PCN Clinical PharmacistinUxbridgeinUxbridgePUBLISHED TUE 28 JAN 2025
Key functions of the position involve engaging with patients to optimize their medication use, reducing the risk of hospital admissions related to medications, and ensuring continuity of care post-discharge from hospitals. The pharmacist will also educate and train primary healthcare teams, participate in multidisciplinary teamwork, and contribute to quality improvement initiatives within the practice. Strong communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively as part of a team are essential for success in this role.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a forward thinking and motivated Clinical Pharmacist to join our Celandine & Metrocare PCN on a permanent contract.
The successful candidate will work across a number of practices developing this role closely supported by the GPs. They will be part of a group of Clinical Pharmacists under the guidance and supervision of a delegated clinical supervisor.
The role will suit a forward-thinking, innovative and enthusiastic clinical pharmacist who is able to work collaboratively across the team. If you are adaptable, self-motivated and organised, possessing the necessary qualities and skills for this post, we look forward to hearing from you.
The post holder will will work as part of a multidisciplinary team to develop and run processes for repeat prescription authorisation, management of medicines on transfer of care and systems for safer prescribing. They will work directly with patients to assess and treat conditions, manage long-term conditions as well as promote self-care.
Skills required:
- Completion of an undergraduate degree in pharmacy and registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
- Minimum of 2 years experience as a pharmacist
- Have experience and an awareness of common acute and long-term conditions that are likely to be seen in general practice
- Working towards or holding an independent prescribing qualification (not mandatory)
- 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 guidelines.
About us
Primary Responsibilities
Patient facing Clinical Medication Review
- Undertake clinical medication reviews with patients within the practice, care homes and/or domiciliary visit to proactively manage polypharmacy and produce recommendations for senior clinical pharmacist, nurses and/or GP on prescribing and monitoring.
Patient facing Long-term condition clinics
- See (where appropriate) patients with single or multiple medical problems where medicine optimisation is required (e.g. Respiratory, Cardiovascular and Diabetes).
- Clinics are done face to face, via telephone, home visits and in the future, possibly video consultations.
- The post holder will undertake clinics for patients or develop one to one relationships in order to de-prescribe where necessary or offer clinical leadership on medicines optimisation and quality improvement.
- Review the on-going need for each medicine, a review of monitoring needs and an opportunity to support patients with their medicine adherence ensuring they get the best use of their medicines (i.e. medicines optimisation). Make appropriate recommendations to GPs for medicine improvement.
Patient facing Care Home and Domiciliary Clinical Medication Reviews
- Undertake clinical medication reviews with patients and produce recommendations for clinicians on prescribing and monitoring. Work with care home staff to improve safety of medicines ordering and administration.
Management of common/minor/self-limiting ailments
- Managing caseload of patients with common/minor/self-limiting ailments while working within a scope of practice and limits of competence.
- Signposting to community pharmacy and referring to GPs or other healthcare professionals where appropriate
Medicines support
- Provide patient facing clinics and a telephone helpline for those with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines in the practice
Medicine information to practice staff and patients
- Answers relevant medicine-related enquiries from GPs, other practice staff, other healthcare teams (e.g. community pharmacy) and patients with queries about medicines.
- Suggesting and recommending solutions.
- Providing follow up for patients to monitor the effect of any changes
- Telephone medicines support
- Provide a telephone help line for patients with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines.
Helping tackle the issue of unplanned hospital admissions
- Review the use of medicines most commonly associated with unplanned hospital admissions and readmissions through audit and individual patient reviews.
- Put in place changes to reduce the prescribing of these medicines to high-risk patient groups.
Management of medicines at discharge from hospital
- To 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.
- Set up and manage systems to ensure continuity of medicines supply to high risk groups of patients (e.g. those with medicine compliance aids or those in Care Homes).
Signposting
- Ensure that patients are referred to the appropriate healthcare professional for the appropriate level of care within an appropriate period e.g. pathology results, common/minor ailments, acute conditions, long term condition reviews etc.
Repeat prescribing
- Produce and implement a repeat prescribing policy within each PCN practice. Manage the repeat prescribing reauthorisation process by reviewing patient requests for repeat prescriptions and reviewing medicines reaching review dates and flagging up those needing a review.
