Clinical Pharmacist in Hebburn

Ellison View Surgery is looking for a motivated and experienced Pharmacist to join our friendly, forward-thinking general practice team. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real impact on patient care by working closely with GPs, nurses, and the wider clinical team. You will play a central role in supporting and leading safe, effective medicines management, helping to ensure patients receive the highest standard of care.

Main duties of the job

• Conduct medication reviews, reconcile clinical letters and discharge summaries, and manage complex patients with chronic conditions and polypharmacy.
• Independently prescribe medications and provide patient consultations.
• Optimise medicines use, promote safe prescribing, and support antimicrobial stewardship and STOMP initiatives.
• Monitor high-risk medications and ensure timely follow-up and recall systems.
• Participate in audits, quality improvement initiatives, and implementation of clinical guidelines, protocols, and shared care agreements.
• Collaborate with GPs, nurses, pharmacists, and the wider healthcare team to improve patient care and integrate services.
• Provide guidance, training, and leadership on medicines management to clinicians and practice staff.
• Contribute to public health initiatives, clinical governance, and mandatory training compliance.

About us

Ellison View Surgery is a GP practice serving approximately 6,000 patients, supported by a skilled and experienced clinical team comprising 3 Partners and 1 salaried GP. The team also includes 2 Practice Nurses and 2 Health Care Assistants. Our administration team consists of a mix of enthusiastic Medical Receptionists and experienced Senior Administrators. We pride ourselves on a friendly, supportive work environment while maintaining high standards of patient care. We value and support our team members with good terms & conditions.

Job responsibilities

The Clinical Pharmacist at Ellison View Surgery plays a pivotal role in patient care, working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to optimise medicines, improve outcomes, and support safe, cost-effective prescribing.

• Conduct structured medication reviews and reconcile clinical letters and hospital discharge summaries.
• Manage complex patients, including those with polypharmacy, chronic diseases, frailty, learning disabilities, or in care homes.
• Independently prescribe acute and repeat medications and provide consultations for patients with long-term conditions.
• Deliver long-term condition clinics, home visits, and virtual consultations to optimise medicines use.
• Support STOMP initiatives to reduce inappropriate medication use in vulnerable populations.
• Monitor high-risk medications (e.g., anticoagulants, DMARDs, anticonvulsants) and implement recall systems.
• Provide proactive support for patients at risk of hospital admission, ensuring safe and effective care.
• Address patient and staff medication queries and act as the point of contact for medicines-related issues.

Medicines Optimisation and Governance

• Provide leadership on medicines optimisation, cost-effective prescribing, and antimicrobial stewardship.
• Implement and oversee repeat prescribing systems, medication review systems, and safe storage/disposal of medicines.
• Conduct prescribing audits and support QOF, enhanced services, and local incentive schemes.
• Review and apply NICE guidance, clinical protocols, and shared care agreements.
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives, clinical research, and service redesign.
• Contribute to safeguarding, clinical governance, and mandatory training requirements.

Collaboration and Leadership

• Work closely with GPs, nurses, pharmacists, and multi-disciplinary teams across primary, secondary, and community care.
• Support integration of general practice with local hospitals, care homes, and other healthcare providers.
• Mentor, train, and guide clinicians and practice staff on medicines and prescribing issues.
• Produce communication materials, such as prescribing newsletters, bulletins, or training resources.
• Lead and coordinate services across patient-facing, administrative, and clinical teams to improve efficiency and patient experience.

Wider Responsibilities

• Support virtual, remote, and telehealth models for consultations and medication reviews.
• Develop a specialist area of practice interest.
• Participate in public health campaigns (e.g., flu or COVID-19 clinics).
• Maintain a clean, organised, and effective working environment.
• Undertake additional tasks as required, consistent with the scope of the role.

Person Specification

• Effective time management (planning and organising).
• Ability to follow legal, ethical and professional policies/local policies/procedures and codes of conduct.
• Ability to use own initiative, discretion, and sensitivity.
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals.
• Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure.
• Knowledge of IT systems including the ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet.
• Problem solving and analytical skills.
• Knowledge of and ability to work to key policies and procedures.
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously.
• Commitment to ongoing professional development.
• Good interpersonal and organisational skills.
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations.
• Clear, polite telephone manner.

Qualifications

• GPC registered pharmacist.
• Proof of relevant professional and educational qualifications, coupled with details of any training.
• 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).
• Hold or be working towards an GPhC independent prescribing qualification.
• An appreciation of the nature of general practice and the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing.
• Minimum of two years working as a pharmacist demonstrated within a practice portfolio.
• An appreciation of the new NHS landscape, including the relationships between individual practices, PCNs and the commissioners.
• Experience in managing pharmacy services in primary care.
• In-depth therapeutic and clinical knowledge and understanding of the principles of evidence-based healthcare.
• Understanding of the mentorship process.
• Experience of working autonomously.

Clinical Knowledge & Skills

• Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information effectively with people at all levels by telephone, email and face to face.
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing, negotiation and organisational skills with the ability to constructively challenge the views and practices of managers and clinicians.
• Understanding of safeguarding adults and children.
• Ability to promote best practice regarding all pharmaceutical matters.
• Ability to work within own scope of practice and understand when to refer to GPs.
• Ability to record accurate clinical notes.
• Good clinical system IT knowledge - EMIS.
• Plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general medicine optimisation issues in core areas for long term conditions.
• Broad knowledge of clinical governance.

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.