General Practice Clinical Pharmacist

General Practice Clinical Pharmacist - BBS and Hallgarth

IntraHealth is seekingan enthusiastic and proactive clinical pharmacist where the role will directlyimprove patient care and support the efficient running of a general practice.

The successfulcandidate will be an exceptional team player with good communication and interpersonalskills who is enthusiastic and committed to join the practice team. The ideal candidate will also be able to workautonomously when required.

The successful applicant for this post will bejoining us at a particularly exciting time as we develop and expand our service.

For more details of the role please view the jobdescription and person specification.

Main duties of the job

Working within yourclinical and professional boundaries in a patient facing role as part of amultidisciplinary team to manage medicines on transfer of care and systems forsafer prescribing. Perform face-to-face structured medication reviews ofpatients with polypharmacy; especially for those with frailty and/or withmultiple co-morbidities as well as undertaking reviews of patients withspecific long term conditions that fall within your competency.

Work in partnership withstake holder organisations to improve the safety and quality of care forpatients and manage medicines on transfer of care. Deliver medicinesoptimisation initiatives within GP practices including the provision ofspecialist professional pharmaceutical advice and services to ensure the safeand cost effective use of medicines. This will involve work to deliver keymedicines optimisation outcomes against a CCG set work plan.

Contribute toquality improvement and clinical audit, as well as supporting aspects of the Qualityand Outcomes Framework, medicines safety and antibiotic stewardship. You will alsobe required to contribute towards practice financial stability throughmedicines optimisation and related targets in QOF.

The post holder willcomply with the organisation’s policies and procedures.

About us

IntraHealth isone of the UK’s leading provider of NHS Primary and Community Care services. Weserve a range of patients across our three divisions of Primary Care (generalpractice), Pharmacy and Clinical Services which includes anticoagulationmonitoring, patient medication reviews and childhood immunisation programmes.

We also provide management and clinical support to other GPpractices and NHS bodies. We are awell-established organisation having provided NHS services since the companywas founded in 1999. Our team is made up of GPs, Advanced Nurse Practitioners(ANPs), nurses, pharmacists, Health Care Assistants (HCAs) and localadministration teams supported by a centralised back office function; providingfinance, HR, administration and data analysis support.

We operate NHS services across the North East, North West andYorkshire.

Job responsibilities

Toimprove patients health outcomes and the efficiency of the Primary Care team byproviding direct, accessible and timely medicines expertise. To pro-activelytransfer workload relating to medicines optimisation issues from other clinicalstaff to improve patient care, safety and free up scarce clinical staff tospend more time on clinical care:

Toprovide relevant support to the primary care team as An Independent prescriberor clinical pharmacist

To promote safe, evidence based, costeffective prescribing in line with CCG requirements.

To support effective management of practice prescribing budgets

To provide expert pharmaceuticaladvice to practices and the medicines optimisation team

To provide prescribing support to designated practices and team members in areas such as

oMedication review

o Implementation of prescribing changes

o Review of repeat prescribing

o Audit

To act as a training resource for theprimary care team

Practice RoleObjectives

Provide pro-active leadership on medicines andprescribing systems to the practice multidisciplinary team, patients and theircarers

Develop and deliver patient facing services andclinics which improve patient outcomes, reflect the needs of the practicepopulation and shift workload from other disciplines

Deliver direct patient consultations and prescribingas part of the practice and cluster multidisciplinary team approach for acuteillness

Improve patient and carer understanding of, confidencein and compliance with their medicines

Provide pharmaceutical consultations and home visitsto patients with long term conditions as anintegral part of the multidisciplinary team

Field medicines and prescribing queries from patientsand staff

Organize and oversee the practices medicinesoptimisation systems including the repeat prescribing and medication reviewsystems

Deliver high quality medication reviews and developbespoke medicines treatment plans for patients (particularly the elderly,complex patients and those at high risk of admission)

Improve the safety and quality of prescribingfollowing hospital admissions and attendance

Improve the quality and effectiveness of prescribingthrough clinical audit and education to improve performance against NICEstandards, prescribing guidance and other clinical standards

Develop yourself and the role through participation inclinical supervision, training and service redesign activities

Contribute to patient safety culture through reportingand investigation of medicines related incidents and through pro-activemeasures such as the Primary Care Trigger Tool or PINCER

Provide a clear and active link with communitypharmacists and other stakeholders in the medicines supply chain to improvepatient experience and manage issues

Deliver training, mentoring and guidance to otherclinicians and staff on medicines issues

Contribute to the achievement and maintenance of goodto outstanding CQC registration status.

