PCN Clinical Independant Prescriber Pharmacist

Job description Job responsibilities Primary Care FocusThe post holder will provide primary support to general practice staff with regards to actioning prescription and medication queries. They will help support the repeat prescriptions system, deal with acute prescription requests, and medicines reconciliation on transfer of care and systems for safer prescribing, providing expertise in clinical medicines advice while addressing both public and social care needs of patient in the GP practice (s).Patient Facing ClinicsSee patients (where appropriate) patients with single or multiple medical problems where medicine optimization is required eg COPD, asthma. Moving towards own caseload within scope of practice for long term disease management eg hypertension, diabetes, asthma. An outcome of these clinics to see a change in behaviour of patients with long term conditions such as better self-management and self-care.Undertake clinical medication reviews -reviewing the on-going need for each medicine, a review of monitoring needs and opportunity to support patients with their medicines concordance ensuring they get the best use of their medicines (i.e. medicines optimisation). Make appropriate recommendations to GPs for medicine improvements.Conduct clinical medication reviews for patients with complex polypharmacy, especially those with frailty and the elderly, people in care homes, those with multiple comorbidities and people with learning disabilities.Proactively engage with patients whose care has been transferred back to primary care.Refer patients, attend and contribute to multidisciplinary case conferences. Identifying key areas of need for vulnerable patients and formulating care plans.Management of common/minor/self- limiting ailmentsManaging patients with common/minor/self-limiting aliments while working within scope of practice and limits of competence and referring to GPs or other healthcare professionals where appropriate.Signposting to community pharmacy and referring to GPs or other healthcare professional where appropriate.Medicines informationProvide face to face and telephone clinics for patients to answer queries and concerns they may have regarding their medication. Signposting where appropriate to the appropriate healthcare professional in a timely manner.Provide medication information to the practice staff and other healthcare teams e.g. community pharmacy. Suggesting solutions where needed and providing follow up with the most appropriate healthcare professional.To support public health campaigns and provide specialist knowledge on all public health programmes available to the general public.Medicine OptimisationProvide 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.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 ICB/secondary care pharmacy teams queries around requests for inappropriate shared care prescribing requests or non-formulary items.Work with PCN pharmacy technicians to action ICB medicines management incentive schemes.Repeat prescribingEnsure patients have appropriate monitoring tests in place when required as per the repeat prescribing policy.Undertake clinical medication reviews with patients and produce recommendations for the GP on prescribing and monitoring.Review medications reaching review dates and flag up those needing review to GP.Ensure there are uniform protocols and searches for high risk drug monitoring and safe and effective management of high risk medication.Risk StratificationIdentification of cohorts of patients at high risk of harm from medicines through prepared practice searches.Medicines Quality Improvement programmesIdentify areas of prescribing requiring improvement. Undertake clinical audits of prescribing in areas directed by the GPs, feedback the results.SignpostingEnsure that patients are referred to the appropriate healthcare professional for the appropriate level of care within an appropriate period of time e.g. pathology results, common/minor ailments, acute conditions, long term condition reviews etc.Medicines SafetyWorking with technicians to implement changes to medicines that result from MHRA alerts, product withdrawal and other local and national guidance.Care Quality Commission and other regulatory bodiesWork with the general practice team to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards and other regulatory bodies where medicines are involved.Implementation of local and national guidelines and formulary recommendationsMonitor practice prescribing against the local health economys RAG list and make recommendations to GPs for medicines that should be prescribed by hospital doctors (red drugs) or subject to shared care (amber drugs).Supervision and mentorshipProvide appropriate induction programme of newly appointed/lower band clinical pharmacists.Develop the role of the clinical pharmacist within the PCN.Line management of other members of the pharmacy team.Pastoral support for clinical pharmacists, facilitating group mentoring and professional development.Fully participate in training and development.Education and TrainingProvide education and training to primary healthcare team on therapeutics and medicines optimisation.OtherDemonstrates responsibility and accountability for agreed areas of work including delivery of service outcomes and professional development plan.Demonstrates respectful and professional communication and other behaviours to internal and external colleagues.Values the contributions of other PCN staff and practice staff.The above is not an exhaustive list of duties and you will be expected to undertake such tasks that may reasonably be expected within the scope, level of skill and knowledge for this band.