Job responsibilities
Islington GP Federation is looking to recruit clinical pharmacists to support patient care in Primary Care Networks in line with the new Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES) Specification.
We are seeking a PCN pharmacist with previous experience of working in primary care to develop and manage Medicines Optimisation services within general practice. You will be working with a very supportive large pharmacy team of 40 pharmacists and 5 Pharmacy Technicians. The post holder will work as part of a multi- disciplinary team in a patient-facing role. They will take responsibility for areas of chronic disease management within practices and undertake clinical medication reviews to proactively manage patients with complex polypharmacy.
The post holder will provide primary support to general practice staff with regards to prescriptions and medication queries. They will help support the repeat prescribing system, medicines reconciliation, and support systems for safer prescribing. They will be expected to provide expertise in clinical medicines advice while addressing both public and social care needs of patients.
The post holder will provide clinical leadership on Medicines Optimisation and manage some aspects of the Quality and Outcomes Framework and Enhanced Services. They will ensure that practices integrate with community and hospital pharmacy to facilitate effective communication across different healthcare settings.
The role is pivotal to improving the quality of care and operational efficiencies so requires motivation and passion to deliver excellent service within general practice.
The post holder will be supported to complete the Primary care pharmacy education pathway with CPPE and develop their role to become a non-medical prescriber.
Patient facing activities
Structured Medication reviews
Frail elderly patient with problematic Polypharmacy, renal and/ or hepatic impairment
Patients on high risk medicines
STOPP/START identified patients
Revolving door Hospital admissions
LTC: Diabetes, Hypertension, Asthma, COPD
contraception
Learning Disability reviews
Rheumatoid arthritis reviews
Musculoskeletal pain management, e.g. osteoarthritis
Ongoing care of defined conditions, e.g. eczema, psoriasis, irritable bowel syndrome IBS
Contribute to multimorbidity reviews and multidisciplinary reviews
Management ofcommon/minor/self- limiting ailments
Managing caseload for patients with common/minor/self-limiting ailments while working within a scope of practice and limits of competence.
Signposting to community pharmacy and referring to GPs or other healthcare professionals where appropriate
Repeat prescribing
Produce and implement robust systems for repeat prescribing
Support the management of repeat prescribing reauthorization process by reviewing complex patient requests for repeat prescriptions and reviewing medicines overdue a review
Coordinate with patients and community pharmacies as appropriate
Management of medicines at discharge from hospital
To reconcile medicines following discharge from hospitals, intermediate care and into care homes
Perform a clinical medication review, produce a post discharge medicines care plan including dose titration and booking of follow up tests and working with patients and community pharmacists to ensure patients receive the medicines they need post discharge
Risk Management and Patient Safety
Responsible for high risk drug monitoring
Responsible for design, development, and implementation of system searches to identify cohorts of patients at high risk of harm from medicines.
Increase quality and safety of prescribing through mechanisms such as audit and PDSA cycles
Implement drug withdrawals and alerts e.g. MHRA aimed at improving medicines safety
Medicine information to practice staff and patients
Deal will all medication queries from
From patients, community pharmacy, secondary care
From admin staff
From clinicians
Act as a source of medicines information for the practice team and patients e.g. around doses, side effects, adverse events, possible alternatives for out of stocks
Care Quality Commission
Provide leadership to the general practice teams to ensure practices are compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved.
Undertake risk assessment and management and ensure compliance with medicines legislation.
Public health
To contribute to public health campaigns, including u vaccinations, and adult immunisation programmes
Cost saving programs
Promote evidence based, cost effective prescribing
Lead on compliance with medicines formulary
Training
Provide education and training to primary healthcare team on procedures around medicines as appropriate
Medicines quality improvement
Identify medicine-related areas of care including using software tools to improve patient safety and use of medicines.
Conduct medicine-related audits, significant event audit and complaint review.
Contribute to medicine-related complaint response letters as appropriate
Lead on use of TARGET toolkit for antimicrobial stewardship.
Lead on stopping over-medication of people with a learning disability, autism, or both STOMP and people with dementia.
Medicines safety
Identify national and local policy and guidance that affects patient safety using medicines, including MHRA alerts, product withdrawals and emerging evidence form clinical trials.
Manage the process of implementing changes to medicines and guidance for practitioners.
Behavioural Competencies and skills for the role:
Expert Professional Practice
Demonstrates general pharmaceutical skills and knowledge in core areas
Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision as an individual
Demonstrates ability to use skills in a range of routine situations requiring analysis or comparison of a range of options
Recognises priorities when problem-solving and identifies deviations from the normal pattern and can refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate
Can follow legal, ethical, professional, and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct
Involves patients in decisions about prescribed medicines and supporting adherence as per NICE guidance
Collaborative working relationships
Recognises the roles of other colleagues within the organisation and their role to patient care
Demonstrates 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. CCGs
Demonstrates ability to work as a member of a team
Can recognise personal limitations and refer to more appropriate colleague(s) when necessary
Liaises with CCG colleagues including CCG Pharmacists on prescribing related matters to ensure consistency of patient care and benefit
Liaises with other GP Practices and staff as needed for the collective benefit of patients
Leadership
Demonstrates understanding of the pharmacy role in governance and can implement this appropriately within the workplace
Demonstrates understanding of, and contributes to, the workplace vision
Demonstrates ability to improve quality within limitations of service
Reviews last years progress and develops clear plans to achieve results within priorities set by others
Demonstrates ability to motivate self to achieve goals
Management
Demonstrates understanding of the implications of national priorities for the team and/or service
Demonstrates understanding of the process for effective resource utilisation
Demonstrates understanding of, and conforms to, relevant standards of practice
Demonstrates ability to identify and resolve risk management issues according to policy/protocol
Follows professional and organisational policies/procedures relating to performance management
Demonstrates ability to extend boundaries of service delivery within the team
Education, Training and Development
Understands and demonstrates the characteristics of a role model to members in the team and/or service
Demonstrates self-development through continuous professional development activity
Participates in the delivery of formal education programmes
Key working relationships
Patients
GP, nurses, and other practice staff
Members of the Medicines Management team including pharmacists, technicians, and dieticians
Locality / GP prescribing leads and clinical directors
Community nurses and other allied health professionals
Community pharmacists and support staff
Hospital staff with responsibilities for prescribing and medicines optimization
Codes of Conduct
Pharmacists must comply with the Code of Professional Conduct set by the General Pharmaceutical Council and Islington GP Federation
Equal Opportunities
Islington GP Federation is committed to an equal opportunities policy that affirms that all staff should be afforded equality of treatment and opportunity in employment irrespective of sexuality, marital status, race, religion/belief, ethnic origin, age, or disability. All staff are required to observe this policy in their behaviour to fellow employees.
Confidentiality
All employees are required to observe the strictest confidence regarding any patient/client information that they may have access to, or accidentally gain knowledge of, in the course of their duties.
