Job Description

Job Title:

Clinical Pharmacist

Line manager:

Pharmacy Team Lead

Accountable to:

Clinical Director & Management Team

Hours per week

: Full time / Part time

Salary:

Starting from 43'000 (Depending on experience) plus NHS Pensions

Number of vacancies:

Up to 1.0 WTE

Job Summary:

Andover PCN is looking for an enthusiastic clinical pharmacist, who'll be supporting and working alongside a team of pharmacists, using their experience and knowledge to be responsible for care of defined cohort(s) of patients. In this role they will be supported, managed and mentored by a senior clinical pharmacist from Andover PCN team, practice's clinical team and PCN's clinical directors.

The post holder will provide primary support to general practice staff with regards to prescription and medication queries. They will help support the repeat prescription system, deal with acute prescription requests, deliver medicines optimisation services and medicines reconciliation on transfer of care and systems for safer prescribing, providing expertise in clinical medicines advice while addressing both public and social care needs of patient in the GP practices within the PCN.

The post holder will be required to enrol in or has qualified from an approved 18-month Training pathway -: the General Practice Pharmacist Training Pathway from CPPE or equivalent that equips the Clinical Pharmacist to be able to practice and prescribe safely and effectively in a primary care setting.

Key Responsibilities

a. work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a patient facing role to clinically assess and treat patients using their expert knowledge of medicines for specific disease areas;

b. be a prescriber, or completing training to become prescribers, and work with and alongside the general practice team;

c. be responsible for the care management of patients with chronic diseases and undertake clinical medication reviews to proactively manage people with complex polypharmacy, especially the elderly, people in care homes, those with multiple co-morbidities (in particular frailty, COPD and asthma) and people with learning disabilities or autism (through STOMP - Stop Over Medication Programme);

d. provide specialist expertise in the use of medicines whilst helping to address both the public health and social care needs of patients at the PCN's practice(s) and to help in tackling inequalities;

e. provide leadership on person-centred medicines optimisation (including ensuring prescribers in the practice conserve antibiotics in line with local antimicrobial stewardship guidance) and quality improvement, whilst contributing to the quality and outcomes framework and enhanced services;

f. through structured medication reviews, support patients to take their medications to get the best from them, reduce waste and promote selfcare;

g. have a leadership role in supporting further integration of general practice with the wider healthcare teams (including community and hospital pharmacy) to help improve patient outcomes, ensure better access to healthcare and help manage general practice workload;

h. develop relationships and work closely with other pharmacy professionals across PCNs and the wider health and social care system;

i. take a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols, clinical research with medicines, liaison with specialist pharmacists (including mental health and reduction of inappropriate antipsychotic use in people with learning disabilities), liaison with community pharmacists and anticoagulation; and

j. be part of a professional clinical network and have access to appropriate clinical supervision. Appropriate clinical supervision means:

each clinical pharmacist must receive a minimum of one supervision session per month by a senior clinical pharmacist;

the senior clinical pharmacist must receive a minimum of one supervision session every three months by a GP clinical supervisor;

each clinical pharmacist will have access to an assigned GP clinical supervisor for support and development; and

a ratio of one senior clinical pharmacist to no more than five junior clinical pharmacists, with appropriate peer support and supervision in place.

Purpose of the job:

To contribute to improve health outcomes in long term conditions as a member of the multidisciplinary primary care team

To provide specialist knowledge and advice on pharmaceutical matters, including cost-effective prescribing and clinical guidelines for disease treatment, and to also provide evidence-based education and training for colleagues in partnership with the practice

To practice as an independent prescriber, holding face to face consultations

To provide advice and support for patients with self-limiting conditions

To work to improve communication about medication-related issues between the practice and other care providers

To lead on implementation of safe and efficient repeat prescribing systems

To fulfil the requirements of the PCN DES and

To provide structured medication reviews for care home patients and other patients specified in the PCN DES, and cooperation and collaboration with other PCN pharmacists and members to fulfil the DES requirements.

Attend and contribute to practice, PCN and CCG Clinical Meetings when relevant.

Analyse, interpret and present medicines data to highlight issues and risks to support decision making.

This job description is not exhaustive, and duties may vary with the requirements of the GP Practice.

Contributing to achievement of The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), The Investment and Impact Fund (IIF) indicators and locally commissioned quality improvement schemes.

