Clinical Pharmacist

Job summary

Andover PCN is looking for an enthusiastic clinical pharmacist, wholl be supporting and working alongside a team of pharmacists, using their experience and knowledge to be responsible for care of defined cohort(s) of patients. In this role they will be supported, managed and mentored by a senior clinical pharmacist from Andover PCN team, practices clinical team and PCNs clinical directors.

The post holder will provide primary support to general practice staff with regards to prescription and medication queries. They will help support the repeat prescription system, deal with acute prescription requests, deliver medicines optimisation services and medicines reconciliation on transfer of care and systems for safer prescribing, providing expertise in clinical medicines advice while addressing both public and social care needs of patient in the GP practices within the PCN.

The post holder will be required to enrol in or has qualified from an approved 18-month Training pathway -: the General Practice Pharmacist Training Pathway from CPPE or equivalent that equips the Clinical Pharmacist to be able to practice and prescribe safely and effectively in a primary care setting.

Main duties of the job

To contribute to improve health outcomes in longterm conditions as a member of the multidisciplinary primary care team

To provide specialist knowledge and advice onpharmaceutical matters, including cost-effective prescribing and clinicalguidelines for disease treatment, and to also provide evidence-based educationand training for colleagues in partnership with the practice

To practice as an independent prescriber,holding face to face consultations

To provide advice and support for patients withself-limiting conditions

To work to improve communication aboutmedication-related issues between the practice and other care providers

To lead on implementation of safe and efficientrepeat prescribing systems

To fulfil the requirements of the PCN DES and

Toprovide structured medication reviews for care home patients and other patientsspecified in the PCN DES, and cooperation and collaboration with other PCNpharmacists and members to fulfil the DES requirements.

Attendand contribute to practice, PCN and CCG Clinical Meetings when relevant.

Analyse,interpret and present medicines data to highlight issues and risks to supportdecision making.

This job description is not exhaustive andduties may vary with the requirements of the GP Practice.

About us

Primary Care Networks form a key building block of the NHS long-term plans. Bringing general practices together allow us to provide a wider range of services to patients, whilst also decreasing the workload on GPs. This improves the ability of practices to recruit and retain staff, manage finances and facilities more efficiently, and to more easily integrate with the wider health and care system.

Andover Primary Care Network is a collaborative project involving the following GP Surgeries: Adelaide Medical Centre, Andover Health Centre Medical Practice, Charlton Hill Surgery, Shepherds Spring Medical Centreand St Marys Surgery.

As we come out of the Covid Pandemic and demand pressures on primary care continue to grow, the time for reorganisation of the NHS and a political appetite for transformation of services is increasing.Primary Care in Andover suffers these pressures on top of longer standing issues of socio-economic deprivation and the resulting health problems, which have been exacerbated by the pandemic.

The PCN offers additional roles working across practices, providing alternatives for patients to seeing a GP. Using pharmacists and care-coordinators to proactively manage our elderly and complex patients. We expect the PCN to continue to develop and improve patient care in Andover, and to create opportunities for innovative ways of promoting wellbeing.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

a. work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a patientfacing role to clinically assess and treat patients using their expertknowledge of medicines for specific disease areas;

b. be a prescriber, or completing training to becomeprescribers, and work with and alongside the general practice team;

c. be responsible for the care management of patients withchronic diseases and undertake clinical medication reviews to proactivelymanage people with complex polypharmacy, especially the elderly, people in carehomes, those with multiple co-morbidities (in particular frailty, COPD andasthma) and people with learning disabilities or autism (through STOMP StopOver Medication Programme);

d. provide specialist expertise in the use of medicineswhilst helping to address both the public health and social care needs ofpatients at the PCNs practice(s) and to help in tackling inequalities;

e. provide leadership on person-centred medicinesoptimisation (including ensuring prescribers in the practice conserveantibiotics in line with local antimicrobial stewardship guidance) and qualityimprovement, whilst contributing to the quality and outcomes framework andenhanced services;

f. through structured medication reviews, support patientsto take their medications to get the best from them, reduce waste and promoteselfcare;

g. have a leadership role in supporting further integrationof general practice with the wider healthcare teams (including community andhospital pharmacy) to help improve patient outcomes, ensure better access tohealthcare and help manage general practice workload;

h. develop relationships and work closely with otherpharmacy professionals across PCNs and the wider health and social care system;

i. take a central role in the clinical aspects of sharedcare protocols, clinical research with medicines, liaison with specialistpharmacists (including mental health and reduction of inappropriateantipsychotic use in people with learning disabilities), liaison with communitypharmacists and anticoagulation; and

j. be part of a professional clinical network and haveaccess to appropriate clinical supervision. Appropriate clinical supervisionmeans:

each clinical pharmacist must receive a minimumof one supervision session per month by a senior clinical pharmacist;

the senior clinical pharmacist must receive aminimum of one supervision session every three months by a GP clinicalsupervisor;

each clinical pharmacist will have access to anassigned GP clinical supervisor for support and development; and

a ratio of one senior clinical pharmacist to nomore than five junior clinical pharmacists, with appropriate peer support andsupervision in place.

Main tasks/overviewof responsibilities:

Contribute to improved health outcomes in long termconditions

Lead on the medicines management of a cohort of patients ( cardiovascular, frailty, pain, mental health). Has up to date knowledge of complex therapeutic and drug related issues within specialist area.

