Clinical Pharmacist - Frailty Service

Job responsibilities

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Communication

To establish effective working relationships with multidisciplinary frailty teams and patients, their families and carers.

To establish effective working relationships with adult social care management, general practitioners, community nursing teams, community pharmacies and any other service involved in the patient care, to deliver a patient/carer centred service and support the strategic objectives of our frailty services delivery model.

The post holder will be expected to develop and communicate to a multi-disciplinary team: cost effective prescribing, therapeutically appropriate and evidence based prescribing messages.

To interpret complex clinical information and provide specialist evidence-based advice/information to patients, clinicians and the primary care health team. Advice may be highly complex or controversial derived from different or conflicting sources such as clinical trial data versus drug company information.

Communicating complex, sensitive information effectively to parents/carers (on a one-to-one basis) to ensure the correct, safe efficient use of medicines. This communication requires tact and empathy and must be in a form appropriate for patients/carers. Information regarding medicines may be complicated; the patient/carer may not understand some of the terminology, so it is essential to communicate at a level suitable for them to comprehend.

Reassurance skills and agreement to cooperation are essential to overcome any barriers to understanding, since these patients may be concerned or unhappy about change or worried about aspects of drug therapy/their medical condition.

Being a first contact for any queries regarding patients medication, this may involve handling sensitive issues with respect to prescribing or dispensing errors.

The post holder should be able to identify barriers to communication and be able to adapt behaviour in response to the needs of the individual.

Interpretation of therapeutic information and translation into policies and guidance for clinical and nonclinical staff.

Discuss complex and sensitive information with patients during medication reviews, including, medical histories, and lifestyle and personal circumstances. This may include highly complex clinical information.

Discuss identified prescribing issues with prescribers and non-medical prescribers, give specialist prescribing advice on individual patient issues.

Influence and implement change in prescribing through discussion and advice. Communicate complex clinical evidence effectively. This may include delivering controversial information and challenging current practice. This will involve negotiation, persuasion and influencing prescribers and non-medical prescribers.

The clinical pharmacist is required to work independently within their objectives and the organisational priorities, and as a team member to deliver a multidisciplinary patient centered service.

Providing highly specialised advice and drug/medicine related information to patients and healthcare professionals on appropriate treatment, dosages, interactions and possible side effects of drugs.

Analytical Tasks

Review and optimise drug therapy for patients seen across our frailty services. The post holder will assess the appropriateness of therapy, ensure relevant clinical monitoring, assess for adverse drug reactions and drugs likely to contribute to falls etc. in this elderly population. Making judgement in situations that involve highly complex facts that may contain conflicting information. Expert opinion will differ, and some information may be unavailable. There will be a broad range of options to consider before a decision is made.

Assessment of specialist clinical conditions and review of medication in line with NICE guidance, local prescribing policies and information from a variety of professional bodies. This can involve a need to study and evaluate complex scientic papers and clinical trials to ensure that the drugs prescribed are based on the best evidence available for effectiveness and safety.

Critically evaluate treatment guidelines using knowledge of principles of evidence-based medicine.

Critical appraisal skills range of skills in analysing, interpreting comparing and contrasting factual information. Critical appraisal of published evidence on drugs, balanced with nancial information from prescribing data to advise prescribers regarding safe and cost effective prescribing.

Planning and Organisational Skills

To collect, monitor and support the Medicines Service/Operational teams to achieve the agreed strategic outcomes to measure the success of the service provided.

Planning, prioritising and organising a broad range of complex activities e.g. medication review clinics, attending meetings, and multidisciplinary meetings.

Planning and reviewing own workload; requires high level of self-motivation and use of initiative.

Organise onward referral of patients where appropriate.

Organise training sessions and meetings locally and across the Easington & Sedgefield

Physical Skills

Be able to demonstrate and explain complex devices to patients including medical devices and compliance aids.

Highly developed physical skills required where accuracy is important.

Ability to travel extensively within the geographical area.

Be computer literate and have satisfactory keyboard skills.

Ability to pay attention to detail.

Ability to manoeuvre large quantities of written material, laptop and related equipment.

Responsibility for Patient Care

To lead, develop and implement medicines optimisation clinical guidelines to ensure the safe and effective use of medicines within the organisation.

To act as the medicines expert when working in multidisciplinary teams, utilise clinical skills to undertake patient-centered clinical medication reviews.

To be sensitive to patients needs in respect to the choice and use of medicines.

