Job summary
Interested in working in primary care as part of an established and successful pharmacy team?
Due to promotion of the current postholder, an exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated and patient centered clinical pharmacist to work in the General Practice setting in North Lewisham Primary Care Network.
This post will involve working as part of an existing small team of clinical pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who form part of the wider LIMOS Service, together with other members of the PCN and multidisciplinary team to drive improvement and the quality of patient care through the provision of efficient, safe and effective use of medicines.
Whilst experience in primary care is not essential, lots of enthusiasm and a desire to use transferable clinical skills around medicines optimisation and holistic patient care in a primary care setting is the key.
For a further informal chat about the role please contact Maria Nasim on 07919366177 maria.nasim@nhs.net or Katherine Howes 07789271074 katherine.howes@nhs.net or to have a chat with the previous post holder please contact Ruth Meyerowitz on 07712105875
Main duties of the job
The postholder work as part of general practice teams to provide specialist advice to patients, and undertake full patient centred medication reviews to proactively manage people with complex polypharmacy, particularly the elderly and those with multiple long term conditions.
Duties will involve medicines reconciliation and management of prescribing queries, including following hospital discharge, and the development and implementation of safe systems for medication ordering and prescribing in the context of improving safety and reducing waste.
Responsibilities will also include working across multiple GP practices within the PCN, and involve partnership working across health and social care interfaces, including close working with the wider Lewisham Integrated Medicines Optimisation Service as part of the integrated approach to medicines across the community, primary and secondary care settings and in line with the NHS Long Term Plan and pathway for medicines support in Lewisham.
The post holder will have the opportunity to undertake the Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway delivered by the CPPE, unless already gained or equivalent qualification held already.
About us
The North Lewisham Primary Care Network (PCN) is a friendly and diverse PCN committed to addressing health inequalities in the area covering nine GP surgeries and a population of over 80,000 people. North Lewisham is a vibrant and culturally diverse area with a close-knit community but it also has significant long-standing health inequalities and high levels of social deprivation.
This post provides the opportunity to be part of the wider LIMOS pharmacy network, which provides a formal pathway for the referral of patients with medicine-related problems for assessment, support and follow-up by a specialist pharmacy team, working across primary and secondary care interfaces, and health and social care boundaries.
Joint Polices around medicines support across health and social care in Lewisham have enabled a collaborative approach to care across the pharmacy and wider workforce including in the PCN setting. Being supported by a network of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, this post is an exciting opportunity to work in the primary care setting but maintain strong links with pharmacy colleagues in both secondary and community settings.
This close working also includes the ability to access continuing professional development via peer learning events with pharmacy professionals within both primary and secondary care in addition to across the borough and community setting
Job description
Job responsibilities
Post Title: Clinical Primary Care Pharmacist Lewisham Integrated Medicines Optimisation Service - PCNs
Grade: Band 7
Base Location: Working in community and designated GP Practice / PCN settings in Lewisham
Hours: 37.5 hours
Accountable to: The partners of the Primary Care Network
Director of Pharmacy
Responsible to: Clinical Directors within Primary Care Networks & Associated Partners
Principal PCN Pharmacist Lewisham
Supervises: PCN Pharmacy Technicians & Pre-registration Pharmacists Undergraduate Pharmacy Students
Liaises with: All Pharmacy staff across secondary primary and secondary care settings
Medical and Nursing staff
General Practitioners and other staff in the general practice setting
Other Health and social care Professionals
Job Purpose:
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, along with Lewisham Borough and Primary Care Networks (PCNs), have developed an integrated approach to medicines optimisation across the interface, community and care home settings and improved community management of long term conditions. This role will be to support the medicines management aspects of this initiative through working within the general practice setting. This role will work as part of the general practice team to provide specialist advice to patients, and undertake full patient centred medication reviews to proactively manage people with complex polypharmacy, particularly the elderly and those with multiple conditions. Work in general practice will also involve medicines reconciliation and management of prescribing queries, including following hospital discharges, and the development and implementation of safe systems for medication ordering and prescribing in the context of improving safety and reducing waste. The role will also involve partnership working across health and social care interfaces in line with the pathway for medicines support in Lewisham.
This is a specialised post, which involves analysing and interpreting complex clinical situations to develop, provide and communicate effective medicines management solutions and provide expert advice in this area.
Key Result Areas & Performance
- To provide medicine management reviews for identified and targeted patients including those who have medication issues or adherence related problems, or are on multiple or high risk medications, in the general practice.
- To deliver quality improvement, while contributing to the delivery of the general practice quality and outcomes framework or other enhanced services or prescribing workstreams.
- To participate in clinical audit and collect appropriate outcome data.
- To work with general practice colleagues and community pharmacy colleagues to support implementation of safe systems for repeat prescribing and reduction of waste within a general practice setting.
- To work with primary care healthcare professionals to ensure agreed changes in medication are implemented and sustained.
