Primary Care Network Pharmacy Care Coordinator

Job responsibilities

MEDICINES OPTIMISATION

Conduct medicines optimisation tasks, to support medication reviews as directed by the pharmacy team.

Support pharmacists by identifying and referring eligible patients for Structured Medication Reviews (SMRs).

Use population health intelligence to proactively identify cohorts of patients who would benefit from medicines optimisation.

Work with the clinical team to plan, implement and track interventions and report on the success of these.

Synchronise medicines for patient transfers between care settings, linking in with local community pharmacies.

Co-ordinate all aspects of prescription preparation to ensure compliance with legal and professional requirements and accepted guidance on professional practice to ensure safe systems of work.

Process repeat medication requests in line with agreed clinical protocols and within your competency, referring to appropriate health care professionals to review the more clinically complex requests.

Promote Electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD) and online ordering as appropriate to patient and practice needs.

Support efficient ordering to reduce medicines waste.

Be aware of monitoring requirements for selected drugs or categories of drugs and ensure patient compliance. Refer any non-attendees to the correct healthcare professional for further input as required.

Working with external partners to obtain copies of shared care agreements.

To maintain accurate and up to date records of patient contacts, entering notes onto the clinical system.

Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.

Coordinate, attend and provide administrative support for MDT meetings. To disseminate information from these meetings to other practice staff as necessary.

Update and maintain accurate patient medication records on the practice clinical computer system, including advice given and action taken.

Convert acute medicine requests into repeat medicines, where appropriate according to competence and local policy.

Assist in the re-issuing of eRD prescriptions, including checking for monitoring requirements and reviews.

Ensure the practice is adhering to any Locally Commissioned Services they have signed up too.

COMMUNICATION

Answer simple medication queries from patients, staff members, community pharmacies and care homes.

Collate information from complicated medication related queries and forward on to the appropriate healthcare professional in a timely manner.

Liaise with external pharmacy services and patients to resolve queries and communicate changes to medications.

Signpost patients to the relevant members of the practice team and outside organisations as appropriate.

Provide a designated liaison service for care homes.

Co-ordinate and manage application of the pharmacy team rotas on to the clinical system.

Co-ordinate visits or arrange appointments for patients with the identified pharmacy team member.

AUDIT AND RISK MANAGEMENT

Undertake identified clinical audits of prescribing in areas directed by the PCN team and feedback results to clinical pharmacy team and other clinicians in the practices.

Support implementation of local and national guidelines and formulary recommendations.

Support and encourage reduction in prescribing of medicines available over the counter, and of low value, and low priority treatments.

Support the PCN to deliver on Quality Improvement work agendas, Quality Outcome Frameworks (QOF) and Locally Commissioned enhanced Services (LCS).

Work with general practice teams to ensure that practices are compliant with CQC standards and assist with medicine-related compliance.

Undertake audits to identify patients that may be appropriate to switch medications to more cost effective/ greener alternative brands.

CLINICAL GOVERNANCE

Respond to Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) alerts, set up searches to identify affected patients on the practice clinical systems and action them according to practice protocol.

Monitor practice prescribing against the local formulary and report back results to the clinical pharmacy team and action as required.

Support in the reporting of medicines related incidents, and when required, contribute to investigations and root cause analysis.

Refer to clinical colleagues outside of the pharmacy or practice team where there is an unaddressed clinical need which the pharmacy team is unable to support with, helping to ensure patients receive a joined-up service and the most appropriate support.

MEDICINES SAFETY

Identify patients that are overdue required monitoring and refer to the appropriate clinicians.

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

Ensure shared care protocols are in place where relevant and ensure the continuation of safe practice within primary care.

Work with the pharmacy service team to develop and implement systems to ensure the effective and continuous supply of medication to high-risk patients.

Understand how patient alerts (e.g. visually impaired, hard of hearing) are generated and patient allergy information is accurate and correctly documented, and that the information is shared with the wider multidisciplinary team.

Work with the internal pharmacy team to proactively identify patients who could benefit from their support including those at risk of safety events.

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Be responsible for own personal and professional development.

Comply with the code of ethics, GPhC professional standards and relevant legislation and company procedures, to deliver high standards of clinical governance.

Undertake further training opportunities as identified through appraisals and performance monitoring systems.

Act as a professional role model and develop own leadership skills.

Take part in the learning and development of others.

Maintain compliance with mandatory training requirements.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of prioritising work and meeting deadlines
• Able to communicate effectively and professionally both face to face and on the telephone with people at all levels
• Demonstrated high standard of written and verbal communication skills
• Evidence of the application of innovative practice and the application of evidence-based intervention
• Clear, concise record keeping/ report writing skills
• Knowledge and understanding of the NHS and the challenges facing Primary Care.
• High attention to detail, able to work accurately and identify errors
• Able to deal with patients in a professional and compassionate manner
• Demonstrates understanding of Information Governance, Patient Confidentiality and Data Protection requirement

Desirable

• Ability to undertake audit activities
• Ability to interpret prescribing data
• Experience of working in an administrative or customer focused role demonstrating the ability to deal with difficult and challenging situations
• Experience of working as a medicines dispenser or within a pharmacy setting, or experience of working directly within the NHS or other
• healthcare provider
• Able to anticipate barriers and issues and take action to mitigate risks

Qualifications

Essential

• Good general education with English and Maths GCSE standard or equivalent
• Evidence of continued personal development

Desirable

• Relevant NVQ 3 or equivalent qualification or experience
• Customer service qualification/training
• Recognised qualification in the use of computer software e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel Access, ECDL

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Works well within a team
• Capable of working with tact and diplomacy
• Approachable, adaptable, supportive, self-motivated

Experience and Job related knowledge

Essential

• Experience of prioritising work and meeting deadlines
• Able to communicate effectively and professionally both face to face and on the telephone with people at all levels
• Demonstrated high standard of written and verbal communication skills
• Evidence of the application of innovative practice and the application of evidence-based interventions
• Clear, concise record keeping/ report writing skills
• Knowledge and understanding of the NHS and the challenges facing Primary Care.
• High attention to detail, able to work accurately and identify errors
• Able to deal with patients in a professional and compassionate manner
• Demonstrates understanding of Information Governance, Patient Confidentiality and Data Protection requirements
• Able to anticipate barriers and issues and take action to mitigate risksDA/I

Desirable

• Experience of working in an administrative or customer focused role demonstrating the ability to deal with difficult and challenging situations
• Experience of working as a medicines dispenser or within a pharmacy setting, or experience of working directly within the NHS or other
• healthcare provider
• Ability to undertake audit activities
• Ability to interpret prescribing data
• Able to anticipate barriers and issues and take action to mitigate risks

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).