Patient FacingClinical Services and Care

Manage a caseload of complex patients as required byGP Practices

Develop specialist area(s) of interest

Conduct face to face and other modes of medicationreviews and agree medicines care plans in agreement with patients and carers

Delivering long term conditions clinics and homevisits particularly for patients with complicated medication regimes andprescribe accordingly within competency and agreed management plans

Consult with patients for acute & long-termillnesses within defined levels of competence and prescribe medication withinagreed management plans

Prescribe appropriate medication for patient needwithin areas of competency and within agreed management plans

Provide targeted support and pro-active review forvulnerable, complex patients and those at risk of admission and re-admission tosecondary care

Receive and resolve medicines queries from patientsand other staff

Contribute to public health campaigns (e.g. fluclinics) through advice or direct care

Provide specific advice and support to patients incare homes and support staff

Provide help and advice on medicines use to patientsand their carers

Promote self-management and develop patient supportsystems

Manage therapeutic drug monitoring system and recallof patients taking high risk drugs i.e. anticoagulants, anticonvulsants andDMARDs etc

Support virtual and remote models of consultationand support including e-consultations, remote medication review and telehealthand telemedicine.

Investigate and feedback on examples of bestpractice within the field and formulate how to apply these to the practice

Organize and oversee repeat prescribing, repeatdispensing, electronic prescribing and medication review systems

Provide leadership and support to prescriptionadministrative staff

Handle prescription queries and requests directly

Oversee system for reconciliation of medicines fromoutpatient and discharge letters and support safe transfer of care throughliaison with hospital and community colleagues

Liaise with other stakeholders in the supply chainsuch as community pharmacists and appliance contractors to handle queries andmanage supply problems

Maintain and review a Medicines Handling Policy forthe practice to ensure safe processes for self-administered medicines andcontrolled drugs

Support the delivery of QOF, incentive schemes, QIPPand other quality or cost effectiveness initiatives

Agree and review Prescribing Formularies andProtocols and monitor compliance levels

Improve the data quality of medicines records andlinking to conditions.

Quality

Collection and review of KPI and performancemonitoring data

Monitor progress against the overall objectives ofthe programme and escalate any issues

Ensure compliance with CQC and other professionalstandards

Promote a culture of constant improvement andexcellence

Conduct regular clinical audits and otherimprovement activities

Assess own performance regularly and makesuggestions of how to improve personal and team performance

Understand a risk management approach and apply itto all activities.

Communication and Relationships

Support the Lead Pharmacist to deliver the individual practiceand locality action plans in linewith CCG requirements

Provide high quality, evidence based, prescribing advice to individual GPs, nurse and patients,bothindividually and in meetings.

Communicate effectively within primary care teams to gain agreement and commitment from GPs and wider team members to implement change, overcoming barriers where necessary

Establishtrusted and successfulworking relationships withGPsand practice staff to support delivery of objectives

Discussion and recommendation regarding CCG prescribing initiatives with individual practitioners

Act aspoint ofcontact with any specialistservices as dictated by the action plan, e.g. care homes, community nursing services

Carry out computer record searchesrelated to prescribing initiatives

Review patientmedication records in general practice and/or care home setting

Develop protocols to enable agreed changes to be implemented

Deliver patientconsultation to implement agreedchanges where appropriate

Develop and disseminate information to patients to support medicines optimisation

Advise on appropriate drug choice

Planning and Organisation

Organise andplan own workload in practices and adjust asneeded to meet CCG

requirements and deliver action plans

Prepare and presentsummary reports for each practice regarding progress against actionsplansand / or audit

Support practices to implement and auditNICE and otherevidence basedguidance

Review and improve practice repeat prescribing systems and systemsfor medication review

Analytical and Judgement

Downloadand interpret practicelevel prescribing reports e.g. IPS,RAIDR

Identify poor prescribing issues andprovide facts and options to support remedial action

Prepare and present summary reports for audits conducted as part of agreed action plans

Promotion and review ofcompliance against local CCGformularies and prescribing guidance.