- To provide expertise and clinical leadership on medicines optimisation as part of a team member within a general practice setting.
- To provide support to improve adherence and help patients get the best from their medicines, reducing medicines related admissions (including falls), and promoting appropriate evidence-based and cost effective prescribing. This will involve advice on de-prescribing where appropriate.
- To provide medicines management support to, and training for patients, carers and members of the multi-disciplinary general practice team.
- To contribute to the development of protocols to support improvement in systems around medication ordering and supply in the general practice setting in the context of improving safety and reducing waste.
Service Development
- To work with general practice and Primary Care Network staff to promote and embed the role of a GP practice and PCN pharmacist and pharmacy technician, and raise awareness of services available to patients.
- To provide general practice staff with recommendations and plan action to proactively improve the quality of systems and processes to improve medicines optimisation within the general practice and across the PCN setting.
- To provide training regarding medication related issues and policies/guidelines to general practice staff in order to promote medicines optimisation and high quality and cost-effective prescribing as appropriate.
- To provide operational and clinical support to medicines optimisation developments and prescribing initiatives as dictated by GP practice, CCG, and hospital Trust and service objectives.
- To collate and feedback on electronic discharge related information to ensure continuing improvement of the hospital computerised discharge letter and process of communication.
- To assist with the implementation of policies and guidelines to improve medicines optimisation across primary/ secondary care interface and into the general practice setting.
- To provide training to general practice staff to promote medicines optimisation in practice.
Clinical Services & Patient Care
- To provide medication review and optimisation of identified groups of patients to maximise the gain from medicines and provision of safe, clinically effective and cost efficient use of drugs.
- To provide information in medicines related issues to doctors, nurses and other members of the multidisciplinary team in general practice and where appropriate across primary and secondary care interfaces including to community pharmacies within the Borough.
- To develop skills including management of both minor ailments and specified long term conditions as required to practice as a part of the multidisciplinary team so as to ensure clinically effective and cost efficient use of drugs.
- To reconcile information related to medicines received in the general practice setting, liaising with community and hospital colleagues to support the safe transfer of care for vulnerable patients with complex medicines management needs.
- To work as an independent prescriber in line with competency and agreed area of practice as approved by the relevant Trust governance process through the non-medical prescribing committee with ratification by the MMC.
- Provide patient facing or telephone support to patients those with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines in the practice.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Post Title: Clinical Primary Care Pharmacist Lewisham Integrated Medicines Optimisation Service - PCNs
Grade: Band 7
Base Location: Working in community and designated GP Practice / PCN settings in Lewisham
Hours: 37.5 hours
Accountable to: The partners of the Primary Care Network
Director of Pharmacy
Responsible to: Clinical Directors within Primary Care Networks & Associated Partners
Principal PCN Pharmacist Lewisham
Supervises: PCN Pharmacy Technicians & Pre-registration Pharmacists Undergraduate Pharmacy Students
Liaises with: All Pharmacy staff across secondary primary and secondary care settings
Medical and Nursing staff
General Practitioners and other staff in the general practice setting
Other Health and social care Professionals
Job Purpose:
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, along with Lewisham Borough and Primary Care Networks (PCNs), have developed an integrated approach to medicines optimisation across the interface, community and care home settings and improved community management of long term conditions. This role will be to support the medicines management aspects of this initiative through working within the general practice setting. This role will work as part of the general practice team to provide specialist advice to patients, and undertake full patient centred medication reviews to proactively manage people with complex polypharmacy, particularly the elderly and those with multiple conditions. Work in general practice will also involve medicines reconciliation and management of prescribing queries, including following hospital discharges, and the development and implementation of safe systems for medication ordering and prescribing in the context of improving safety and reducing waste. The role will also involve partnership working across health and social care interfaces in line with the pathway for medicines support in Lewisham.
This is a specialised post, which involves analysing and interpreting complex clinical situations to develop, provide and communicate effective medicines management solutions and provide expert advice in this area.
Key Result Areas & Performance
- To provide medicine management reviews for identified and targeted patients including those who have medication issues or adherence related problems, or are on multiple or high risk medications, in the general practice.
- To deliver quality improvement, while contributing to the delivery of the general practice quality and outcomes framework or other enhanced services or prescribing workstreams.
- To participate in clinical audit and collect appropriate outcome data.
- To work with general practice colleagues and community pharmacy colleagues to support implementation of safe systems for repeat prescribing and reduction of waste within a general practice setting.
- To work with primary care healthcare professionals to ensure agreed changes in medication are implemented and sustained.
- To provide expertise and clinical leadership on medicines optimisation as part of a team member within a general practice setting.
- To provide support to improve adherence and help patients get the best from their medicines, reducing medicines related admissions (including falls), and promoting appropriate evidence-based and cost effective prescribing. This will involve advice on de-prescribing where appropriate.
- To provide medicines management support to, and training for patients, carers and members of the multi-disciplinary general practice team.
