Locality Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist
NHS North Of England Commissioning Support Unit
Essential requirement for onsite working at office location for all or most of the working time.
Are you a self-motivated and dynamic Pharmacist? Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to make a real difference in an influential role?
We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Pharmacist to join the NECS Medicines Optimisation Team in the Calderdale area. The Medicines Optimisation team works closely with the Integrated Care Board (ICB), Primary Care Networks (PCNs), GPs, practice and PCN pharmacists and technicians, community pharmacists and practice and care home staff.
This role requires travel around the Calderdale area to fulfil customer requirements. Our NECS office is based in Leeds.
A full driver's licence and car is required.
Please note this role is fixed term up until October 2026.
Main duties of the job
1. Delivering key medicines optimisation initiatives across GP practices in the Calderdale area such as evidence-based cost-effective prescribing, promoting national and local guidance and improving the quality of patient care.
2. Providing strong leadership and management to the MO practice team.
3. Building key relationships and confidently interacting with a wide range of stakeholders such as patients, GPs, practice teams, and ICB colleagues.
4. Leading and developing expertise in specific areas of the Medicines Optimisation work plan as requested, which may include development of audits, protocols and prescribing guidelines within these areas and providing advice to other professionals.
Please see job description attached, detailing full remit of roles and responsibilities.
About us
At NECS we are very proud to be part of the NHS England family. We are one of the very few truly customer-owned entities within the NHS. We have grown from our roots in the North East to be an NHS business with customers the length and breadth of the UK and further abroad. Our customer base has diversified significantly over this period, and we are now very pleased to be serving NHS providers as well as commissioners, NHSE regions, Local Authorities, General Practices and national NHSE Directorates.
NECS combines specialist skills and expertise with scale and resilience to achieve required results. We combine core NHS values with a sharp focus on customer care and a relentless pursuit of continuous improvement. We very much see ourselves as a key partner in the future success of the healthcare system and we take our share of the responsibility for shaping effective delivery.
Our people are the heart of our organisation. We strive to ensure they feel trusted, valued and empowered. We are passionate about nurturing and developing people. When you join us, we want you to grow, and we offer many opportunities for you to do that as well as an excellent benefits package including generous holidays and pension plus free car parking and access to NHS discounts.
Job responsibilities
1. To support the MO team to achieve KPIs in the appropriate SLA.
2. Responsible for providing support and assistance to GP practices to identify areas of medicines optimisation that require improvement.
3. To support the implementation of change, including negotiation and delivery of training, in order to maximise cost-effective prescribing and to improve the quality of patient care.
4. To undertake patient medication reviews that will help patients get the best out of their medicines by identifying unmet pharmaceutical needs, and assist in improving access and service efficiency whilst aiming to reduce waste medicines.
5. Responsible for encouraging the development of better medicines optimisation understanding throughout the health and social care teams and promoting good practice in line with national and local guidance.
Please see the attached Job Description in Supporting Documents for more information.
Person Specification
Skills & Knowledge
* Demonstrate a knowledge of the changing NHS environment with particular emphasis on issues relating to pharmacy practice and primary care.
* Awareness of local and national health initiatives and guidelines.
* Ability to access and interpret prescribing data.
* Specialist knowledge of drug therapeutics and ability to communicate drug information.
* Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies including interpretation of clinical trials data.
* Understanding of Information Governance, Data Protection Act and confidentiality issues including Caldicott.
* Understanding of Medicine Legalisation applicable to primary care.
* Enthusiastic, self-motivating, good organisational skills.
* Computer literate and ability to use Word, Excel and PowerPoint systems competently.
* Competent in practice computer systems e.g., Emis, Vision.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
* Excellent interpersonal skills.
* Demonstrate ability to work independently and within a team.
* Flexible approach and ability to deal with interrupted requests for advice.
* Ability to prioritise, deliver on agreed objectives and meet deadlines.
* Friendly, approachable and can convey messages with empathy and diplomacy.
* Ability to motivate, influence and lead colleagues and staff.
* Experience of line management.
* Understanding and experience of getting evidence into practice.
* Facilitation and negotiation skills for use in meetings and practices.
* Competent in delivering presentations and training.
* Ability to drive and clean driving licence.
Qualifications
* Pharmacy Masters degree or equivalent.
* 1 year pre-registration training.
* Registered with the GPhC.
* Post graduate diploma therapeutics/clinical pharmacy/Supplementary/Independent Prescriber Qualification or suitable relevant experience.
* Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
Experience
* Minimum of 5 years post-registration experience.
* Experience of working with primary care.
* Multidisciplinary team working.
* Clinical experience of conducting chronic disease and medication review clinics.
* Experience of working with prescribers to improve prescribing.
* Experience in both hospital and community pharmacy.
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.
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