General Practice Clinical Pharmacist - Hallgarth

Job responsibilities

To improve patients health outcomes and the efficiency of the Primary Care team by providing direct, accessible and timely medicines expertise. To pro-actively transfer workload relating to medicines optimisation issues from other clinical staff to improve patient care, safety and free up scarce clinical staff to spend more time on clinical care:

To provide relevant support to the primary care team as An Independent prescriber or clinical pharmacist

To promote safe, evidence based, cost effective prescribing in line with CCG requirements.

To support effective management of practice prescribing budgets

To provide expert pharmaceutical advice to practices and the medicines optimisation team

To provide prescribing support to designated practices and team members in areas such as

o Medication review

o Implementation of prescribing changes

o Review of repeat prescribing

o Audit

To act as a training resource for the primary care team

Practice Role Objectives

Provide pro-active leadership on medicines and prescribing systems to the practice multidisciplinary team, patients and their carers

Develop and deliver patient facing services and clinics which improve patient outcomes, reflect the needs of the practice population and shift workload from other disciplines

Deliver direct patient consultations and prescribing as part of the practice and cluster multidisciplinary team approach for acute illness

Improve patient and carer understanding of, confidence in and compliance with their medicines

Provide pharmaceutical consultations and home visits to patients with long term conditions as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team

Field medicines and prescribing queries from patients and staff

Organize and oversee the practices medicines optimisation systems including the repeat prescribing and medication review systems

Deliver high quality medication reviews and develop bespoke medicines treatment plans for patients (particularly the elderly, complex patients and those at high risk of admission)

Improve the safety and quality of prescribing following hospital admissions and attendance

Improve the quality and effectiveness of prescribing through clinical audit and education to improve performance against NICE standards, prescribing guidance and other clinical standards

Develop yourself and the role through participation in clinical supervision, training and service redesign activities

Contribute to patient safety culture through reporting and investigation of medicines related incidents and through pro-active measures such as the Primary Care Trigger Tool or PINCER

Provide a clear and active link with community pharmacists and other stakeholders in the medicines supply chain to improve patient experience and manage issues

Deliver training, mentoring and guidance to other clinicians and staff on medicines issues

Contribute to the achievement and maintenance of good to outstanding CQC registration status.

Patient Facing Clinical Services and Care

Manage a caseload of complex patients as required by GP Practices

Develop specialist area(s) of interest

Conduct face to face and other modes of medication reviews and agree medicines care plans in agreement with patients and carers

Delivering long term conditions clinics and home visits particularly for patients with complicated medication regimes and prescribe accordingly within competency and agreed management plans

Consult with patients for acute & long-term illnesses within defined levels of competence and prescribe medication within agreed management plans

Prescribe appropriate medication for patient need within areas of competency and within agreed management plans

Provide targeted support and pro-active review for vulnerable, complex patients and those at risk of admission and re-admission to secondary care

Receive and resolve medicines queries from patients and other staff

Contribute to public health campaigns (e.g. flu clinics) through advice or direct care

Provide specific advice and support to patients in care homes and support staff

Provide help and advice on medicines use to patients and their carers

Promote self-management and develop patient support systems

Manage therapeutic drug monitoring system and recall of patients taking high risk drugs i.e. anticoagulants, anticonvulsants and DMARDs etc

Support virtual and remote models of consultation and support including e-consultations, remote medication review and telehealth and telemedicine.

Medicines Optimisation Systems

Investigate and feedback on examples of best practice within the field and formulate how to apply these to the practice

Organize and oversee repeat prescribing, repeat dispensing, electronic prescribing and medication review systems

Provide leadership and support to prescription administrative staff

Handle prescription queries and requests directly

Oversee system for reconciliation of medicines from outpatient and discharge letters and support safe transfer of care through liaison with hospital and community colleagues

Liaise with other stakeholders in the supply chain such as community pharmacists and appliance contractors to handle queries and manage supply problems

Maintain and review a Medicines Handling Policy for the practice to ensure safe processes for self-administered medicines and controlled drugs

Support the delivery of QOF, incentive schemes, QIPP and other quality or cost effectiveness initiatives

Agree and review Prescribing Formularies and Protocols and monitor compliance levels

Improve the data quality of medicines records and linking to conditions.

Quality

Collection and review of KPI and performance monitoring data

Monitor progress against the overall objectives of the programme and escalate any issues

Ensure compliance with CQC and other professional standards

Promote a culture of constant improvement and excellence

Conduct regular clinical audits and other improvement activities

Assess own performance regularly and make suggestions of how to improve personal and team performance

Understand a risk management approach and apply it to all activities.

Communication and Relationships

Support the Lead Pharmacist to deliver the individual practice and locality action plans in line with CCG requirements

Provide high quality, evidence based, prescribing advice to individual GPs, nurse and patients, both individually and in meetings.

