Practice Pharmacist in Knowsley

Managerial

• Initiate and develop protocols in specialist areas appropriate for a practice pharmacist and lead in their implementation.
• Manage own workload to meet the needs of the practice.
• Manage available resources (time, manpower) to ensure an efficient and effective service.
• Undertake and provide expertise in clinical medication reviews as deemed appropriate.
• Manage practice formularies to improve the quality, safety and cost effectiveness of prescribing.
• Develop, lead and manage clinics which would improve patient healthcare and access with the agreement and support of GP partners.
• Provide prescribing advice to the practice team for temporarily unavailable medications, suggesting alternatives.
• Keep accurate documentation in patient records.
• Supervise and manage other staff as appropriate.

Leadership

• Identify and support practice development plans.
• Advise the practice team of any circumstances that give cause for concern in relation to patient care.
• Influence and implement changes to clinical practice.
• Improve prescribing practice through educational support for all prescribers within the practice.
• Work autonomously, managing own work within agreed national and local guidelines.
• Provide medicines information and training to practice healthcare professionals and admin staff.
• Support the educational process for specialist practitioner students and assist with GP registrars, student nurses and other students who require experience in General Practice.
• Work as part of the practice team, supporting practice colleagues as appropriate.

Clinical

• Provide pharmacist support in the management of patients' medication autonomously.
• Support the practice in undertaking medication reviews as appropriate, supporting targets for these reviews in the practice - QOF and practice incentive scheme.
• Review and manage High Risk Drug Monitoring and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring processes within the practice.
• Contribute to reductions in medicine-related patient incidents and significant events, ensuring patients obtain the best outcome from their medication.
• Encourage the use of electronic patient medication facilities including the electronic prescription service and patients ordering medications online.
• Conform to health and safety and control of infection regulations.
• Contribute to multimorbidity reviews and multidisciplinary reviews.
• Act in accordance with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPHC) Code of Professional Conduct.
• Act as a source of medicines information for all of the practice team and patients.
• Maintain legible, timely and concise documentation and input clinical information to the practice computer database.
• Recognise own limitations and seek advice from General Practitioners and others as required.
• Work closely with Primary Care Network (PCN) colleagues, especially members of the Medicines Management Team, seeking peer support as required.
• Be the point of contact in the Practice to liaise with the Primary Care Network (PCN) Pharmacy Team to plan workload together.
• Be alert to potential child or adult abuse and undertake training as directed/required.

Training and education

• Maintain own specialist practitioner competencies by undertaking specialist courses and education.
• Keep up to date with current developments in primary care prescribing and ensure changes recommended by NICE and other organisations are discussed in the practice and implemented as required.
• Undertake risk management in clinical practice.
• Provide education to patients and carers either individually or in groups.
• Identify training needs to line manager.
• Keep up to date with informatics developments relating to the position, especially those affecting the clinical information system.
• Take part in performance appraisal and compilation of personal development plans as required by the practice and the GPHC.
• Stay up to date with safeguarding and information governance.

Research and audit

• Identify, apply and disseminate research findings relating to professional role and working environment.
• Audit own practice for individual quality assurance purposes, ensuring all relevant targets are met.
• Increase quality and safety of prescribing through mechanisms such as audit and PDSA cycles.
• Identify and undertake audit and research projects to evaluate and enhance current service provision.

Communication

• Communicate sensitively and appropriately with patients and/or their carers, involving them in decision making.
• Liaise with colleagues in community pharmacy to align support for medicines.
• Communicate with all members of the wider healthcare team; primary, secondary, community and voluntary.
• Work to identify and initiate changes to clinical practice.
• Discuss with the practice team any circumstances that give cause for concern in relation to patient care.
• Initiate and lead general and individual specialist team meetings.

Knowledge, training and experience

• The post holder will be registered with the GPHC and hold qualifications required of a pharmacist working in a primary care environment.
• A prescriber or on a prescribing course.
• Experience of multi-disciplinary team working.
• Evidence of professional updating.
• CPD GPhC records up to date.
• IT skills.
• Car driver.