PCN Clinical Pharmacist

The Confederation, Hillingdon CIC; Ruislip, Greater London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The Confederation, Hillingdon CIC is seeking a full-time Clinical Pharmacist to join the North Connect PCN in Northwood on a permanent contract. Based at Carepoint Practice, the post involves working with GPs and a multidisciplinary team to optimise medicines and improve patient care.

You will undertake medicines management, conduct reviews, support transfer of care, and lead on medicines optimisation and safety.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in pharmacy and GPhC registration.
• Minimum of 2 years' pharmacist experience.
• Experience with medicines optimisation and transfer of care considerations.
• Awareness of common acute and chronic conditions in general practice.
• IP qualification pursued or held.

Responsibilities

• Develop and run repeat prescription authorisation processes.
• Manage medicines on transfer of care and safe prescribing.
• Conduct patient-facing clinics to assess and treat conditions.
• Support medicines optimisation and adherence.
• Collaborate with GPs and clinicians on prescribing decisions.

Skills

Pharmacy degree

GPhC registration

2+ years pharmacist experience

Independent prescribing

NICE guidelines knowledge

Patient centered communication

Education

Bachelor of Pharmacy

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a full-time forward thinking, motivated and experienced aClinical Pharmacist to join our North Connect PCN in Northwood on a permanent contract.

The role will be based at Carepoint Practice.

The successful candidate will work at Carepoint Practice 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 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
• - 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 GeneralPractice and other healthcare providers to deliver its vision for Hillingdonto deliver the best primary care outcomes for patients in the whole ofLondon. We are a not for profit community interest company. TheConfederation works to develop and support individual GP practices, PCNs andNeighbourhoods and their changing needs. We deliver excellent clinicalservices ourselves both at scale and complementary to General Practice.We are the provider representative voice for local General Practice into thewider NHS and other Partners. We are of the NHS but independent,innovative and transformational.

The Confederation determines to develop as an attractiveplace to work, providing rewarding roles and opportunities to grow in order toattract 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/or domiciliary visit 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 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
• - 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
• - 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.

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