Clinical Pharmacist - Frailty Service

NHS; North East; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity for a Clinical Pharmacist to support frail, housebound patients across Easington and Sedgefield. This role involves delivering proactive, person-centred care, optimizing medication therapies, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to enhance patient outcomes.

Qualifications

• Strong clinical knowledge with experience in elderly care or medicines optimisation.
• Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
• Ability to travel within Easington & Sedgefield.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive clinical medication reviews.
• Provide specialist advice on medicines use and interactions.
• Support service development and quality improvement initiatives.

Skills

Clinical knowledge

Communication

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Education

GPhC Registered Pharmacist

MPharm or equivalent degree

Tools

SystmOne

Job description

An exciting opportunity has become available for a ClinicalPharmacist to work in a new integrated community-based service supporting thefrail housebound population across Easington and Sedgefield. This is a chanceto play a key role in shaping and delivering proactive care to patients inpartnership with local stakeholders. The proactive service will be launching inthe upcoming months, it is designed to bring joined-up, multidisciplinary careto patients. The post holder will be a key role in supporting the safe,effective, and person-centred use of medicines across community settings foradults living with frailty.

Main duties of the job

• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary team, GPs, community pharmacies, therapists and adult social care to optimise patient care.
• Conduct comprehensive clinical medication reviews, ensuring safe, evidence-based, and cost-effective prescribing.
• Provide specialist advice on medicines use, drug interactions, and therapeutic options to both patients and healthcare professionals.
• Support the development and implementation of local and national medicines-related policies (e.g. NICE guidance).
• Lead on the identification and reduction of medicines-related risks.
• Communicate complex, sensitive information clearly to patients and carers, offering reassurance and support.
• Contribute to education, training and supervision of pharmacy learners and other healthcare staff.
• Participate in service development, quality improvement initiatives, and prescribing audits.
• Act as a key resource for up-to-date medicines information and guidance within the team.

About You:

• Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• Strong clinical knowledge with experience in elderly care, frailty, or medicines optimisation
• Excellent communication, critical appraisal, and organisational skills
• Able to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Competent in using digital systems and producing high-quality clinical documentation
• Willing and able to travel across Easington & Sedgefield as required

About us

South Durham Health CiC is the managing agent for the 5primary care networks (PCNs) in the Sedgefield and Easington localities. Wealso hold a number of NHS contracts providing additional services to ourpatient populations. We serve a combined patient population of 204,554 across21 practices.

We are early adopters of the Integrated Neighbourhood Teamstrategy and have already developed 2 Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs)aligned to our future work against NHS key strategies.

Job responsibilities

DUTIES &RESPONSIBILITIES

Communication

To establish effectiveworking relationships with multidisciplinary frailty teams and patients, theirfamilies and carers.

To establish effective working relationshipswith adult social care management, general practitioners, community nursingteams, community pharmacies and any other service involved in the patient care,to deliver a patient/carer centred service and support the strategic objectivesof our frailty services delivery model.

The post holder will be expected to developand communicate to a multi-disciplinary team: cost effectiveprescribing, therapeutically appropriate and evidence based prescribingmessages.

To interpret complex clinical information andprovide specialist evidence-based advice/information to patients, cliniciansand the primary care health team. Advice may be highly complex or controversialderived from different or conflicting sources such as clinicaltrial data versus drug company information.

Communicating complex, sensitive information effectivelyto parents/carers (on a one-to-one basis) to ensure the correct, safe efficientuse of medicines. This communication requires tact and empathy and must be in aform appropriate for patients/carers. Information regarding medicines may becomplicated; the patient/carer may not understand some of the terminology, soit is essential to communicate at a level suitable for them to comprehend.

Reassurance skills and agreement tocooperation are essential to overcome any barriers to understanding, sincethese patients may be concerned or unhappy about change or worried aboutaspects of drug therapy/their medical condition.

Being a first contact for any queriesregarding patients medication, this may involve handling sensitive issues withrespect to prescribing or dispensing errors.

