Job Description

Job description

Post Title:

Practice Pharmacist

Working Hours:

15 - 20 hours per week (Over two and half days)

Salary Range Between 46,928 - 52,795- per annum (Prorated)

Reports to:

Clinical Leads & Practice Managers

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Assessment of patients presenting in general practice with minor ailments, making appropriate diagnoses and treatment choices as an independent prescriber or in accordance with relevant PGDs

Contribution to multidisciplinary team meetings, this will require pharmaceutical advice ensuring optimum care is provided for individual patients, including those on the 'high risk of admission' register

Review and interpret clinical data each day for patients requiring therapeutic drug monitoring

Recommendation of appropriate therapy for individual patients where evidence is not available, controversial evidence exists or other professionals may challenge advice

Provide advice on the pharmaceutical and pharmacodynamics properties of drugs including alterations of these parameters in 'special groups' of patients, such as the older adult

Contribute to the organisations wider antimicrobial surveillance programme, implementing local programmes ensuring appropriate antimicrobial prescribing within general practice

Attendance at Consultant/GP white board/MDT meetings to actively facilitate and provide advice on the treatment of patients

To develop and manage a medicines management plan and the delivery of patient services as determined by practice policy and local and national guidance.

Develop and manage the medicines management team, including delivery of training, in order to maximise cost-effective prescribing and to improve the quality of patient care.

Undertake medication reviews with patients to support optimum therapy and adherence, making recommendations to the GP

Promote compliance by prescribers and other healthcare staff with local Formulary and Referral

Application of the evidence base behind drug therapies used in the elderly

Identification of adverse drug reactions and reporting them to the MHRA via the 'Yellow Card' system

Complete medicines reconciliation within 24hours (72hrs at weekends) as patients enter and leave services

Follow up patients with single morbidity such as COPD/hypertension.

Review medication with relevant monitoring of condition within competency

Contribute to public health campaigns, including flu vaccinations, and adult immunisation programmes

Patient services

To provide medication review services to patients via clinics in the practice, domiciliary visits and in residential and nursing homes, and to deliver pharmaceutical care plans that maximise cost-effective prescribing and improve the quality of patient care. To present at patient group meetings or other appropriate events to give advice on the appropriate use of medicines. To produce patient information leaflets and posters and run medicine awareness projects throughout the year. Assist Partners with the appropriate monitoring and management of their prescribing budgets. To prepare evidence based resources and information to support the medicine management team and all other relevant health professionals in the implementation of rational cost-effective prescribing. To help plan, develop and support the introduction of new working processes within the practice to optimise the quality of prescribing. To provide minor aliment services to patients via face to face or telephone consultations.

Responsibility for Administration

To provide regular support and feedback to practice on prescribing action plans To produce quarterly reports on practice progress to the lead GP for medicines management To update and maintain accurate patient medication records on the practice's clinical computer systems including advice given and action taken. To advise the primary health care team on the safe and secure handling of controlled drugs and other medicines, ensuring compliance with medicines legislation.

Communication

Have well-developed verbal and written communications skills are essential to the role

Communicate medicines information (e.g. medicines doses and side effects) in oral or Written form to patients and/or carers, who may have difficulties with understanding

Manage day to day medicines queries, including face to face consultations with patients identified to have compliance or other problems in medicine administration

Develop and implement patient/carer health educational groups across the practices

Refer patients to other community services where appropriate

Discuss and resolve medication problems with prescribers where appropriate, ensuring treatment is appropriate, safe and effective

Input and maintain clinical and pharmacy records, for example using System-one IT, controlled drugs, unlicensed medication

Liaise with all levels of healthcare staff in all areas of work, including: Patients and carers GPs, community nurses and community pharmacists Nursing, consultant and junior medical staff Support workers, nursing assistants Occupational, speech and physiotherapists Social workers Other pharmacy staff from other services Medicines optimisation team (CCG and NHS England Area Team) External agencies as required

Analytical and Judgmental skills:

Support GPs through the analysis, interpretation and monitoring of clinical data including drug levels, U&E's, blood counts and microbiological sensitivities to guide diagnosis and drug therapy

To monitor the effects of medications by checking clinical signs and symptoms including blood pressure monitoring, pulse monitoring and spirometry, following appropriate training

Applying specialist pharmaceutical knowledge to ensure drug, dose, frequency, route etc. are suitable for the individual patient.

This may involve calculations and/or analysis of past medication/medical history and laboratory results test results

Careful checks of the whole prescription to ensure all aspects are compatible and no pharmaceutical needs are unmet

Use knowledge and professional judgement to communicate any identified medicines related issues with the relevant clinician in a timely manner

Support the delivery of the CCG's medicines optimisation agenda within practice

. Participation in audit and project work with respect to clinical pharmacy services in general practice as directed by senior staff

Identify areas for service development, interpreting NICE recommendations and developing relevant pathways/prescribing protocols for new treatments with the senior pharmacist

Responding to medicines information requests from prescribers and other healthcare professionals and providing advice on medicines.

