Job summary Alton Street Surgery has an exciting opportunity for a Clinical Pharmacist to join our friendly and supportive practice. We are a CQC outstanding rated, forward-thinking practice, continually investing in our future. We are committed to delivering high quality care to our 11,600 registered patients. The post holder will work within the multi-disciplinary / Pharmacy team, in a patient-facing role including face to face and telephone consultations, supporting long-term conditions effectively through structured medication reviews. Main duties of the job The post holder will be an integral part of the general practice team. They will work to optimise medication issues to improve patient care and safety, and support clinical staff in the management of patients. The post holder will work within their clinical competencies as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide expertise in clinical medicines management, provide face to face structured medication reviews, manage long term conditions, management of medicines on transfer of care and systems for safer prescribing, manage repeat prescription authorisations and reauthorisation, acute prescription request, while addressing the healthcare needs of our patient population. As part of their employment, the post holder will have qualifications from an accredited training pathway, including independent prescribing, equipping the Clinical Pharmacist to be able to practise and prescribe safely and effectively in a primary care setting. About us Alton Street Surgery is well established and has a very good reputation for patient care and accessibility. In 2018 the surgery received a rating of Outstanding from the CQC. The practice provides care to approximately 11,600 patients in Ross-on-Wye and surrounding rural areas. We have a young and enthusiastic Partnership who are family friendly and who encourage a strong team ethos within the surgery. It is very important to the partners that this is maintained and developed. Learning is important in the organisation, and the partners encourage the development of staff. The practice has the support of a large clinical team which includes allied health professionals such as an ANP, ACP, Clinical Pharmacist and an experienced nursing and HCA team. We have experienced administration and reception teams who actively manage workflow optimisation, signposting, and pathology delegation, helping to reduce some of the administrative burdens. Date posted 06 March 2025 Pay scheme Other Salary Depending on experience Contract Permanent Working pattern Full-time, Part-time Reference number A3737-25-2025 Job locations Alton Street Surgery Alton Street Ross-on-wye Herefordshire HR9 5AB Job description Job responsibilities PRIMARY KEY RESPONSIBLITIES A Clinical Pharmacist in a general practice organisation has the following key responsibilities in relation to delivering health services. 1. Be a prescriber and work with and alongside the general practice team 2. Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a patient facing role to clinically assess and treat patients using their expert knowledge of medicines 3. Undertake clinical structured medication reviews with patients and produce recommendations to the GP on prescribing and monitoring. 4. 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 (through STOMP – Stop Over Medication Programme) 5. Provide specialist expertise in the use of medicines whilst helping to address the public health care needs and to help address health inequalities 6. Provide leadership on person-centred medicines optimisation (including ensuring prescribers in the practice conserve antibiotics in line with local antimicrobial stewardship guidance) and quality improvement, whilst contributing to the quality and outcomes framework and enhanced services 7. Through structured medication reviews, support patients to take their medications to get the best from them, reduce waste and promote self-care 8. Have a leadership role in supporting further integration of general practice with the wider healthcare teams (including community and hospital pharmacy) to help improve patient outcomes, ensure better access to healthcare and help manage general practice workload 9. Take a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols, clinical research with medicines, liaison with specialist pharmacists where required. 10. To act as the point of contact for all medicine related matters, establishing positive working relationships 11. To consult patients within defined levels of competence and independently prescribe acute and repeat medication 12. To receive referrals and directed patients from triage services and other clinicians 13. To receive and resolve medicines queries from patients and staff 14. To manage a therapeutic drug monitoring system and the recall of patients taking high risk drugs, i.e., anticoagulants, anticonvulsants and DMARDs etc. 15. To provide pharmaceutical consultations as required, being an integral part of the multidisciplinary team 16. To review medications for newly registered patients 17. To support patients with confidence and compliance with their medication 18. To encourage cost-effective prescribing throughout the Practice 19. To produce and implement a Practice repeat prescribing policy 20. To provide advice and answer medication related queries from patients and staff 21. To organise and oversee the organisation’s medicines optimisation systems including the repeat prescribing and medication review systems 22. To improve the quality and effectiveness of prescribing through clinical audit and education to improve performance against NICE standards and clinical and prescribing guidance. 23. To develop yourself and the role through participation in clinical supervision, training and service redesign activities 24. To ensure appropriate supervision of safe storage, rotation and disposal of vaccines and drugs. To apply infection-control measures within the practice according to local and national guidelines 25. To review the latest guidance ensuring the organisation conforms to NICE, CQC etc. 26. To provide targeted support and proactive reviews for vulnerable, complex patients and those at risk of admission and re-admission to secondary care 27. To provide proactive leadership on medicines and prescribing systems to the Practice and patient population 28. To support in the delivery of enhanced services and other service requirements on behalf of the Practice 29. Involvement in any necessary learning brought about through clinical incidents and near-miss events 30. To undertake all mandatory training as required 31. To contribute to clinical governance 32. To contribute to public health campaigns (e.g., COVID-19 or flu clinics) through advice or direct care Job description Job responsibilities PRIMARY KEY RESPONSIBLITIES A Clinical Pharmacist in a general practice organisation has the following key responsibilities in relation to delivering health services. 1. Be a prescriber and work with and alongside the general practice team 2. Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a patient facing role to clinically assess and treat patients using their expert knowledge of medicines 3. Undertake clinical structured medication reviews with patients and produce recommendations to the GP on prescribing and monitoring. 4. 