- To contribute to the development of protocols to support improvement in systems around medication ordering and supply in the general practice setting in the context of improving safety and reducing waste.
Service Development
- To work with general practice and Primary Care Network staff to promote and embed the role of a GP practice and PCN pharmacist and pharmacy technician, and raise awareness of services available to patients.
- To provide general practice staff with recommendations and plan action to proactively improve the quality of systems and processes to improve medicines optimisation within the general practice and across the PCN setting.
- To provide training regarding medication related issues and policies/guidelines to general practice staff in order to promote medicines optimisation and high quality and cost-effective prescribing as appropriate.
- To provide operational and clinical support to medicines optimisation developments and prescribing initiatives as dictated by GP practice, CCG, and hospital Trust and service objectives.
- To collate and feedback on electronic discharge related information to ensure continuing improvement of the hospital computerised discharge letter and process of communication.
- To assist with the implementation of policies and guidelines to improve medicines optimisation across primary/ secondary care interface and into the general practice setting.
- To provide training to general practice staff to promote medicines optimisation in practice.
Clinical Services & Patient Care
- To provide medication review and optimisation of identified groups of patients to maximise the gain from medicines and provision of safe, clinically effective and cost efficient use of drugs.
- To provide information in medicines related issues to doctors, nurses and other members of the multidisciplinary team in general practice and where appropriate across primary and secondary care interfaces including to community pharmacies within the Borough.
- To develop skills including management of both minor ailments and specified long term conditions as required to practice as a part of the multidisciplinary team so as to ensure clinically effective and cost efficient use of drugs.
- To reconcile information related to medicines received in the general practice setting, liaising with community and hospital colleagues to support the safe transfer of care for vulnerable patients with complex medicines management needs.
- To work as an independent prescriber in line with competency and agreed area of practice as approved by the relevant Trust governance process through the non-medical prescribing committee with ratification by the MMC.
- Provide patient facing or telephone support to patients those with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines in the practice.
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential
- B. Pharm / M. Pharm / BSc (Pharmacy)
- Registered with the GPhC
- Postgraduate Certificate in General Pharmacy Practice (or equivalent)
Desirable
- Postgraduate Diploma in General Pharmacy Practice (or equivalent)
- Member of the RPS Faculty
- Pharmacist Independent Prescriber or working towards qualification
Experience
Essential
- A minimum of 2 years post-registration experience in hospital pharmacy in an acute NHS setting or equivalent clinical experience.
- Demonstrable experience in clinical pharmacy practice covering a broad range of specialities
- Demonstrable experience of multidisciplinary working
- Demonstrable experience in supervising others.
- Demonstrable experience of co-ordinating and leading on clinical audit.
Desirable
- Previous experience of delivering formal education and training sessions.
- Experience of working within GP practices &/or a community or primary care pharmacy setting.
- Development of evidence based guidelines
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Ability to work on own initiative and effectively as part of a team both within pharmacy and a multidisciplinary environment
- Appreciation of the nature of GPs, general practice and primary care prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing
- Recognise priorities when problem solving and appropriately refer to colleagues or seniors
- Ability to prioritise and plan work effectively.
- Ability to contribute to the planning of service developments
- Demonstrated ability to communicate complex information effectively using clear written and spoken English and overcome barriers to understanding
Desirable
- Experience working with medical and nursing teams.
- Knowledge of NHS policy and current issues
- Experience working with clinical systems such as EMIS
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential
- B. Pharm / M. Pharm / BSc (Pharmacy)
- Registered with the GPhC
- Postgraduate Certificate in General Pharmacy Practice (or equivalent)
Desirable
- Postgraduate Diploma in General Pharmacy Practice (or equivalent)
- Member of the RPS Faculty
- Pharmacist Independent Prescriber or working towards qualification
Experience
Essential
- A minimum of 2 years post-registration experience in hospital pharmacy in an acute NHS setting or equivalent clinical experience.
- Demonstrable experience in clinical pharmacy practice covering a broad range of specialities
- Demonstrable experience of multidisciplinary working
- Demonstrable experience in supervising others.
- Demonstrable experience of co-ordinating and leading on clinical audit.
Desirable
- Previous experience of delivering formal education and training sessions.
- Experience of working within GP practices &/or a community or primary care pharmacy setting.
- Development of evidence based guidelines
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Ability to work on own initiative and effectively as part of a team both within pharmacy and a multidisciplinary environment
- Appreciation of the nature of GPs, general practice and primary care prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing
- Recognise priorities when problem solving and appropriately refer to colleagues or seniors
- Ability to prioritise and plan work effectively.
- Ability to contribute to the planning of service developments
- Demonstrated ability to communicate complex information effectively using clear written and spoken English and overcome barriers to understanding
Desirable
- Experience working with medical and nursing teams.
- Knowledge of NHS policy and current issues
- Experience working with clinical systems such as EMIS
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.
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
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.
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).
