PCN Clinical Pharmacist

Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a full-time forward thinking, motivated and experienced Clinical Pharmacist to join our North Connect PCN in Northwood on a permanent contract.

The role will be based at Carepoint Practice.

The successful candidate will work at Carepoint Practice developing this role closely supported by the GPs. They will be part of a group of Clinical Pharmacists under the guidance and supervision of a delegated clinical supervisor.

The role will suit a forward-thinking, innovative and enthusiastic clinical pharmacist who is able to work collaboratively across the team. If you are adaptable, self-motivated and organised, possessing the necessary qualities and skills for this post, we look forward to hearing from you.

Main duties of the job
The post holder will work as part of a multidisciplinary team to develop and run processes for repeat prescription authorisation, management of medicines on transfer of care and systems for safer prescribing. They will work directly with patients to assess and treat conditions, manage long-term conditions as well as promote self-care.

Skills required:

• Completion of an undergraduate degree in pharmacy and registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Minimum of 2 years experience as a pharmacist
• Have experience and an awareness of common acute and long-term conditions that are likely to be seen in general practice
• Working towards or holding an independent prescribing qualification
• Able to follow legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct
• Involves patients in decisions about prescribed medicines and supporting adherence as per NICE guidelines.

About us
The Confederation, Hillingdon CIC works with General Practice and other healthcare providers to deliver its vision for Hillingdon to deliver the best primary care outcomes for patients in the whole of London. We are a not for profit community interest company. The Confederation works to develop and support individual GP practices, PCNs and Neighbourhoods and their changing needs. We deliver excellent clinical services ourselves both at scale and complementary to General Practice. We are the provider representative voice for local General Practice into the wider NHS and other Partners. We are of the NHS but independent, innovative and transformational.

The Confederation determines to develop as an attractive place to work, providing rewarding roles and opportunities to grow in order to attract and retain great staff that in turn delivers our vision.

Our Values:

• We work together to make a difference for patients
• We care enough to go the extra mile
• We support, trust, and empower
• We sincerely value each other
• We support Primary Care to own its destiny

Location: Northwood
Salary: £48,000 to £62,000 a year Dependent on Experience
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: E0004-26-0075

Job responsibilities
Primary Responsibilities

• Undertake clinical medication reviews with patients within the practice, care homes and/or domiciliary visit to proactively manage polypharmacy and produce recommendations for senior clinical pharmacist, nurses and/or GP on prescribing and monitoring.
• See (where appropriate) patients with single or multiple medical problems where medicine optimisation is required (e.g. Respiratory, Cardiovascular and Diabetes).
• Clinics are done face to face, via telephone, home visits and in the future, possibly video consultations.
• The post holder will undertake clinics for patients or develop one to one relationships in order to de-prescribe where necessary or offer clinical leadership on medicines optimisation and quality improvement.
• Review the on-going need for each medicine, a review of monitoring needs and an opportunity to support patients with their medicine adherence ensuring they get the best use of their medicines (i.e. medicines optimisation). Make appropriate recommendations to GPs for medicine improvement.
• Undertake clinical medication reviews with patients and produce recommendations for clinicians on prescribing and monitoring. Work with care home staff to improve safety of medicines ordering and administration.
• Managing caseload of patients with common/minor/self-limiting ailments while working within a scope of practice and limits of competence.
• Signposting to community pharmacy and referring to GPs or other healthcare professionals where appropriate.
• Provide patient facing clinics and a telephone helpline for those with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines in the practice.
• Answers relevant medicine-related enquiries from GPs, other practice staff, other healthcare teams (e.g. community pharmacy) and patients with queries about medicines.
• Review the use of medicines most commonly associated with unplanned hospital admissions and readmissions through audit and individual patient reviews.
• Put in place changes to reduce the prescribing of these medicines to high-risk patient groups.
• To reconcile medicines following discharge from hospitals, intermediate care and into care homes, including identifying and rectifying unexplained changes and working with patients and community pharmacists to ensure patients receive the medicines they need post discharge.
• Set up and manage systems to ensure continuity of medicines supply to high risk groups of patients (e.g. those with medicine compliance aids or those in Care Homes).
• Ensure that patients are referred to the appropriate healthcare professional for the appropriate level of care within an appropriate period e.g. pathology results, common/minor ailments, acute conditions, long term condition reviews etc.
• Produce and implement a repeat prescribing policy within each PCN practice. Manage the repeat prescribing reauthorisation process by reviewing patient requests for repeat prescriptions and reviewing medicines reaching review dates and flagging up those needing a review.
• Ensure patients have appropriate monitoring tests in place when required.
• Identification of cohorts of patients at high risk of harm from medicines through pre-prepared practice computer searches. This might include risks that are patient related, medicine related, or both.
• Contribute pharmaceutical advice for the development and implementation of new services that have medicinal components (e.g. advice on treatment pathways and patient information leaflets).
• Undertake clinical audits of prescribing in areas directed by the GPs, feedback the results and implement changes in conjunction with the relevant practice team.
• Implement changes to medicines that result from MHRA alerts, product withdrawal and other local and national guidance.
• Auditing practices compliance against NICE technology assessment guidance.
• Provide education and training to primary healthcare team on therapeutics and medicines optimisation.
• Work with the general practice team to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved.

Collaborative Working Relationships

• Participates in the Primary Care Network Multidisciplinary Team
• Liaises with CCG colleagues including CCG pharmacists on prescribing related matters to ensure consistency of patient care and benefit in surgeries
• Foster and maintain strong links with all services across the PCN and neighbouring networks.
• Explores the potential for collaborative working and takes opportunities to initiate and sustain such relationships