Senior Clinical Pharmacist

Job responsibilities

To be responsible for mentoring and development of the pharmacy team. This will include completing PDRs and workplans and undertaking monthly clinical supervision of PCN Pharmacists (both Prescribing and Non-Prescribing) and Pharmacy Technicians

To be responsible for driving an effective medicine management system within the primary care network constituent practices, in conjunction with the PCN Board.

You will be expected to work to achieve cost-effective prescribing and work as an independent prescriber.

Provide advice and support for both patients and colleagues.

Take part in training of others when required.

Key Responsibilities:

The following are the core responsibilities of the Senior Clinical pharmacist. On occasion there may be a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels:

Undertake practice/ PCN and Federation level audits when agreed and supervise the completion of clinical audits by other clinical pharmacists, technicians and PCN teams.

Deliver a robust mentoring programme for the PCN clinical pharmacist team, hold required meetings, offer clinical supervision and support in a documented and structured format to help others successfully complete CPPE training/ IP training.

Attend senior management meetings with the Leads for Quality areas and help to deliver successful outcomes for all Practices within any such scheme.

Work collaboratively with the Lead PCN Clinical Director and Federation Medical Director.

Liaise with colleagues in the ICB/ Training Hub/ Heads of Medicines management and Medicines optimisation teams, community and secondary care pharmacy teams.

Undertake monthly clinical supervision of PCN Pharmacists (both Prescribing and Non-Prescribing) and Pharmacy Technicians

Schedule and lead clinical/tutorial meetings for the Pharmacy Team within the PCN

To support with the requirements as outlines in the PCN DES, including but not limited to providing additional hours for Extended Access.

In addition to the primary responsibilities, the clinical pharmacist may be requested to:

Provide advice and support for patients with self-limiting conditions

Develop and deliver immunisation programs of work.

Encourage cost-effective prescribing within practices and services.

Implement and embed a robust repeat prescribing system and electronic repeat dispensing.

Re-authorise medication for repeat prescribing within scope of practice

Identify patients suitable for repeat prescribing, liaising with the relevant clinicians as required.

Support clinicians with the management of patients suffering from drug and alcohol dependencies.

Actively signpost patients to the correct healthcare professional

Assist with QOF targets, including running LTC review clinics in individual or group settings at practice or town-based clinics.

Be an integral part of the transformation team developing innovative services for patients.

Support the role out of new technology in relation to prescribing.

Administer influenza and any other required vaccines wen requested to do so.

Provide education on medicines for the clinical team.

Review the latest guidance ensuring The Company conforms to NICE, CQC etc.

Practice as an independent prescriber working within scope of practice.

Provide medication review services with patients in each PCN by telephone calls, clinical records reviews, face to face reviews or during domiciliary visits, including structured medication reviews for patients resident in care home settings.

Reconcile medicines following patients discharge from hospital or clinic appointments, including de-prescribing.

Review all safety alerts ensuring the required actions are taken, and ensure other clinical pharmacists undertake these duties in a timely fashion.

Carry out targeted medication reviews for high-risk patients (e.g., by using eclipse)

Review and implement safe prescribing systems for vulnerable patients and housebound patients, improving compliance.

Utilise LFPSE service (Learn from patient safety events)

Act as point of contact for all medicines related matters, establishing positive working relationships (in conjunction with practice governance prescribing leads and PCN board members clinical pharmacists if appointed)

Produce pharmacy / prescribing newsletters or bulletins updates and board reports, when required.

Previous Experience and Skills:

Relevant experience of service delivery within the NHS and PCNs

Experience of supervising staff

Involving and empowering a range of clinical professionals to make healthcare services more cost effective and better quality.

Excellent influencing and relationship skills with colleagues

Excellent communication and presentation skills with both small and larger groups in formal and informal settings

Ability to work as a part of a multi-disciplinary team environment.

Ability to engage effectively, commanding respect from a wide range of stakeholders including clinicians, patients and the public and in particular, ensuring effective two-way communication within the Primary Care Network member practices as an integral part of the team.

