Clinical Pharmacist
Huntingdon PCN
This job is now closed
Job summary
To be responsible for implementing an effective medicine management system within the practices, including cost-effective prescribing, working as an independent prescriber or willing to work towards independent prescribing status, providing advice and support for both patients and colleagues. In addition, the post-holder will also support the multi- disciplinary team, in line with the strategic objectives of the PCN.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be employed by Huntingdon PCN on behalf of Huntingdon Primary CareNetwork.
The post holder will work within their clinical competencies as part of a multi disciplinary team to provide expertise in clinical medicines management, provide face to face structured medication reviews, managelong term conditions, management of medicines on transfer of care and systems for safer prescribing, manage repeat prescription authorisations and reauthorisation, acute prescription request, while addressing both the public health and social care needs of patients in the GP practice(s) that make up the PCN.
The post holder will perform face to face medication review of patients with polypharmacy especially for older people, people in residential care homes and those with multiple co-morbidities. The post holder will provide leadership on quality improvement and clinical audit and well as managing some aspects of the Quality and Outcomes Framework.
This role is pivotal to improving the quality of care and operational efficiencies so requires motivation and passion to deliver an excellent service within general practice.
The post holder will be supported to develop their role to become a non-medical prescriber, if that qualification is not already held.
Duties will be allocated and varied according to practice need.
About us
Whilst being employed by the PCN, in this role you will be working solely with Papworth Surgery. We have a very supportive team at Papworth and you will be welcomed as part of that team. You will work closely with both the clinical and admin team
Date posted
24 July 2024
Pay scheme
Other
Salary
Depending on experience up to £49,610 depending on experience
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Part-time, Home or remote working
Reference number
W0017-PapCP
Job locations
Papworth Surgery
Chequers Lane
Papworth Everard
CB23 3QQ
Job description
Job responsibilities
1. Patient facing Long-term condition Clinics
See (where appropriate) patients with single or multiple medical problems where medicine optimisation is required (e.g. Respiratory, Cardiovascular and Diabetes). Review the on-going need for each medicine, a review of monitoring needs and an opportunity to support patients with their medicines taking ensuring they get the best use of their medicines (i.e. medicines optimisation). Make appropriate recommendations to Pharmacists or GPs for medicine improvement.
2. Patient facing Clinical Medication Review
Undertake clinical medication reviews with patients and produce recommendations for senior clinical pharmacist, nurses and/or GP on prescribing and monitoring.
3. Risk stratification
Identification of cohorts of patients at high risk of harm from medicines through pre-prepared practice computer searches. This might include risks that are patient related, medicine related, or both. Manage therapeutic drug monitoring system and recall of patients taking high risk drugs i.e. anticoagulants, anticonvulsants and DMARDs etc.
4. Unplanned hospital admissions
Review the use of medicines most commonly associated with unplanned hospital admissions and readmissions through audit and individual patient reviews. Put in place changes to reduce the prescribing of these medicines to high-risk patient groups.
5. Patient facing medicines support
Provide patient facing clinics for those with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines in the practice.
6.Telephone medicines support
Provide a telephone help line for patients with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines.
7. Management of medicines at discharge from hospital
To reconcile medicines following discharge from hospitals, intermediate care and into Care Homes, including identifying and rectifying unexplained changes and working with patients and community pharmacists to ensure patients receive the medicines they need post discharge. Set up and manage systems to ensure continuity of medicines supply to high-risk groups of patients (e.g. those with medicine compliance aids or those in Care Homes).
8. Medicine information to practice staff and patients
Answer relevant medicine-related enquiries from GPs, other network staff, other healthcare teams (e.g. community pharmacy) and patients with queries about medicines. Suggesting and recommending solutions. Providing follow up for patients to monitor the effect of any changes.
9. Signposting
Ensure that patients are referred to the appropriate healthcare professional for the appropriate level of care within an appropriate period of time e.g. pathology results, common/minor ailments, acute conditions, long term condition reviews etc.
10. Repeat prescribing
Produce and implement a repeat prescribing policy within each PCN practice. Manage the repeat prescribing reauthorisation process by reviewing patient requests for repeat prescriptions and reviewing medicines reaching review dates and flagging up those needing a review. Ensure patients have appropriate monitoring tests in place when required.
11. Service development
Contribute pharmaceutical advice for the development and implementation of new services that have medicinal components (e.g. advice on treatment pathways and patient information leaflets).
12. Information management
Analyse, interpret and present medicines data to highlight issues and risks to support decision making.
13. Medicines quality improvement
Undertake clinical audits of prescribing in areas directed by the GPs, feedback the results and implement changes in conjunction with the relevant practice team.
14. Medicines safetyImplement changes to medicines that result from MHRA alerts, product withdrawal and other local and national guidance.
15. Implementation of local and national guidelines and formulary recommendationsMonitor practice prescribing against the local health economy's RAG list and make recommendations to GPs for medicines that should be prescribed by hospital doctors (red drugs) or subject to shared care (amber drugs). Assist practices in seeing and maintaining a practice formulary that is hosted on each practices computer system. Auditing practices compliance against NICE technology assessment guidance. Provide newsletters or bulletins on important prescribing messages.
