About this role
Job summary
We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Clinical Pharmacist to join our friendly and forward-thinking GP surgery. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role within our multidisciplinary team, providing expert medicines optimisation, supporting patient care, and contributing to the delivery of high-quality primary care services.
Main duties of the job
The Clinical Pharmacist acts within their professional boundaries, working alongside a team of pharmacists in general practice within the wider PCN.
They will improve patients health outcomes and the efficiency of the primary care team by providing direct, accessible and timely medicines and expertise including face to face contact with patients.
The post-holder will be an integral part of the general practice team, as well as part of a wider pharmacist network and multi-disciplinary team. This includes being a conduit of patients medicine information into and out of hospitals. They will work to optimise medication issues to improve patient care and safety, and support clinical staff in the management of patients.
As part of their employment, the post-holder will achieve qualifications from an accredited training pathway, including independent prescribing, equipping the Clinical Pharmacist to be able to practice and prescribe safely and effectively in a primary care setting.
The supervision and mentorship network will be provided to support the Clinical Pharmacist.
About us
The Market Surgery is a busy seven doctor practice providing care to over 10,000 patients in and around Aylsham in North Norfolk.
Working from purpose-built premises, located a short walking distance from the centre of Aylsham, we aim to provide a friendly and efficient service to patients fulfilling all their primary care needs. All our consulting rooms are on the ground floor, we have a dispensary next to the reception area and we have a car park for the use of our patients.
The practice is part of North and Waveney Integrated Care Service. We are a training practice for GP Registrars and medical students.
Job description Job responsibilities
The following are the core responsibilities of the Clinical Pharmacist delivering health services.
a. Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a patient-facing role to clinically assess and treat patients using their expert knowledge of medicines for specific disease areas, such as HTN and CVD
b. To proactively manage the medication review process within the surgery, taking overall responsibility for ensuring medication reviews are completed in a timely manner, are safe and effective, to include housebound patients and those living in local care and nursing homes
c. Through structured medication reviews, support patients to take their medications to get
the best from them, reduce waste and promote self-care
d. Be a prescriber, or completing training to become a prescriber, and work with and alongside the general practice team
e. To manage patient discharge summaries and hospital letters, ensuring information is accurately transferred and the correct medication prescribed in primary care
f. To complete the CPPE programme (if not already completed)
g. Be responsible for the care management of patients with chronic diseases and undertake clinical medication reviews to proactively manage people with complex polypharmacy, especially the elderly, people in care homes, those with multiple co-morbidities (in particular frailty, COPD and asthma) and people with learning disabilities or autism (through STOMP Stop Over Medication Programme)
h. Provide specialist expertise in the use of medicines whilst helping to address both the public health and social care needs of patients at the organisation and to help in tackling inequalities
i. Provide leadership on person-centered medicines optimisation (including ensuring prescribers in the practice conserve antibiotics in line with local antimicrobial stewardship guidance) and quality improvement, whilst contributing to the Quality and Outcomes Framework and enhanced services
j. Have a leadership role in supporting further integration of general practice with the wider healthcare teams (including community and hospital pharmacy) to help to improve patient outcomes, ensure better access to healthcare and help to manage general practice workload
k. Develop relationships and work closely with other pharmacy professionals across the wider health and social care system
l. Take a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols, clinical research with medicines, liaison with specialist pharmacists (including mental health and reduction of inappropriate antipsychotic use in people with learning difficulties), liaison with community pharmacists, and anticoagulation
m. Be part of a professional clinical network and have access to appropriate clinical supervision. Appropriate clinical supervision means:
n. Each Clinical Pharmacist must receive a minimum of one supervision session per month by a senior clinical pharmacist
o. The Senior Clinical Pharmacist must receive a minimum of one supervision session every three months by a GP clinical supervisor
p. Each Clinical Pharmacist will have access to an assigned GP clinical supervisor for support and development
q. A ratio of one Senior Clinical Pharmacist to no more than five junior Clinical Pharmacists, with appropriate peer support and supervision in place
r. Act as the point of contact for all medicine related matters, establishing positive working relationships
s. Consult patients within defined levels of competence and independently prescribe acute and repeat medication
t. Receive referrals and directed patients from triage services and other clinicians
u. In conjunction with NICE guidance, consult with patients to initiate new medications, to include statins, bisphosphonates and DOACs
v. In conjunction with the Therapeutic Advisory Group (TAG) and commissioning group, monitor Red and expensive drugs
w. Receive and resolve medicines queries from patients and other staff
x. Manage a caseload of complex patients
y. Manage a therapeutic drug monitoring system and the recall of patients taking high risk drugs, i.e., anticoagulants, anticonvulsants and DMARDs, etc.
