GP Practice Clinical Pharmacist

We are forward thinking Practice and our team works collectively with agile leadership. Our practice aims to ensure that our staff come first, by fostering good working practices that builds a resilience required for modern day primary care.

Our entire team are able to deliver not just consistently but drives towards sustainable and exceptional patient care for our 13,000-list size.

Would you like to experience being part of a strong primary GP Practice team, delivering improved access and online consultations, high achieving QOF, rated Outstanding by CQC?

Would you like to be part of a practice that has very active and national award winning Patient Participation Group involved in supporting our local clubs, school, local football club community trust and local council to help promote physical and mental well-being in our local population?

Main duties of the job

The post holder is an experienced pharmacist who, acting within their professional competency, will provide clinical and pharmacological care to facilitate safe,effective, rational and cost effective prescribing. They will demonstrate safe clinical decision-making and expert care for patients within the general practice. They will work collaboratively with the multi-disciplinary general practice team to meet the needs of patients and to support the delivery of policy and procedures.

It will be necessary to have knowledge of current Primary Care contracts, e.g. The Quality and Outcomes Framework, GMS contract, PCN contract and locally commissioned ICB contracts as this is a vital element of the post.

It is envisaged that part of the role will include the mentoring of our Pharmacy Technician and Prescribing clerks.

Additionally the successful candidate will be encouraged and supported to undertake any further training required to ensure appropriate role development.

About us

The Thornton Practice

Mission:

To Provide high quality medical care, including appropriate health promotion and disease prevention activity, to all patients registered at our practice

Vision

To be a high performing practice or patient experience and clinical outcomes

Values

Teamwork: Together with the team you can achieve more

Respect: Treat everyone with respect and courtesy

Quality: Engage the right people with the right enquiry

Integrity: Exhibit honesty and integrity at all times

Caring: Maintain respectful relationships with staff, patients and our communities

Job responsibilities

Job title: Clinical Pharmacist

Reports to/responsible to: Partner GPs (Clinically) and Practice Business Manager (Administratively)

ProfessionalResponsibilities:

Assist GPs to help deliver effective implementation of medicine management of patients

Contribute to the development of policies/ protocols / guidelines within the Practice.

Use of computer for monitoring, recording, recall and management of all patient information – (Practice uses EMIS Web)

Aid the Practice team with implementation of new initiatives in the delivery of medicine management services.

Formulate reports as required for the Practice Management and/or GP Partners.

Support the implementation of evidence-based guidelines in conjunction with the Practice team.

Encourage the development of integrated services within primary care to include integrated Practice based teams and multidisciplinary working.

Engage in continuous professional development and promote this with other members of the team.

Recognise the opportunities for working in partnership with the Primary Health Care team.

Participate in an annual appraisal.

Clinical Administration

Medication queries and requests

Signposting

Authorising repeat prescriptions

Interpreting pathology

Signing prescription (if qualified)

Clinical Delivery

Clinical medication reviews

Polypharmacy reviews

Home visits

Care home support

Minor illness clinics

Triage

Support the Practice Nursing team with Long-term condition management / clinics

Practice Process and Performance

Best practice prescription management

QOF optimisation and prevalence finding

CQC support

Clinical audits

Education and training of staff

Prescription Management

Review, manage and implement any appropriate changes to the practice repeat prescribing policy

Manage the repeat prescribing reauthorization process by reviewing medications reaching review dates; make necessary changes as an independent prescriber in collaboration with the general practitioners

Ensure implementation of the practice high risk drug monitoring process ensuring patients are booked in for necessary monitoring tests when required

To reconcile medicines following discharge from hospitals, intermediate care and care homes, including identifying and rectifying unexplained changes and highlighting any concerns to the GP who is the patient\’s usual doctor.

Work with community pharmacists to ensure patients receive the medication they need post discharge

Ensure a post discharge medication care plan is in place including any dose titration or follow up tests

Medication review and Long Term Condition management

Undertake clinical medication reviews with patients with multi-morbidity and polypharmacy and implement clinically indicated prescribing changes as an independent prescriber, working to protocols agreed with the partnership.