16. Education and TrainingProvide education and training to primary healthcare team on therapeutics and medicines optimisation.
17. Care Quality CommissionWork with the general practice teams to ensure the practices are compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved.
18. Public healthTo support public health campaigns. To provide specialist knowledge on all public health programmes available to the general public.
19. Collaborative working arrangementsParticipates in the PCN MDT.
Liaises with ICB colleagues including ICB pharmacists on prescribing related matters to ensure consistency of patient care and benefit.
Liaises with colleagues including ICB, STP/ICS Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians on prescribing related matters to ensure consistency of patient care and benefit
Liaises with colleagues including ICB, STP/ICS Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians and Heads of Medicines Management/Optimisation to benefit from peer support.
Foster and maintain strong links with all services across the PCN and neighbouring networks.
Explores the potential for collaborative working and takes opportunities to initiate and sustain such relationships. Liaises with other stakeholders as needed for the collective benefit of patients including but not limited to:
Patients and their representatives
GP, nurses and other practice staff
Social Prescribers, First Contact Physiotherapists, Physician Associates and Paramedics.
Community pharmacists and support staff
Other members of the medicines management (MM) team including Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians and Dieticians
Locality / GP prescribing lead
Locality managers
Community nurses and other allied health professionals
Hospital staff with responsibilities for prescribing and medicines optimisation
Job description
Job responsibilities
1. Patient facing Long-term condition Clinics
See (where appropriate) patients with single or multiple medical problems where medicine optimisation is required (e.g. Respiratory, Cardiovascular and Diabetes). Review the on-going need for each medicine, a review of monitoring needs and an opportunity to support patients with their medicines taking ensuring they get the best use of their medicines (i.e. medicines optimisation). Make appropriate recommendations to Pharmacists or GPs for medicine improvement.
2. Patient facing Clinical Medication Review
Undertake clinical medication reviews with patients and produce recommendations for senior clinical pharmacist, nurses and/or GP on prescribing and monitoring.
3. Risk stratification
Identification of cohorts of patients at high risk of harm from medicines through pre-prepared practice computer searches. This might include risks that are patient related, medicine related, or both. Manage therapeutic drug monitoring system and recall of patients taking high risk drugs i.e. anticoagulants, anticonvulsants and DMARDs etc.
4. Unplanned hospital admissions
Review the use of medicines most commonly associated with unplanned hospital admissions and readmissions through audit and individual patient reviews. Put in place changes to reduce the prescribing of these medicines to high-risk patient groups.
5. Patient facing medicines support
Provide patient facing clinics for those with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines in the practice.
6.Telephone medicines support
Provide a telephone help line for patients with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines.
7. Management of medicines at discharge from hospital
To reconcile medicines following discharge from hospitals, intermediate care and into Care Homes, including identifying and rectifying unexplained changes and working with patients and community pharmacists to ensure patients receive the medicines they need post discharge. Set up and manage systems to ensure continuity of medicines supply to high-risk groups of patients (e.g. those with medicine compliance aids or those in Care Homes).
8. Medicine information to practice staff and patients
Answer relevant medicine-related enquiries from GPs, other network staff, other healthcare teams (e.g. community pharmacy) and patients with queries about medicines. Suggesting and recommending solutions. Providing follow up for patients to monitor the effect of any changes.
9. Signposting
Ensure that patients are referred to the appropriate healthcare professional for the appropriate level of care within an appropriate period of time e.g. pathology results, common/minor ailments, acute conditions, long term condition reviews etc.
10. Repeat prescribing
Produce and implement a repeat prescribing policy within each PCN practice. Manage the repeat prescribing reauthorisation process by reviewing patient requests for repeat prescriptions and reviewing medicines reaching review dates and flagging up those needing a review. Ensure patients have appropriate monitoring tests in place when required.
11. Service development
Contribute pharmaceutical advice for the development and implementation of new services that have medicinal components (e.g. advice on treatment pathways and patient information leaflets).
12. Information management
Analyse, interpret and present medicines data to highlight issues and risks to support decision making.
13. Medicines quality improvement
Undertake clinical audits of prescribing in areas directed by the GPs, feedback the results and implement changes in conjunction with the relevant practice team.
14. Medicines safetyImplement changes to medicines that result from MHRA alerts, product withdrawal and other local and national guidance.
15. Implementation of local and national guidelines and formulary recommendationsMonitor practice prescribing against the local health economy's RAG list and make recommendations to GPs for medicines that should be prescribed by hospital doctors (red drugs) or subject to shared care (amber drugs). Assist practices in seeing and maintaining a practice formulary that is hosted on each practices computer system. Auditing practices compliance against NICE technology assessment guidance. Provide newsletters or bulletins on important prescribing messages.
16. Education and TrainingProvide education and training to primary healthcare team on therapeutics and medicines optimisation.
17. Care Quality CommissionWork with the general practice teams to ensure the practices are compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved.
18. Public healthTo support public health campaigns. To provide specialist knowledge on all public health programmes available to the general public.
