PCN Clinical Pharmacist

Job description Job responsibilities

To be part of a multi-skilled primary care team in a patient facing role providing patient centred medical services based on patient needs with a focus on continuity of care. Including:

Patient facing / telephone Clinical Structured Medication Reviews 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 and people with learning disabilities or autism Review the on-going need for each medication, ensuring monitoring needs are performed and use the opportunity to support patients achieve better health outcomes through shared decision-making conversations Support patients to take their medications to get the best from them, reduce waste and promote self-care Make appropriate recommendations to prescribers Promote safe disposal of medicines and recycling of inhaler

Patient facing consultation Long-term Condition clinics Help to set up pharmacist-run long term condition clinics particularly for patients with complicated medication regimes. This could include, but is not limited to: Optimisation of blood pressure control where clinically appropriate.

Optimisation of lipids using nationally recognised pathways

Optimisation of diabetic control

Optimisation of medicines for Chronic Kidney disease

HRT or contraception reviews / advice

Patient facing consultation Care Home Medication Reviews Undertake clinical medication reviews, formulate a medicines optimisation plan jointly with the patient/ carer and facilitate its implementation by working with other professionals, services and agencies as necessary

Support patients to wean from medications including opioids, gabapentinoids and antidepressants in line with national guidance. Work with care home staff to improve safety of medicines ordering and administration.

Medicines information Answers relevant medicine-related enquiries from GPs, other practice staff, other healthcare teams (e.g. community pharmacy) and patients. These are known as tasks and letters and must be actioned during each shift, prioritising urgent requests and ensuring routine requests are processed in a timely way. Suggest and recommend solutions using clinical knowledge and trusted pharmaceutical sources

Medicine Reconciliation Carry out medication reviews and reconciliation for all new patients.

Medication reviews for patients whose care is transferred back into primary care, often this will be via a discharge summary.

Medicines Management Support initiatives for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing locally.

Supporting the practice with the Month of Birth recall process, which includes annual medication safety checks and those of high risk drugs monitoring, complying with relevant Practice policies. Support the PCN pharmacy team in to manage blood monitoring of High-Risk Drugs and DOACs across the PCN. 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 practices and to help in tackling inequalities

Undertake and, where appropriate, lead on any specific medicines optimisation-based projects/portfolio areas of work as may be required by the Pharmacy Team, e.g., diabetes medication, blood pressure optimisation, lipid lowering therapy

Collaborating Working Relationships Work collaboratively with ICB medicines management teams Develop relationships and work closely with other pharmacy professionals within and across the PCN and the wider health and social care system Take a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols, clinical research with medicines, liaison with specialist pharmacists, liaison with community pharmacists and anticoagulation Explores the potential for collaborative working and takes opportunities to initiate and sustain such relationships

Education and Training Enrol in the NHS England CPPE Primary care pharmacy education program (if not already undertaken) and complete the 18-month course. This will be fully supported by the PCN, and time allocated for study days.

Complete the Independent Prescribing course (if not already undertaken) Medicines optimisation Demonstrate self-development through continuous professional development Develop a good working knowledge of the clinical systems used by the practices Attend internal and external meetings and training courses, and supervision sessions with designated GP supervisor on a regular basis Complete regular mandatory training Provide clinical supervision pharmacy technicians in the Practice and PCN pharmacy team

Practice Support the implementation of national prescribing policies and guidance within the practice, care homes and other primary care settings. This will be achieved through undertaking clinical audits, supporting quality improvement measures and contributing to the Quality and Outcomes Framework and enhanced services. Support the delivery of the pharmacy and medicines optimisation elements of the network service specifications within the Network Contract DES (Pharmacy Quality Scheme) Help the GPs with reauthorising medication and repeat prescribing process and medication reviews.

Supporting the practices Month of Birth recall process, ensuring compliance with relevant Policies. Answering medication queries from patients

Understand the role of CQC in General practice and adhere to practice policies. Take part in significant event meetings and practice protected learning meetings.

Service development Work with GPs and Pharmacy Technicians to create processes and Standard Operating Procedures for use within the practice and pharmacy teams, which offer improvement in consistency and delivery of our services to patients. Contribute pharmaceutical advice for the development and implementation of new services Identify areas of good practice and help to disseminate across the PCN

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT To discuss development needs with line manager and establish an agreed development plan in order to consistently achieve best practice and continuously improve personal performance.

To identify own training needs and attend relevant study days/courses as agreed by the line manager and in accordance with the Personal Development Plan.

To demonstrate appropriate behaviour in stressful and difficult situations, recognising personal limitations.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The role requires flexibility, as there are often changes to the planned programme of work, according to matters arising for independent contractors requiring urgent attention.

COMMUNICATION AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

The post holder will:

Work actively to develop good and effective working relationships with colleagues in the Practice and PCN and with individuals and external organisations in order to develop the service, facilitate collaborative working and mutually beneficial solutions to problems.

Act as an ambassador for the Practice team and the PCN in terms of telephone and in personal contacts and as a friendly and competent point of access to the Practice and PCN for outside organisations.

Work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure that resources are used flexibly to meet the demand, including providing assistance in times of particular pressure in any area.

Assimilate, manage, and communicate a wide range of information, some of which will be sensitive and complex and may involve matters relating to individual staff or patient matters or to matters of commercial confidence.

ENVIRONMENTAL

The post holder may be required to concentrate for sustained periods and the post requires significant periods of DSE usage. The post is practice based so the holder will be required to be on site and in an office / consulting room environment for extended periods. The post involves the holder making multiple telephone calls to patients per day.