Job summary
Are you looking for a new challenge in Primary Care? The Chesterfieldand Dronfield Primary Care Network (PCN) are looking for a Clinical Pharmacist to join their dedicated and growing pharmacy team to deliver a clinical pharmacyservice at a PCN and practice level. This is an evolving clinical role withhuge scope for professional development. Now is an exciting time to be joiningprimary care!
The ideal candidate will be a registered pharmacist with primary careexperience who is looking to progress to become an independent prescriber. Weare looking for an individual who is dynamic, committed to improving patientcare and are passionate about clinical pharmacy. The candidate must be able to workeffectively as part of a diverse practice team and work towards the PCN visionand values. Although prior experience in General Practice would be anadvantage, pharmacists transferring from other sectors will be supported by ateam of senior clinical pharmacists to develop as an experienced primary carepharmacist.
PleaseNote: We are not an Agenda for Change organisation.
Interviews will take place from on Thursday 23 May 2024. Interviews will be held face to face at Dunston Innovation Centre, Dunston Road, Chesterfield, S41 8NG.
Main duties of the job
Whilst being part of the PCN pharmacy team you will be based in the East neighbourhood (Brimington Surgery), helping to deliver the PCN Direct Enhanced Service(DES).
The post holder will be expected to:
1. Perform structured medicationreviews (SMRs) to proactively manage patients with complex polypharmacy andcare home residents.
2. Be involved in the managementof long-term conditions.
3. Assist with the practices'medication related workload.
Benefits of working for us:
We offer a comprehensive package which includes:
4. A competitive pay progression structure
5. NHS Pension with employer contributions
6. On appointment 27 days plus 8 Bank Holiday entitlement which rises annually with length of service up to 33 days (pro rata for part time staff)
7. Full support to help develop professional and training needs CPPE pathway and IP courses
8. Entitlement of up to 5 days professional and study leave per annum, pro rata.
9. Access to Well-Being Support
10. Blue light Card Discount
About us
The Chesterfield and Dronfield PCN, formed by 10 member practices, is oneof the largest Primary Care Networks in the UK and covers circa 100,000patients in North Derbyshire. We are an established and growing team ofpharmacists who are innovative and committed to delivering high quality carefor our patients. We are seeking pharmacists to play a key role in deliveringthe PCN agenda and to expand the role of clinical pharmacists within primarycare.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key duties and responsibilities
1. Patient facing medicinessupport
Hold clinics for patients requiring medication reviews areview of the ongoing need for each medicine, a review of monitoring needs andan opportunity to support patients with their medicine taking. Provide atelephone support for patients with questions, queries and concerns about theirmedicines.
2. Structured Medication Reviews(SMRs)
Undertake structured medication reviews with patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy and produce recommendations for seniorclinical pharmacist, nurses and/or GP on prescribing and monitoring.
3. Care home structured medicationreviews
Undertake clinical medicationreviews with patients and produce recommendations for the senior clinicalpharmacist, nurses or GPs on prescribing and monitoring. Work with care homestaff to improve safety of medicines ordering and administration.
4. Long-term condition Clinics
See (where appropriate) patientswith single or multiple medical problems where medicine optimisation isrequired ( Respiratory, Cardiovascular and Diabetes). Review the on-goingneedfor each medicine, a review ofmonitoring needs and an opportunity to support patients with their medicines taking ensuring they getthe best use of their medicines ( medicines optimisation). Make appropriaterecommendations to Senior Pharmacists or GPs for medicine improvement.
5.Patient facing Domiciliary Structured Medication Reviews
Undertake clinical medicationreviews with patients and produce recommendations for the senior clinical pharmacists,nurses and GPs on prescribing and monitoring. Attend and refer patients tomultidisciplinary case conferences.
6. Risk stratification
Identification of cohorts ofpatients at high risk of harm from medicines through pre-prepared practicecomputer searches. This might include risks that are patient related, medicinerelated, or both.
7. Unplanned hospital admissions
Review the use of medicines most commonly associated withunplanned hospital admissions and readmissions through audit and individualpatient reviews. Put in place changes to reduce the prescribing of thesemedicines to high-risk patient groups.
8. Management of medicines atdischarge from hospital
To reconcile medicines followingdischarge from hospitals, intermediate care and into care Homes, includingidentifying and rectifying unexplained changes and working with patients andcommunity pharmacists to ensure patients receive the medicines they need postdischarge. Set up and manage systems to ensure continuity of medicines supplyto high-risk groups of patients ( those with medicine compliance aids orthose in Care Homes).
9. Medicine information topractice staff and patients
Answers relevant medicine-relatedenquiries from GPs, other network staff, other healthcare teams( community pharmacy) andpatients with queries about medicines. Suggesting and recommending solutions.Providing follow up for patients to monitor the effect of any changes.
10. Signposting
Ensure that patients are referredto the appropriate healthcare professional for the appropriate level of carewithin an appropriate time period pathology results, common/minorailments, acute
conditions, long term conditionreviews etc.
11. Repeat prescribing
Manage the repeat prescribingreauthorisation process by reviewing patient requests for repeat prescriptionsand reviewing medicines reaching review dates and flagging up those needing areview. Ensure patients have appropriate monitoring tests in place whenrequired.
12. Service development
Contribute pharmaceutical advicefor the development and implementation of new services that have medicinalcomponents ( advice on treatment pathways and patient informationleaflets).
13. Information management
Analyse, interpret and present medicines data to highlight issuesand risks to support decision making.
