Clinical Pharmacist

Job summary

Join Our Team as a Clinical Pharmacist at Waterloo House Surgery

Cumbria Health is offering an excellent opportunity for a motivated and enthusiastic Clinical Pharmacist to join our small, friendly team at Waterloo House Surgery , located in the heart of Millom.

In this role, you'll be part of an organisation dedicated to providing outstanding patient care and making a positive difference to the health and wellbeing of our community.

The Role:

Part-time hours: 15 hours per week Flexible working pattern: To be agreed during the interview process Working hours: Between 08:00 and 18:30

Holding a prescriber qualification would be beneficial, but for the right candidate, we are happy to support training and development in this area.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work in a supportive environment where you can make a real impact on patient care.

Closing Date: Sunday, 08 December 2024

Main duties of the job

Working within your clinical competencies to provide specialist pharmaceutical support, including working with members of the wider healthcare team, to improve care and support safe and effective prescribing.

The role will have a patient facing element either face-to-face or telephone - including chronic disease management, repeat prescription management and structured medication reviews. This will also include the management and review of patients with polypharmacy.

You will need to be proactively involved in quality improvement and audit as well as managing some aspects of the Quality and Outcomes Framework. You will be supported to help develop the role and work to improve the care and outcomes for our patients.

All staff are expected to work to Cumbria Health Values:

Clinically focused - Our patients are at the heart of all we do Responsive - We listen and respond together One Team - Working together through strong partnerships Growth & Sustainability - With our strong roots we will continue to thrive and grow Communities - Connecting with communities to meet local needs High Standards - We strive for excellence in all that we do.

About us

Cumbria Health Limited - CHL places the patient, their family and their community at the heart of everything we do. We are an award-winning organisation, the first out-of-hours organisation in the country to be rated as outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

We provide primary health care services, both in and out of hours, across Cumbria. We are values-driven and place great emphasis on inclusivity and the wellbeing and development of our staff, while striving to provide a consistently high-quality service. Our service is designed to improve health and wellbeing.

Working for CHL can offer flexible opportunities in terms of location, hours and working patterns so you can enjoy a great work life balance. In order to provide the best patient care we understand the importance of ensuring staff satisfaction and are consistently trying to ensure we offer our staff a positive working environment whether that be though training or social events.

Listen to your heart. Have the work life balance you'd love.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical medication reviews for patients with single or multiple long-term conditions where medicines optimisation is required

Reconcile medicines following discharge from hospitals or intermediate care and working with patients and community pharmacists to ensure patients receive the medicines they need post-discharge and to reduce risk of readmission.

To be involved in multidisciplinary clinical meetings within the practice where appropriate

Manage repeat prescription requests, resolving queries where possible within scope of practice. To ensure patients have appropriate monitoring tests in place when required.

Implement changes to medicines in line with MHRA alerts, product withdrawal or shortage and other local or national guidance

To maintain full and complete records of all patient contacts using appropriate clinical templates and coding

To undertake a proactive role in audit and quality improvement implementing recommendations where appropriate.

Provide independent information to patients with regard to medicines and prescribing changes, initiating further support from other healthcare professionals where appropriate Participate in review and setting of policies relating to medicines management and prescribing and help ensure practices prescribe in accordance with local guidelines and formulary

To identify areas of clinical risk at practice level and make recommendations to support the introduction of new working practices that will optimise the quality of prescribing and make more efficient use of network resources.

To monitor practices prescribing against the local health economy and make recommendations for GPs or amend within scope of practice, based on findings.

To maintain own clinical and professional competence and be responsible for own continuous professional development

Work with practice to ensure full compliance with Care Quality Commission standards for safe and effective care

Working Relationships:

Patients and carers where appropriate

GPs, nurses and other practice staff including practice pharmacists

GP prescribing leads

CCG pharmacists and medicines management team

Secondary Care and interface Pharmacists

Community Nurses and other allied health professionals

Community Pharmacists and support staff

Confidentiality:

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately

In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, Practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the Practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential

Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the Practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the Practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data

Health and Safety:

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health & Safety Policy, to include:

Using personal security systems within the workplace according to Practice guidelines

Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks

Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills

Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards

Reporting potential risks identified

Equality and Diversity:

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Practice procedures and policies, and current legislation

Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues

Behaving in a manner that is welcoming to the individual, is non-judgmental, and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/professional Development:

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development

The completion of all Blue Stream training identified as relevant to the role.

Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work

Track and record evidence of their experience against the national competency framework

Quality:

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, and will:

Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk

Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision

Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance

Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs

Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

Communication:

The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

Communicate effectively with other team members

Communicate effectively with patients and carers

Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patient needs

Contribution to the Implementation of Services:

Apply Practice policies, standards and guidance

Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work

Participate in audit where appropriate

Immunisation:

Due to exposure to patients and potential risks that presents it will be a requirement of the postholder to have / have had the following immunisations:

Influenza

COVID in line with national guidance

Hepatitis B

This is not an exhaustive description of your job you may be required, from time to time, to fulfill other tasks within your capabilities and commensurate with the post.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

At least 6 months post registration experience of working in the health service. Demonstrable patient assessment skills. Experience of working in multi-disciplinary teams. Experience of medication reviews.

Desirable

Experience working in both primary and secondary care.

Knowledge

Essential

Proven clinical pharmacy knowledge and evidence of commitment to continuing education. Understanding of current medicines management issues.

Desirable

Familiarity with GP computer systems such as EMIS. Knowledge of the changing NHS environment and structures.

Qualifications

Essential

Undergraduate degree in pharmacy and registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Desirable

Evidence of ongoing education/training. Independent prescribing qualification.

Communication

Essential

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Build effective relationships with a range of stakeholders which are based on openness, honesty trust and confidence.

Desirable

Clear communicator with excellent writing, report writing and presentation skills.

Personal attributes & abilities

Essential

Ability to co-ordinate and prioritise workloads able to multi-task as well as be self-disciplined and highly motivated.

Desirable

High degree of personal credibility, emotional intelligence, patience and flexibility. Ability to cope with unpredictable situations. Confident in facilitating and challenging others. Demonstrates a flexible approach in order to ensure patient care is delivered.

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