PCN Clinical Pharmacist

The Confederation, Hillingdon CIC; Ruislip; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 59,000; Full time

Job summary

A community interest company in Ruislip is seeking a Clinical Pharmacist to join their team on a permanent contract. The role includes conducting clinical medication reviews, managing patient care, and collaborating with GPs. The ideal candidate is forward-thinking and has at least 2 years of experience as a pharmacist, along with an undergraduate degree in pharmacy. An independent prescribing qualification is a plus. The salary range is £46,000 to £59,000 annually depending on experience.

Qualifications

• Mandatory registration with General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Specialist knowledge acquired through postgraduate diploma level or equivalent training.
• Independent prescriber or intent of gaining an independent prescribing qualification.

Responsibilities

• Conduct clinical medication reviews with patients.
• Manage long-term conditions and promote self-care.
• Completing repeat prescribing re-authorisation processes.

Skills

Completion of an undergraduate degree in pharmacy

Minimum of 2 years experience as a pharmacist

Experience with common acute and long-term conditions

Independent prescribing qualification (not mandatory)

Ability to follow legal and ethical policies

Education

Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council

Postgraduate diploma level or equivalent training

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a forward thinking and motivated Clinical Pharmacist to join our Hayes & Harlington PCN on a permanent contract. This role will be based at Warren Medical Centre in Hayes.

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.

Main duties of the job

The post holder 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

The Confederation, Hillingdon CIC works with General Practice and other healthcare providers to deliver its vision for Hillingdon to deliver the best primary care outcomes for patients in the whole of London. We are a not for profit community interest company. The Confederation works to develop and support individual GP practices, PCNs and neighbourhoods and their changing needs. We deliver excellent clinical services ourselves both at scale and complementary to General Practice. We are the provider representative voice for local General Practice into the wider NHS and other Partners. We are independent, innovative and transformational.

The Confederation determines to develop as an attractive place to work, providing rewarding roles and opportunities to grow in order to attract and retain great staff that in turn delivers our vision.

Our Values:

• We work together to make a difference for patients
• We care enough to go the extra mile
• We support, trust, and empower
• We sincerely value each other
• We support Primary Care to own its destiny

Job responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities

• Patient facing Clinical Medication Review – Undertake clinical medication reviews with patients within the practice, care homes and/forth domiciliary visits to proactively manage polypharmacy and produce recommendations for senior clinical pharmacist, nurses and/or GP on prescribing and monitoring.
• 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 ongoing 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.
• 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.
• 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 re‑authorisation 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.
• 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.
• 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).
• Undertake clinical audits of prescribing in areas directed by the GPs, feedback the results and implement changes in conjunction with the relevant practice team.
• 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.
• Provide education and training to primary healthcare team on therapeutics and medicines optimisation.
• Work with the general practice team to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved.
• 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.
• Fosters and maintains 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 optimisation;
• 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.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Mandatory registration with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• Specialist knowledge acquired through postgraduate diploma level or equivalent training/experience.
• Independent prescriber or working towards/intent of gaining an independent prescribing qualification.

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.

£46,000 to £59,000 a year – dependent on experience