Job responsibilities
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
Develop and manage a medicines management plan and deliver patient services as determined by practice policy and local and national guidance.
Develop and manage the medicines management team, including delivery of training, in order to maximise cost-effective prescribing and improve the quality of patient care.
STAFF MANAGEMENT
Provide clinical supervision and professional leadership to the medicines management team.
Be responsible for training the medicines management team to perform clinical audits around key areas of responsibility.
PATIENT SERVICES
Provide medication review services to patients via clinics in the practice, domiciliary visits and in residential and nursing homes, and to deliver pharmaceutical care plans that maximise cost-effective prescribing and improve the quality of patient care.
Present at patient group meetings or other appropriate events to give advice on the appropriate use of medicines.
Produce patient information leaflets and posters and run medicine awareness projects throughout the year.
Assist partners with the appropriate monitoring and management of their prescribing budgets.
Prepare evidence-based resources and information to support the medicine management team and all other relevant health professionals in the implementation of rational cost-effective prescribing.
Help plan, develop, and support the introduction of new working processes within the practice to optimise the quality of prescribing.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR ADMINISTRATION
To provide regular support and feedback to practice on prescribing action plans
To produce quarterly reports on practice progress to the lead GP for medicines management
To update and maintain accurate patient medication records on the practices clinical computer systems, including advice given and action taken.
To advise the primary health care team on the safe and secure handling of controlled drugs and other medicines, ensuring compliance with medicines legislation.
COMMUNICATION
The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
Communicate effectively with other team members
Communicate effectively with patients and carers
Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.
CONFIDENTIALITY
While seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately
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 practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data
HEALTH & SAFETY
The post-holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management their own and others health and safety and infection control as defined in the practice Health & Safety policy, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include (but will not be limited to):
Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory / contractual / professional requirements, and good practice guidelines
Correct use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Use and monitoring of the correct use of Standard Operating Procedures for cleaning and infection control
Responsible for correct hand hygiene of self and others
Ownership of infection control and clinically based patient care protocols, and implementation of those protocols within the team
Active observation of current working practices across the team in relation to infection control, cleanliness, and related activities, ensuring that procedures are followed and weaknesses / training needs are identified, escalating issues as appropriate
Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process
Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others across the full range of infection control and patient processes
Monitoring practice facilities and equipment in relation to infection control, ensuring that provision of hand-cleansing facilities, wipes etc. are sufficient to ensure a good clinical working environment. Lack of facilities to be escalated as appropriate.
Safe management of sharps procedures, including training, use, storage, and disposal
Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean, and sterile, and safe way, free from hazards. Initiation of remedial / corrective action where needed or escalation to responsible management
Actively identifying, reporting, and correcting health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, sterile, identifying issues and hazards / risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other sector managers
Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum twice annually)
Routine management of own team / team areas, and maintenance of work space standards
Waste management, including collection, handling, segregation, container management, storage and collection
Spillage control procedures, management, and training
Decontamination control procedures, management and training, and equipment maintenance
Maintenance of sterile environments
Correct cleaning of equipment used for near patient testing, such as blood glucose monitoring equipment and smokelysers, using the manufacturers instructions as appropriate
Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
EQUALITY & DIVERSITY
The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers, and colleagues, to include:
Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers, and colleagues
Behaving in a manner, which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
PERSONAL / PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, with such training to include:
Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work
QUALITY
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:
Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance
Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
Effectively manage own time, workload, and resources
COMMUNICATION
The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
Communicate effectively with other team members
Communicate effectively with patients and carers
Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly
CONTRIBUTION TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SERVICES
The post-holder will:
Apply practice policies, standards, and guidance
Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
Participate in audit where appropriate