The post holder should be able to identifybarriers to communication and be able to adapt behaviour in response to theneeds of the individual.

Interpretation of therapeutic information andtranslation into policies and guidance for clinical and nonclinical staff.

Discuss complex and sensitive informationwith patients during medication reviews, including, medical histories, andlifestyle and personal circumstances. This may include highly complex clinicalinformation.

Discuss identified prescribing issues withprescribers and non-medical prescribers, give specialist prescribing advice onindividual patient issues.

Influence and implement change in prescribingthrough discussion and advice. Communicate complex clinical evidence effectively.This may include delivering controversial information and challenging currentpractice. This will involve negotiation, persuasion and influencing prescribers and non-medicalprescribers.

The clinical pharmacist is required to workindependently within their objectives and the organisational priorities, and asa team member to deliver a multidisciplinary patient centered service.

Providing highly specialised advice anddrug/medicine related information to patients and healthcare professionals onappropriate treatment, dosages, interactions and possible side effects ofdrugs.

AnalyticalTasks

Review and optimise drug therapy for patientsseen across our frailty services. The post holder will assess theappropriateness of therapy, ensure relevant clinical monitoring, assess foradverse drug reactions and drugs likely to contribute to falls etc. in thiselderly population. Making judgement in situations that involve highly complexfacts that may contain conflicting information. Expert opinion will differ, and someinformation may be unavailable. There will be a broad range of options toconsider before a decision is made.

Assessment of specialist clinical conditionsand review of medication in line with NICE guidance, local prescribing policiesand information from a variety of professional bodies. This can involve a needto study and evaluate complex scientic papers and clinical trials to ensurethat the drugs prescribed are based on the best evidence available for effectivenessand safety.

Critically evaluate treatment guidelinesusing knowledge of principles of evidence-based medicine.

Critical appraisal skills range of skillsin analysing, interpreting comparing and contrasting factual information.Critical appraisal of published evidence on drugs, balanced with nancialinformation from prescribing data to advise prescribers regarding safe and costeffective prescribing.

Planning andOrganisational Skills

To collect,monitor and support the Medicines Service/Operational teams to achieve theagreed strategic outcomes to measure the success of the service provided.

Planning, prioritisingand organising a broad range of complex activities e.g. medication reviewclinics, attending meetings, and multidisciplinary meetings.

Planning andreviewing own workload; requires high level of self-motivation and use ofinitiative.

Organiseonward referral of patients where appropriate.

Organisetraining sessions and meetings locally and across the Easington &Sedgefield

PhysicalSkills

Be able todemonstrate and explain complex devices to patients including medical devicesand compliance aids.

Highlydeveloped physical skills required where accuracy is important.

Ability totravel extensively within the geographical area.

Be computerliterate and have satisfactory keyboard skills.

Ability topay attention to detail.

Ability tomanoeuvre large quantities of written material, laptop and related equipment.

Responsibilityfor Patient Care

To lead, develop and implement medicinesoptimisation clinical guidelines to ensure the safe and effective useof medicines within the organisation.

To act as the medicines expert when workingin multidisciplinary teams, utilise clinical skills to undertakepatient-centered clinical medication reviews.

To be sensitive to patients needs in respectto the choice and use of medicines.

Provide specialist clinical/pharmaceuticaladvice, explanation and reassurance to patients through face to face,telephone, video and written communication when changes in prescribing are madeto a patients medication regimen.

Provide highly complex and specialisedclinical advice to primary care healthcare professionals on risk managementprocesses relating to controlled drugs, drug adverse events.

To support and make recommendations on theimplementation of local and national policy e.g. NICE and a local jointformulary.

Keep abreast of current drug safety advice;ensure that relevant guidance is circulated to appropriate health careprofessionals in a timely fashion.

Provide specialist advice and supportregarding necessary action required.

Respond to medicine related queries frompatients, carers, medical staffand other healthcareprofessionals and provide appropriate pharmaceutical advice in order to ensurethe appropriate use of medicines.