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 (through STOMP – Stop Over Medication Programme) 5. Provide specialist expertise in the use of medicines whilst helping to address the public health care needs and to help address health inequalities 6. Provide leadership on person-centred medicines optimisation (including ensuring prescribers in the practice conserve antibiotics in line with local antimicrobial stewardship guidance) and quality improvement, whilst contributing to the quality and outcomes framework and enhanced services 7. Through structured medication reviews, support patients to take their medications to get the best from them, reduce waste and promote self-care 8. Have a leadership role in supporting further integration of general practice with the wider healthcare teams (including community and hospital pharmacy) to help improve patient outcomes, ensure better access to healthcare and help manage general practice workload 9. Take a central role in the clinical aspects of shared care protocols, clinical research with medicines, liaison with specialist pharmacists where required. 10. To act as the point of contact for all medicine related matters, establishing positive working relationships 11. To consult patients within defined levels of competence and independently prescribe acute and repeat medication 12. To receive referrals and directed patients from triage services and other clinicians 13. To receive and resolve medicines queries from patients and staff 14. To manage a therapeutic drug monitoring system and the recall of patients taking high risk drugs, i.e., anticoagulants, anticonvulsants and DMARDs etc. 15. To provide pharmaceutical consultations as required, being an integral part of the multidisciplinary team 16. To review medications for newly registered patients 17. To support patients with confidence and compliance with their medication 18. To encourage cost-effective prescribing throughout the Practice 19. To produce and implement a Practice repeat prescribing policy 20. To provide advice and answer medication related queries from patients and staff 21. To organise and oversee the organisation’s medicines optimisation systems including the repeat prescribing and medication review systems 22. To improve the quality and effectiveness of prescribing through clinical audit and education to improve performance against NICE standards and clinical and prescribing guidance. 23. To develop yourself and the role through participation in clinical supervision, training and service redesign activities 24. To ensure appropriate supervision of safe storage, rotation and disposal of vaccines and drugs. To apply infection-control measures within the practice according to local and national guidelines 25. To review the latest guidance ensuring the organisation conforms to NICE, CQC etc. 26. To provide targeted support and proactive reviews for vulnerable, complex patients and those at risk of admission and re-admission to secondary care 27. To provide proactive leadership on medicines and prescribing systems to the Practice and patient population 28. To support in the delivery of enhanced services and other service requirements on behalf of the Practice 29. Involvement in any necessary learning brought about through clinical incidents and near-miss events 30. To undertake all mandatory training as required 31. To contribute to clinical governance 32. To contribute to public health campaigns (e.g., COVID-19 or flu clinics) through advice or direct care Person Specification Qualifications Essential Completion of an undergraduate degree in Pharmacy Hold GPhC independent prescribing qualification Registration with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Desirable Post-graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy Successful completion of the CPPE Clinical Pharmacist training pathways Personal Attributes Essential Ability to maintain confidentiality Ability to follow legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct Ability to use own initiative, discretion and sensitivity Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity Flexible and cooperative Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations Problem solving and analytical skills Knowledge of and ability to work to Practice Policies and Procedures Skills Essential Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information effectively with people at all levels by telephone, email and face to face Excellent interpersonal, influencing, negotiation and organisational skills Ability to promote best practice regarding all pharmaceutical matters Effective time management (planning and organising) Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure Clear, polite telephone manner Desirable Ability to plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general medicine optimisation issues in core areas for long term conditions Good clinical system IT knowledge of EMIS/Docman/AccuRx Experience Essential Qualified pharmacist demonstrably established as practicing at an advanced level, demonstrated within a practice portfolio An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing Experience and an awareness of common acute and chronic conditions that are likely to be seen in general practice An appreciation of the new NHS landscape including the relationships between individual practices, PCNs and the commissioners Desirable Experience in managing pharmacy services in primary care Person Specification Qualifications Essential Completion of an undergraduate degree in Pharmacy Hold GPhC independent prescribing qualification Registration with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Desirable Post-graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy Successful completion of the CPPE Clinical Pharmacist training pathways Personal Attributes Essential Ability to maintain confidentiality Ability to follow legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct Ability to use own initiative, discretion and sensitivity Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity Flexible and cooperative Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations Problem solving and analytical skills Knowledge of and ability to work to Practice Policies and Procedures Skills Essential Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information effectively with people at all levels by telephone, email and face to face Excellent interpersonal, influencing, negotiation and organisational skills Ability to promote best practice regarding all pharmaceutical matters Effective time management (planning and organising) Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure Clear, polite telephone manner Desirable Ability to plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general medicine optimisation issues in core areas for long term conditions Good clinical system IT knowledge of EMIS/Docman/AccuRx Experience Essential Qualified pharmacist demonstrably established as practicing at an advanced level, demonstrated within a practice portfolio An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing Experience and an awareness of common acute and chronic conditions that are likely to be seen in general practice An appreciation of the new NHS landscape including the relationships between individual practices, PCNs and the commissioners Desirable Experience in managing pharmacy services in primary care 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 Alton Street Surgery Address Alton Street Surgery Alton Street Ross-on-wye Herefordshire HR9 5AB Employer's website https://www.altonstreet.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)