Job summary
Working Part Time: 32.5 Hours Per Week
Participate in the provision and development of the primary care medicines optimisation service to GP practices across the Cheshire West Place footprint.
- To support, promote and implement high quality, cost-effective, evidence based and safe use of medicines. This includes assisting practices to achieve prescribing targets, supporting the implementation of national and local guidance in order to improve patient care, and medication reviews.
- To support practices to implement the Medicines Optimisation plan.
- To undertake projects in GP practices and care homes.
Main duties of the job
- To build excellent working relationships and engage with practices to implement and maintain agreed prescribing changes with guidance from the MO pharmacists and practice pharmacists in line with the Medicines Optimisation plan as efficiently as possible, with minimum disruption to the practice and patient care.
- To make amendments to practice and patient records as appropriate to ensure agreed changes to therapy are actioned in a precise and systematic fashion.
- To respond efficiently to the unpredictable demands of the general practice environment regarding requests for assistance from practice staff and patients; to respond to verbal, telephone and email queries.
- To assist the lead pharmacist, MO pharmacists and practice pharmacists in the review of repeat prescribing systems and produce recommendations for improvement.
- To assist with training to residential and nursing home staff (where applicable) to ensure safe administration and efficient management of medicines.
- To support the Medicines Optimisation team in development of medicines related initiatives.
- To work on individual projects relating to prescribing as required.
- To support the dissemination of prescribing information, formulary updates, prescribing and Medicines Optimisation polices across all stakeholders.
- To contribute to the production of prescribing and Medicines Optimisation newsletters, QIPP work sheets and fact sheets.
About us
The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides services to West Cheshire and to Welsh patients covered by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership. Its services are provided from three locations:
- The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 438 general and acute beds
- Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 56 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility
- Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population.
The Trust employs over 6258 staff (headcount) which includes temporary bank staff and provides acute emergency and elective services, primary care direct access services and obstetric services to a population of approximately 407,000. This includes 357,000 residents in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire which has a population of approximately 50,000.
The Trust is a busy district general hospital and in 2022/2023, there were more than 503,342 patient attendances (inpatient, outpatient and diagnostic) ranging from a simple outpatient appointment to major cancer surgery. This is an increase of nearly 10,000 compared to the previous year when there were 494,387 patient attendances.
Job description
Job responsibilities
See Job Description for further details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £23 (standard) or £43 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first three months of employment.
You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £13 per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application.
Job description
Job responsibilities
See Job Description for further details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £23 (standard) or £43 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first three months of employment.
You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £13 per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oNVQ Level 3 in Pharmacy Services with appropriate underpinning knowledge (BTEC in Pharmaceutical Science or equivalent)
- oRegistered with the GPhC
- oCPD portfolio in line with GPhC requirements
Desirable
- oBTEC Level 4 Professional Diploma in Dispensing Accuracy Checking or equivalent eligible for inclusion on the regional register.
- oClinical Qualification (diploma/Foundation Degree)
- oCompleted medication history taking competency-based training.
Job related knowledge and/or experience
Essential
- oPost qualification experience in primary care, community, or hospital pharmacy services
- oGood clinical knowledge of drugs and basic clinical therapeutics
- oGood understanding of primary care and general practice
- oExperience of undertaking audits
- oExperience of evidence-based medicines and up to date resources
- oSignificant work experience that requires understanding and adherence to set standard Operating work policies and procedures.
Desirable
- oExperience of working in primary care.
Skills and aptitudes
Essential
- oAbility to pay attention to detail and work to a high specification of accuracy.
- oAbility to work on own initiative and part of a team
- oExcellent time management: ability to prioritise work and to work to tight and changing deadlines
- oAble to deal with enquiries and problem solve
- oIT skills - PC office software, web searching, databases
- oExcellent verbal & written communication.
- oAbility to analyse and interpret prescribing data
Desirable
- oAbility to use GP IT systems, e.g., EMIS
- oExperience in managing prescribing data, e.g., ePACT, OpenPrescribing
- oAbility to compile comprehensive draft reports, data and letters
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oNVQ Level 3 in Pharmacy Services with appropriate underpinning knowledge (BTEC in Pharmaceutical Science or equivalent)
- oRegistered with the GPhC
- oCPD portfolio in line with GPhC requirements
Desirable
- oBTEC Level 4 Professional Diploma in Dispensing Accuracy Checking or equivalent eligible for inclusion on the regional register.
- oClinical Qualification (diploma/Foundation Degree)
- oCompleted medication history taking competency-based training.
Job related knowledge and/or experience
Essential
- oPost qualification experience in primary care, community, or hospital pharmacy services
- oGood clinical knowledge of drugs and basic clinical therapeutics
- oGood understanding of primary care and general practice
- oExperience of undertaking audits
- oExperience of evidence-based medicines and up to date resources
- oSignificant work experience that requires understanding and adherence to set standard Operating work policies and procedures.
Desirable
- oExperience of working in primary care.
Skills and aptitudes
Essential
- oAbility to pay attention to detail and work to a high specification of accuracy.
- oAbility to work on own initiative and part of a team
- oExcellent time management: ability to prioritise work and to work to tight and changing deadlines
- oAble to deal with enquiries and problem solve
- oIT skills - PC office software, web searching, databases
- oExcellent verbal & written communication.
- oAbility to analyse and interpret prescribing data
Desirable
- oAbility to use GP IT systems, e.g., EMIS
- oExperience in managing prescribing data, e.g., ePACT, OpenPrescribing
- oAbility to compile comprehensive draft reports, data and letters
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).
