Advanced Practice Pharmacist

Job overview

You will 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 for specific disease areas. Be a prescriber, (or willing to complete training to become a prescriber), and work with and alongside the general practice team. Be responsible for the care management of patients with chronic diseases and undertake clinical medication reviews to proactively manage people with complex polypharmacy, especially older people, people in care homes, those with multiple co-morbidities (in particular frailty, COPD and asthma) and people with learning disabilities or autism (through STOMP – Stop Over Medication Programme).Provide specialist expertise in the use of medicines whilst helping to address both the public health and social care needs of patients at the practices and to help in tackling inequalities. 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.

Main duties of the job

The Practice Pharmacist will support the General Practice colleagues across 2 practices. Castle Street and Creswell and Langwith Medical Centre to deliver the Clinical Pharmacist ARRS role in line with the Primary Care Network Contract DES contract:

Manage the repeat prescribing reauthorisation process

Develop pharmacist-led clinics

Lead on anticoagulation clinics

Develop and run pharmacist led minor illness clinic as a prescriber

Deal with prescription queries from patients, pharmacies, community agencies and care homes

Review and reconcile medicines changes from secondary care organisations; identify and rectify unexplained changes, and ensure robust processes are in place in all practices.

Ensure practices adhere to the Joint Area Prescribing Committee

Lead on medication related clinical audits to identify areas where improvement is needed, develop action plans and implement appropriate changes e.g.

Monitoring of patients using high risk medicines (DMARDS, lithium, warfarin, antipsychotics, opiates, benzodiazepines and psychostimulants).

Lead, manage and action MHRA alerts in response to any drug safety alerts, changes in clinical guidance or incidents.

Lead on the identification, implementation and monitoring of medicines management targets and initiatives including QOF, QIPP,

Please refer to the job description and personal specification for full details

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Act as Prescribing Lead within the practice. Attend local area wide prescribing lead meetings with the Medicines Management Team and provide feedback to practice clinicians.
• Provide expert clinical and therapeutic advice to all members of the primary health care team and public in order to promote safe and effective use of medicines (including clinical advice in areas where information is lacking, and medical or other opinion differs)
• Implement the medicines optimisation strategy at practice level through effective working relationships with individual prescribers, practice staff, ICB Medicine Management Team and other healthcare professionals
• Provide feedback to prescribers on progress with medicines management initiatives, prescribing targets and clinical audit
• Ensure effective communication with patients on appropriate use of medicines including changes to medication following prescribing audits
• Ensure implementation of relevant NICE guidance
• Act as clinical lead for anticoagulation services
• Lead other clinical pharmacists and pharmacy technicians within DCHS GP practices as the service develops.

Lead on initiating and actioning on medicine related audits within the practice

Please refer to the job description and personal specification to review the comprehensive  range of responsibilities required of the practice pharmacist