Clinical Pharmacist

Job summary

The post-holder will be responsible for providing effective medicines management within the practice, including medication reviews and optimisation. The role involves working as an independent prescriber, supporting safe and cost-effective prescribing, and providing clinical advice to patients and colleagues. The Clinical Pharmacist will work closely with the multidisciplinary team, contribute to clinical governance and practice objectives, and support the delivery of high-quality patient care.

Clinical responsibilities

The following are the core responsibilities of the clinical pharmacist. There may be on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels: - Practice as an independent prescriber working within scope of practice - Carry out face-to-face and telephone consultations with patients with minor illnesses - Provide medication review services - Provide advice and support for patients with self-limiting conditions - Encourage cost-effective prescribing within the practice - Review all safety alerts ensuring the required actions are taken - Reconcile medicines following patients discharge from hospital or clinic appointments - Review medications for newly registered patients - Implement and embed a robust repeat prescribing system - Provide subject matter expertise on medication monitoring - Carry out targeted medication reviews for high-risk patients - Reauthorise medication for repeat prescribing within scope of practice - Identify patients suitable for repeat prescribing, liaising with the relevant clinicians as required - Review and implement safe prescribing systems for vulnerable patients, improving compliance - Support clinicians with the management of patients suffering from drug and alcohol dependencies - Actively signpost patients to the correct healthcare professional - Assist with QOF targets - Administer influenza and travel vaccines Medicines Optimisation Systems Improve the quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness of prescribing by liaising with GPs and/or other non-medical prescribers to action medicines management recommendations Be a source of medicines information for all of the practice teams and patients (e.g. around doses, side effects, adverse events, possible alternatives e.g. around stocks) Work with GPs to ensure medicines management audits, prescribing recommendations and targets are up-to-date. Provide input into the practice weekly newsletter on prescribing and medicines issues/updates Liaise with other pharmacy teams including the ICB medicines management team to obtain practice-specific prescribing data and information on other local prescribing initiatives guidance. Work with the general practice team to ensure that the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved. Management Oversee the work of PCN ARRS pharmacists within the practice, liaising with the PCN Lead Pharmacists on issues of performance. Contribute to the Practices annual plan for QOF and other key performance indicators.

Other responsibilities within the organisation

Awareness of and compliance with all relevant practice policies/guidelines, eg prescribing, confidentiality, data protection, health and safety. A commitment to life-long learning and audit to ensure evidence-based best practice Contributing to evaluation/audit and clinical standard setting within the organisation. Contributing to the development of computer-based patient records. Contributing to the summarising of patient records and SNOMED coding patient data. Attending training and events organised by the practice or other agencies, where appropriate.

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 outlines in this Job Description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, 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 and safety

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the practice Health and Safety policy, to include: Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines. Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks. Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills. Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards. Reporting potential risks identified.

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 recognises the importance of peoples 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

In addition to maintaining continues education through attendance at any courses and/or study days necessary to ensure that professional development requirements for PREP are met, the post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include: Participation in annual external and/or internal 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 oon ways to improve and enhance the teams performance. Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs. Effectively manage own time, workload and resources.

Communication

The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to: Communicate effectively with other team members. Communicate effectively with patients and carers. Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly. 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. Cover duties of partner GPs in their absence. Represent the practice and partners professionally with the aim of raising the profile of the practice in a positive manner.