14. Medicines quality improvement
Undertake clinical audits ofprescribing in areas directed by the GPs and the PCN team, feedback the resultsand implement changes in conjunction with the relevant practice team.
15. Medicines safety
Implement changes to medicinesthat result from MHRA alerts, product withdrawal and other local and nationalguidance.
16. Implementation of local andnational guidelines and formulary recommendations
Monitor practice prescribing against the local health economysRAG list and make recommendations to GPs for medicines that should beprescribed by hospital doctors (red drugs) or subject to shared care (amberdrugs). Assist practices in seeing and maintaining a practice formulary that ishosted on each practices computer system.Auditing practices complianceagainst NICE technology assessment guidance. Provide newsletters or bulletins on important prescribing messages.
17. Education and Training
Provide education and training toprimary healthcare team on therapeutics and medicines optimisation.
18. Care Quality Commission
Work with the general practiceteams to ensure the practices are compliant with CQC standards where medicinesare involved.
19. Public health
To support public healthcampaigns. To provide specialist knowledge on all public health programmesavailable to the general public.
20. Collaborative workingarrangements
Participate in the PCN MDT.
Liaise with CCG colleaguesincluding CCG pharmacists on prescribing related matters to ensure consistencyof patient care and benefit.
Liaise with colleagues including RoyalPrimary Care, CCG,STP/ICS Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians onprescribing related matters toensure consistency of patient care and benefitLiaise with colleagues including CCG,STP/ICS Pharmacists andPharmacy Technicians Heads ofMedicines Management/Optimisationto benefit from peer and maintain strong linkswith all services across the PCN and neighbouring networks. Explore thepotential for collaborative working and takes opportunities to initiate andsustain such relationships.
Liaise with other stakeholders as needed for the collectivebenefit of patients
Professionaldevelopment
Work with your line manager to undertakecontinual personal and professional development, taking an active part inreviewing and developing the role and responsibilities.
Adhere to organisational policies andprocedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, informationgovernance, and health and safety.
Work with your line manager to access regular clinicalsupervision, to enable you to deal
effectively with the difficultissues that people present.
Reviewyearly progress and develop clear plans to achieve results within prioritiesset by others.
Participate in the delivery offormal education programmes.
Demonstrate an understanding of currenteducational policies relevant to working areas of practice and keep up to datewith relevant clinical practice.
Researchand Evaluation
Critically evaluate and review literature.
Identifywhere there is a gap in the evidence base to support practice.
Generate evidence suitable for presentationsat practice and local level.
Applyresearch evidence base into the workplace.
Healthand Safety/Risk Management
Must comply at all times with the Health andSafety policies, in particular following safe working procedures and reportingincidents using the organisations Incident Reporting Systems
Complywith the Data Protection Act (2018) and the Access to Health Records Act(1990).
Equalityand Diversity
The post-holder must co-operate with all policiesand procedures designed to ensure equality of employment. Co-workers, patientsand visitors must be treated equally irrespective of gender, ethnic origin,age, disability, sexual orientation, religion etc
Respectfor Patient Confidentiality
The post-holder should respectpatient confidentiality at all timesand not divulgepatient information unless sanctioned by the requirements of the role.
Specialworking conditions
The post holder is required to travelindependently between work sites and to attend meetings etc hosted by otheragencies.
Miscellaneous
Work as part of the team to seek feedback,continually improve the service and contribute to business planning.
Undertake any tasks consistent with the levelof the post and the scope of the role, ensuring that work is delivered in atimely and effective manner.
Duties may vary from time to time, withoutchanging the general character of the post or the level of responsibility.
Person Specification
Other
Essential
11. Adaptable
12. Self Motivated
13. Able to recognise personal limitations and refer to more appropriate colleagues when appropriate
14. Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals
15. Appropriate Immunisation Status
16. Access to own transport and ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis, including to visit people in their own homes
17. Meets DBS reference standards and has a clear criminal record, in line with the law on spent convictions
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
18. Excellent Interpersonal, influencing & negotiating skills
19. Excellent verbal & written communication skills
20. Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to various audiences ( patients)
21. Able to plan, manage, monitor, advise & review general medicines optimisation issues in core areas for long term conditions (LTCs)
22. Good IT communication skills
23. Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails & internet to produce simple plans and reports
24. Able to obtain and analyse complex technical information
25. Recognises priorities when problem solving and identifies deviations from the normal pattern and able to refer to Leads or GPs when appropriate
26. Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines
27. Produce timely & informative reports
28. Gain acceptance for recommendations and influence/motivate/persuade audience to comply with recommendations/agreed course of action where there may be significant barriers
29. Understand the systems of research governance
30. Work effectively independently and as a team member
Desirable
31. Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision
32. Experience of collaborative working and building relationships across a variety of organisations
Qualifications
Essential
33. Mandatory registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
34. Demonstrates understanding of, and conforms to, relevant standards of practice
35. Follows professional & organisational policies/procedures relating to performance management
Desirable
36. Foundation training in primary care
37. Clinical Diploma
38. Independent Prescribing or currently working towards qualification
39. Minimum of 2 years post qualification experience
40. Membership Primary Care Pharmacists Association
41. Membership Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Experience
Essential
42. In depth therapeutic & clinical knowledge and an understanding of evidence based healthcare
43. An appreciation of GPs and General Practice environment
44. Experience and/or awareness of common acute and long term conditions that are likely to be seen in general practice
Desirable
45. Experience of working in Primary Care