Job summary The Shoreditch Park & City PCN in Cityand Hackney is seeking to recruit a PCN Clinical Pharmacist to develop and supportmedicines optimisation work within the Shoreditch Park & City PCN. Youwill be based at Lawson Practice. The candidate will be exposed to abreadth of different clinical experiences, working with very different patientdemographics. No 2 days will be the same. Main duties of the job The post holder will work as part of a passionate multi-disciplinary team in a patient-facing role. The PCN Clinical Pharmacist will take responsibility for areas of chronic disease management and work proactively with other healthcare professionals as part of a multidisciplinary team across the PCN.The successful candidate will join a core Pharmacy Team and will be supported by a Senior Clinical Pharmacist supervisor, GP and other support staff.Regular development sessions, teaching, training and opportunities to upskill will be provided. You will work against a strong personalised development pathway. The PCN supports Pharmacists interested in becoming independent prescribers. Clinical pharmacists have a key role in supporting deliveryof the network contract Direct Enhanced Service (DES) specifications. The PCN Clinical Pharmacist will need to be committed toimproving health and putting patients first.Key qualities will be the ability to build effective relationships withpatients, GPs, nurses, community pharmacists, hospital and practice staff, andto work effectively as part of a team. Demonstrable general pharmaceuticalskills and knowledge in core areas, including long term conditions, togetherwith a good understanding of general practice are essential. About us Groups of GP Practices in City and Hackney have recently cometogether to form 8 Primary Care Networks (PCNS) each covering a totalpopulation of between 30,000-56,000. Thepurpose of these PCNs is to enable GP practices to work together in acollaborative way to develop and deliver network-based services that respond tothe needs of the local population. Job description Job responsibilities The PCN Clinical Pharmacist will: work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in apatient facing role to clinically assess and treat patients using their expertknowledge of medicines for specific disease areas; be a prescriber, or completing training tobecome a prescriber, and work with and alongside the general practice team; be responsible for the care management ofpatients with chronic diseases and undertake clinical medication reviews toproactively manage people with complex polypharmacy, especially the elderly,people in care homes, those with multiple co-morbidities (in particularfrailty, COPD and asthma) and people with learning disabilities or autism(through STOMP Stop Over Medication Programme); provide specialist expertise in the use ofmedicines whilst helping to address both the public health and social careneeds of patients at the PCNs practice(s) and to help in tacklinginequalities; provide leadership on person-centred medicinesoptimisation (including ensuring prescribers in the practice conserveantibiotics in line with local antimicrobial stewardship guidance) and qualityimprovement, whilst contributing to the quality and outcomes framework andenhanced services; through structured medication reviews, supportpatients to take their medications to get the best from them, reduce waste andpromote selfcare; have a leadership role in supporting furtherintegration of general practice with the wider healthcare teams (includingcommunity and hospital pharmacy) to help improve patient outcomes, ensurebetter access to healthcare and help manage general practice workload; develop relationships and work closely withother pharmacy professionals across PCNs and the wider health and social caresystem; take a central role in the clinical aspects ofshared care protocols, clinical research with medicines, liaison withspecialist pharmacists (including mental health and reduction of inappropriateantipsychotic use in people with learning difficulties), liaison with communitypharmacists and anticoagulation. Key aspects of PCN pharmacist role Patient facing role undertaking face to face medications reviews for: patients on complex polypharmacy with long term conditions housebound patients specific disease areas identified as a priority area within the PCN Review patients with single or multiple medical problems where medicine optimisation is required. Review on-going need for each medicine, assess monitoring requirements and support patients to ensure treatment is safe, appropriate and optimised for maximum clinical benefit. Discuss recommendations and outcomes with relevant members of the PCN team and provide appropriate and timely follow up. Support patients to optimise medicines by providing additional written patient information leaflets, and liaise with community pharmacists about the need for special requirements to aid adherence. Management of Common/Minor/Self-Limiting Ailments Support practices in improving patient access for minor ailments and acute presentations. Promote the importance of self-care and signpost patients to community pharmacies in line with national guidance on over the counter medicines. Medicines Information to Practice Staff and Patients Support relevant medicine-related enquiries from the practice team, PCN team, community pharmacists and patients. Update practice teams at weekly meetings on current medicines related information and issues with a view to educating and improving prescribing within the practice. Analyse, interpret and present medicines data to practice staff regularly to highlight prescribing issues. Communicate recommended actions relating to medication and medical device safety alerts. Medicines Reconciliation 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. Commissioned improvements for QIPP and medicines optimisation Support the practice and the PCN in delivering the outcomes as required in the medicines section of the Clinical Commissioning Contract Signposting Ensure that patients are referred to the appropriate healthcare professional for specialist referral, monitoring and/or referred to the social prescriber for further support services where required. Repeat Prescribing Review, implement and support adherence to the practice repeat prescribing policy. Manage the repeat prescribing reauthorisation process by reviewing patient requests for repeat prescriptions and reviewing medicines reaching review dates and flagging up those patients needing a review. Ensure patients on repeat prescriptions have the required monitoring and assessments undertaken as appropriate to their condition(s) and medicines prescribed. Clinical Governance Communicate, action and support implementation of MHRA alerts, product withdrawals and other local and national guidelines and formulary recommendations. Undertake