About this role
Job summary
The Swan Practice is a progressive multi-site training practice, looking to expand and extend the pharmacist role in primary care. We are seeking a Clinical Pharmacist to join our team and contribute to high-quality, patient-centred care.This is a patient-facing role focusing on medicines optimisation, long-term condition management, care homes support, and improving prescribing quality and safety. You will work closely with GPs, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to support patients with complex needs, including frailty and polypharmacy.
The post holder will be an independent prescriber or working towards prescribing qualification and will practise within their scope of competence.We welcome applications from pharmacists with strong interest in developing a career in pharmacy care. Support and supervision will be provided to ensure ongoing professional development.
Main duties of the job
The Clinical Pharmacist will work as part of the multidisciplinary primary care team in a patient-facing role, providing expert clinical pharmacy input to support safe, effective, and person-centred use of medicines. The post holder will contribute to medicines optimisation, long-term condition management, and quality improvement across the practice/Primary Care Network (PCN).
Key elements of the role include:
Management and optimisation of long-term conditions (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, respiratory conditions) Delivery of structured medication reviews (SMRs) Medicines reconciliation following hospital discharge Support for care homes and frail older people Contribution to QOF and other quality frameworks
About us
The Swan Practice is a large, well-established healthcare provider serving Buckingham and the surrounding villages. With three clinical sites and an administration hub, we are dedicated to delivering high-quality care to over 30,000 patients, and our patient base continues to grow. As a forward-thinking practice, we are committed to creating opportunities for staff to progress and develop their careers, fostering a supportive and dynamic working environment.
Job description Job responsibilities
Job Responsibilities
Patient-Facing Clinical Care
Provide clinical pharmacy services to patients with single or multiple long-term conditions where medicines optimisation is required (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, heart failure).
Manage patients with complex polypharmacy, frailty, and high-risk medicine regimens.
Undertake structured clinical medication reviews (SMRs) to improve safety, effectiveness, and adherence.
Optimise ongoing medication plans in line with clinical guidelines, best practice, and patient preferences.
Make prescribing decisions within scope of practice or provide recommendations to GPs and other clinicians where appropriate.
Provide patient education and support to promote shared decision-making and self-management.
Provide clinical pharmacy support to patients in care homes, including structured medication reviews for frail older people and those with complex needs.
Work collaboratively with care home staff, GPs, and community teams to optimise medicines, reduce polypharmacy, and minimise medicines-related harm.
Medicines Optimisation & Safety
Contribute to medicines optimisation initiatives across the practice.
Support safe prescribing by identifying and addressing medicines-related risks.
Contribute to the implementation of national and local safety alerts, guidance, and best practice.
Participate in antimicrobial stewardship and other prescribing quality initiatives in line with agreed team roles.
Support review of medicines associated with unplanned hospital admissions and readmissions.
Support achievement of Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) indicators through medicines optimisation, structured reviews, and appropriate monitoring.
Identify patients requiring intervention to meet QOF and other quality framework requirements, including long-term condition management and medicines safety indicators.
Care Transitions & High-Risk Patients
Support medicines reconciliation following hospital discharge, intermediate care, care home admission, and transfers between care settings.
Help ensure continuity of medicines supply for vulnerable, frail, and high-risk patients.
Contribute to identification and proactive management of patient cohorts at increased risk of harm from medicines.
Support medicines optimisation initiatives within care homes, including falls prevention, anticholinergic burden reduction, and end-of-life care planning.
Repeat Prescribing & Prescribing Systems
Support safe and effective repeat prescribing processes.
Review medicines reaching review dates and ensure appropriate monitoring is in place.
Contribute to development and maintenance of prescribing policies and formularies.
Work within shared care protocols and local prescribing guidance.
Multidisciplinary Working & Service Development
Work collaboratively with GPs, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
Develop effective working relationships with community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, and wider health and social care teams.
Contribute pharmaceutical expertise to service development, pathway redesign, and quality improvement initiatives.
Support delivery of PCN priorities, enhanced services, and quality frameworks including QOF and local incentive schemes.
Work with the multidisciplinary team to improve prescribing quality, monitoring, and outcomes aligned with national and local priorities.
Contribute to audits and quality improvement activity linked to QOF performance and prescribing indicators.
Education, Training & Information
Provide medicines-related advice and support to practice staff and patients.
Contribute to education and training on medicines optimisation and therapeutics.
Support dissemination of key prescribing messages and updates.
Quality, Governance & Professional Responsibilities
Contribute to prescribing audits and quality improvement activity.
Support compliance with CQC standards where medicines are involved.
Maintain accurate, timely and high-quality clinical records and documentation.
Adhere to professional standards, practice policies, and relevant legislation.
Maintain patient confidentiality in line with data protection and Caldicott principles.
Participate in appraisal, CPD, and service development.
General responsibilities for all staff The post holder is expected to;
Adhere to practice policies and procedures and relevant legislation including the requirements of any professional bodies.
Attend mandatory training as identified by the practice
Highlight potential development areas.
Confidentiality:The post holder must maintain the confidentiality of information about patients staff and practice business in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Caldecott principles.
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 & Safety:Employees must be aware of the responsibilities placed upon them under the Health Safety at work Act (1974), to ensure that the agreed safety procedures are carried out to maintain a safe environment for employees and visitors.
All staff have a responsibility to report all clinical and non-clinical accidents, incidents or near-misses promptly and when requested to co-operate with any investigations under-taken.
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
Actively reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holders role
Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)
Reporting potential risks identified
Equality and Diversity:The practice has adopted an equal opportunities policy and all employees must be aware of their obligations to abide by the spirit and nature of the policy to avoid direct and indirect discrimination.
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 which is welcoming to and of 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
Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work
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
Contribution to the Implementation of Services:The post-holder will:
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
The job description is not exhaustive and is subject to review in the light of the changing needs of the organisation. Any review of this job description will be undertaken in consultation with the post holder.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Registered Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) Ability to work autonomously and as part of a multidisciplinary team Strong clinical, communication, and decision-making skills Understanding of medicines optimisation and prescribing safety Commitment to continuing professional development (CPD)
Desirable
Experience working in primary care (general practice or PCN) Independent Prescriber qualification Completion of, or working towards, the CPPE Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway Experience delivering structured medication reviews (SMRs) Understanding of QOF, PCN DES, and prescribing quality initiatives
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name The Swan Practice
Address Masonic House
High Street
Buckingham
Buckinghamshire
MK18 1NU
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://theswanpractice.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)