Aim to review multiple long term conditions at same clinic visit to provide holistic care and improve patient experience.

Support patients to manage their long term conditions.

Carry out face to face clinical medication reviews for patients on multiple medications for long term conditions.

Review if prescribing is appropriate in line with current guidance, cost-effective and safe; identify unmet need, stop unnecessary/ineffective medicines.

Quality and Outcomes Framework (QoF)

Contribute to achievement of QOF targets to improve health outcomes

CHD risk reduction

Identify patients at high risk of chronic disease and provide advice/treatment to reduce risk

Domiciliary visits

Identify and visit housebound patients who would benefit from a clinical medication review or a review of their LTC by a clinical pharmacist.

Provide specialist knowledge and advice on pharmaceuticalmatters

Answer medical information queries from GPs, Nurses, practice staff and patients.

Provide education on medicines related topics for GPs, Nurses, medical students, registrars.

Evidence-based prescribing/ Clinical guidance

Review NICE and other evidence-based guidance as it is issued, to evaluate any impact on medicines and prescribing.

Undertake regular clinical audit to support implementation of clinical guidance across the practice.

Provide regular education sessions for the clinicians at the practice to discuss audit results and agree an action plan for improving standards within clinical areas.

Medicines unavailability

Provide advice on suitable alternative medications in the event of a medicine being unavailable.

Cost effective prescribing

Encourage cost effective prescribing within the practice, including adherence to local formulary.

Build good working relationships with local Medicines Management Team members

New medicines

Provide education for the clinical team on new medicines

Drug safety

Review all safety alerts ( MHRA) and ensure any action required is undertaken

Unplanned Emergency Admissions

Work with the practice team to help reduce medicines related emergency admissions by running regular searches to identify patients at risk of harm from their medicines. Review these patients to reduce the risk of harm.

To provide advice and support for patients withself-limiting conditions

Patient advice

Provide patients with advice on treating self-limiting conditions through face to face/ telephone consultations and patient information leaflets/website. Conditions may include UTIs, hayfever, emergency contraception, conjunctivitis.

Improve communication about medication-related issuesbetween the practice and both the patient and other care providers

Management of medicines related information at hospital admission

To review communication processes between practices/ hospitals/care homes/ community pharmacies at hospital admission to evaluate how this can be improved

Management of medicines at discharge from hospital

To reconcile medicines following discharge from hospital/ intermediate care; identify and rectify unexplained changes, manage these changes without referral to the GP; perform a clinical mediation review; produce a post-discharge medicines care plan including dose titration and booking of follow-up test, and work 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 ( those with medicine compliance aids).

Medication changes from clinic appointments

Reconcile medication from clinic appointment correspondence, identifying any unexplained changes and rectifying these by communication with the secondary care provider. Ensure patients are fully aware of any changes and that a plan for monitoring/dose titration is in place.

Community Pharmacy

Act as the practice lead contact for community pharmacy related projects and build effective working relationships.

Hospital Pharmacy

Act as the practice lead contact for hospital pharmacy related projects and build effective working relationships.

Care Homes

Ensure care home residents have an annual medication review by a clinical pharmacist. Any changes agreed with the patient and/or their representative should be communicated appropriately.

Newly registered patients

To review medications for new patients, to ensure safe, cost-effective prescribing in line with practice/local prescribing policies.

Lead on implementation of safe and efficient prescribing systems

Repeat prescribing system

To ensure the practice repeat prescribing system is safe, efficient and helps minimise waste.

Medication monitoring

To provide specialist knowledge on medication monitoring and ensure a system for implementation is in place

Prescription queries

To answer queries from administration staff regarding medication requests where appropriate to save GP time

Reauthorisation of repeat medication / medication review

To re-authorise medication for future repeat prescribing within scope of competence as an independent prescriber

To work with practice staff to ensure a robust medication review policy

Repeat dispensing

To identify patients suitable for repeat dispensing. Ensure this is implemented effectively by close working with patients, prescribers and community pharmacies.

Prescribing for vulnerable patients

Review the prescribing of medication for vulnerable patients to ensure it is appropriate weekly prescriptions for at risk-patients, monitored dosage systems or alternative solutions to improve patient compliance

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Masters degree in Pharmacy or equivalent Registered Pharmacist with GPhC

Desirable

Peer credentialed by the RPS Faculty (at expert level 2 or greater) Diploma or Certificate or MSc in Clinical Pharmacy

Experience

Essential

Significant post qualification experience including primary care and at least one other field of pharmacy (community or hospital) Good understanding of interface issues

Desirable

Clinical Pharmacy experience in running primary care clinics Extensive experience of multi-disciplinary working Experience of managing / developing a team

Knowledge and skills

Essential

Extensive clinical pharmacy / pharmacology knowledge Good knowledge of NHS medicines optimisation Good knowledge of primary care and NHS environment Good presentation skills, written and oral Trustworthy Innovative worker Team player Good time management Ability to exercise own professional and clinical judgement and to manage conflicting priorities Interpersonal skills Self-motivated Critical appraisal skills Demonstrate commitment to and understanding of Equal opportunities Good IT skills to support day to day work.

Desirable

Current driving licence and access to a car Working knowledge of EMIS/electronic prescribing systems Experience in investigating complaints and critical incidents Experienced in report writing Project management and critical appraisal skills

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