Job responsibilities
The PCN is looking to employ a maternity cover Clinical Pharmacist under the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, the PCN must ensure that each Clinical Pharmacist has the following key responsibilities in relation to delivering health services as outlined in the Network Contract Direct Enhanced Service Contract Specification 2024/25 PCN Requirements (31st March 2024)
There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks. This will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels:
a. Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a patient facing role to clinically assess and treat patients using their expert knowledge of medicines for specific disease areas
b. Completed and passed Independent Prescribing course, so able to prescribe.
c. Be responsible for the care management of patients with chronic diseases and undertake clinical medication reviews to proactively manage people with complex polypharmacy, especially the elderly, people in care homes, those with multiple co-morbidities (in particular frailty, diabetes, hypertension, COPD and asthma) and people with learning disabilities or autism (through STOMP the Stop Over Medication Programme)
d. Provide specialist expertise in the use of medicines whilst helping to address both the public health and social care needs of patients at the PCNs practice(s) and to help in tackling inequalities
e. Provide leadership on person-centred medicines optimisation (including ensuring prescribers in the organisation conserve antibiotics in line with local antimicrobial stewardship guidance) and quality improvement, whilst contributing to the quality and outcomes framework and enhanced services
f. Through structured medication reviews, support patients to take their medications to get the best from them, reduce waste and promote self-care
g. Have a leadership role in supporting further integration of general practice with the wider healthcare teams (including community and hospital pharmacy) to help improve patient outcomes, ensure better access to healthcare and help manage general practice workload
h. Develop relationships and work closely with other pharmacy professionals across PCNs and the wider health and social care system
i. Take a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols, such as near patient monitoring, anticoagulant monitoring, and medications used in mental health conditions, including ADHD and dementia; clinical research relating to medicines; liaison with specialist pharmacists (including mental health and reduction of inappropriate antipsychotic use in people with learning difficulties); liaison with community pharmacists and anticoagulation services
j. Be part of a professional clinical network and have access to appropriate clinical supervision. Appropriate clinical supervision means:
Each clinical pharmacist will receive a minimum of one supervision session every 3 months and when appropriate, the session will be provided on an individual basis; there will also be regular meetings for the team to meet with the GP clinical supervisor
Each clinical pharmacist will have access to an assigned GP clinical supervisor for support and development
k. To act as the PCN point of contact for all medicine related matters, establishing positive working relationships
l. To liaise with the practices and, where practicable, to standardise the medicines management process across the PCN after discussion with the individual practices.
m. To consult patients within defined levels of competence and independently prescribe acute and repeat medication. It is expected that you will work within the competency framework for all prescribers recommended by The Royal Pharmaceutical Society
n. To receive referrals and directed patients from triage services and other clinicians
o. To receive and resolve medicines queries from patients and other staff
p. To provide medication review services for patients in the practice and during domiciliary visits to the local nursing home
q. To manage a caseload of complex patients
r. To manage a therapeutic drug monitoring system and the recall of patients taking high risk drugs, i.e., anticoagulants, anticonvulsants and DMARDs etc.
s. To deliver long term conditions clinics and home visits particularly for patients with complicated medication regimes and prescribe accordingly
t. To provide pharmaceutical consultations to patients with long term conditions as an integral part of the multi-disciplinary team
u. To review medications for newly registered patients
v. To improve patient and carer understanding, and increasing confidence in, and compliance with their medication
w. To encourage cost-effective prescribing throughout the PCN
x. To liaise with practices and implement and embed a robust repeat prescribing system for use across all practices
y. To provide advice and answer medication related queries from patients and staff
z. To organise and oversee the PCNs medicines optimisation systems including the repeat prescribing and medication review systems
aa. To improve the quality and effectiveness of prescribing through clinical audit and education to improve performance against NICE standards and clinical and prescribing guidance
bb. To develop yourself and the role through participation in clinical supervision, training and service redesign activities
cc. To ensure appropriate supervision of safe storage, rotation and disposal of vaccines and drugs. To apply infection-control measures within the practice according to local and national guidelines
dd. To provide subject matter expertise on medication monitoring, implementing and embedding a system
ee. To support clinicians with the management of patients suffering from drug and alcohol dependencies
ff. To actively signpost patients to the correct healthcare professional
gg. To manage a caseload of complex patients and potential care institutions and to provide advice for the GP management of more complex patients or areas such as addictive behaviours, severe mental illness or end of life care
hh. To review the latest guidance ensuring the organisation conforms to NICE, CQC etc.
ii. To provide targeted support and proactive reviews for vulnerable, complex patients and those at risk of admission and re-admission to secondary care
jj. To handle prescription queries and requests directly
kk. To provide proactive leadership on medicines and prescribing systems to the PCN multidisciplinary team, patients and their carers
ll. To support in the delivery of enhanced services and other service requirements on behalf of the PCN
mm. To participate in the management of patient complaints when requested to do so and participate in the identification of any necessary learning brought about through clinical incidents and near-miss events
nn. To undertake all mandatory training and induction programmes
oo. To contribute to and embrace the spectrum of clinical governance
pp. To attend a formal appraisal with your manager at least every 12 months. Once a performance/training objective has been set, progress will be reviewed on a regular basis so that new objectives can be agreed
qq. To contribute to public health campaigns (e.g., COVID-19 or flu clinics) through advice or direct care
rr. To maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times.