Primary Care Network Clinical Pharmacist

Ealing GP Federation; Greenford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A primary care facility in Scotland is seeking a Clinical Pharmacist to enhance medication management and support patients with chronic conditions. The role involves overseeing prescribing practices, conducting medication reviews, and ensuring compliance with health regulations. Ideal candidates will have Independent Prescriber status and strong clinical skills. This position offers opportunities for professional development and a collaborative team environment.

Benefits

NHS Pension Scheme

Supportive team environment

Opportunities for professional development

Qualifications

• Holds Independent Prescriber status and CPPE pathway completion.
• Demonstrates advanced clinical skills and prescribing competence.
• Utilizes evidence-based approaches in medication reviews.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and improve medication management within the primary care network.
• Conduct structured medication reviews for patients with chronic conditions.
• Promote safe prescribing practices and compliance with CQC standards.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Clinical pharmacy expertise

Problem-solving abilities

Patient-centered approach

Education

Independent Prescriber status

Postgraduate education in clinical pharmacy

Tools

ePACT

Electronic prescribing systems

Job description

Primary Care Network Clinical Pharmacist

Barnabas Medical Centre is recruiting an experienced and enthusiastic Clinical Pharmacist to join its dedicated team.

The appointed candidate will play a key role in delivering high-quality medicines optimisation and management services, particularly for patients with chronic conditions. They will also contribute to meeting both local and national enhanced service delivery targets, with a strong focus on improving patient outcomes.

Key responsibilities include:

• Supporting the implementation of robust clinical governance systems to ensure safe and effective patient care.
• Promoting safe prescribing practices and monitoring high-risk medications.
• Assisting in the management of long-term conditions and identifying potential missed diagnoses.
• Ensuring alignment with Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards.

Barnabas Medical Centre is seeking a motivated and passionate professional who thrives in a general practice setting and is committed to making a meaningful impact on patient care.

Benefits include:

• Access to the NHS Pension Scheme
• A supportive and collaborative team environment
• Opportunities for ongoing professional development

Interview Schedule: Interviews will be held in person during the week beginning 24th November 2025.

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply and become part of a forward-thinking practice dedicated to delivering outstanding healthcare.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing the repeat prescribing process across the practice, complementing the work of the existing clinical pharmacists within the primary care network. They will manage a designated cohort of patients who may have medication-related queries or require medication reviews, and will lead on designing and delivering a service tailored to meet those patients' specific needs.

In addition, the Clinical Pharmacist will conduct review clinics for patients with chronic conditions such as Asthma, COPD, Pre-Diabetes, Diabetes, Hypertension, and Heart Failure. These clinics may be delivered face-to-face, via telephone consultations, or through video calls.

The role also involves ensuring safe prescribing practices, monitoring high-risk medications, managing long-term conditions, and identifying potential missed diagnoses, all in line with Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards. This is a continuous process requiring ongoing vigilance and proactive management.

The post holder will also take the lead in implementing and managing MHRA and drug safety alerts and updates. By conducting appropriate searches, they will identify relevant patient cohorts within the network and ensure safe prescribing practices are upheld. They will also be responsible for promptly communicating any necessary updates or changes to the wider practice teams.

About us

Barnabas Medical Centre is part of the Northolt, Greenford and Perivale Primary Care Network (NGP PCN), a well-established group of 11 general practices working collaboratively to improve patient outcomes and deliver high-quality healthcare services. The network fosters strong professional relationships and promotes a supportive, team-oriented working environment.

Ealing GP Federation, which supports Barnabas Medical Centre and other practices within the PCN, operates as a subscription-based support service. Its aim is to provide coordinated, high-quality care to the local population, with a particular focus on improving health outcomes and reducing health inequalities across Ealing. The Federation enhances clinical work by offering access to shared resources, clinical expertise, and operational support.

Together, Ealing GP Federation and NGP PCN are committed to the professional development and well-being of their staff. They provide a robust infrastructure, access to ongoing training opportunities, and a workplace culture that values collaboration, continuous learning, and mutual support.

Job responsibilities

Key Dutiesand Responsibilities

1. Riskstratification

Design, develop and implement computer searches to identify cohorts of patients with chronic disease who need review and medicines optimisation.

Manage own case load. Do the necessary checks for QOF and Ealing Standard, entering the data correctly on the computer system. Implement improvements to the patients medication and prescribing independently where necessary.

3. Manage patients holistically

Where patients have more than one condition; reviewing co-morbidities in the same appointment and updating QOF and Ealing Standard as appropriate. Referring to other members of the Primary Health Care team and Secondary Care as necessary.

4. Medication reviews

Undertake structured medication reviews with patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy and implement own prescribing changes (as an independent prescriber) and order relevant monitoring tests. Provide a telephone support for patients with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines and deliver medicines reconciliation from secondary care recommendations.

5. Pathology

Request and manage the results for the cohort of patients under your care in a safe and timely way.

6. Medicines safety and quality improvement

Identify and provide leadership on areas of prescribing requiring improvement. Conduct own audits and improvement projects and work with colleagues. Present results and provide leadership on suggested change. Demonstrate continuous QI activity focused upon prescribing safety as specified in the QOF guidance. This work for example might include deliver against the prescribing indicators in the Impact Investment Fund (IIF). Contribute to national and local research initiatives.

7. Service development

Develop and manage new services that are built around new medicines or NICE guidance, where new medicine/recommendations allow the development of a new care pathway.

8. Care Quality Commission

Provide leadership to the practice manager and GPs to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved as part of the regulatory role of this position.

9. Meetings

Attend MDT, Network, Practice, ICB and Federation meetings as required. Being prepared to contribute to Network pharmacy issues as appropriate.

