PCN Clinical Pharmacist

Job summary

JOB SUMMARY

Thepost holder will work within our PCN pharmacy team in a multi-disciplinaryenvironment in a patient facing role where they will have support, guidance,and mentoring from an experienced clinician.

Thisrole requires the post holder to act within their own boundaries ofprofessional practice and level of competency to assist in effective patient care. This includes taking responsibility forareas of chronic disease management, reducing medicines waste, supporting theDirect Enhanced Service PCN prescribing agenda carrying out StructuredMedication Reviews (SMRs) to proactively manage patients with complexpolypharmacy, seeing patients for medication queries, assisting withprescribing related issues, enhancing prescription processes within the primarycare team and delivering high quality improvement/patient safety interventionsvia the use of clinical audit.

Thepost holder will help patients get the most from their medication and support NEXUSPCN with core medicine optimisation activities whilst ensuring the safe andeffective use of medicines across the network and working within definedprotocols and guidance.

We believe in always supporting and developing our staff, should you be interested in the role but lack prescribing experience, you may still apply and all necessary support and training will be provided.

Main duties of the job

Clinical

Patient facing medicines support provide advice to patients requiring medication reviews and answer any questions, concerns or queries they have about their medicines.

Undertake structured medication reviews (SMRs) with patients with multi-morbidity and polypharmacy

Undertake clinical medication reviews with patients in care homes

Support patients with single or multiple medical problems where medicine optimisatin is required

Identify cohorts of patients at high risk of harm from medicines through practice computer searches.

Review the use of medicines most commonly associated with unplanned hospital admissions and readmissions

Prescribing support

Medicines information Answer relevant medicine-related enquiries from GPs, other network staff, other healthcare teams and patients

Audit and risk management undertake clinical audits of prescribing

Medicines safety respond to MHRA alerts, product withdrawal, or other local/national guidance and implement changes where necessary.

National, local and formulary recommendations Monitor practice prescribing against the local RAG list and make recommendations for medicines

About us

NexusPrimary Care Network (PCN) in Exeter, Devon has an exciting opportunity for a forwardthinking Clinical Pharmacist to join our networks innovative pharmacy team.

NexusPCN is located in the centre of the vibrant city of Exeter in Devon and has apopulation of around 42,000. There are 5 surgeries within the PCN, within closeproximity of each other, with excellent inter-personal relations, a goodsupport network and a history of collaborative working. The practices are MountPleasant Health Centre, The Heavitree Practice, South Lawn Medical Centre, IscaMedical Practice and Hill Barton Surgery. Our population is diverse, withvarying levels of socio-economic status, young families, elderly patients anduniversity students all of whom make providing care very interesting.

Weare looking for a full-time Clinical Pharmacist to join our PCN pharmacy teamin order to improve care for our patients. Experience in primary care ispreferred but not essential.

Job description

Job responsibilities

KEY DUTIES AND AREAS OFRESPONSIBILITY

Thefocus of the post holders work will depend on the qualifications, skills, andexperience of the individual and the needs of the practices within the PCN,both of which may change over time. Potential duties are therefore outlinedbelow:

Clinical

Patient facing medicines support provide advice to patients requiring medication reviews and answer anyquestions, concerns or queries they have about their medicines.

Undertake structured medicationreviews (SMRs) with patients with multi-morbidity and polypharmacy and producerecommendations for GPs/nurses on prescribing and monitoring.

Undertake clinical medicationreviews with patients in care homes and produce recommendations for the GPs /nurses on prescribing and monitoring. Work with care home staff to improve thesafety of medicines ordering and administration.

Support patients with single ormultiple medical problems where medicine optimisatin is required, Review theon-going need for each medicine and communicate with patients on safe andoptimal use of their medications.

Identify cohorts of patients athigh risk of harm from medicines through practice computer searches.

Review the use of medicinesmost commonly associated with unplanned hospital admissions and readmissionsthrough audit and individual patient reviews. Put in place changes to reducethe prescribing of these medicines to high-risk patient groups.

