Overview
The role of the Virtual Ward Pharmacist sits within the Calderdale Urgent Community Response Service. This service provides urgent assessment, care and intervention to support people to remain at home, avoid hospital admissions and to step down from hospital to community sooner. The Urgent Community Response Service works as a multi-disciplinary team with Allied Health Professionals, Nurses, Rehabilitation Assistants and Independent Living Officers - providing a 0-2 hour urgent assessment at home, to supporting individuals with domiciliary care for up to a week. The post holder is responsible for providing a specialist clinical pharmacy service to patients in their own homes or care homes in the Calderdale and Huddersfield area this may be as part of the Virtual Ward (VW)/ Urgent Community Response Team (UCR) or the wider Community Division. The post holder will be an integral part of the virtual ward team and work seamlessly between primary and secondary care and link with a range of healthcare professionals to optimise concordance and compliance with prescribed medication. For the purpose of this post all patients who are accepted to the Community caseload and are registered with a GP in Calderdale or Huddersfield may be reviewed; they may also be referred directly from CHFT staff or Gateway to Care when concerns about medication that might increase chances of admission or readmission are identified. Patients may be on high risk medication or complex regimes.
Main Tasks
* Review patients in a home setting as soon as possible after acceptance on the Community Team caseload.
* Review medication and work closely with Community Teams which includes consultants, advanced clinical practitioners, physiotherapists, OTs, nurses, GPs and community pharmacists to ensure patients are able to derive the maximum benefit from prescribed medication.
* Participates in MDT meetings via Teams or Face to Face as per frequency and need of the service.
* Assess compliance with medication and any other factors related to medication which may lead to hospital admission or deterioration in condition.
* Working closely with patients to implement medicines management and optimisation.
* To liaise with GPs and community pharmacists to ensure that medicines are reconciled following transfer to primary care. Identify and follow up any discrepancies.
* To communicate with GPs, community pharmacists and hospital consultants any recommendations in respect to individual patient medication changes, requirements or concerns as appropriate to the needs of the patient.
* To provide skilled pharmaceutical counselling to patients in the domiciliary care setting in order to improve concordance and compliance with medicines and to reduce risks from medication related events. To promote concepts of self-care with patients, significant others, and healthcare professionals in respect to medicines and medicines concordance.
* To work in an independent manner to explore all ways of supporting patients with complex medication issues.
* To work in partnership with the patient, carers and relatives to reflect patient choice, to support self-care.
* Further develop and feedback on key performance indicators.
* Work closely with virtual ward teams within CHFT and key personnel in the community in Calderdale and Huddersfield.
* To develop and maintain excellent working relationships with the appropriate healthcare professionals and other agencies in primary and secondary care.
* Work with the CHFT Community teams to develop the service and provide training to staff.
* Visits patients in their own homes or care homes within the Community setting.
* Participates in weekend, public holiday, out of hours and extended hours provision of pharmacy services.
* Complies with Trust policies relating to security and patient confidentiality and to ensure that procedures are undertaken within safe systems of work and legislation.
* Assists the community directorate pharmacist in controlling drug expenditure; ensure appropriate stock control and storage of materials and safe maintenance of equipment used in the provision of the community directorate Pharmacy services; contribute to the service development and maintenance of policies, procedures and records for the community directorate Pharmacy Service and medicines management.
* Clinical Duties: Reviews medication in high-risk patients for clinical appropriateness, drug interactions and assess compliance and concordance issues; provides professional and clinical information and advice to the multidisciplinary healthcare staff in primary and secondary care, patients and carers; makes recommendations tailored to the context of specific patients or situations, including calculations for complex drug regimens; addresses issues of co-existing medical diseases and conditions; applies sound professional judgement to complex clinical issues; regularly participates in pharmacy practice research and clinical audit; if a prescriber, prescribes within area of competence and works towards Independent Prescriber qualification; may hold a full UK driving licence and have access to a vehicle (reasonable adjustments possible); counsels patients and/or their carers to ensure safe and effective medicine use; liaises with antibiotic pharmacists and microbiology to ensure adherence to antibiotic formulary and antimicrobial policies; responds to urgent requests for advice and guidance on complex medication regimes.
Professional and Managerial Duties
* The post holder is a key member of the Community Pharmacy Team; is managed within the CHFT Community Healthcare Division.
* Implements Trust policies in relation to Medicines Management; helps develop policies and safety procedures; manages risk; undertakes legal and professional responsibilities of a responsible pharmacist; continually reviews the quality and standard of service provision.
* Participates in training of pharmacy staff, unregistered practitioners and other health care professionals; participates in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in accordance with Trust policy and national guidelines.
* May be required to transport medication to and from patient properties in line with trust policy; may be required to administer medication to patients within competency.
* Line management if medicines optimisation technicians.
* Produce detailed reports on medicines spend, usage, security and adherence to NICE guidelines and Technology appraisal and other applicable pharmacy services or performance indicators; provide recommendations in support of medicines optimisation strategies and efficiency savings related to the specialty area.
Qualifications and Requirements
* Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle; reasonable adjustments available if required.
* Plan to work towards Independent Prescriber status or currently an Independent Prescriber.
* Counselling and communication skills for patients and carers; knowledge of antibiotic stewardship and antimicrobial management policy.
* Ability to work in independent and collaborative capacities within primary and secondary care; manage complex regimens and high-risk medications.
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