10. Oversight Network Pharmacy issues

In addition to a clinical specialism this role involves oversight of prescribing across the two network practices and requires the ability to prepare and present reports as required.

11. Relationships

To foster and maintain good relationships between, within and outside the Practices involved in the network.

12. Population and Public Health

To devise and manage population and public health campaigns to run within the network if required.

13. Medicines information to practice staff and patients

Answer all medicine related enquiries from GPs, other practice staff and patients with queries about medicines. Suggesting and recommending solutions. Providing follow up for patients to monitor the effect of any changes.

14. Flexibility

To understand that this is a new and evolving role which may change with the needs of the Network. To be willing to change and to facilitate change in others and the system to promote quality care.

15. Training

Provide education and training to primary healthcare team on therapeutics and medicines optimisation. Provide training to visiting medical, nursing and other healthcare students where appropriate.

16. Implementation of local and national guidelines and formulary recommendations

Monitor practice prescribing against the local health economies RAG list for medicines that should be prescribed by hospital doctors (red drugs) or subject to shared care (amber drugs). Liaise directly with hospital colleagues where prescribing needs to be returned to specialists. Assist practices in setting and maintaining a practice formulary that is hosted on the practice computer system.

Suggest and develop computer decision support tools to help remind prescribers about the agreed formulary choice and local recommendations. Auditing practices compliance against NICE technology assessment guidance. Provide newsletters on important prescribing messages to improve prescribers knowledge and work with the team to develop and implement other techniques known to influence implementation of evidence such as audit and feedback.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Holds Independent Prescriber status and has successfully completed the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) pathway, demonstrating advanced clinical skills and prescribing competence.
• Possesses excellent communication and consultation skills, both verbal (face-to-face and telephone) and written.
• Places patients and their families at the centre of all care decisions, ensuring a person-centred approach.
• Delivers clinics efficiently and within appropriate timeframes.
• Applies clinical knowledge to take comprehensive patient histories, perform clinical examinations, and identify common presentations and red flag treating or referring appropriately.
• Effectively prioritises workload and recognises personal limitations, referring to senior colleagues or GPs when necessary.
• Demonstrates strong problem-solving abilities and conveys complex or sensitive information in a clear and appropriate manner tailored to the audience.
• Has expert-level understanding of therapeutics and clinical pharmacy.
• Experienced in Level 3 reviews and the management of complex multimorbidity, polypharmacy, and medicines optimisation.
• Utilises evidence-based approaches in prescribing and medication reviews.
• Demonstrates expertise in managing long-term health conditions through structured reviews, care planning, lifestyle advice, monitoring, and optimisation.
• Maintains accurate, contemporaneous, and concise patient records.
• Proactively manages clinical risk and takes appropriate actions to minimise it.
• Proficient in using local clinical IT systems, including accessing patient data, running searches, interpreting pathology results, and understanding read codes.
• Understands and utilises prescribing data tools such as ePACT, applying insights to improve patient care and prescribing governance.
• Applies local prescribing policies, including red lists, ScriptSwitch, and shared care arrangements.
• Promotes safe and effective use of electronic prescribing systems.
• Engages in continuous professional development (CPD) and maintains a critically reflective practice.
• Understands the implications of medicines licensing, particularly regarding specials, liquids, medical devices, and appliances.
• Handles incidents and complaints with sensitivity, professionalism, and assertiveness.
• Respects equality and diversity and is familiar with whistleblowing procedures.
• Adheres to legal, ethical, professional, and organisational policies and practices.
• Demonstrates knowledge of governance and regulatory frameworks within primary care.
• Liaises effectively with colleagues across community pharmacy, ICB, secondary care, and private practice.
• Appropriately refers patients to other healthcare professionals when needed.
• Works collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams and engages with pharmacy professional bodies.
• Collaborates effectively with practice staff and recognises the roles of colleagues across the network in contributing to patient care.
• Utilises appropriate communication strategies to engage patients, senior and peer colleagues, and professionals from other NHS and private organisations, including NHS commissioners, NHS Trusts, and local Federations.
• Demonstrates a sound understanding of general practice and the role of GPs within the NHS.
• Identifies personal limitations and refers patients to more appropriate colleagues when necessary.
• Liaises with colleagues, including those from the Integrated Care Board (ICB), Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STP), and Integrated Care Systems (ICS), to ensure consistency in prescribing practices and patient care.
• Engages with Heads of Medicines Management/Optimisation and peer pharmacists for support and shared learning.
• Works collaboratively with GP practices within the network and neighbouring networks to enhance patient care.
• Possesses awareness and experience of managing a broad range of common acute and long-term conditions typically encountered in general practice.
• Has a minimum of two years post-graduate experience in pharmacy, evidenced through a professional portfolio.
• Capable of planning, managing, monitoring, advising, and reviewing pharmaceutical care programmes across core areas, including chronic disease management.
• Accountable for delivering professional expertise and direct patient services.
• Applies analytical skills in routine situations, comparing a range of options to determine appropriate actions.
• Prioritises effectively when problem-solving and refers to senior colleagues or GPs when necessary.
• Adheres to legal, ethical, professional, and organisational policies, procedures, and codes of conduct.
• Involves patients in decisions about their prescribed medicines and supports adherence in line with NICE guidelines.
• Understands the provision of services, clinics, and specialities within local areas and networks.
• Provides medicines information and training to colleagues and patients.
• Promotes effective use of skill mix within the team and works collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Manages workload under pressure and meets deadlines reliably.
• Takes accountability for their own practice.
• Maintains successful liaison with colleagues in community pharmacy, ICB, secondary care, and private practice.
• Refers appropriately to other healthcare professionals when needed.
• Actively engages with pharmacy professional bodies.
• Follows organisational policies and practices consistently.

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.