PCN Clinical Pharmacist

Job overview As we develop our Primary Care Network (PCN) we are looking to recruit an experienced pharmacist to join us and help the PCN support our community and improve the health and wellbeing of our patients. We recognise the opportunity that additional health professional skills can offer within Primary Care and are seeking to expand our established pharmacy team to improve the quality and sustainability of the care we offer. The successful candidate will be based at The Mill Medical Practice, and may on occasion be required to support the development of services across the network. Main duties of the job The post holder will work across one or more of the four practices in the Network. The role is patient-facing and will also help up to develop our model of how we work together across the PCN and with other providers to implement new service specifications, including structured medication reviews, enhanced health in care homes and (from later this year) Cardiovascular Disease diagnosis and prevention. The post-holder will also be responsible for mentoring members of our pharmacy technician team, and will be supported in undertaking additional training through the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education if not already undertaking or qualified from an approved pathway like the Primary Care Pharmacy Educational Pathway. The post-holder will also be supported to complete a prescribing course if not already completed. This role is pivotal to improving the quality of care and operational effectiveness and requires a motivated and passionate individual to deliver excellent service within general practice. About us The Mill Medical Practice is a well-established practice located on the outskirts of Godalming and covering a population of over 16,000 patients. We are a successful, training practice with nine GP Partners and four Salaried Doctors. We are extremely proud of our excellent Administrative and Clinical Team. We provide high quality clinical care, rating outstanding in our last CQC inspection. We use EMIS Web, Docman and EPS. The Successful candidate will join our existing team which includes Management, Administrators, Nurses, Healthcare Assistants, Clinical Pharmacist and through our PCN a Care Coordinator, Clinical Pharmacist and First Contact Physiotherapist. About East of Waverley PCN We are one of five practices in the East of Waverley Primary Care Network, along with Binscombe Medical Centre, Cranleigh Medical Practice, Springfield Surgery and Wonersh Surgery. Our Primary Care Network meetings are monthly with attendance from a Lead GP and Practice Manager from each practice. Our Primary Care Network works with three other PCNs as part of the Guilford & Waverley Health and Care Alliance, supported by the Procare GP Federation. Job description Job responsibilities Patient facing clinics Manage clinics for long term disease management within scope of practice e.g. hypertension, diabetes or asthma etc. 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, COPD and asthma) and people with learning disabilities or autism (through STOMP – Stop Over Medication Programme). Through structured medication reviews, support patients to take their medications to get the best from them, reduce waste and promote self-care; including those within a care home setting. Communicate to a prescriber any recommendations for changes identified in the reviews to ensure patients get the best use of their medicines. Or as an independent prescriber, be responsible for adjusting medications and arranging monitoring when needed. Medicines information Provide specialist expertise in the use of medicines whilst helping to address both the public health and social care needs of patients at the PCN’s practice(s) and to help in tackling inequalities. Repeat prescribing Work with the PCN pharmacy technicians and practices to improve repeat prescribing policies. Risk stratification Identify cohorts of patients at high risk of harm from medicines through practice computer searches. Medicines Safety Undertake clinical audits of prescribing in areas directed by the practice, making suggestions for improvement. Work with the PCN pharmacy technicians and practices to identify patients affected by appropriate MHRA drug alerts. Communicate to a prescriber any recommendations for changes identified in audits/drug alerts. Or as an independent prescriber, be responsible for adjusting medications and arranging monitoring when needed. Take a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols, clinical research with 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. Medicines Optimisation Provide leadership on person-centred medicines optimisation (including ensuring prescribers in the practice conserve antibiotics in line with local antimicrobial stewardship guidance) and quality improvement, whilst contributing to the quality and outcomes framework and enhanced services. Provide support to the pharmacy technicians to ensure medicines reconciliation from clinical letters e.g. hospital discharges and out-patient clinic letters are completed accurately and in a timely manner. Report back to CCG/secondary care pharmacy teams queries around requests for inappropriate shared care prescribing requests or non-formulary items. Work with PCN pharmacy technicians to action CCG medicines management incentive schemes. Supporting the implementation of national prescribing policies and guidance within GP practices Be a prescriber, or completing training to become prescribers, and work with and alongside the general practice team. Work to improve Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) either though reviewing clinical coding to improve disease registers or individual indicators, flag to prescribers (if not already one) appropriate medications to initiate or arranging appropriate monitoring. Work with practice to help with Care Quality Commission (CQC) requirements around medication related issues. Work with the practice and CCG to reduce the number of items prescribed that appear on the national list of items that should not routinely be prescribed in primary care either directly if the medication can be purchased over the counter or as an independent prescriber by initiating alternatives or to appropriately refer patients to a prescriber. Work with the practice to improve the indicators of the Investment and Impact Fund (IIF), either directly as an independent prescriber or to appropriately refer patients to a prescriber. Working within a multidisciplinary team 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. 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. Develop relationships and work closely with other pharmacy professionals across PCNs and the wider health and social care system, including those in primary care, secondary care, community pharmacy, mental and social care teams. Be part of a professional clinical network and have access to appropriate clinical supervision with the support of the PCN. Act as a mentor to PCN pharmacy technicians. Person Specification Qualifications and Experience Essential

• Completion of an undergraduate degree in pharmacy
• Professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Minimum of 5 years working as a qualified pharmacist within the UK

Desirable

• Specific experience of working with diabetes, asthma or mental health
• Experience working within a primary care setting
• Qualified from, an approved 18-month training pathway or equivalent that equips the Clinical Pharmacist to be able to practice and prescribe safely and effectively in a primary care setting (for example, the CPPE Clinical Pharmacist training pathways)
• Hold (or already working towards) a prescribing qualification

Knowledge and Understanding Essential

• An appreciation of the nature of GPs and general practices
• Awareness of primary care prescribing and the local formulary
• Awareness of GP budget management and funding systems to assist delivery PCN/NHS priorities and requirements for financial balance and quality

Skills and Competencies Essential

• Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills, including written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to gain acceptance for recommendations and influence/motivate/ persuade the audience to comply with the recommendations/ agreed course of action where there may be significant barriers
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to a variety of audiences (e.g.patients)
• Sound computer skills, proficient with MS Office
• Has attention to detail, able to work accurately, identifying errors quickly and easily
• Able to obtain and analyse complex technical information
• Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision
• Is able to plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general medicine optimisation issues in core areas for long term conditions

Desirable

• Familiar with GP clinical systems e.g. EMIS and Docman
• Able to analyse and interpret prescribing data

Attributes Essential

• Self-motivated and proactive, able to work under pressure and to meet deadlines
• Works effectively independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Excellent time keeping

Other Essential

• Meets DBS reference standards
• Able to work across several sites and travel to meet with stakeholders

Desirable

• Holds a full, current UK driving licence

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. UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website. Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Fixed term contract Contract length: 18 months Salary: £41,450.00-£46,884.00 per year Benefits:

• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Sick pay

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Godalming: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Application question(s):

• Have you completed an undergraduate degree in pharmacy?
• Do you have professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council?

Experience:

• Qualified Pharmacist: 5 years (preferred)

Work Location: One location