Clinical Pharmacist/Independent Prescriber @ Picton Green Family Practice

Job summary

Employer: Kirkdale Medical Centre and Picton Green Family Practice Location: Liverpool, Merseyside Contract: Permanent Working pattern: Part-time, up to 25 hours per week Salary: Negotiable, dependent on qualifications and experience

Kirkdale Medical Centre and Picton Green Family Practice are seeking an experienced, enthusiastic and motivated Clinical Pharmacist / Independent Prescriber to join our multidisciplinary primary care team.

This is an exciting opportunity for a clinically confident pharmacist who is passionate about medicines optimisation, patient safety and delivering high-quality care within general practice.

The successful candidate will work across our two practices, providing clinical expertise in medication reviews, independent prescribing, long-term condition management, repeat prescribing, medicines reconciliation and prescribing safety.

We are particularly interested in applicants with previous general practice experience who can work independently within their clinical competence, manage their workload effectively and contribute proactively to improving prescribing quality and patient outcomes.

This is a permanent, part-time position offering up to 25 hours per week, with a working pattern to be agreed.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will

• Undertake structured medication reviews, including face-to-face and telephone consultations, for patients with polypharmacy, multiple long-term conditions and complex medication needs.
• Work as an Independent Prescriber, initiating, adjusting and optimising treatment within their professional competence.
• Manage acute and repeat prescription requests, including medication reauthorisation, prescribing queries and medication monitoring.
• Undertake medicines reconciliation following hospital discharge and specialist correspondence.
• Support long-term condition management and relevant QOF clinical indicators.
• Identify prescribing risks, medication interactions, adverse effects and opportunities for safe deprescribing.
• Ensure appropriate monitoring of patients prescribed high-risk medicines.
• Support cost-effective, evidence-based prescribing in line with NICE guidance and local formularies.
• Undertake prescribing audits, implement MHRA safety alerts and contribute to clinical governance and quality improvement.
• Provide medicines-related advice and education to patients, GPs, nurses and other healthcare professionals.
• Work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team to improve patient safety, prescribing efficiency and continuity of care.

About us

Kirkdale Medical Centre and Picton Green Family Practice are established GP practices serving communities across Liverpool.

We are committed to delivering safe, effective and patient-centred primary care through collaborative working, clinical excellence and continuous service improvement.

Our multidisciplinary teams work together to provide comprehensive healthcare services, with a strong emphasis on clinical governance, medicines safety and proactive management of long-term conditions.

We are seeking a pharmacist who will make a positive contribution to our practices and support the delivery of a high-quality, efficient and responsive medicines management service.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical Medication Reviews and Medicines Optimisation

• Undertake structured medication reviews for patients with complex polypharmacy, frailty, multimorbidity and high-risk medication regimens.
• Identify potentially inappropriate prescribing, adverse drug reactions, interactions and contraindications.
• Review therapeutic effectiveness, patient adherence and opportunities for safe deprescribing.
• Support patients to understand their medicines and participate in shared treatment decisions.
• Review medication for elderly, housebound and care home patients where clinically appropriate.
• Ensure all consultations, treatment decisions and follow-up arrangements are accurately recorded.

2. Independent Prescribing and Long-Term Condition Management

• Prescribe independently within the postholder's agreed scope of practice and professional competence.
• Support the pharmacological management of common long-term conditions, including hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
• Initiate, adjust, optimise or discontinue medicines in accordance with evidence-based guidelines.
• Request and interpret relevant investigations and monitoring results within competence.
• Identify patients requiring escalation or GP review.
• Support proactive patient management and achievement of relevant QOF targets.

3. Repeat Prescribing and Prescription Management

• Review and process acute and repeat medication requests in accordance with practice protocols.
• Undertake repeat medication reauthorisation and ensure appropriate medication review intervals.
• Identify overdue monitoring and address prescribing safety concerns.
• Respond to medication queries from patients, community pharmacies and healthcare professionals.
• Support efficient prescribing workflows and reduce avoidable medication-related delays.