- Ensure patients have appropriate monitoring tests in place when required
Risk stratification
- Identification of cohorts of patients at high risk of harm from medicines through pre-prepared practice computer searches. This might include risks that are patient related, medicine related, or both.
Service development
- Contribute pharmaceutical advice for the development and implementation of new services that have medicinal components (e.g. advice on treatment pathways and patient information leaflets)
Medicines quality improvement
- Undertake clinical audits of prescribing in areas directed by the GPs, feedback the results and implement changes in conjunction with the relevant practice team.
Medicines safety
- Implement changes to medicines that result from MHRA alerts, product withdrawal and other local and national guidance.
- Auditing practices compliance against NICE technology assessment guidance.
Education and Training
- Provide education and training to primary healthcare team on therapeutics and medicines optimisation.
Care Quality Commission
- Work with the general practice team to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved.
Collaborative Working Relationships:
- Participates in the Primary Care Network Multidisciplinary Team
- Liaises with CCG colleagues including CCG pharmacists on prescribing related matters to ensure consistency of patient care and benefit in surgeries
- Foster and maintain strong links with all services across the PCN and neighbouring networks.
- Explores the potential for collaborative working and takes opportunities to initiate and sustain such relationships
- Recognises the roles of other colleagues within the organisation and their role to patient care
- Demonstrates use of appropriate communication to gain the co-operation of relevant stakeholders (including patients, senior and peer colleagues, and other professionals, other NHS/private organisations e.g. CCGs)
- Can recognise personal limitations and refer to more appropriate colleague(s) when necessary
- Demonstrates ability to integrate general practice with community and hospital pharmacy teams
- Liaises with other stakeholders as needed for the collective benefit of patients including but not limited to:
- Patients and their representatives
- GP, nurses and other practice staff
- Other healthcare professionals including social prescribers, first contact physiotherapists, physicians associates and paramedics
- Community pharmacists and support staff
- Other members of the medicines management (MM) team including pharmacists, technicians and dieticians
- Locality/GP prescribing lead
- Community nurses and other allied health professionals
- Hospital staff with responsibilities for prescribing and medicines optimization
- Community nurses and other allied health professionals
Professional Development:
- Work with your line manager to undertake continual personal and professional development, taking an active part in reviewing and developing the role and responsibilities
- Involved in one to one meetings with line manager monthly to discuss targets and outcomes achieved
- Adhere to organisational policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance, and health and safety
- Work with your line manager to access regular clinical supervision, to enable you to deal effectively with the difficult issues that people present
- Review yearly progress and develop clear plans to achieve results within priorities set by others
- Participate in the delivery of formal education programmes
- Demonstrate an understanding of current educational policies relevant to working areas of practice and keep up to date with relevant clinical practice
Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required
- Completion of an undergraduate degree in pharmacy and registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
- Minimum of 2 years experience as a pharmacist
- Have experience and an awareness of common acute and long-term conditions that are likely to be seen in general practice
- Working towards or holding an independent prescribing qualification (not mandatory)
- Recognises priorities when problem-solving and identifies deviations from normal pattern and can refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate
- Able to follow legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct
Education, Training and Development
- Understands and demonstrates the characteristics of a role model to members in the team and/or service
- Demonstrates self-development through continuous professional development activity
- Demonstrates an understanding of current educational policies relevant to working areas of practice and keeps up to date with relevant clinical practice
- Ensures appropriate clinical supervision is in place to support development
- Willing to enrol on CPPE pathway training programme for primary care
Leadership
- Demonstrate understanding of the pharmacy role in governance and is able to implement this appropriately within the workplace.
- Demonstrate understanding of, and contributes to, the workplace vision
- Demonstrates ability to improve quality within limitations of service
- Reviews yearly progress and develops clear plans to achieve results within priorities set by others.
- Demonstrate ability to motivate self to achieve goals
- Promotes diversity and equality in people management techniques and leads by example.
Special Working Conditions
- The post-holder is required to travel independently between practice sites (where applicable), and to attend meetings etc. hosted by other agencies.
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