Provide specialist clinical/pharmaceutical advice, explanation and reassurance to patients through face to face, telephone, video and written communication when changes in prescribing are made to a patients medication regimen.

Provide highly complex and specialised clinical advice to primary care healthcare professionals on risk management processes relating to controlled drugs, drug adverse events.

To support and make recommendations on the implementation of local and national policy e.g. NICE and a local joint formulary.

Keep abreast of current drug safety advice; ensure that relevant guidance is circulated to appropriate health care professionals in a timely fashion.

Provide specialist advice and support regarding necessary action required.

Respond to medicine related queries from patients, carers, medical staff and other healthcare professionals and provide appropriate pharmaceutical advice in order to ensure the appropriate use of medicines.

To become a core member of the multidisciplinary team.

To be available as a knowledge resource for community staff regarding pharmaceutical queries.

Policy and Service Development Implementation

To support and make recommendations on the implementation of local and national policy e.g. NICE and the local joint formulary.

Formulate local prescribing guidance through interpretation of national policy/guidance.

Develop, lead and support national NHSE strategies e.g. medicines management policies.

Identify and develop potential service developments to meet the needs of the population of patients within our frailty services. Make recommendations to the senior management team and board.

Responsibilities for Financial and Physical Resources

Calculate and monitor the potential savings for the service on implementation of medicines management strategies.

Make recommendations and provide advice to services to facilitate the management of drugs budget.

Responsibilities for Human Resources

Supervise/teach students or pre-registration pharmacists working for the organisation.

Maintain and plan own professional accreditation and CPD as required by the General Pharmaceutical Council to maintain specialist knowledge.

Design and deliver where necessary training for other primary health care sta.

Responsibilities for Information Resources

Record personally generated clinical information - record medication reviews and changes to medication/prescriptions on computer and in patient notes, summarise drug information, write information leaflets and training packages, summarise relevant clinical information and use appropriate read codes for the clinical system.

Support the development and implementation of policies, protocols and procedures within the organisation.

Summarise complex medicines information to discuss with patients and prescribers and other members of the healthcare team.

Liaise with medical information departments and feeding back to patients or healthcare professionals.

Preparation and analysis of data relating to prescribing.

Formulation of pharmaceutical care plans.

Formulation of training packages and resources.

Responsibilities for Research and Development

Design and undertake audits of prescribing data; collection of information, review, report and implement change, which may have an outreaching impact on prescribing habits and inuence the care of patients.

Conducts and supports research projects conducted across the organisation, relating to prescribing and medicines management issues.

Develops initiatives that result in the effective use of resources, leading to improved patient care and a more efficient service.

Reviewing and appraising literature that impacts upon practice on a frequent basis. This literature will be published in a variety of professional journals and some may be prompted by the pharmaceutical industry.

Knowledge

Essential

• Able to apply clinical knowledge appropriately in a variety of practice settings, patient groups and notably within a patients home.
• Understanding the current national policies and legislation relating to medicines.
• Thorough working knowledge and understanding of primary care, polypharmacy and medicines management issues.
• Good analytical and decision-making skills around medicines information.
• Computer skills e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, e-mail.

Desirable

• Familiarity with SystmOne and other GP computer systems.

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills. The ability to adapt these in both a professional and patient centered environment.
• Experience of persuasive, motivational, negotiating and training skills.
• Ability to prioritise and work to tight deadlines.
• Professional attitude.
• Able to work well alone or as a member of a team.
• Able to work with minimal guidance and set targets and standards for self within the parameters of the role.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Self-motivated, positive and enthusiastic.
• Ability to commute within geographical area as well as attending regional/national meetings using an appropriate means of transport.

Qualifications

Essential

• GPhC Registered Pharmacist
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
• Independent prescribing qualification

Desirable

• Post-graduate training in clinical or pharmacy practice to diploma level or working towards a diploma level qualification or able to demonstrate equivalent experience.
• Masters degree Pharmacy (MPharm) or equivalent pre 2000 qualification) plus one years pre-registration training
• Member of a professional organisation e.g. RPS

Experience

Essential

• Clinical experience of conducting medication reviews
• Ability to successfully implement change (e.g. working in a multi- disciplinary team)
• Experience of influencing others through the use of evidence-based medicine

Desirable

• Significant post-registration experience
• Experience of working on projects where post holder uses own initiative and manages own timescales
• Experience of whole team working, and MDT centered around the patient participation
• Experience of conducting evidence-based review of literature and/or journal articles

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).