In many cases this is a complex task involving specialist up to date knowledge, effective search strategies, evaluation of the evidence base and formulation of an appropriate response.

Contribute to clinical governance and risk management through interventions which optimise the management of medicines in all areas of practice, supporting best practice throughout all areas of responsibility.

Review quarterly drug spend in collaboration with the medicines optimisation team, ensuring alignment to the broader medicines optimisation agenda Service Development

Agree therapeutic areas of practice for development and independent prescribing in accordance with your competency and the requirements of the service

Actively contribute to the development of the Clinical Pharmacy Service initiatives that improve patient care and access across general practice

Contribute to pharmaceutical initiatives that help with the seamless transfer of patients between different healthcare settings

Integrate research evidence into practice

Identify gaps in the evidence base

Provide education and training to all healthcare professionals including medical students.

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 careers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. 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

Health & safety:

The post-holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management their own and others' health and safety and infection control as defined in the practice Health & Safety policy, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include (but will not be limited to):

Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines

Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory / contractual / professional requirements, and good practice guidelines

Correct use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Use and monitoring of the correct use of Standard operating Procedures for cleaning and infection control

Responsible for correct hand hygiene of self and others

Ownership of infection control and clinically based patient care protocols, and implementation of those protocols within the team

Active observation of current working practices across the team in relation to infection control, cleanliness and related activities, ensuring that procedures are followed and weaknesses / training needs are identified, escalating issues as appropriate

Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process

Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others across the full range of infection control and patient processes

Monitoring practice facilities and equipment in relation to infection control, ensuring that provision of hand cleansing facilities, wipes etc are sufficient to ensure a good clinical working environment. Lack of facilities to be escalated as appropriate.

Safe management of sharps procedures including training, use, storage and disposal

Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean and sterile, and safe way, free from hazards. Initiation of remedial / corrective action where needed or escalation to responsible management

Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised

Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, sterile, identifying issues and hazards / risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other sector managers
Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum twice annually)

Routine management of own team / team areas, and maintenance of work space standards

Waste management including collection, handling, segregation, container management, storage and collection

Spillage control procedures, management and training

Decontamination control procedures, management and training, and equipment maintenance

Maintenance of sterile environments

Correct cleaning of equipment used for near patient testing such as blood glucose monitoring equipment and smokelysers, using manufacturer's instructions as appropriate

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 people's 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 individual performance review, 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

Quality:

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:

Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making 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

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

Freedom to Act:

Pharmacists are expected to work largely unsupervised and to act on their own professional judgement.

Support mechanisms exist within the older people, primary and urgent care pharmacy service and practice teams by contacting other team members on a mutually beneficial basis.

If studying for a specific qualification a suitable mentor and/or facilitator will be made available as necessary.

Line manager support is available as required. Clinical supervision from another health professional can be arranged and is to be encouraged Clinical roles are supported by policies and guidelines within which the pharmacist is allowed to exercise professional discretion / interpretation

Person Specification

Essential

Professional knowledge acquired through vocational degree in pharmacy plus

1 year pre-registration training

Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

Evidence of commitment to and able to demonstrate CPD

Evidence of practical application of in depth therapeutic and clinical knowledge

Ability to analyse, interpret and evaluate clinical evidence, data and information from various sources to make judgements, decisions and provide recommendations

Logical and focused approach to problem solving

Awareness of legislation governing equality and diversity

Understanding of confidentiality and data protection act

Desirable

Postgraduate diploma (or working towards) or equivalent evidence of clinical knowledge, competence and achievements in practice Independent Pharmacist Prescriber accreditation - or willing to work towards Proven post graduate experience as a clinical pharmacist

Membership with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain

Working towards or membership of the RPS Faculty

Training in safe guarding vulnerable adults and children

Experience of IT applications in primary care including EMIS

Understand relationships between health and social care

Job Types: Part-time, Permanent

Part-time hours: 15 - 20 per week

Salary: 46,928 - 52,795- per annum (Prorated)

Benefits:

Company pension
Schedule:

Monday to Friday
Ability to commute/relocate:

London SW9: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)
Job Type: Part-time

Pay: 24.00-27.00 per hour

Benefits:

Company pension Flexitime
Schedule:

Day shift Monday to Friday
Ability to commute/relocate:

London SW9 6NA: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Application question(s):

Primary Care experience desirable
Experience:

Pharmacist: 2 years (preferred)
Work Location: In person

Reference ID: Clinical Pharmacist in Primary Care
Expected start date: 01/09/2025