We are pleased to offer an exciting opportunity for a Clinical Pharmacist to join our team within the Deal and Sandwich Primary Care Network (PCN). Working across our network of practices, the Clinical Pharmacist will be a key member of a multi-disciplinary team, delivering high-quality, patient-centred care in a clinical, patient-facing role.
We are seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic Clinical Pharmacist to support a range of responsibilities including structured medication reviews, medicines optimisation, repeat prescribing processes, and the management of long-term conditions. This role will join an established and supportive pharmacy team consisting of four PCN Clinical Pharmacists and a Pharmacy Technician.
The successful candidate will be GPhC-registered, ideally an independent prescriber, and possess strong written and verbal communication skills, along with the ability to work well under pressure in a dynamic primary care setting.
Main duties of the job
The Clinical Pharmacist will play a key role within the general practice team and the wider multidisciplinary network of the Primary Care Network (PCN). Operating within their professional boundaries, they will contribute to improved patient outcomes and enhanced efficiency across primary care by delivering timely, accessible, and expert medicines support. This will include face-to-face consultations, as well as embracing digital modes of care such as telephone and video appointments.
Key responsibilities of the role include:
Conducting structured medication reviews, with a proactive focus on patients within risk-stratified groups
Supporting the management of long-term conditions and contributing to chronic disease management across the practices
Working directly with patients to assess health needs, initiate treatment plans, and promote self-care
Enhancing and supporting repeat prescribing processes within the network
Providing advice and addressing queries or concerns from patients about their medications or prescriptions
Contributing to medicines optimisation initiatives, quality improvement activities, and supporting delivery of relevant elements of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) and Enhanced Services.
About us
Deal & Sandwich Primary Care Network (PCN) is made up of five GP practices: Balmoral Surgery, Cedars Surgery, The New Golf Road Surgery, Sandwich Medical Practice, and St Richards Road Surgery. Together, we serve a combined patient population of approximately 48,000. Our practices work collaboratively to provide high-quality care through innovative approaches, supporting our patients to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.
For further information about this role, please contact the PCN Operations Manager, Karena Marks, at karena.marks3@nhs.net.
Job responsibilities
The post holder will work as part of a multi-disciplinaryteam in a patient facing role to clinically assess and treat patients usingtheir expert knowledge of medicines for specific disease areas. They will be responsiblefor the care management of patients with chronic diseases and undertakeclinical medication reviews to proactively manage patients with complexpolypharmacy, especially the elderly, people in care homes, those with multipleco-morbidities (in particular frailty, COPD and asthma) and people withlearning disabilities or autism (through STOMP Stop Over MedicationProgramme).
Patient facing clinics and medication reviews
The post holder will manage their own case load andoperate long-term condition clinics and medication reviews to implementimprovements to patients medicines, including reviewing the on-going need foreach medicine, implementing own prescribing changes (as an independentprescriber), ordering relevant monitoring tests and supporting patients withtheir medicines taking, ensuring they get the best use of their medicines,reduce waste and promote self-care.
Prescription and medication queries
The post holder will provide primary support to patientsand general practice staff with regards to prescription and medication queries.Duties may include providing patient facing clinics and telephone support forpatients with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines, providingfollow up for patients to monitor the effect of any changes, supporting repeatprescription systems, dealing with acute prescription requests, medicinesreconciliation on transfer of care and systems for safer prescribing, providingexpertise in clinical medicines advice while addressing both public and socialcare needs of patients.
Cross organisational working
The post holder will ensure the practice integrates withcommunity and hospital pharmacy to help utilise skill mix, improve patientoutcomes, ensure better access to healthcare and help manage workload. Thiswill include signposting to other services and/or healthcare professionalswhere appropriate, while working within a scope of practice and limits ofcompetency. The role is pivotal to improving the quality of care andoperational efficiencies so requires motivation and passion to deliverexcellent service within general practice.
Clinical Audit
The post holder will improve the quality andeffectiveness of prescribing through clinical audit and education to improveperformance against NICE standards, and clinical and prescribing guidance. Thepost holder will undertake activities in medicines optimisation, qualityimprovement and aid achievement of some aspects of the quality and outcomesframework and enhanced services. This will include conducting clinical audits,participating in improvement projects, analysing, interpreting and presentingmedicines data to highlight issues and risks to support decision-making,providing leadership on suggested changes and contributing to national andlocal research initiatives.
Key responsibilities
Communication
Utilise and demonstrate sensitive communicationstyles, to ensure patients are fully informed and consent to treatment.
Recognise the need for alternative methods ofcommunication to overcome different levels of understanding, culturalbackground and preferred ways of communicating.
Prioritise, organise and manage own workload in amanner that maintains and promotes quality, including participating in sharedlearning across the practice, PCN and wider organisation. Work as part oftheteam to seek feedback, continually improve the service and contribute to businessplanning.
Managing information
Use technology, read codes and appropriate softwareas an aid to planning, implementing and monitoring care, communicatinginformation and reviewing and processing data for audit purposes.
Learning and development
Take responsibility for own learning andperformance through continuous professional development, includingparticipating in clinical supervision, acting as a positive role model andassessing own learning needs.
Actively promote the workplace as a learningenvironment, encouraging everyone to learn from each other and from externalgood practice.
Disseminate learning and information gained toother team members in order to share good practice and inform others aboutcurrent and future developments (e.g. courses and conferences).
Equality and diversity
Support the equality and diversity of patients,carers and colleagues by recognising the importance of peoples rights andinterpreting them in a way that is consistent with policy, procedures andcurrent legislation.
Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefsof patients, carers and colleagues by behaving in a manner which is welcoming,non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities andrights.
Participate in an annual individual performancereview, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of ownprofessional development
Work as an effective and responsible team member,supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working
Workwith your line manager to undertakecontinual personal and professional development, accessregular supervision and take an activepart in reviewing and developing theroles and responsibilities of the post.
Undertake any tasks consistent with the level ofthepost and the scopeof the role, ensuring thatwork is delivered in atimely and effective manner.
Duties may vary from timeto time, without changingthe general character of thepostor the level of responsibility.
This job description is not meant to beexhaustive. It describes the main duties and responsibilities of the post. Thepost holder would be expected to undertake any other duties commensurate withthe role as agreed with the practice or PCN.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
* Undertaking / qualified from / intention of achieving an approved training pathway, e.g. CPPE Clinical Pharmacist training pathway
* Independent prescriber or working towards / intention of gaining independent prescribing qualification
* Specialist knowledge acquired through post-graduate diploma level or equivalent training/experience
Knowledge and Skills
* Understands and acts in line with GPhC professional standards for practice
* Good IT skills including ability to record accurate clinical notes
* Ability to communicate effectively (written, verbal and non-verbal communication) with patients, relatives / carers and all members of the multi-disciplinary team
* Ability to develop effective and appropriate relationships with people, their families, carers and colleagues
* Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills
* Able to work under pressure and to meet deadlines
* Knowledge of primary care networks and collaborative ways of working
Experience
* At least two years post registration working in primary care, community or hospital pharmacy
* Experience/ awareness of the breadth of common acute and long-term conditions that are likely to be seen in a general medical practice
* Able to plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general pharmaceutical care programmes for patients across core areas, including disease states-long term conditions
* Experience of working under own direction in a patient focused environment
* Uses skills in a range of routine situations requiring analysis or comparison of a range of options
* Recognises priorities when problem-solving and identifies deviations from normal pattern and is able to refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate
* Involves patients in decisions about prescribed medicines and supporting adherence as per NICE guidelines
* Experience of working within a primary care environment
* Experience of EMIS
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.
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