Job summary Working within your clinical and professional boundaries in a patient facing role as part of a multidisciplinary team to manage medicines on transfer of care and systems for safer prescribing. Perform face-to-face structured medication reviews of patients with polypharmacy; especially for those with frailty and/or with multiple co-morbidities as well as undertaking reviews of patients with specific long-term conditions that fall within your competency. Main duties of the job Work in partnership with stake holder organisations to improve the safety and quality of care for patients and manage medicines on transfer of care. Deliver medicines optimisation initiatives within GP practices including the provision of specialist professional pharmaceutical advice and services to ensure the safe and cost-effective use of medicines. This will involve work to deliver key medicines optimisation outcomes against a set work plan.Contribute to quality improvement and clinical audit, as well as supporting aspects of theQuality and Outcomes Framework, medicines safety and antibiotic stewardship. You will also be required to contribute towards practice financial stability through medicines optimisation and related targets in QOF. About us Durham Coast Primary Care Network is an innovative, dynamic PCN combining 5 local GP Practices based in Wingate, Shotton Colliery and the surrounding area, with a population of over 32,000 patients. We are continually seekingnew ways to support and improve local healthcare services to our patient population. An exciting opportunity has arisen for a PCN Clinical Pharmacist to join our growing multi-disciplinary team, based at East Durham Medical Group in Wheatley Hill. Teamwork, flexibility, enthusiasm and the ability to prioritise tasks effectively are essential skills. We are committed to the ongoing development of our team, which includes mandatory and developmental training for all our staff. Team members are encouraged to highlight any training they feel would benefit them in the achievement of their role. Please note, we are happy to consider and support a newly qualified pharmacist or one who is due to qualify in the near future. The successful candidate should have completed the CPPE pathway or intend to complete. Date posted 25 February 2025 Pay scheme Other Salary Depending on experience Contract Permanent Working pattern Full-time, Flexible working Reference number B0611-25-0006 Job locations The Surgery Ashmore Terrace Wheatley Hill County Durham DH6 3NP Job description Job responsibilities Working within the practice-based team to undertake medication reviews particularly in high-risk groups such as: - Frail elderly - Polypharmacy - Renal impairment - Hepatic impairment - Substance misuse - Patients on high-risk medicines - STOPP/START identified patients - Revolving door Hospital admissions Review the on-going need for each medicine, a review of monitoring needs and an opportunity to support patients with their medicines taking ensuring they get the best use of their medicines (i.e. medicines optimisation). Make appropriate recommendations to GPs for medicine improvement. Undertake structured medication reviews with patients and produce recommendations for nurses and/or GPs on prescribing and monitoring. This would be a level 3 clinical medication review looking at the patients full clinical condition, blood monitoring, interface care arrangements, social isolation etc. including reducing inappropriate polypharmacy and wasteful prescribing. Undertake structured medication reviews and produce recommendations for nurses or GPs on prescribing and monitoring. Work with care home staff to improve safety of medicines ordering and administration. Managing caseload of patients with common/minor/self-limiting ailments while working within a scope of practice and limits of competence. Signposting to community pharmacy and referring to GPs or other healthcare professionals where appropriate. Provide patient facing clinics for those with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines in the practice. Provide a telephone help line for patients with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines. Answers relevant medicine-related enquiries from GPs, other practice staff, other healthcare teams (e.g. community pharmacy) and patients with queries about medicines. Suggesting and recommending solutions. Providing follow-up for patients to monitor and effect of any changes. Review the use of medicines most commonly associated with unplanned hospital admissions and readmissions through audit and individual patient reviews. Put in place changes to reduce the prescribing of these medicines to high-risk patient groups. To reconcile medicines following discharge from hospitals, intermediate care and into care homes, including identifying and rectifying unexplained changes and working with patients and community pharmacists to ensure patients receive the medicines they need post discharge. Set up and manage systems to ensure continuity of medicines supply to high-risk groups of patients (e.g. those with medicine compliance aids or those in care homes). Deliver medicines optimisation outcomes against a set workplan dealing with cost saving initiatives, QIPP and medication safety work streams. Interface with community and hospital pharmacy colleagues and develop referral processes between primary care professionals including the promotion of the repeat dispensing service Ensure 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. Participate in the repeat prescribing reauthorisation process by reviewing patient requests for repeat prescriptions and reviewing medicines reaching review dates and flagging up those needing a review. Ensure patients have appropriate monitoring tests in place when required. Identification of cohorts of patients at high risk of harm from medicines through pre-prepared practice computer searches. This might include risks that are patient related, medicine related, or both. Contribute pharmaceutical advice for the development and implementation of new services that have medicinal components (e.g. advice on treatment pathways and patient information leaflets). Analyse, interpret and present medicines data to highlight issues and risks to support decision-making. Undertake clinical audits of prescribing in areas directed by the GPs, feedback the results and implement changes in conjunction with the practice team. Implement changes to medicines that result from MHRA alerts, product withdrawal and other local and national guidance. Increase safe and effective prescribing through mechanisms such as audit. Improve quality in prescribing using Quality Improvement methodology including the use of Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycles. Monitor practice prescribing and make recommendations to GPs for medicines that should be prescribed by hospital doctors or subject to shared care. Auditing practices compliance against NICE guidelines. Provide education and training to primary healthcare team on therapeutics and medicines optimisation. Work with general practice team to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved. To support public health campaigns. To provide specialist knowledge on all public health programmes available to the general public. Job description Job responsibilities Working within the practice-based team to undertake medication reviews particularly in high-risk groups such as: - Frail elderly - Polypharmacy - Renal impairment - Hepatic impairment - Substance misuse - Patients on high-risk medicines - STOPP/START identified patients - Revolving door Hospital admissions Review the on-going need for each medicine, a review of monitoring needs and an opportunity to support patients with their medicines taking ensuring they get the best use of their medicines (i.e. medicines optimisation). Make appropriate