Main tasks/overview of the role

Contribute to improved health outcomes in long term conditions:

Long term condition clinics - Lead on the medicines management of a cohort of patients (e.g. cardiovascular, frailty, pain, mental health). Has up to date knowledge of complex therapeutic and drug related issues within specialist area. Aim to review multiple long term conditions at same clinic visit to provide holistic care and improve patient experience. Support patients to manage their long term conditions. Medication review / medicines optimisation- Carry out face to face clinical medication reviews for patients on multiple medications for long term conditions. Review if prescribing is appropriate in line with current guidance, cost-effective and safe; identify unmet need, stop unnecessary/ineffective medicines. Quality and Outcomes Framework (QoF) - Contribute to achievement of QOF targets to improve health outcomes CHD risk reduction- Identify patients at high risk of chronic disease and provide advice/treatment to reduce risk Domiciliary visits- Identify and visit housebound patients who would benefit from a clinical medication review or a review of their LTC by a clinical pharmacist.

Provide specialist knowledge and advice on pharmaceutical matters:

Medical information queries - Answer medical information queries from GPs, Nurses, practice staff and patients. Education - Provide education on medicines related topics for GPs, Nurses, medical students, registrars. Evidence-based prescribing/ Clinical guidance - Review NICE and other evidence based guidance as it is issued, to evaluate any impact on medicines and prescribing. Undertake regular clinical audit to support implementation of clinical guidance across the practice. Provide regular education sessions for the clinicians at the practice to discuss audit results and agree an action plan for improving standards within clinical areas. Medicines unavailability - Provide advice on suitable alternative medications in the event of a medicine being unavailable. Cost effective prescribing - Encourage cost effective prescribing within the practice, including adherence to local formulary. Build good working relationships with local Medicines Management Team members New medicines - Provide education for the clinical team on new medicines Drug safety - Review all safety alerts (e.g. MHRA) and ensure any action required is undertaken Unplanned Emergency Admissions - Work with the practice team to help reduce medicines related emergency admissions by running regular searches to identify patients at risk of harm from their medicines. Review these patients to reduce the risk of harm.

Improve communication about medication-related issues between the practice and both the patient and other care providers:

Management of medicines related information at hospital admission - To review communication processes between practices/ hospitals/care homes/ community pharmacies at hospital admission to evaluate how this can be improved Management of medicines at discharge from hospital - To reconcile medicines following discharge from hospital/ intermediate care; identify and rectify unexplained changes, manage these changes without referral to the GP; perform a clinical mediation review; produce a post-discharge medicines care plan including dose titration and booking of follow-up test, and work 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). Medication changes from clinic appointments - Reconcile medication from clinic appointment correspondence, identifying any unexplained changes and rectifying these by communication with the secondary care provider. Ensure patients are fully aware of any changes and that a plan for monitoring/dose titration is in place. Community Pharmacy - Act as the practice lead contact for community pharmacy related projects and build effective working relationships. Hospital Pharmacy - Act as the practice lead contact for hospital pharmacy related projects and build effective working relationships. Care Homes - Ensure care home residents have an annual medication review by a clinical pharmacist. Any changes agreed with the patient and/or their representative should be communicated appropriately. Newly registered patients - To review medications for new patients, to ensure safe, cost-effective prescribing in line with practice/local prescribing policies.

To review medications for new patients, to ensure safe, cost-effective prescribing in line with practice/local prescribing policies:

Repeat prescribing system - To ensure the practice repeat prescribing system is safe, efficient and helps minimise waste. Medication monitoring - To provide specialist knowledge on medication monitoring and ensure a system for implementation is in place Prescription queries - To answer queries from administration staff regarding medication requests where appropriate to save GP time Reauthorisation of repeat medication / medication review - To re-authorise medication for future repeat prescribing within scope of competence as an independent prescriber. To work with practice staff to ensure a robust medication review policy Repeat dispensing- To identify patients suitable for repeat dispensing. Ensure this is implemented effectively by close working with patients, prescribers and community pharmacies. Prescribing for vulnerable patients- Review the prescribing of medication for vulnerable patients to ensure it is appropriate e.g. weekly prescriptions for at risk-patients, monitored dosage systems or alternative solutions to improve patient compliance

PLEASE NOTE:

we reserve the right to interview throughout the duration of the advertising period, and if a suitable candidate is found we may withdraw the advert prior to the published close date.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Permanent

Pay: From 43,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Company pension Employee discount Free flu jabs Health & wellbeing programme Store discount
Schedule:

Day shift Holidays Monday to Friday No weekends
Education:

Certificate of Higher Education (required)
Licence/Certification:

GPhC Pin (required)
Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 30/05/2025
Reference ID: Clinical Pharmacist - Andover PCN