To become a core member of themultidisciplinary team.

To be available as a knowledge resource forcommunity staff regarding pharmaceutical queries.

Policy and Service Development Implementation

To supportand make recommendations on the implementation of local and national policye.g. NICE and the local joint formulary.

Formulatelocal prescribing guidance through interpretation of national policy/guidance.

Develop,lead and support national NHSE strategies e.g. medicines management policies.

Identify anddevelop potential service developments to meet the needs of the population ofpatients within our frailty services. Make recommendations to the seniormanagement team and board.

Responsibilitiesfor Financial and Physical Resources

Calculateand monitor the potential savings for the service on implementation ofmedicines management strategies.

Makerecommendations and provide advice to services to facilitate the management ofdrugs budget.

Responsibilitiesfor Human Resources

Supervise/teachstudents or pre-registration pharmacists working for the organisation.

Maintain andplan own professional accreditation and CPD as required by the GeneralPharmaceutical Council to maintain specialist knowledge.

Design anddeliver where necessary training for other primary health care sta.

Responsibilitiesfor Information Resources

Recordpersonally generated clinical information - record medication reviews andchanges to medication/prescriptions on computer and in patient notes, summarisedrug information, write information leaflets and training packages, summariserelevant clinical information and use appropriate read codes for the clinicalsystem.

Support thedevelopment and implementation of policies, protocols and procedures within theorganisation.

Summarisecomplex medicines information to discuss with patients and prescribers andother members of the healthcare team.

Liaise withmedical information departments and feeding back to patients or healthcareprofessionals.

Preparationand analysis of data relating to prescribing.

Formulationof pharmaceutical care plans.

Formulationof training packages and resources.

Responsibilitiesfor Research and Development

Design andundertake audits of prescribing data; collection of information, review, reportand implement change, which may have an outreaching impact on prescribinghabits and inuence the care of patients.

Conducts andsupports research projects conducted across the organisation, relating toprescribing and medicines management issues.

Developsinitiatives that result in the effective use of resources, leading to improvedpatient care and a more efficient service.

Reviewingand appraising literature that impacts upon practice on a frequent basis. Thisliterature will be published in a variety of professional journals and some maybe prompted by the pharmaceutical industry.

Person Specification

Knowledge

• Able to apply clinical knowledge appropriately in a variety of practice settings, patient groups and notably within a patients home.
• Understanding the current national policies and legislation relating to medicines.
• Thorough working knowledge and understanding of primary care, polypharmacy and medicines management issues.
• Good analytical and decision-making skills around medicines information.
• Familiarity with SystmOne and other GP computer systems.

Personal Attributes

• Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills. The ability to adapt these in both a professional and patient centered environment.
• Experience of persuasive, motivational, negotiating and training skills.
• Ability to prioritise and work to tight deadlines.
• Professional attitude.
• Able to work well alone or as a member of a team.
• Able to work with minimal guidance and set targets and standards for self within the parameters of the role.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Self-motivated, positive and enthusiastic.
• Ability to commute within geographical area as well as attending regional/national meetings using an appropriate means of transport.

Qualifications

• GPhC Registered Pharmacist
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
• Post-graduate training in clinical or pharmacy practice to diploma level or working towards a diploma level qualification or able to demonstrate equivalent experience.
• Masters degree Pharmacy (MPharm) or equivalent pre 2000 qualification) plus one years pre-registration training
• Member of a professional organisation e.g. RPS

Experience

• Clinical experience of conducting medication reviews
• Ability to successfully implement change (e.g. working in a multi- disciplinary team)
• Experience of influencing others through the use of evidence-based medicine
• Experience of working on projects where post holder uses own initiative and manages own timescales
• Experience of whole team working, and MDT centered around the patient participation
• Experience of conducting evidence-based review of literature and/or journal articles

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Depending on experience£47,810 to £54,000 (pro rata if part time)