Communicate effectively within primary care teams to gain agreement and commitment from GPs and wider team members to implement change, overcoming barriers where necessary

Establish trusted and successful working relationships with GPs and practice staff to support delivery of objectives

Discussion and recommendation regarding CCG prescribing initiatives with individual practitioners

Act as point of contact with any specialist services as dictated by the action plan, e.g. care homes, community nursing services

Patient Care

Carry out computer record searches related to prescribing initiatives

Review patient medication records in general practice and/or care home setting

Develop protocols to enable agreed changes to be implemented

Deliver patient consultation to implement agreed changes where appropriate

Develop and disseminate information to patients to support medicines optimisation

Advise on appropriate drug choice

Planning and Organisation

Organise and plan own workload in practices and adjust as needed to meet CCG

requirements and deliver action plans

Prepare and present summary reports for each practice regarding progress against actions plans and / or audit

Support practices to implement and audit NICE and other evidence based guidance

Review and improve practice repeat prescribing systems and systems for medication review

Analytical and Judgement

Download and interpret practice level prescribing reports e.g. IPS, RAIDR

Identify poor prescribing issues and provide facts and options to support remedial action

Prepare and present summary reports for audits conducted as part of agreed action plans

Promotion and review of compliance against local CCG formularies and prescribing guidance.

Provision of advice around effective use of electronic transfer of prescriptions as agreed with the CCG

Collation of information from practices regarding patterns and trends of medicines usage obtained through prescription searches and audit

Policy and Service Development

Support development of tools and resources to implement agreed initiatives, e.g. SOPs, guidance

Support development of medicines optimisation policies or guidance within practices or

area, contributing to at scale activities

Provide support and feedback to practices on medicines related questions from patients and practices

Support delivery of the medicines optimisation strategy, once agreed

Financial and Physical Resources

Support effective management of practice prescribing budgets via delivery of practice and

CCG action plans

Human Resources

Fulfill mandatory CPD requirements

Support wider team of pharmacists and technicians to deliver practice and CCG action plans as required by Lead Pharmacist

Information Resources

Extract and manipulate clinical and financial prescribing data from relevant systems (EMIS, e-PACT, RAIDR), and present to GPs in an appropriate format

Provide appropriate high quality and cogent reports to demonstrate progress and practice

and CCG action plans

Communicate effectively via the use of electronic media such as e-mail, Power-point, Excel or Word

Research and Development

Develop and undertake audit in relevant therapeutic areas

Qualifications

Essential

• Masters degree in Pharmacy (or pre-2000 equivalent)
• Member, in good standing, of General Pharmaceutical Council
• Extensive knowledge of medicines optimisation or clinical pharmacist role, acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training

Desirable

• Evidence of post graduated qualifications
• Extensive knowledge of medicines Optimisation acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training plus further specialist knowledge or experience to masters level equivalent.
• Membership of the RPSGB
• GPhC Independent Prescribing Qualification or working towards
• A member of or working towards Faculty of RPSGB
• Working on or intending to complete CPPE Primary Care Pathway training course

Attitudes

Essential

• Ability to constructively challenge the views and practices of clinicians and managers.
• Excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Work effectively independently and as a team member.
• Will consider the most effective way to promote equality of opportunity and good working relationships in employment and service delivery; has the ability to take actions which support and promote this agenda.
• Embrace change, viewing it as an opportunity to learn and develop.

Desirable

• Developed communication skills for delivering key messages to a range of stakeholders both internal and external (including outside the NHS) to the organisation.
• Experience of communication, negotiating and influencing with a wide range of stake holders.
• Able to facilitate change.
• Experience of clinical audit.

Experience

Essential

• Must have an understanding of the background to and aims of current healthcare policy and appreciate the implications of this on planning, engagement and delivery, or clear evidence of ability to acquire and apply this rapidly
• Minimum of two years post-qualification experience.
• Current NHS experience
• Good understanding of primary care

Desirable

• Should have an appreciation of the new NHS architecture including the relationship between individual provider and commissioning organisations.
• Good understanding of primary care.
• Experience of undertaking evidence reviews.
• Understanding of the current national policies in particular those impacting on medicines Optimisation services.
• Evidence of experience in using independent prescribing or clinical pharmacist skills

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Demonstrates understanding of legal, governance and ethical frameworks within which pharmacists and primary/secondary.
• Ability to summarise and present information in relevant concise and proactive way
• Current and valid UK driving license with access to a car to be able to travel around PCN practices.
• Excellent clinical knowledge and ability to apply to practice.
• Understanding of the data protection act and patient confidentiality, clinical governance, information governance and Caldicott requirements.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the data protection act and patient confidentiality, clinical and information governance and Caldicott requirements.
• Good presentational skills for conveying complex concepts.
• Ability to use informed persuasion to influence others.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office with intermediate keyboard skills.

Desirable

• Evidence of planning and delivering of programmes and projects and services on time.
• Experience of a patient focused role and consultation skills to apply knowledge in a format patients/carers can understand.
• Sound knowledge of medicines legislation and the vision for the development of clinical pharmacists within primary care.
• Ability to critically analyse complex information and evidence and communicate the findings clearly in simple terms.
• Ability to identify risks, anticipate issues and create solutions and to resolve problems in relation to project or service delivery.
• Ability to understand a broad range of complex information quickly and making decisions where opinions differ/no obvious solution.
• Ability to work without supervision, providing specialist advice to the
• organisation, working to tight and often changing timescales. Interpreting national policy for implementation

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).