Clinical Pharmacist inBexleyheath inBexleyheath PUBLISHED 15 DEC 2023

1. Please refer to the more detailed Job Description and Person Specification attached when applying for this position.
2. The Candidate will be expected to work closely with practice-based and PCN teams of Clinical Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians and the rest of the medical team to support individual practices and hence the PCN to achieve their QOF targets and other targets which involve prescribing using clinical protocols
3. The Candidate must :

• Manage chronic disease management, including titrating medications for diabetes / asthma / hypertension
• Provide expertise in clinical medicines reviews
• Address the public health and social needs of patients in GP practices
• Reduce inappropriate polypharmacy and wasteful prescribing through clinical medication review
• Contribute to reductions in medicine-related hospital admissions and readmissions by supporting patients to get the best outcomes from their medicines and identifying and addressing medicines-related issues
• Interface with community and hospital pharmacy colleagues and develop referral processes between primary care professionals including the promotion of the repeat dispensing service
• Manage the repeat prescribing re-authorisation process by reviewing requests for repeat prescriptions and medicines reaching review dates
• Manage patients and healthcare professionals medicine queries Increase quality and safety of prescribing through mechanisms such as audit and PDSA cycles
• Manage practice formularies to improve the quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness of prescribing Implement drug withdrawals and alerts e.g. MHRA aimed at improving medicines safety
• Work with primary care professionals and patients to implement NICE and other evidence-based guidelines
• Run clinics where medicines are the main interventions eg. hypertension, diabetes, asthma
• Contribute to multi morbidity reviews and multidisciplinary reviews
• Provide medicines information and training to Practice healthcare professionals and admin staff
• Review daily Pathology results for patients on known medicines
• Act as a source of medicines information for all of the practice team and patients (e.g. around doses, side effects, adverse events, possible alternatives e.g. around out of stocks)
• Undertake minor ailments triage: dealing with minor ailments and triaging patients appropriately

Core Responsibilities:

1. Working within the practice-based teams across Bexley Medical Group to undertake medication reviews particularly in high-risk groups such as:

• Frail elderly - Polypharmacy
• Heart Failure
• Long covid
• Patients on high-risk medicines
• Asthma
• Weight Management
• Post hospital discharge follow up

2. Improve prescribing practice through educational support for all prescribers within the practice

3. Lead on changes where the evidence requires changes in prescribing across patient population e.g. where a drug is withdrawn or indications change

4. Support improvements in clinical care through practice-based audit and implementing change

5. Prescribing advice to prescribers in practice e.g. temporary non availability of drugs

7. Ensure patient safety when they are transferred between care providers through reconciliation of prescribed medicines

Qualifications & Training

It is anticipated that the level of qualification held may vary according to the level of position and the components of the role being carried out

• Completion of an undergraduate degree in Pharmacy
• Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Have worked in general practice for at least 1 year.
• Minimum of 2 years post-graduate experience in pharmacy, as demonstrated within a practice portfolio or CPDs
• Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) or any other relevant Pharmaceutical Membership
• Have independent indemnity insurance
• Member of or working towards (through foundation) RPS or other relevant Pharmaceutical membership you may hold or be working towards a prescribing qualification
• May hold or be working towards a postgraduate pharmacy qualification
• Has an awareness of the breadth of common acute and long term conditions that are likely to be seen in a general medical practice
• Has already completed CPPE Clinical Pathway for Primary Care

Conduct, Competency & Skills:

• Demonstrates general pharmaceutical skills and knowledge in core areas
• Is able to plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general pharmaceutical care programmes for patients in core areas, including disease states / long term conditions identified by local Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment
• Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision as an individual
• Demonstrates ability to use 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 the normal pattern and is able to refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate
• Is able to follow legal, ethical, professional, and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct
• Involves patients in decisions about prescribed medicines and supporting adherence as per NICE guidance

Collaborative Working:

• Recognises the roles of other colleagues within the organisation and their role in patient care
• Demonstrates use of appropriate communication to gain the cooperation of relevant stakeholders (including patients, senior and peer colleagues, and other professionals, other NHS/private organisations)
• Demonstrates ability to work as a member of a team Is able to recognise personal limitations and refer to more appropriate colleague(s) when necessary
• Leadership:

• Demonstrates understanding of the pharmacy role in governance and is able to implement this appropriately within the workplace
• Demonstrates understanding of, and contributes to the workplace vision
• Demonstrates ability to improve quality within limitations of service
• Reviews last years progress and develops clear plans to achieve results within priorities set by others
• Demonstrates ability to motivate self to achieve goals

Management:

• Demonstrates understanding of the implications of national priorities for the team and/or service
• Demonstrates understanding of the process for effective resource utilisation
• Demonstrates understanding of, and conforms to, relevant standards of practice
• Demonstrates ability to identify and resolve risk management issues according to policy/protocol
• Follows professional and organisational policies/procedures relating to performance management
• Demonstrates ability to extend boundaries of service delivery within the team

Education, Training & Personal Development:

• Understands and demonstrates the characteristics of a role model to members of the team and/or service
• Demonstrates understanding of the mentorship process
• Demonstrates ability to conduct teaching and assessment effectively according to a learning plan with supervision from a more experienced colleague
• Demonstrates self-development through continuous professional development activity
• Participates in the delivery of formal education programmes
• Demonstrates an understanding of current educational policies relevant to working areas of practice and keeps up to date with relevant clinical practice

Research & Evaluation:

• Demonstrates ability to critically evaluate and review clinical literature
• Demonstrates ability to identify where there is a gap in the evidence base to support practice
• Demonstrates ability to generate evidence suitable for presentation at a local level
• Demonstrates ability to apply the research evidence base into working practice
• Demonstrates understanding of the principles of research governance
• Demonstrates ability to work as a member of the research team

1. Bexley Medical Group, part of North Bexley PCN (BHNC) is looking to engage a Clinical Pharmacist to join its multi-disciplinary team.
2. Bexley Medical Group is a group of 3 NHS GP Practices in the Bexleyheath, Bexley and Erith.
3. The candidate must

• be able to support the practice to achieve its QOF targets / and other practice targets which involve prescribing using clinical protocols.
• be able to manage chronic disease management, including titrating medications for diabetes / asthma / hypertension
• be able to provide expertise in clinical medicines reviews, and
• be able to address the public health and social needs of patients in GP practices
• be able to reduce inappropriate polypharmacy and wasteful prescribing through clinical medication reviews

• Demonstrates general pharmaceutical skills and knowledge in core areas
• Is able to plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general pharmaceutical care programmes for patients in core areas, including disease states / long term conditions identified by local Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment
• Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision as an individual
• Demonstrates ability to use their 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 the normal pattern and is able to refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate
• Is able to follow legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct
• Involves patients in decisions about prescribed medicines and supporting adherence as per NICE guidance