Overview
An exciting vacancy has arisen for a motivated and patient-centred, senior clinical pharmacist to utilise their clinical skills to work across the interface and community setting as part of the interface / domiciliary care arm of the Lewisham Integrated Medicines Optimisation Service (LIMOS). The post offers the postholder a unique opportunity to work in this award-winning model of care and gain experience in working with older people across care systems to improve independent and safe use of medicines whilst addressing some of the challenges around the overprescribing agenda.
Responsibilities
1. Providing direct patient care and undertaking full, patient-centred structured medication reviews to proactively manage people with complex polypharmacy and adherence concerns, particularly the elderly and those with multiple long-term conditions.
2. Visiting patients both in the hospital and home setting as an integrated approach to care in addition to providing pharmacy support to our Virtual Ward service and Enablement Community teams.
3. Co-ordinate medicines related aspects of care across both health and social care interfaces, requiring close partnership and team working with members of the MDT.
4. This post is for 32.25 hours per week (0.86 WTE). Interested candidates are encouraged to discuss opportunity for some flexibility to work hours over four of five days a week.
5. PLEASE NOTE: We may not be able to offer sponsorship for this post.
6. The LIMOS service provides a formal pathway for referral of patients with medicine-related problems for assessment, support and follow-up by a specialist pharmacy team, working across primary and secondary care interfaces, and health and social care boundaries.
7. Joint Policies around medicines support across health enable a collaborative approach to care across the pharmacy and wider workforce.
8. Being supported by a network of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, this post offers the opportunity to work in the primary care setting while maintaining strong links with pharmacy colleagues in secondary and community settings, with access to continuing professional development via peer learning events.
Working for our organisation
Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches the patients we serve. We emphasise Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) and have staff networks and initiatives to cultivate engagement. The post holder will support medicines management aspects of broader community health initiatives through LIMOS in primary care or interface settings and GP practice settings, with partnership working across health and social care interfaces and conduct full medication reviews for groups including housebound patients, those on complex multiple medications, and patients with mental health issues or learning disabilities.
Key objectives and duties
1. Provide medicines management reviews for identified and targeted patients including those with medication issues or adherence problems or those on multiple medications in general practice, care homes, and primary care or interface settings.
2. Review discharge summaries and reconcile medicines at transfer of care for identified and targeted patients.
3. Provide medicines management support to vulnerable patients following hospital discharge.
4. Work with GP practice colleagues, junior LIMOS and hospital pharmacists, and local Community Pharmacy colleagues to support safe repeat prescribing and reduce waste, and develop the MUR/NMS process to support local medicines initiatives.
5. Participate in clinical audit and collect appropriate management data.
6. Collaborate with primary care healthcare professionals and Social Services to ensure agreed changes in medication are implemented and sustained.
7. Provide medicines management expertise and support to patients in the full range of intermediate care and service settings, including general practice.
8. Support to improve concordance, help patients maximise benefit from medicines, reduce medicines-related admissions (including falls), and promote evidence-based and cost-effective prescribing; advise on de-prescribing where appropriate.
9. Liaise with community pharmacists, relatives and carers, and colleagues across health and social care to support patient-centred and seamless care, signposting or referring to other services as appropriate.
10. Provide highly specialist medicines management support and training to GPs, nurses and other members of the multidisciplinary primary care team in caring for patients with chronic diseases/long-term conditions in GP practice, community and hospital settings, where necessary.
11. Provide highly specialist medicines advice and training to patients, carers and care home staff on medicines-related issues in older people.
12. Lead on the development of protocols in collaboration with key stakeholders to support prescribing initiatives.
13. Provide support to patients within intermediate care or care home settings in preparation for independence in taking their medicines, including development of self-medication schemes and domiciliary visits after discharge.
14. Liaise with GPs, community pharmacists, community nurses, hospital pharmacists and other health and social care providers to ensure seamless pharmaceutical care for patients.
15. Liaise with social service carers on medicines-related issues for their clients.
16. Provide medicines advice and input into community health services workstreams when required to support senior pharmacists as appropriate.
Additional information
We reserve the right to close the post before the stated closing date; please apply early. We do not contact applicants with the outcome of shortlisting. If shortlisted, you will receive an invite to an assessment day or interview.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and applying
As a local employer and anchor institution we welcome applications from the widest variety of people to ensure our workforce reflects the communities we serve. We encourage all suitable candidates to apply including those who are Black, Asian or other ethnic minorities, live with a disability (visible or not) or are LGBT+. Travel and visa requirements are considered on a case-by-case basis; not all roles meet the criteria for a skilled worker visa.
About Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust (LGT) is a community-focused provider of local and acute care serving over one million people across London Boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich, and Bexley. We employ about 7,500 colleagues and operate across multiple hospital and community sites, including Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Woolwich), University Hospital Lewisham, Queen Mary’s Hospital (Sidcup) and many community locations. We are part of the South East London Integrated Care System and related partnerships, with a focus on delivering high-quality patient care, supportive staff networks, and ongoing professional development.
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