Prescribingsupport

Medicines information Answer relevant medicine-related enquiries from GPs, other networkstaff, other healthcare teams ( community pharmacy) and patients withqueries about medicines, suggesting and recommending solutions. Provide followup for patients to monitor the effect of any changes.

Audit and risk management undertakeclinical audits of prescribing in areas directed by the GPs and PCN team,feedback results and implement changes in conjunction with the relevantpractice team.

Medicines safety respond toMHRA alerts, product withdrawal, or other local/national guidance and implementchanges where necessary.

National, local and formularyrecommendations Monitor practice prescribing against the local RAGlist and make recommendations to GPs for medicines that should be prescribed byhospital doctors (red drugs) or subject to shared care (amber drugs). Undertakeaudits on practices compliance against NICE technology assessment guidance. Providenewsletters or bulletins on important prescribing messages.

Medicinesmanagement

Repeat prescribing ensurepatients repeat medications are effectively managed, identify review dates,and ensure that any monitoring requirements are in place.

Hospital discharge Reconcile medicines following discharge from hospitals, intermediatecare and into care Homes, including identifying and rectifying unexplainedchanges and working with patients and community pharmacists to ensure patientsreceive the medicines they need post discharge.

Medicines waste -supportefficient ordering and return processes to reduce medicines wastage.

PracticeSupport

Education and training provide education on therapeutics and medicines optimisation to other membersof the Primary Care Network.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) work with general practice teams to ensure that practices are compliant with CQCstandards and assist with medicine-related compliance.

Public Health supportpractices with public health campaigns and provide technical advice necessary.

Support the PCN - to deliver onQuality Outcomes Framework (QOF) and other nationally and locally commissionedinitiatives.

Healthand Safety

Comply with practice(s) Healthand Safety policies at all times and report any incidents in a timely manner.

Comply with the Data ProtectionAct (1984) and the Access to Health Records Act (1990).

Comply with any necessarytraining requirements identified by the PCN relevant to the role.

Equalityand Diversity

Co-workers, patients andvisitors must be treated equally irrespective of gender, ethnic origin, age,disability, sexual orientation or religion etc.

PatientConfidentiality

Respect patient confidentialityat all times and do not divulge patient information unless sanctioned by therequirements of the role.

Workingconditions

There will be a requirement forindependent travel between practice sites and to patient homes, care homes orto meetings hosted by other parties.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Vocational Master's degree in Pharmacy or equivalent comprehensive experience Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council Completion of pre-registration training Evidence of commitment to CPD

Desirable

Experience of working within primary care settings Registration with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (MRPharmS) Post-graduate Diploma in clinical pharmacy or equivalent Authorisation for Independent Prescribing (IP)

Experience

Essential

NHS experience in Primary Care, Hospital or Community Pharmacy Delivery of Medicines Management Standards and Policies Experience of working with primary health care teams Experience of working on projects where post holder uses own initiative and manages own time

Desirable

Experience of providing advice to GPs and primary care clinicians Experience in analysing ePACT/prescribing data Experience in clinical audit Experience of multidisciplinary working Experience of promoting formulary adherence within primary care Experience using GP clinical systems ( SystmOne and EMIS)

Skills and knowledge

Essential

Excellent written and oral communication skills Excellent interpersonal skills, with persuasive negotiating and influencing abilities Able to instigate and manage change Well organised and able to prioritise and meet set targets Possess an advanced level of clinical reasoning and problem solving and maintain a high standard of practice Able to co-ordinate and plan activities with others, work as part of a team or as an individual Able to work under pressure Possess knowledge of the wider NHS Have an extensive knowledge and expertise across a number of prescribing process and quality improvement areas, such as competence in delivering clinical audit Have an extensive knowledge and expertise across a number of clinical areas including common chronic disease management

Desirable

Able to undertake vaccination administration, influenza, pneumococcal vaccines Knowledge of the use of drugs within several disease areas

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