Visit housebound or vulnerable patients to undertake clinical medication reviews, attending multidisciplinary team meetings as required.

To prescribe safe, effective and appropriate medication as defined by current legislative framework and within own scope of clinical competence.

When seeing patients form medication advice, provide safe, evidence-based, cost-effective, individualised patient care.

Offer a holistic service topatients and their families, developing where appropriate an on-going plan of care/support, with an emphasis on prevention and self-care.

Promote health and well-being through the use of health promotion, health education, screening and therapeutic communication skills.

Acute/minor illness and patient medicine queries

Manage caseload of patients with common/minor/self-limiting ailments while working within the scope of practice and limits of competence, referring to GP or healthcare colleagues where appropriate

Provide patient facing appointments and telephone support for those with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines

Answer all medicine related enquiries from GPs, other practice staff and other healthcare teams (e.g. Community nurses and pharmacy)

Quality improvement, training and development

Identify and act upon national and local policy and guidance that effects patient safety through the use of medicines including MRHA alerts, product withdrawal and emerging evidence from clinical trials

Work with practice teams and patients to implement NICE guidelines

Increase quality and safety of prescribing through mechanisms such as audit and PDSA cycles ICB prescribing advisor implementing C&H prescribing guidelines

Work with ICB prescribing advisor implementing C&H prescribing guidelines

ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved.

Provide education and training to primary healthcare team on therapeutics and medicine optimization

Research,Audit and Quality:

Encourage the development of a Practice audit strategy and action plan for Primary Care. Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk

Contribute to the provision of equitable, high quality services for patients in the locality.

Help support the integration across primary, secondary and tertiary care services.

Maintain an interest in national research initiatives and disseminate appropriate information to health professionals if asked to do so.

Ensure all care is evidence based using up to date validated literature.

Contribute to research and development programmes where required to improve clinical practice.

Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the team\’s performance

Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs

Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

Communication:

The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

Communicate effectively with other team members, attend Practice meetings and contribute as necessary.

Communicate effectively with patients and carers

Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Contribution to the Implementation of Services:

The post-holder will:

Apply Practice policies, standards and guidance

Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work

Participate in audit where appropriate

Confidentiality

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately

In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their Carers, Practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the Practice as a business organization. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential

Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the Practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the Practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data

To work in accordance of all Practice written protocols

Equality and Diversity:

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Practice procedures and policies, and current legislation

Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues

Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/Professional Development:

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

Participation in an annual appraisal, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development

Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work

Safeguarding

Thornton Practice is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people and vulnerable adults who attend the surgery, either as patients or when accompanying patients. The post-holder will be expected to share this commitment.

If the post-holder has a concern regarding a child or young person or vulnerable adult they have a duty to act upon that concern. This may mean sharing that concern with another professional and following local and national guidance.

This Job Description is flexible and the post holder will be expected to undertake any other duties appropriate to the role and grade as may be required by the GPs/Practice and Management

This job description is subject to change from time to time inline with organisational need and the post holders agreement should not unreasonably be denied.

Application via Online Application form or CV

For further information or an informal chat about the role, please contact: sanjay.tanna@nhs.net

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in pharmacy and registration with GPC
• Minimum 2 years experience as a pharmacist
• Hold or are working towards independent prescribing qualification
• Experience of common acute and long term conditions
• Work effectively independently
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills
• Rigorous in following legal, ethical, professional and organisation policies and codes of conduct
• Committed to continuous professional development
• Ability to apply research evidence base into the workplace
• Excellent organisational skills
• IT literate
• More than 2 years experience as a pharmacist
• Independent prescriber
• Experience of medication reviews relevant in General Practice
• Track record of improving work processes
• Up to date knowledge of CQC regulations in General Practice
• Good understanding and history of quality improvement through audit
• User of EMIS Web

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.

Depending on experienceEquivalent to band 7 or 8a on Agenda to Change