4. Medicines Reconciliation and Transfer of Care

• Reconcile medicines following hospital discharge and specialist consultations.
• Review medication changes communicated through discharge summaries and outpatient letters.
• Identify and resolve discrepancies between hospital and primary care prescribing records.
• Liaise with hospital clinicians, community pharmacists and other professionals where clarification is required.
• Ensure medication changes are appropriately documented, communicated and followed up.

5. Prescribing Safety and Clinical Governance

• Support safe prescribing and appropriate monitoring of high-risk medicines.
• Implement relevant MHRA drug safety alerts and medicines recalls.
• Undertake prescribing safety audits and contribute to quality improvement projects.
• Identify, report and support investigation of medication incidents and near misses.
• Contribute to learning from significant events and medication-related complaints.
• Support implementation of medicines management policies, clinical protocols and safe prescribing systems.

6. Quality Improvement, QOF and Cost-Effective Prescribing

• Contribute to QOF achievement through proactive medication reviews and clinical management.
• Identify opportunities to improve prescribing quality, safety and cost-effectiveness.
• Support adherence to local formularies and national clinical guidance.
• Undertake clinical audits and contribute to PDSA quality improvement cycles.
• Reduce unnecessary prescribing, medication waste and inappropriate polypharmacy.
• Share audit findings, recommendations and learning with the wider clinical team.

7. Multidisciplinary Working and Professional Responsibilities

• Work collaboratively with GPs, nurses, healthcare assistants, administrative staff and community pharmacy colleagues.
• Provide medicines-related advice and professional support to the wider practice team.
• Participate in relevant clinical meetings, multidisciplinary discussions and practice improvement initiatives.
• Maintain GPhC registration, prescribing competence and continuing professional development.
• Work within professional boundaries, practice policies and clinical governance arrangements.
• Maintain accurate clinical records, confidentiality and appropriate safeguarding standards.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Essential Qualifications
• Pharmacy degree MPharm or recognised equivalent.
• Current registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council ,GPhC.
• Independent Prescribing qualification and current GPhC prescribing annotation.
• Evidence of ongoing continuing professional development.
• Essential Experience
• Minimum two years' post-registration pharmacy experience.
• Experience undertaking clinical medication reviews and medicines optimisation.
• Experience managing polypharmacy and patients prescribed high-risk medicines.
• Good clinical knowledge of common long-term conditions.
• Experience identifying and resolving medication-related risks.
• Ability to conduct patient consultations and make safe, evidence-based prescribing decisions.
• Experience working effectively with multidisciplinary healthcare teams.
• Essential Skills and Competencies
• Strong clinical assessment and prescribing skills.
• Excellent knowledge of medication safety, monitoring and evidence-based prescribing.
• Ability to interpret clinical information and relevant pathology results.
• Excellent communication and patient consultation skills.
• Ability to work independently, prioritise workload and manage competing demands.
• Accurate clinical documentation and good IT skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Commitment to patient safety, professional accountability and continuous improvement.
• Ability to recognise clinical limitations and escalate concerns appropriately.

Desirable

• Desirable Qualifications and Experience
• Previous experience as a Clinical Pharmacist or Independent Prescriber in general practice.
• Completion of the CPPE Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway or equivalent relevant training.
• Postgraduate qualification in clinical pharmacy or primary care.
• Experience using EMIS Web or SystmOne.
• Experience managing repeat prescribing and medication reauthorisation in general practice.
• Experience of QOF, prescribing quality indicators and clinical audits.
• Experience undertaking medicines reconciliation following hospital discharge.
• Experience managing patients with multimorbidity, frailty or complex polypharmacy.
• Experience supporting care home or housebound patients.
• Knowledge of NICE guidance, local prescribing formularies and NHS medicines optimisation priorities.
• Experience delivering quality improvement initiatives and supporting cost-effective prescribing.
• Personal Attributes
• The successful candidate will be:
• Proactive, organised and self-motivated.
• Clinically confident and professionally accountable.
• Approachable, compassionate and patient-focused.
• Able to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Flexible and adaptable to the needs of a busy general practice.
• Committed to professional development, prescribing safety and high-quality patient care.

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

Picton Green Family Practice

Address

137 Earle Road

Liverpool

Merseyside

L7 6HD

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.pictongreenfamilypractice.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)