Clinical Pharmacist in Newport

The Practice based Clinical Pharmacist will play a central role in delivering high quality medicines optimisation across the PCN, working closely with GPs and the wider multi-disciplinary team to improve patient outcomes and reduce GP workload. The postholder will have regular patient contact and be responsible for structured and routine medication reviews, including for patients with polypharmacy, frailty and multiple long term conditions. They will manage medicines following hospital discharge and outpatient changes, respond to patient medication queries, and support safe prescribing through local and national initiatives.

The role includes leading on hypertension management, lipid optimisation, thyroid dose adjustment, antibiotic stewardship and long term condition reviews within the pharmacist's competency. As an independent prescriber, the pharmacist will implement prescribing changes, manage medicine shortages and formulation changes, contribute significantly to QOF delivery, and support quality improvement, clinical audit and medicines safety. The role is fully supported by the wider PCN pharmacy team, providing opportunities for peer support, supervision and service development, alongside involvement in wider prescribing and improvement projects.

Main duties of the job

The Clinical Pharmacist will deliver high quality medicines optimisation services across Newport & Central PCN, improving the safety, effectiveness and value of prescribing while helping to reduce GP workload. The role involves regular patient contact, undertaking structured and routine medication reviews (face-to-face, telephone and occasional home visits), particularly for patients with polypharmacy, frailty and multiple long-term conditions. The postholder will manage medicines following hospital discharge and outpatient changes, reconcile medicines across care settings, and support patients and care homes to improve medicines safety.

As an independent prescriber, they will implement prescribing changes, support long term condition management (including hypertension, asthma, COPD, diabetes, lipid and thyroid management), and provide expert advice on medicines, shortages and safe prescribing. The pharmacist will contribute significantly to QOF delivery, prescribing safety initiatives, clinical audit, quality improvement, antibiotic stewardship and service development, and provide medicines support to clinical and administrative teams. The role works closely with, and is supported by, the wider PCN pharmacy team, offering peer support, shared learning and collaborative delivery of PCN priorities.

About us

Newport & Central Primary Care Network is a friendly PCN made up of four welcoming, well-established but independent GP practices serving a diverse local population. The practices work collaboratively while maintaining their own identity, creating a positive environment that values teamwork, flexibility and shared learning. This role sits within a well-established PCN Pharmacy Team, comprising clinical pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, led by an Advanced Clinical Pharmacist and aligned closely with the PCN Operations Lead. The structure provides strong clinical leadership, clear governance and opportunities for peer learning. While embedded within the wider PCN pharmacy team, the postholder will work independently within individual practices, developing effective working relationships and contributing directly to patient care and practice priorities.

Job responsibilities

• Patient facing medicines optimisation

• Undertake structured and routine medication reviews (face to face, telephone and care home visits), particularly for patients with polypharmacy, frailty and multiple co-morbidities.
• Carry out reviews for specific long-term conditions within scope of practice, including asthma, COPD, hypertension, diabetes, lipid management and thyroid disease.
• Agree shared care plans with patients to improve adherence, outcomes and patient experience.
• Ensure appropriate monitoring of high risk and long term medicines, arranging follow-up and investigations as required.

• Implement prescribing changes autonomously as an independent prescriber.
• Manage de-prescribing where appropriate to reduce harm and unnecessary medicines.
• Handle patient medication queries and provide clinical advice aligned with local formulary and best practice.

• Reconcile medicines following hospital discharge, outpatient appointments, intermediate care and care home transitions.
• Identify and resolve unexplained medication changes and ensure safe continuity of supply.
• Work with community pharmacy and secondary care teams to improve transfer of care processes.

• Lead and contribute to chronic disease management and monitoring.
• Identify and review high-risk patient cohorts using clinical systems and searches.
• Reduce avoidable admissions through proactive medicines optimisation.

• Contribute significantly to QOF delivery and prescribing related quality initiatives.
• Lead and participate in clinical audit, quality improvement and service redesign.
• Support safe prescribing systems, MHRA alerts, antibiotic stewardship and medicines safety processes.
• Manage medicine shortages, formulation changes and prescribing workarounds.

• Provide medicines expertise and advice to clinicians and wider practice teams.
• Contribute to MDT meetings and PCN wide working groups.
• Support training and shared learning within the pharmacy and practice teams.
• Contribute to CQC compliance where medicines management is concerned.

• Maintain professional registration and revalidation requirements.
• Participate in appraisal, development planning and ongoing learning.
• Work within clinical governance, confidentiality, information governance, equality and health & safety policies.

Person Specification

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent communication skills with patients, carers and healthcare professionals.
• Ability to prioritise, problem-solve and manage competing demands.
• Ability to work independently within practices while contributing to PCN objectives.
• Good organisational and time-management skills.
• Leadership or mentoring skills within pharmacy or multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to support service development and pathway redesign.

Experience

• Experience delivering medicines optimisation services in a clinical setting.
• Experience undertaking patient facing medication reviews, including polypharmacy.
• Experience managing long term conditions within scope of practice.
• Experience of medicines reconciliation following hospital discharge and outpatient changes.
• Experience working autonomously and managing a clinical workload independently.
• Experience working collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team.
• Competent use of GP clinical systems and IT systems for clinical documentation and audits.
• Prescribing experience in primary care or a similar patient facing setting.
• Experience working in general practice or PCN environments.
• Experience contributing to QOF, prescribing safety initiatives or enhanced services.
• Experience supporting care homes or housebound patients.
• Experience participating in clinical audit, quality improvement or service development.
• Experience providing medicines advice or training to clinicians and practice teams.

Knowledge

• Sound knowledge of medicines optimisation and safe prescribing.
• Good understanding of NHS primary care, general practice and PCN working.
• Knowledge of prescribing governance, medicines safety and antimicrobial stewardship.
• Ability to apply clinical knowledge and evidence-based guidance to prescribing decisions.
• In depth therapeutic knowledge in long term conditions such as hypertension, asthma, COPD, diabetes, lipid and thyroid management.
• Knowledge of local formularies, prescribing policies and pathways.
• Knowledge of population health management and risk stratification approaches.

Qualifications

• Registered Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
• MPharm degree or equivalent.
• Evidence of ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and re-validation.
• Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway (PCPEP) or equivalent experience.
• Relevant postgraduate qualification or training in clinical pharmacy or primary 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.

£44,000 to £47,000 a year Subject to PCN ARRS banding.