PCN Clinical Pharmacist

The Methodist Church in Britain; West Alvington; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Support to train as a non-medical pres

Job summary

The Pharmacy Service of Drake Medical Alliance, a primary care network of five GP practices, is seeking a clinical pharmacist to work across all five surgeries. The core focus is medicines optimisation, including clinical medication reviews, home visits and reconciliation after hospital discharge, with flexible patterns available.

GPhC registration is required. The network will support training as a non-medical prescriber, enabling broader clinical roles across the practices.

Qualifications

• GPhC registration current and in good standing.
• Experience in general practice or primary care preferred.
• Familiarity with medicines optimisation and reconciliation processes.

Responsibilities

• Conduct clinical medication reviews in surgeries, care homes and patients' homes.
• Provide prescribing and monitoring recommendations to GPs.
• Reconcile medicines after hospital discharge.
• Lead patient-facing clinics and telephone help line for medicine questions.
• Collaborate with care home staff to improve medicines safety.
• Assist with medicines optimisation for long-term conditions.
• Review medicines linked to unplanned admissions; participate in audits.
• Attend multidisciplinary case conferences.
• Refer patients to appropriate healthcare professionals.
• Manage repeat prescribing reauthorisation and monitoring tests.
• Advise on repeat prescribing policy and new services with medicinal components.

Skills

Medicines optimisation

Clinical medication reviews

Primary care prescribing

Evidence-based practice

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Analytical skills

IT skills

Risk management

Education

Bachelor or Master of Pharmacy

Job description

The Pharmacy Service of Drake Medical Alliance, a primary care network of five GP practices, is seeking a clinical pharmacist to work in general practice. The core of the work is medicines optimisation: clinical medication reviews in surgeries, care homes and patients' homes, and reconciling medicines after hospital discharge. The role covers all five practices and focuses on patients with multiple conditions, older people and care home residents, with home visits and full-time, part-time or compressed-hour patterns advertised. GPhC registration is required, and the network will support the postholder to train as a non-medical prescriber.

What the job involves

• See patients with single or multiple medical problems where medicine optimisation is needed, reviewing ongoing need for medicines and monitoring, and recommending changes to senior pharmacists or GPs
• Undertake clinical medication reviews in surgeries, care homes and patients' homes, with prescribing and monitoring recommendations for GPs
• Work with care home staff to improve the safety of medicines ordering and administration
• Attend multidisciplinary case conferences and refer patients to them
• Review medicines most linked to unplanned admissions and readmissions, through audit and individual patient reviews
• Run patient-facing clinics and a telephone help line for patients' medicine questions and concerns
• Reconcile medicines after discharge from hospital, intermediate care and into care homes, rectifying unexplained changes with patients and community pharmacists
• Answer medicine-related enquiries from GPs, surgery staff and other healthcare teams, suggesting solutions and following up on changes
• Refer patients to the right healthcare professional and level of care within an appropriate time
• Manage repeat prescribing reauthorisation, flag medicines due for review and ensure monitoring tests are in place
• Advise on repeat prescribing policy within each PCN practice
• Advise on new services with medicinal components, including treatment pathways and patient information leaflets

What’s required

Qualifications

• Bachelor or Master of Pharmacy, and conformity with relevant standards of practice

Registration & licences

• Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council, up to date

Experience

• Breadth of common acute and long-term conditions seen in general practice
• Partnership and collaborative working across a variety of organisations

Skills & knowledge

• In-depth clinical and therapeutic knowledge, evidence-based healthcare and the wider determinants of health
• Understanding of primary care prescribing, rational prescribing and strategies to improve it
• Planning, managing and reviewing medicine optimisation for long-term conditions
• Obtaining and analysing complex technical information
• Identifying and resolving risk management issues according to policy and protocol
• Written and verbal communication, including difficult messages, negotiation and conflict management

Checks & eligibility

• DBS check meeting reference standards, with a clear criminal record under spent-convictions law
• Access to own transport and ability to travel across the locality regularly, including home visits

Other

• Self-directed, highly motivated, flexible and enthusiastic
• Team player able to work across boundaries
• Problem solving, and ability to motivate and influence others
• IT skills: word processing, email and internet, to create simple plans and reports

Nice to have

• Audit
• Research
• Project management
• Home visits
• Independent Prescribing qualification, held or in progress
• Clinical Certificate or Clinical Diploma in Primary Care and Community

What’s offered

• Support to train as a non-medical prescriber