recommendations to GPs for medicine improvement. Undertake structured medication reviews with patients and produce recommendations for nurses and/or GPs on prescribing and monitoring. This would be a level 3 clinical medication review looking at the patients full clinical condition, blood monitoring, interface care arrangements, social isolation etc. including reducing inappropriate polypharmacy and wasteful prescribing. Undertake structured medication reviews and produce recommendations for nurses or GPs on prescribing and monitoring. Work with care home staff to improve safety of medicines ordering and administration. Managing caseload of patients with common/minor/self-limiting ailments while working within a scope of practice and limits of competence. Signposting to community pharmacy and referring to GPs or other healthcare professionals where appropriate. Provide patient facing clinics for those with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines in the practice. Provide a telephone help line for patients with questions, queries and concerns about their medicines. Answers relevant medicine-related enquiries from GPs, other practice staff, other healthcare teams (e.g. community pharmacy) and patients with queries about medicines. Suggesting and recommending solutions. Providing follow-up for patients to monitor and effect of any changes. Review the use of medicines most commonly associated with unplanned hospital admissions and readmissions through audit and individual patient reviews. Put in place changes to reduce the prescribing of these medicines to high-risk patient groups. To reconcile medicines following discharge from hospitals, intermediate care and into care homes, including identifying and rectifying unexplained changes and working with patients and community pharmacists to ensure patients receive the medicines they need post discharge. Set up and manage systems to ensure continuity of medicines supply to high-risk groups of patients (e.g. those with medicine compliance aids or those in care homes). Deliver medicines optimisation outcomes against a set workplan dealing with cost saving initiatives, QIPP and medication safety work streams. Interface with community and hospital pharmacy colleagues and develop referral processes between primary care professionals including the promotion of the repeat dispensing service Ensure 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. Participate in the repeat prescribing reauthorisation process by reviewing patient requests for repeat prescriptions and reviewing medicines reaching review dates and flagging up those needing a review. Ensure patients have appropriate monitoring tests in place when required. Identification of cohorts of patients at high risk of harm from medicines through pre-prepared practice computer searches. This might include risks that are patient related, medicine related, or both. Contribute pharmaceutical advice for the development and implementation of new services that have medicinal components (e.g. advice on treatment pathways and patient information leaflets). Analyse, interpret and present medicines data to highlight issues and risks to support decision-making. Undertake clinical audits of prescribing in areas directed by the GPs, feedback the results and implement changes in conjunction with the practice team. Implement changes to medicines that result from MHRA alerts, product withdrawal and other local and national guidance. Increase safe and effective prescribing through mechanisms such as audit. Improve quality in prescribing using Quality Improvement methodology including the use of Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycles. Monitor practice prescribing and make recommendations to GPs for medicines that should be prescribed by hospital doctors or subject to shared care. Auditing practices compliance against NICE guidelines. Provide education and training to primary healthcare team on therapeutics and medicines optimisation. Work with general practice team to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved. To support public health campaigns. To provide specialist knowledge on all public health programmes available to the general public. Person Specification Qualifications Essential Mandatory registration with General Pharmaceutical Council Masters degree in pharmacy (MPharm) (or equivalent) Independent prescriber or working towards/intent of gaining independent prescribing qualification CPPE primary care pathway training course or working towards / intent of completing Desirable Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society A member of or working towards Faculty membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Specialist knowledge acquired through postgraduate diploma level or equivalent training/experience Experience Essential An appreciation of the nature of PCNs, GPs and general practices An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills Excellent written and verbal communication skills Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to a variety of audiences (e.g. patients) Good IT skills Able to obtain and analyse complex technical information Recognises priorities when problem solving and identifies deviations from the normal pattern and is able to refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate Able to work under pressure and to meet deadlines 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 Work effectively independently and as a team member Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision Desirable In depth therapeutic and clinical knowledge and understanding of the principles of evidence-based healthcare. Is able to plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general medicine optimisation issues in core areas for long term conditions. Experience with GP clinical systems Person Specification Qualifications Essential Mandatory registration with General Pharmaceutical Council Masters degree in pharmacy (MPharm) (or equivalent) Independent prescriber or working towards/intent of gaining independent prescribing qualification CPPE primary care pathway training course or working towards / intent of completing Desirable Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society A member of or working towards Faculty membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Specialist knowledge acquired through postgraduate diploma level or equivalent training/experience Experience Essential An appreciation of the nature of PCNs, GPs and general practices An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills Excellent written and verbal communication skills Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to a variety of audiences (e.g. patients) Good IT skills Able to obtain and analyse complex technical information Recognises priorities when problem solving and identifies deviations from the normal pattern and is able to refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate Able to work under pressure and to meet deadlines 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 Work effectively independently and as a team member Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision Desirable In depth therapeutic and clinical knowledge and understanding of the principles of evidence-based healthcare. Is able to plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general medicine optimisation issues in core areas for long term conditions. Experience with GP clinical systems 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 (opens in a new window). Additional information 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 (opens in a new window). Employer details Employer name South Durham Health CIC Address The Surgery Ashmore Terrace Wheatley Hill County Durham DH6 3NP Employer's website https://www.southdurhamhealth.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)