Clinical Pharmacist

Main purpose of job

To contribute to improve health outcomes in long

term conditions as a member of the multidisciplinary primary care team

To provide specialist knowledge and advice on

• pharmaceutical matters, including cost-effective prescribing and clinical
• guidelines for disease treatment, and to also provide evidence-based education
• and training for colleagues in partnership with the practice
• To practice as an independent prescriber,
• holding face to face and telephone consultations

To provide advice and support for patients with

self-limiting conditions

To work to improve communication about

medication-related issues between the practice and other care providers

To lead on implementation of safe and efficient

repeat prescribing and medication review systems

To provide support to pharmacy technicians also

working in the practice pharmacy team

To ensure compliance with CQC monitoring

• searches
• To fulfil the requirements of the PCN DES and
• To
• provide structured medication reviews for care home patients and other patients
• specified in the PCN DES, and cooperation and collaboration with other PCN
• pharmacists and members to fulfil the DES requirements.

This job description is not exhaustive and duties may vary

with the requirements of the GP Practice.

Main tasks/overview

of responsibilities:

Contribute to improved health outcomes in long term

conditions

Long term condition clinics - Practice as an independent non-medical prescriber, holding

clinics for long term conditions within scope of competence. Aim to review multiple long term conditions at same clinic

visit to provide holistic care and improve patient experience. Support patients to manage their long term conditions.

Medication review / medicines optimisation - Carry out face to face clinical medication reviews for

patients on multiple medications for long term conditions. Review if prescribing is appropriate in line with current

guidance, cost-effective and safe; identify unmet need, stop

unnecessary/ineffective medicines.

Implement own prescribing changes as an independent prescriber.

Pathology results - Review daily pathology results for patients under their

care

Quality and Outcomes Framework (QoF) - Contribute to achievement of QOF targets to improve health

outcomes

CHD risk reduction - Identify patients at high risk of chronic disease and

provide advice/treatment to reduce risk

Provide specialist knowledge and advice on pharmaceutical

matters

Medical information queries - Answer medical information queries from GPs, Nurses,

practice staff and patients.

Education - Provide education on medicines related topics for GPs,

Nurses, medical students, registrars.

Evidence-based prescribing/ Clinical guidance - Review NICE and other evidence-based guidance as it is

issued, to evaluate any impact on medicines and prescribing. Undertake regular clinical audit to support implementation

of clinical guidance across the practice. Provide regular education sessions for the clinicians at

the practice to discuss audit results and agree an action plan for improving

standards within clinical areas.

Medicines unavailability - Provide advice on suitable alternative medications in the

event of a medicine being unavailable.

Cost effective prescribing - Encourage cost effective prescribing within the practice,

including adherence to local formulary. Build good working relationships with local Medicines

Management Team members

New medicines - Provide education for the clinical team on new medicines

Drug safety - Review all safety alerts (e.g. MHRA) and ensure any action

required is undertaken

Unplanned Emergency Admissions - Work with the practice team to help reduce medicines

related emergency admissions by running regular searches to identify patients

at risk of harm from their medicines.

Review these patients to reduce the risk of harm.

To provide advice and support for patients with

self-limiting conditions

Patient advice - Provide patients with advice on treating self-limiting

• conditions through face to face/ telephone consultations and patient
• information leaflets/website.
• Conditions may include UTIs, hayfever, emergency contraception,
• conjunctivitis.

Improve communication about medication-related issues

between the practice and both the patient and other care providers

Management of medicines related information at hospital

admission - To review communication processes between practices/

hospitals/care homes/ community pharmacies at hospital admission to evaluate

how this can be improved

Management of medicines at discharge from hospital - To reconcile medicines following discharge from hospital/

intermediate care; identify and rectify unexplained changes, manage these

changes without referral to the GP; perform a clinical mediation review;

produce a post-discharge medicines care plan including dose titration and

booking of follow-up test, and work 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).

Medication changes from clinic appointments - Reconcile medication from clinic appointment

correspondence, identifying any unexplained changes and rectifying these by

communication with the secondary care provider. Ensure patients are fully aware of any

changes and that a plan for monitoring/dose titration is in place.

Community Pharmacy - Act as the practice lead contact for community pharmacy

related projects and build effective working relationships.

Hospital Pharmacy - Act as the practice lead contact for hospital pharmacy

related projects and build effective working relationships.

Care Homes - Ensure care home residents have an annual medication

review by a clinical pharmacist. Any

changes agreed with the patient and/or their representative should be

communicated appropriately.

Newly registered patients - To review medications for new patients, to ensure safe,

cost-effective prescribing in line with practice/local prescribing policies.

Lead on implementation of safe and efficient prescribing

systems

Repeat prescribing system - To ensure the practice repeat prescribing system is safe,

efficient and helps minimise waste.

Medication monitoring - To provide specialist knowledge on medication monitoring

and ensure a system for implementation is in place

Prescription queries - To answer queries from administration staff regarding

medication requests where appropriate to save GP time

Reauthorisation of repeat medication / medication review - To re-authorise medication for future repeat prescribing

within scope of competence as an independent prescriber. To work with practice staff to ensure a robust medication

review policy

Repeat dispensing - To identify patients suitable for repeat dispensing. Ensure this is implemented effectively by

close working with patients, prescribers and community pharmacies.

Prescribing for vulnerable patients - Review the prescribing of medication for vulnerable

patients to ensure it is appropriate

e.g. weekly prescriptions for at risk-patients, monitored dosage

systems or alternative solutions to improve patient compliance

All employees should understand it is their personal

responsibility to comply with all organisational and statutory requirements

(e.g. health and safety, equality and diversity, confidentiality and clinical

governance). All roles will require

flexible working to contribute to extended hours services.