Job summary
The post holder will work at Narrowcliff Surgery as part of Watergate PCN pharmacy team, in a patient facing role where they will have support, guidance, and mentoring from an experienced clinician.
This role requires the post holder to act within their own boundaries of professional practice and level of competency to assist in effective patient care. This includes taking responsibility for areas of chronic disease management, reducing medicines waste, supporting the Direct Enhanced Service PCN prescribing agenda carrying out Structured Medication Reviews (SMRs) to proactively manage patients with complex polypharmacy, seeing patients for medication queries, assisting with prescribing related issues, enhancing prescription processes within the primary care team and delivering high quality improvement/patient safety interventions via the use of clinical audit.
The post holder will help patients get the most from their medication and support Watergate PCN with core medicine optimisation activities whilst ensuring the safe and effective use of medicines across the network and working within defined protocols and guidance.
We believe in always supporting and developing our staff, should you be interested in the role but lack prescribing experience, you may still apply and all necessary support and training will be provided.
Main duties of the job
Clinical
Patient facing medicines support provide advice to patients requiring medication reviews and answer any questions, concerns or queries they have about their medicines.
Undertake structured medication reviews (SMRs) with patients with multi-morbidity and polypharmacy
Undertake clinical medication reviews with patients in care homes
Support patients with single or multiple medical problems where medicine optimisation is required
Identify cohorts of patients at high risk of harm from medicines through practice computer searches.
Review the use of medicines most commonly associated with unplanned hospital admissions and readmissions
Prescribing support
Answer relevant medicine-related enquiries from GPs, other network staff, other healthcare teams and patients
Audit and risk management undertake clinical audits of prescribing
Medicines safety respond to MHRA alerts, product withdrawal, or other local/national guidance and implement changes where necessary.
About us
About us
Watergate PCN has an exciting opportunity for a forward thinking Clinical Pharmacist to join our networks innovative pharmacy team.
The post holder will primarily work at Narrowcliff Surgery, Newquay Cornwall.
We are looking for a full-time Clinical Pharmacist to join our PCN pharmacy team in order to improve care for our patients. Experience in primary care is preferred but not essential.
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES AND AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
The focus of the post holders work will depend on the qualifications, skills, and experience of the individual and the needs of the practices within the PCN, both of which may change over time. Potential duties are therefore outlined below:
Clinical
Patient facing medicines support provide advice to patients requiring medication reviews and answer any questions, concerns or queries they have about their medicines.
Undertake structured medication reviews (SMRs) with patients with multi-morbidity and polypharmacy and produce recommendations for GPs/nurses on prescribing and monitoring.
Undertake clinical medication reviews with patients in care homes and produce recommendations for the GPs / nurses on prescribing and monitoring. Work with care home staff to improve the safety of medicines ordering and administration.
Support patients with single or multiple medical problems where medicine optimisation is required, Review the on-going need for each medicine and communicate with patients on safe and optimal use of their medications.
Identify cohorts of patients at high risk of harm from medicines through practice computer searches.
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.
Prescribing support
Answer relevant medicine-related enquiries from GPs, other network staff, other healthcare teams ( community pharmacy) and patients with queries about medicines, suggesting and recommending solutions. Provide follow up for patients to monitor the effect of any changes.
Audit and risk management undertake clinical audits of prescribing in areas directed by the GPs and PCN team, feedback results and implement changes in conjunction with the relevant practice team.
Medicines safety respond to MHRA alerts, product withdrawal, or other local/national guidance and implement changes where necessary.
National, local and formulary recommendations Monitor practice prescribing against the local 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). Undertake audits on practices compliance against NICE technology assessment guidance. Provide newsletters or bulletins on important prescribing messages.
Medicines management
Repeat prescribing ensure patients repeat medications are effectively managed, identify review dates, and ensure that any monitoring requirements are in place.
Hospital discharge 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.
Medicines waste -support efficient ordering and return processes to reduce medicines wastage.
Practice Support
Education and training provide education on therapeutics and medicines optimisation to other members of the Primary Care Network.
Care Quality Commission (CQC) work with general practice teams to ensure that practices are compliant with CQC standards and assist with medicine-related compliance.
Public Health support practices with public health campaigns and provide technical advice necessary.
Support the PCN - to deliver on Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) and other nationally and locally commissioned initiatives.
Health and Safety
Comply with practice(s) Health and Safety policies at all times and report any incidents in a timely manner.
Comply with the Data Protection Act (1984) and the Access to Health Records Act (1990).
Comply with any necessary training requirements identified by the PCN relevant to the role.
Equality and Diversity
Co-workers, patients and visitors must be treated equally irrespective of gender, ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion etc.
Patient Confidentiality
Respect patient confidentiality at all times and do not divulge patient information unless sanctioned by the requirements of the role.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
1. Vocational Master's degree in Pharmacy or equivalent comprehensive experience
2. Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
3. Completion of pre-registration training
4. Evidence of commitment to CPD
Desirable
5. Experience of working within primary care settings
6. Registration with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (MRPharmS)
7. Post-graduate Diploma in clinical pharmacy or equivalent
8. Authorisation for Independent Prescribing (IP)
Experience
Essential
9. NHS experience in Primary Care, Hospital or Community Pharmacy
10. Delivery of Medicines Management Standards and Policies
11. Experience of working with primary health care teams
12. Experience of working on projects where post holder uses own initiative and manages own time
Desirable
13. Experience of providing advice to GPs and primary care clinicians
14. Experience in analysing ePACT/prescribing data
15. Experience in clinical audit
16. Experience of multidisciplinary working
17. Experience of promoting formulary adherence within primary care
18. Experience using GP clinical systems ( SystmOne and EMIS)
SKills and Personal Qualities
Essential
19. Excellent written and oral communication skills
20. Excellent interpersonal skills, with persuasive negotiating and influencing abilities
21. Able to instigate and manage change
22. Well organised and able to prioritise and meet set targets
23. Possess an advanced level of clinical reasoning and problem solving and maintain a high standard of practice
24. Able to co-ordinate and plan activities with others, work as part of a team or as an individual
25. Able to work under pressure
26. Possess knowledge of the wider NHS
27. Have an extensive knowledge and expertise across a number of prescribing process and quality improvement areas, such as competence in delivering clinical audit
28. Have an extensive knowledge and expertise across a number of clinical areas including common chronic disease management
Desirable
29. Able to undertake vaccination administration, influenza, pneumococcal vaccines
30. Knowledge of the use of drugs within several disease areas