues.
• Understands the importance of following legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies and procedures and codes of conduct.
• Ability to gain acceptance for recommendations and influence, motivate and persuade the audience to comply with recommendations and an agreed course of action where there may be significant barriers.
• Ability to identify and resolve risk management issues according to policy/protocol.
• Understand the principles of research governance.

Desirable

• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary environment.
• Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations.
• In depth therapeutic and clinical knowledge and understanding of the principles of evidence based healthcare.
• Experience of analysing ePact data.
• Understanding of READ coding and summarising processes.
• Report writing and presentation skills.

Qualifications

Essential

• Completion of an undergraduate degree in Pharmacy.
• Mandatory registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Must hold a prescribing qualification or be prepared to complete a prescribing course.

Desirable

• Diploma/MSc in Prescribing Sciences/Clinical Pharmacy/ Pharmacy practice or equivalent clinical experience.
• Experience of working within secondary care and knowledge of discharge processes.
• Minor ailments and triage qualification and experience.

Practical, Intellectual, Analytical and Organisational skills

Essential

• Computer literacy Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, internet and electronic diary systems.
• Ability to obtain and analyse technical information.
• Experience of managing own time, prioritisation and working to deadlines.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Team player but able to work independently.

Desirable

• -

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).