19. Collaborative working arrangementsParticipates in the PCN MDT.
Liaises with ICB colleagues including ICB pharmacists on prescribing related matters to ensure consistency of patient care and benefit.
Liaises with colleagues including ICB, STP/ICS Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians on prescribing related matters to ensure consistency of patient care and benefit
Liaises with colleagues including ICB, STP/ICS Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians and Heads of Medicines Management/Optimisation to benefit from peer support.
Foster and maintain strong links with all services across the PCN and neighbouring networks.
Explores the potential for collaborative working and takes opportunities to initiate and sustain such relationships. Liaises with other stakeholders as needed for the collective benefit of patients including but not limited to:
Patients and their representatives
GP, nurses and other practice staff
Social Prescribers, First Contact Physiotherapists, Physician Associates and Paramedics.
Community pharmacists and support staff
Other members of the medicines management (MM) team including Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians and Dieticians
Locality / GP prescribing lead
Locality managers
Community nurses and other allied health professionals
Hospital staff with responsibilities for prescribing and medicines optimisation
Person Specification
Other Requirements
Essential
- Willingness to travel within locality and group of practices
- Use of own vehicle to travel where necessary
- Good attendance record
- Safeguarding and other mandatory training
- Immunisation status
- Meets DBS reference standards and has a clear criminal record, in line with the law on spent convictions
Qualifications
Essential
- Pharmacy degree
- Currently registered member of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- Evidence of recent CPD and/or other professional development
Desirable
- Post-graduate clinical qualification, diploma level or higher
- Prescribing Qualification the network will support candidate to work towards an independent prescribing qualification and completion of the Clinical pharmacists in general practice education programme
Experience
Essential
- At least 3 years post registration relevant experience
Desirable
- Experience working in primary care with other healthcare professionals
- Experience in the care home sector
- Experience of working with CCGs/PCTs
- Experience of providing evaluated drug information
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- In depth therapeutic and clinical knowledge and understanding of the principles of evidence-based healthcare
- Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities
- An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing
- Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports
- Able to obtain and analyse complex technical information.
- Able to 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
- Able to identify and resolve risk management issues according to policy/protocol
- Understand the principles of research governance
Desirable
- Able to plan, manage, monitor and review general medicine optimisation issues in core areas for long term conditions
Personal Qualities and Attributes
Essential
- Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from all communities
- 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)
- Is able to recognise personal limitations and refer to more appropriate colleague(s) when necessary
- Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals
- Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines
- Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision
- Able to provide leadership and to finish work tasks
- Ability to maintain effective working relationships and to promote collaborative practice with all colleagues
- Demonstrates personal accountability, emotional resilience and works well under pressure
- Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative, including when under pressure and meeting deadlines
- High level of written and oral communication skills
- Ability to work flexibly and enthusiastically within a team or on own initiative
- Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance, and health and safety
Person Specification
Other Requirements
Essential
- Willingness to travel within locality and group of practices
- Use of own vehicle to travel where necessary
- Good attendance record
- Safeguarding and other mandatory training
- Immunisation status
- Meets DBS reference standards and has a clear criminal record, in line with the law on spent convictions
Qualifications
Essential
- Pharmacy degree
- Currently registered member of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- Evidence of recent CPD and/or other professional development
Desirable
- Post-graduate clinical qualification, diploma level or higher
- Prescribing Qualification the network will support candidate to work towards an independent prescribing qualification and completion of the Clinical pharmacists in general practice education programme
Experience
Essential
- At least 3 years post registration relevant experience
Desirable
- Experience working in primary care with other healthcare professionals
- Experience in the care home sector
- Experience of working with CCGs/PCTs
- Experience of providing evaluated drug information
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- In depth therapeutic and clinical knowledge and understanding of the principles of evidence-based healthcare
- Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities
- An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing
- Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports
- Able to obtain and analyse complex technical information.
- Able to 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
- Able to identify and resolve risk management issues according to policy/protocol
- Understand the principles of research governance
Desirable
- Able to plan, manage, monitor and review general medicine optimisation issues in core areas for long term conditions
Personal Qualities and Attributes
Essential
- Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from all communities
- 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)
- Is able to recognise personal limitations and refer to more appropriate colleague(s) when necessary
- Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals
- Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines
- Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision
- Able to provide leadership and to finish work tasks
- Ability to maintain effective working relationships and to promote collaborative practice with all colleagues
- Demonstrates personal accountability, emotional resilience and works well under pressure
- Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative, including when under pressure and meeting deadlines
- High level of written and oral communication skills
- Ability to work flexibly and enthusiastically within a team or on own initiative
- Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance, and health and safety
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).
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Huntingdon PCN
Address
Papworth Surgery
Chequers Lane
Papworth Everard
CB23 3QQ
Employer's website
Employer details
Employer name
Huntingdon PCN
Address
Papworth Surgery
Chequers Lane
Papworth Everard
CB23 3QQ
Employer's website
For questions about the job, contact:
Date posted
24 July 2024
Pay scheme
Other
Salary
Depending on experience up to £49,610 depending on experience
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Part-time, Home or remote working
Reference number
W0017-PapCP
Job locations
Papworth Surgery
Chequers Lane
Papworth Everard
CB23 3QQ