clinical audits in priority areas identified by the CCG medicines management team or within the PCN and feedback results to practices and the PCN and support them in implementing recommendations. Support practices and PCNs in identifying and reporting onto NRLS any incidents relating to medicines. Be involved in investigating medicines incidents and identifying and implementing any required system improvements. Support implementation of shared care protocols in practice, including processes to improve monitoring of high- risk drugs. Review the use of medicines most commonly associated with unplanned hospital admissions and readmissions through audit and individual patient reviews. Identify cohorts of patients at high risk of harm from medicines through pre-prepared practice computer searches e.g. using PINCER and other tools. Work with the general practice team to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved. Education and Training Contribute to the provision of education and training on medicines optimisation and specific therapeutic areas to healthcare professionals within the PCN and to the wider CCG/ICB geography. Public Health To support public health campaigns. To provide specialist advice on all public health programmes available to the general public. General Undertake any other work supporting medicines optimisation in GP practices and the PCN commensurate with the banding of the post and which is agreed between the postholder and the manager Key CollaborativeWorking Relationships The post-holder will be required to work with a wide rangeof stakeholders. It is important that the post holder recognises the roles ofother colleagues to person-centred care, and liaises with other stakeholders asneeded for the collective benefit of patients including: Patients and Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) GPs, nurses and other practice staff Other healthcare professionals including CCGpharmacists, pharmacy technicians, optometrists, dentists, health and socialcare teams, dieticians etc. Locality / GP prescribing lead and Localitymanagers Community nurses and other allied healthprofessionals Integration between general practice communityand hospital pharmacy teams Ability to work as a member of a team within thePCN Collaborationwith network resources to support care management plans and social prescribing Knowledge, Skills andExperience Required (please see Person Specification) Has experience/awarenessof the breadth of common acute and long-term conditions that are likely to beseen in a general medical practice. Minimum of 2 years postgraduate experience in pharmacy, as demonstrated within a practice portfolio. Holds an independentprescribing qualification, is working towards a qualification or has theintention to complete this in the future. Demonstrates an understanding of the role of aclinical pharmacist within primary care and where it fits into and how itcomplements the practice team and the wider PCN team. Accountable fordelivering professional expertise and direct service provision. Able to follow legal,ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and codes ofconduct. Health andSafety/Risk Management An expectation is for all staff to have a commitment topromoting and maintaining a safe and healthy environment and be responsible fortheir own and others welfare. Inaddition, staff will be expected to undertake the statutory mandatory healthand safety training and other training relevant to their specialist area ofwork. Equality andDiversity The post-holder must co-operate with all policies andprocedures designed to ensure equality of employment and complete the requiredstatutory mandatory training. PatientConfidentiality The post-holder should respect patient confidentiality atall times and not divulge patient information unless sanctioned by therequirements of the role. In view of thedynamic nature of the role, this job description is intended to provide anoutline of the duties and responsibilities; it will be subject to review andamendment as necessary in consultation with the post holder. Job description Job responsibilities The PCN Clinical Pharmacist will: work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in apatient facing role to clinically assess and treat patients using their expertknowledge of medicines for specific disease areas; be a prescriber, or completing training tobecome a prescriber, and work with and alongside the general practice team; be responsible for the care management ofpatients with chronic diseases and undertake clinical medication reviews toproactively manage people with complex polypharmacy, especially the elderly,people in care homes, those with multiple co-morbidities (in particularfrailty, COPD and asthma) and people with learning disabilities or autism(through STOMP Stop Over Medication Programme); provide specialist expertise in the use ofmedicines whilst helping to address both the public health and social careneeds of patients at the PCNs practice(s) and to help in tacklinginequalities; provide leadership on person-centred medicinesoptimisation (including ensuring prescribers in the practice conserveantibiotics in line with local antimicrobial stewardship guidance) and qualityimprovement, whilst contributing to the quality and outcomes framework andenhanced services; through structured medication reviews, supportpatients to take their medications to get the best from them, reduce waste andpromote selfcare; have a leadership role in supporting furtherintegration of general practice with the wider healthcare teams (includingcommunity and hospital pharmacy) to help improve patient outcomes, ensurebetter access to healthcare and help manage general practice workload; develop relationships and work closely withother pharmacy professionals across PCNs and the wider health and social caresystem; take a central role in the clinical aspects ofshared care protocols, clinical research with medicines, liaison withspecialist pharmacists (including mental health and reduction of inappropriateantipsychotic use in people with learning difficulties), liaison with communitypharmacists and anticoagulation. Key aspects of PCN pharmacist role Patient facing role undertaking face to face medications reviews for: patients on complex polypharmacy with long term conditions housebound patients specific disease areas identified as a priority area within the PCN Review patients with single or multiple medical problems where medicine optimisation is required. Review on-going need for each medicine, assess monitoring requirements and support patients to ensure treatment is safe, appropriate and optimised for maximum clinical benefit. Discuss recommendations and outcomes with relevant members of the PCN team and provide appropriate and timely follow up. Support patients to optimise medicines by providing additional written