Qualifications & Training for This Job:

NB: it is anticipated that the level of qualification held may vary according to the level of position and the components of the role being carried out

Completion of an undergraduate degree in Pharmacy, and registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council

Minimum of 5 years post graduate experience in pharmacy, with at least 1 year in general practice

Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)

Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Faculty (RPSF)

Holds a prescribing qualification.

May hold or be working towards a postgraduate pharmacy qualification.

Has an awareness of the breadth of common acute and long-term conditions that are likely to be seen in a general medical practice.

Behavioural Competencies & Skills for This Job:

Demonstrates general pharmaceutical skills and knowledge in core areas.

Plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general pharmaceutical care programmes for patients in core areas, including disease states / long term conditions identified by local Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment

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 is able to refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate.

Is able to follow legal, ethical, professional, and organizational policies/procedures and codes of conduct.

Involves patients in decisions about prescribed medicines and supporting adherence as per NICE guidance.

Collaborative Working:

Recognises the roles of other colleagues within the organisation and their role in 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.ICBs)

Demonstrates ability to work as a member of a team.

Is able to recognise personal limitations and refer to more appropriate colleague(s) when necessary.

Liaises with ICB pharmacists and Heads of Medicines Management/ Optimisation

Liaises with other Primary Care Networks, GP Practices and staff as needed for the collective benefit of patients.

Leadership:

Demonstrates understanding of the pharmacy role in governance and is able to 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 and contractual requirements.

Demonstrates ability to motivate self to achieve goals.

Management:

Team leadership and supportive mentor role

Demonstrates understanding of the implications of national priorities for the 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 & Development:

Understands and demonstrates the characteristics of a role model to members in service.

Demonstrates self-development through continuous professional development activity.

Demonstrates an understanding of current educational policies relevant to working areas of practice and keeps up to date with relevant clinical practice.

Confidentiality:

In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.

Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the Company policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Qualifications

Essential

• Masters degree in pharmacy (MPharm) (or equivalent)
• Completed CPPE course.
• Independent Prescribing qualification
• Registered with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) which
• includes revalidation.

Desirable

• Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
• A member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Faculty membership

Additional

Essential

• Self-Motivated
• Adaptable
• Full Driving Licence
• Up to date safeguarding adult and children level three training (will be an essential requirement of role)
• Working towards or a desire to work at advanced practice level.

Desirable

• Up to date Information Governance training
• Up to date basic life support training
• Have current immunisation status.

Experience

Essential

• Minimum of 5 years post-registration experience.
• An appreciation of the nature of GPs and general practices.
• An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing.
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills.
• Leadership of a team
• Project based support work for DES and service level initiatives.
• Awareness of HUB based clinical input into cohort driven MDT ways of working.
• Liaison with Management Medicines teams and other health and social care teams
• Job planning for Clinical Pharmacy team and Pharmacy Technician teams across Widnes
• Protocol / Standard Operating Procedures development skills.
• Mentor to a dedicated Clinical Pharmacist and Pharmacy technician team with robust documentation.
• Medicines management ICB awareness
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Can plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general medicine optimisation issues in core areas for long term conditions.
• Good IT skills.
• Able to obtain and analyse complex technical information.
• Recognises priorities when problem solving and identifies deviations from the normal pattern and is able to refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate.
• Able to work under pressure and to meet deadlines.
• Gain acceptance for recommendations and influence/motivate/ persuade the audience to comply with the recommendations/ agreed course of action where there may be significant barriers.
• Work effectively independently and as a team member.
• Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision.

Desirable

• In depth therapeutic and clinical knowledge and understanding of the principles of evidence-based healthcare.
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to a variety of audiences (e.g., patients).
• Produce timely and informative reports.
• Mentoring training
• Meeting preparation and chairing skills
• Relationship development across multi sector healthcare
• Excellent people skills

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).