Provision of advice around effective use of electronic transferof prescriptions as agreedwiththe CCG

Collation of information from practices regarding patterns and trends of medicines usageobtained through prescription searches andaudit

Policy and Service Development

Support development oftools and resources to implement agreed initiatives, e.g. SOPs, guidance

Support development of medicines optimisation policies or guidance withinpractices or

area, contributing to at scaleactivities

Provide support and feedback to practices on medicines related questions from patients and practices

Support delivery of the medicines optimisation strategy,once agreed

Financial and Physical Resources

Support effective management of practice prescribing budgets viadelivery of practice and

CCG action plans

Human Resources

Fulfill mandatory CPD requirements

Support wider team of pharmacists and technicians to deliver practice and CCGaction plansas required by Lead Pharmacist

InformationResources

Extract and manipulate clinical andfinancial prescribing data from relevant systems (EMIS, e-PACT, RAIDR), and present to GPs in anappropriate format

Provide appropriate high quality and cogent reports to demonstrate progress and practice

and CCG action plans

Communicate effectively via the use of electronic mediasuch as e-mail, Power-point, Excel orWord

Research and Development

Develop and undertake auditin relevant therapeutic areas

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Member, in good standing, of General Pharmaceutical Council
• Extensive knowledge of medicines optimisation or clinical pharmacist role, acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training
• Evidence of post graduated qualifications
• Extensive knowledge of medicines Optimisation acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training plus further specialist knowledge or experience to masters level equivalent.
• Membership of the RPSGB
• GPhC Independent Prescribing Qualification or working towards
• A member of or working towards Faculty of RPSGB
• Working on or intending to complete CPPE Primary Care Pathway training course
• Ability to constructively challenge the views and practices of clinicians and managers.
• Excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Work effectively independently and as a team member.
• Will consider the most effective way to promote equality of opportunity and good working relationships in employment and service delivery; has the ability to take actions which support and promote this agenda.
• Embrace change, viewing it as an opportunity to learn and develop.
• Developed communication skills for delivering key messages to a range of stakeholders both internal and external (including outside the NHS) to the organisation.
• Experience of communication, negotiating and influencing with a wide range of stake holders.
• Able to facilitate change.
• Experience of clinical audit.

Experience

• Must have an understanding of the background to and aims of current healthcare policy and appreciate the implications of this on planning, engagement and delivery, or clear evidence of ability to acquire and apply this rapidly
• Minimum of two years post-qualification experience.
• Current NHS experience
• Good understanding of primary care
• Should have an appreciation of the new NHS architecture including the relationship between individual provider and commissioning organisations.
• Good understanding of primary care.
• Experience of undertaking evidence reviews.
• Understanding of the current national policies in particular those impacting on medicines Optimisation services.
• Evidence of experience in using independent prescribing or clinical pharmacist skills

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrates understanding of legal, governance and ethical frameworks within which pharmacists and primary/secondary.
• Ability to summarise and present information in relevant concise and proactive way
• Current and valid UK driving license with access to a car to be able to travel around PCN practices.
• Excellent clinical knowledge and ability to apply to practice.
• Understanding of the data protection act and patient confidentiality, clinical governance, information governance and Caldicott requirements.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the data protection act and patient confidentiality, clinical and information governance and Caldicott requirements.
• Good presentational skills for conveying complex concepts.
• Ability to use informed persuasion to influence others.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office with intermediate keyboard skills.
• Evidence of planning and delivering of programmes and projects and services on time.
• Experience of a patient focused role and consultation skills to apply knowledge in a format patients/carers can understand.
• Sound knowledge of medicines legislation and the vision for the development of clinical pharmacists within primary care.
• Ability to critically analyse complex information and evidence and communicate the findings clearly in simple terms.
• Ability to identify risks, anticipate issues and create solutions and to resolve problems in relation to project or service delivery.
• Ability to understand a broad range of complex information quickly and making decisions where opinions differ/no obvious solution.
• Ability to work without supervision, providing specialist advice to the
• organisation, working to tight and often changing timescales. Interpreting national policy for implementation

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.