Experienced Clinical Pharmacist General PracticeNHS

Job summary

Bharani Medical Centre is seeking an experienced and confident Clinical Pharmacist to join our established general practice team in Slough.

We are looking for a pharmacist with previous NHS general practice experience who is familiar with EMIS Web, Ardens and primary care clinical workflows, and is comfortable working with a high degree of professional independence.

The role will focus on clinical correspondence, medicines reconciliation, QOF and long-term-condition management, prescribing safety and medicines optimisation.

Key areas include diabetes, hypertension, asthma, COPD, high-risk medicines monitoring, gabapentinoid reviews and medication optimisation in chronic kidney disease.

Flexible working arrangements are available, including remote or hybrid working where appropriate.

We would ideally like to engage someone on a self-employed basis initially, subject to appropriate contractual arrangements, with potential to progress to fixed-term or permanent salaried employment.

Informal discussions are welcomed.

Main duties of the job

• Reviewing hospital discharge summaries, outpatient letters and clinical correspondence through Anima Documents.
• Undertaking medicines reconciliation, updating EMIS Web records and actioning appropriate medication-related tasks.
• Reviewing QOF registers and conducting structured medication reviews for patients with diabetes, hypertension, COPD and asthma.
• Identifying patients requiring monitoring, treatment optimisation and follow-up.
• Managing prescribing safety searches, including monitoring for patients prescribed DMARDs, DOACs and other high-risk medicines.
• Undertaking medicines optimisation reviews, including gabapentinoids, polypharmacy and prescribing in chronic kidney disease.
• Using EMIS Web and Ardens searches to identify and manage relevant patient cohorts.
• Conducting remote or face-to-face medication reviews and documenting appropriate clinical actions.

Minor illness management may be included where appropriately trained. Prescribing decisions must remain within the pharmacists prescribing authority, with appropriate GP escalation where required.

Job description

Employer: Bharani Medical Centre

Location: Slough, Berkshire

Working arrangements: Flexible / remote or hybrid working considered

Contract: Initially preferably self-employed, with potential for future salaried employment

Hours: Flexible, to be agreed

Job summary

Bharani Medical Centre is seeking an experienced, confident and motivated Clinical Pharmacist to join our established general practice team.

We are looking for a pharmacist who has previous experience working in NHS general practice and is comfortable managing a broad range of clinical and medicines-related responsibilities with a high degree of professional independence.

The role will focus on clinical correspondence management, medicines optimisation, long-term-condition reviews, QOF performance and patient safety monitoring.

The successful candidate will be familiar with general practice systems, particularly EMIS Web and Ardens, and confident identifying, prioritising and actioning medicines-related clinical tasks within their scope of competence.

We offer flexible working arrangements, including the possibility of remote working where appropriate. We would ideally like to engage a pharmacist on a self-employed basis initially, with the possibility of progressing to a fixed-term or permanent salaried position as the role develops.

Main duties and responsibilities

1. Clinical correspondence and medicines management

The post-holder will take responsibility for managing allocated clinical correspondence and associated medicines-related actions.

Responsibilities will include:

• Reviewing hospital discharge summaries, outpatient letters and other clinical correspondence.
• Identifying and actioning medication changes arising from hospital or specialist care.
• Undertaking medicines reconciliation following hospital discharge.
• Updating medication records, repeat prescribing arrangements and relevant clinical information within EMIS Web.
• Arranging appropriate medication reviews, blood tests and monitoring where indicated.
• Identifying prescribing discrepancies, medication interactions and potential patient safety concerns.
• Escalating complex clinical decisions or non-medicines-related matters to the appropriate GP or clinician.
• Using Anima Documents and associated practice workflows to manage clinical correspondence efficiently.

The pharmacist will be expected to manage routine medicines-related correspondence independently within their professional competence, while recognising when GP input is required.

2. QOF and long-term-condition management

The post-holder will proactively review QOF registers and identify patients requiring clinical review, treatment optimisation or follow-up.

This will include supporting the management of patients with:

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus, including medication optimisation, treatment targets and appropriate clinical monitoring.
• Hypertension, including blood pressure reviews and antihypertensive optimisation.
• COPD, including inhaler therapy, medication reviews and appropriate monitoring.
• Asthma, including medication optimisation, inhaler technique and treatment reviews.
• Other long-term conditions where medicines optimisation and pharmacist-led reviews can contribute to improved patient care.

Responsibilities will include identifying gaps in care, contacting patients where appropriate, conducting structured medication reviews, arranging relevant investigations and updating clinical records.