z. Deliver long term condition clinics and home visits, particularly for patients with complicated medication regimes, and prescribe accordingly
aa. Provide pharmaceutical consultations to patients with long term conditions as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team
bb. Review medications for newly registered patients
cc. Improve patient and carer understanding of confidence in and compliance with their medication
dd. Maintain accurate clinical records in conjunction with extant legislation
ee. Encourage cost-effective prescribing throughout the organization
ff. Work in conjunction with dispensary to source alternatives for out of stock items
gg. Implement and embed a robust repeat prescribing system
hh. Provide advice and answer medication related queries from patients and staff
ii. Organise and oversee the organisations medicines optimisation systems, including the repeat prescribing and medication review systems
jj. Improve the quality and effectiveness of prescribing through clinical audit and education, to improve performance against NICE standards and clinical and prescribing guidance.
kk. Develop yourself and the role through participation in clinical supervision, training and service redesign activities
ll. Ensure appropriate supervision of safe storage, rotation and disposal of vaccines and drugs. Apply infection-control measures within the practice according to local and national guidelines
mm. Provide subject matter expertise on medication monitoring, implementing and embedding a system
nn. Support clinicians with the management of patients suffering from drug and alcohol dependencies
oo. Actively signpost patients to the correct healthcare professional
pp. Manage a caseload of complex patients and potential care institutions and to provide advice for the GP management of more complex patients or areas such as addictive behaviours, severe mental illness or end of life care
qq. Review the latest guidance, ensuring the organisation conforms to NICE, CQC etc.
rr. Be aware of duties and responsibilities regarding current legislation and adhere to practice policies and procedures on Safeguarding Adults and Safeguarding Children
ss. Provide targeted support and proactive reviews for vulnerable, complex patients and those at risk of admission and re-admission to secondary care
tt. Handle prescription queries and requests directly
uu. Provide proactive leadership on medicines and prescribing systems to the organisation, patients and their carers
vv. Support in the delivery of enhanced services and other service requirements on behalf of the organisation
ww. Participate in the management of patient complaints when requested to do so, and participate in the identification of any necessary learning brought about through clinical incidents and near-miss events
xx. Undertake all mandatory training and induction programmes
yy. Contribute to and embrace the spectrum of clinical governance
zz. Attend a formal appraisal with your manager at least every 12 months. Once a performance/training objective has been set, progress will be reviewed on a regular basis so that new objectives can be agreed
aaa. Contribute to public health campaigns (e.g., COVID-19 or flu clinics) through advice or direct care
bbb. Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times
There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks, this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels
Person Specification
Experience Essential
1. An appreciation of the nature of general practice and the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing 2. Minimum of two years working as a pharmacist demonstrated within a practice portfolio 3. An appreciation of the new NHS landscape, including the relationships between individual practices, PCNs and the commissioners
Desirable
1. Experience in managing pharmacy services in primary care 2. In-depth therapeutic and clinical knowledge and understanding of the principles of evidence-based healthcare 3. Understanding of the mentorship process 4. Experience of working autonomously
Qualifications Essential
1. GPC registered pharmacist 2. Proof of relevant professional and educational qualifications, coupled with details of any training 3. To be enrolled in, or have qualified from, an approved 18-month training pathway or equivalent that equips them to be able to practice and prescribe safely and effectively in a primary care setting (for example, the CPPE clinical pharmacist training pathways) 4. Hold or be working towards an GPhC independent prescribing qualification
Desirable
1. Working towards faculty membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society 2. Medicines management qualification 3. Minor ailments certification 4. MUR and repeat dispensing certification
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 Market Surgery
Address 26 Norwich Road
Aylsham
Norwich
NR11 6BW
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.themarketsurgery.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)