Practice Pharmacist in Sunderland

Main duties of the job include responsibilities for managing chronic conditions such as heart failure, hypertension, and hypercholesterolaemia, as well as supporting pharmaceutical weight management. Conducting structured medication reviews, managing repeat prescriptions, and supporting patients with polypharmacy and opiate misuse. The post holder will also contribute to pharmacy services within care homes and participate in shared care monitoring to ensure continuity and safety of treatment. The role involves active engagement in quality improvement initiatives, clinical audits, and supporting delivery of Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), Local Enhanced Services (LES), and Local Incentive Schemes (LIS). The post holder may also contribute to extended hours and improved access services where required.

Job responsibilities include working within clinical competencies to provide specialist pharmaceutical support to clinical and admin staff primarily in Villette Surgery and to all practices of the East PCN, including working with members of the wider healthcare team to improve care and support together with safe and effective prescribing. The role includes a patient-facing element, delivered either face-to-face or via telephone. Responsibilities include chronic disease management such as heart failure, hypertension, and hypercholesterolaemia, as well as pharmaceutical weight management. The post holder will also be involved in repeat prescription management and conducting structured medication reviews. In addition, the role requires managing and reviewing patients with polypharmacy and those with opiate misuse. The practice utilises pharmacy support within care homes, where the pharmacy team plays an active role. Furthermore, the team is involved in shared care monitoring. The post holder will need to be proactively involved in quality improvement and audit as well as managing some aspects of the Quality and Outcomes Framework, Local Enhanced Services (LES), and Local Incentive Schemes (LIS). The post holder may also be required to contribute to the provision of out-of-hours, extended hours, and improved access services, as needed. Support will be provided within the practice through a GP mentor, as well as across the PCN. Local practices have expressed an interest in forming a pharmacist group to facilitate the sharing of ideas and provide mutual support between practices. Additionally, the post holder will work to improve care and patient outcomes across Sunderland East PCN and play a pivotal role in the delivery of high-quality primary healthcare.

Key Responsibilities include clinical medication reviews for patients with single or multiple long-term conditions where medicines optimisation is required. Reconcile medicines following discharge from hospitals or intermediate care and work with patients and community pharmacists to ensure patients receive the medicines they need post-discharge and to reduce risk of readmission. Be involved in multidisciplinary clinical meetings within the Practice and PCN where appropriate. Contribute to the provision of out of hours/on call/extended services for the practice and the patients, including patient facing and telephone consultations, signposting to other services and/or healthcare professionals, while working within scope of practice and limits of competency. Manage repeat prescription requests, resolving queries within scope of practice. Ensure patients have appropriate monitoring tests in place when required. Implement changes to medicines in line with MHRA alerts, product withdrawal or shortage and other local or national guidance. Undertake opiate reduction and cessation management. Maintain full and complete records of all patient contacts using appropriate clinical templates and coding. Undertake a proactive role in audit and quality improvement, implementing recommendations where appropriate. Provide independent information to patients about medicines and prescribing changes, initiating further support from other healthcare professionals where appropriate. Participate in review and setting of policies relating to medicines management and prescribing and help ensure practices prescribe in accordance with local guidelines and formulary. Identify areas of clinical risk at network level and make recommendations to support the introduction of new working practices that will optimise the quality of prescribing and make more efficient use of network resources. Monitor network practice prescribing against the local health economy and make recommendations for GPs or amend within scope of practice based on findings. Maintain own clinical and professional competence and be responsible for own continuous professional development. Work with the practice to ensure full compliance with Care Quality Commission standards for safe and effective care.

Person Specification Qualifications: GPhC Registered Pharmacist. MUR and Repeat Dispensing Qualification.

Experience: Experience of managing pharmacy services in primary care. Minimum of two years working as a pharmacist. Broad knowledge of general practice and working with the practice team.

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.