Clinical Pharmacist
Job Description
Job summary
The post holder will work within practice in a multi-disciplinary environment in a patient facing role where they will have support, guidance, and mentoring from an experienced clinician.
This role requires the post holder to act within their own boundaries of professional practice and level of competency to assist in improving prescribing practice and patient care. This includes taking responsibility for areas of chronic disease management, reducing medicines waste, supporting the Direct Enhanced Service PCN prescribing agenda e.g. carrying out Structured Medication Reviews (SMRs) to proactively manage patients with complex polypharmacy, seeing patients for medication queries, assisting with prescribing related issues, enhancing prescription processes within the primary care team and delivering high quality improvement/patient safety interventions via the use of clinical audit.
The post holder will help patients get the most from their medication and core medicine optimisation activities whilst ensuring the safe and effective use of medicines across the network and working within defined protocols and guidance.
This role is pivotal to improving the quality of care and operational efficiencies so requires motivation and passion to deliver an excellent service within general practice.
Main duties of the job
KEY RESPONSIBILTIES
Consult with patients to support medicine optimisation and delivery.
Review patients who have long term conditions such as COPD, Asthma, Diabetes etc. to ensure medication is optimal, that patient compliance is high and where necessary to make recommendations for change to the GP team.
Undertake routine medication reviews for patients on repeat prescriptions, change/adapt medication and/or make recommendations where necessary to the GP team.
Consult with care homes regarding medication queries, ensure medication reviews of residents are up to date for existing & new residents.
Work with care home staff to ensure compliance of medicines safety in handling and administration.
Attend multi-disciplinary team meetings to discuss complex patients/palliative care/cancer diagnosis. Use medicines expertise to support team in making clinical decisions
Please see attached job description and person specification for more detailed information.
About us
Employed by Selby Prime Care Ltd but subcontracted to Selby Town PCN, this is a role to support patients across a large practice in Selby which is part of Selby Town PCN.
Posterngate Surgery has an exciting opportunity for a forward thinking Clinical Pharmacist to join our networks innovative pharmacy team. Located in the market town of Selby, North Yorkshire & with a diverse list size of more than 18,000 patients we are looking for a Clinical Pharmacist to join our practice team in order to improve care for our patients. Experience in primary care is preferred but not essential.
Job responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by the Clinical Pharmacist may include any or all the items in the attached job description.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Masters degree in Pharmacy (MPharm) or equivalent qualification.
- Current registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
- Willingness to undertake independent prescribing training if not already qualified.
- Evidence of ongoing professional development relevant to clinical pharmacy and primary care.
Desirable
- Postgraduate diploma, clinical pharmacy qualification or equivalent specialist training.
- Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society or other relevant professional body.
- Qualified Independent Prescriber.
- Completion of, or enrolment on, a recognised primary care pharmacy education pathway.
COMMUNICATION, IT AND ORGANISATIONAL SKILLS
Essential
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate sensitively with patients and professionally with colleagues.
- Ability to influence prescribing practice and support colleagues to implement evidence-based recommendations.
- Confident use of IT systems, clinical records and prescribing systems.
- Ability to prioritise workload, manage time effectively and meet deadlines.
- Ability to maintain accurate, timely and professional clinical records.
Desirable
- Experience delivering education, training or clinical updates to practice teams.
- Experience leading change across more than one practice or service.
- Experience using primary care clinical systems such as EMIS, SystmOne or equivalent.
- Experience managing competing clinical, administrative and project responsibilities.
- Experience producing reports, audits or prescribing performance summaries.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Essential
- Ability to recognise own limitations and seek advice or escalate appropriately.
- Commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and respectful care for all patients and colleagues.
- Ability to work flexibly to meet the needs of the practice or Primary Care Network.
- Willingness to undertake appropriate employment checks, including DBS clearance where required for the role.
Desirable
- Experience working within agreed clinical pathways, protocols or standard operating procedures.
- Experience supporting inclusive services or adapting communication to meet individual patient needs.
- Ability to travel between practice sites, care homes or community locations where required.
- Previous experience in a role requiring enhanced employment checks.
Experience
Essential
- Relevant post-registration experience as a pharmacist, with demonstrable clinical competence.
- Experience of reviewing medicines, identifying prescribing risks and supporting safe, effective and cost-conscious prescribing.
- Experience supporting patients with common long-term conditions managed in primary care.
- Experience working collaboratively with healthcare professionals to improve patient care.
- Understanding of audit, clinical governance and quality improvement principles.
Desirable
- Experience working in general practice, a Primary Care Network, community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy or integrated care setting.
- Experience conducting structured medication reviews for patients with polypharmacy or complex needs.
- Specialist experience in areas such as diabetes, respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, frailty or care homes.
- Experience working within a multidisciplinary primary care team.
- Experience leading audits, prescribing projects, service improvement work or quality and outcomes framework activity.
KNOWLEDGE AND CLINICAL SKILLS
Essential
- Broad clinical knowledge of therapeutics, evidence-based medicine and safe prescribing.
- Understanding of repeat prescribing, medicines reconciliation, medication review and prescribing safety systems.
- Ability to assess medication-related issues, identify risk and escalate appropriately to a GP or senior clinician.
- Ability to explain complex medicines information clearly to patients, carers and healthcare professionals.
- Knowledge of confidentiality, safeguarding, consent, equality and diversity, infection prevention and professional accountability.
Desirable
- Advanced knowledge of medicines optimisation within primary care.
- Knowledge of local prescribing formularies, shared care protocols and primary care medicines management processes.
- Experience providing patient-facing clinics, telephone consultations or care home reviews.
- Experience supporting behaviour change, adherence and shared decision-making.
- Experience contributing to significant event analysis, incident reporting or medicines safety initiatives.
PERSONAL QUALITIES AND BEHAVIOURS
Essential
- Commitment to delivering safe, compassionate, person-centred care.
- High level of integrity, accountability and commitment to professional standards.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- Flexible, proactive and able to respond positively to changing service needs.
- Ability to work under pressure while maintaining safe practice and professional judgement.
Desirable
- Demonstrable commitment to reducing health inequalities and improving access to care.
- Evidence of reflective practice and contribution to professional networks.
- Experience mentoring, supervising or supporting junior staff or trainees.
- Experience supporting service development or ...