patient information leaflets, and liaise with community pharmacists about the need for special requirements to aid adherence. Management of Common/Minor/Self-Limiting Ailments Support practices in improving patient access for minor ailments and acute presentations. Promote the importance of self-care and signpost patients to community pharmacies in line with national guidance on over the counter medicines. Medicines Information to Practice Staff and Patients Support relevant medicine-related enquiries from the practice team, PCN team, community pharmacists and patients. Update practice teams at weekly meetings on current medicines related information and issues with a view to educating and improving prescribing within the practice. Analyse, interpret and present medicines data to practice staff regularly to highlight prescribing issues. Communicate recommended actions relating to medication and medical device safety alerts. Medicines Reconciliation 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. Commissioned improvements for QIPP and medicines optimisation Support the practice and the PCN in delivering the outcomes as required in the medicines section of the Clinical Commissioning Contract Signposting Ensure that patients are referred to the appropriate healthcare professional for specialist referral, monitoring and/or referred to the social prescriber for further support services where required. Repeat Prescribing Review, implement and support adherence to the practice repeat prescribing policy. Manage the repeat prescribing reauthorisation process by reviewing patient requests for repeat prescriptions and reviewing medicines reaching review dates and flagging up those patients needing a review. Ensure patients on repeat prescriptions have the required monitoring and assessments undertaken as appropriate to their condition(s) and medicines prescribed. Clinical Governance Communicate, action and support implementation of MHRA alerts, product withdrawals and other local and national guidelines and formulary recommendations. Undertake clinical audits in priority areas identified by the CCG medicines management team or within the PCN and feedback results to practices and the PCN and support them in implementing recommendations. Support practices and PCNs in identifying and reporting onto NRLS any incidents relating to medicines. Be involved in investigating medicines incidents and identifying and implementing any required system improvements. Support implementation of shared care protocols in practice, including processes to improve monitoring of high- risk drugs. Review the use of medicines most commonly associated with unplanned hospital admissions and readmissions through audit and individual patient reviews. Identify cohorts of patients at high risk of harm from medicines through pre-prepared practice computer searches e.g. using PINCER and other tools. Work with the general practice team to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved. Education and Training Contribute to the provision of education and training on medicines optimisation and specific therapeutic areas to healthcare professionals within the PCN and to the wider CCG/ICB geography. Public Health To support public health campaigns. To provide specialist advice on all public health programmes available to the general public. General Undertake any other work supporting medicines optimisation in GP practices and the PCN commensurate with the banding of the post and which is agreed between the postholder and the manager Key CollaborativeWorking Relationships The post-holder will be required to work with a wide rangeof stakeholders. It is important that the post holder recognises the roles ofother colleagues to person-centred care, and liaises with other stakeholders asneeded for the collective benefit of patients including: Patients and Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) GPs, nurses and other practice staff Other healthcare professionals including CCGpharmacists, pharmacy technicians, optometrists, dentists, health and socialcare teams, dieticians etc. Locality / GP prescribing lead and Localitymanagers Community nurses and other allied healthprofessionals Integration between general practice communityand hospital pharmacy teams Ability to work as a member of a team within thePCN Collaborationwith network resources to support care management plans and social prescribing Knowledge, Skills andExperience Required (please see Person Specification) Has experience/awarenessof the breadth of common acute and long-term conditions that are likely to beseen in a general medical practice. Minimum of 2 years postgraduate experience in pharmacy, as demonstrated within a practice portfolio. Holds an independentprescribing qualification, is working towards a qualification or has theintention to complete this in the future. Demonstrates an understanding of the role of aclinical pharmacist within primary care and where it fits into and how itcomplements the practice team and the wider PCN team. Accountable fordelivering professional expertise and direct service provision. Able to follow legal,ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and codes ofconduct. Health andSafety/Risk Management An expectation is for all staff to have a commitment topromoting and maintaining a safe and healthy environment and be responsible fortheir own and others welfare. Inaddition, staff will be expected to undertake the statutory mandatory healthand safety training and other training relevant to their specialist area ofwork. Equality andDiversity The post-holder must co-operate with all policies andprocedures designed to ensure equality of employment and complete the requiredstatutory mandatory training. PatientConfidentiality The post-holder should respect patient confidentiality atall times and not divulge patient information unless sanctioned by therequirements of the role. In view of thedynamic nature of the role, this job description is intended to provide anoutline of the duties and responsibilities; it will be subject to review andamendment as necessary in consultation with the post holder. Person Specification Experience Essential Minimum of 2 years postqualification experience Qualifications Essential Registered as a pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council Masters degree in pharmacy (MPharm) (or equivalent) Person Specification Experience Essential Minimum of 2 years postqualification experience Qualifications Essential Registered as a pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council Masters degree in pharmacy (MPharm) (or equivalent) 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 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 Employer details Employer name City & Hackney Integrated Primary Care CIC Address The Lawson Practice 85 Nuttall Street London N1 5HZ