The pharmacist will be expected to work to current NICE guidance, local prescribing guidelines and agreed practice protocols.

3. Patient safety and high-risk medicines monitoring

A key responsibility will be proactively managing prescribing safety searches and high-risk medication monitoring.

This will include:

• Reviewing practice patient safety searches and medicines-related CQC assurance lists.
• Identifying patients prescribed disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) who require appropriate safety monitoring.
• Reviewing patients prescribed direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), including renal function, dosing, weight and other relevant monitoring requirements.
• Ensuring appropriate blood test monitoring is undertaken for high-risk medication.
• Reviewing potential prescribing risks, drug interactions and contraindications.
• Identifying patients overdue for safety monitoring and arranging appropriate follow-up.
• Documenting interventions, outstanding actions and escalation appropriately.

The pharmacist will work proactively to ensure that relevant medicines safety requirements are met and that identified clinical risks are addressed in a timely manner.

4. Medicines optimisation and prescribing improvement

The post-holder will undertake targeted medicines optimisation work in accordance with local and national prescribing priorities.

Responsibilities will include:

• Reviewing patients identified through local medicines optimisation schemes and prescribing improvement searches.
• Undertaking gabapentinoid reviews, including assessment of ongoing indication, effectiveness, adverse effects, dependency risk and opportunities for appropriate dose reduction.
• Reviewing prescribing in patients with chronic kidney disease, including renal dose adjustments, medication safety and potentially nephrotoxic medicines.
• Identifying inappropriate prescribing, polypharmacy and potentially harmful medication combinations.
• Supporting cost-effective, evidence-based prescribing where clinically appropriate.
• Conducting structured medication reviews and making appropriate recommendations or changes within professional competence and prescribing authority.
• Monitoring and reporting progress against agreed medicines optimisation targets.

5. Patient-facing clinical reviews

The pharmacist will undertake patient consultations, remotely or face to face as appropriate, to support:

• Medication reviews and medicines reconciliation.
• Long-term-condition management.
• High-risk medication monitoring.
• Treatment optimisation and adherence support.
• Patient education regarding medicines, side effects and appropriate monitoring.
• Follow-up of patients identified through clinical searches.

Where the pharmacist is an independent prescriber, prescribing decisions may be undertaken within their area of competence and agreed clinical governance arrangements.

Pharmacists without independent prescribing qualifications will be expected to make appropriate clinical recommendations and refer prescribing decisions to an authorised prescriber.

6. Minor illness management

Where suitably trained and competent, the pharmacist may also support the assessment and management of common minor illnesses and self-limiting conditions.

This would be an additional desirable component of the role, rather than its primary focus.

7. Clinical systems and digital working

The successful candidate will be expected to use clinical systems effectively, including:

• EMIS Web for clinical records, prescribing and medicines reconciliation.
• Ardens templates, clinical searches and disease management tools.
• Anima Documents for clinical correspondence.
• Accurx and other approved communication systems where appropriate.

The pharmacist should be comfortable working with clinical searches, interpreting patient lists and independently progressing appropriate actions.

8. Clinical governance and professional responsibilities

The post-holder will:

• Maintain professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Work within their professional competence and prescribing authority.
• Follow relevant NICE guidance, local formularies and agreed clinical protocols.
• Maintain accurate and contemporaneous clinical records.
• Recognise and escalate clinical risks appropriately.
• Contribute to audit, quality improvement and prescribing safety initiatives.
• Participate in appropriate clinical supervision, peer discussion and continuing professional development.
• Comply with information governance, safeguarding and patient confidentiality requirements.

Working arrangements

The position offers flexibility in both working hours and location, subject to clinical requirements, information governance and service needs.

Remote working may be considered for appropriate elements of the role, particularly clinical correspondence, prescribing safety searches, medicines optimisation and remote medication reviews.

There may be opportunities for a combination of remote and on-site working.

We would ideally like to commence the arrangement on a self-employed or contractual basis, subject to the appropriate engagement arrangements being agreed.

There is potential for the role to develop into a fixed-term or permanent salaried position depending on service requirements and mutual agreement.

About Bharani Medical Centre

Bharani Medical Centre is an established general practice serving approximately 18,000 patients across three nearby sites in Slough.

We are supported by an experienced multidisciplinary team and place a strong emphasis on clinical quality, collaborative working, population health management and the effective use of digital systems.

We are looking for a pharmacist who can take ownership of defined areas of clinical work, work proactively and make a meaningful contribution to prescribing quality, long-term-condition management and patient safety.

About us

Bharani Medical Centre is an established, GP-led practice providing NHS primary care to approximately 18,000 patients across three nearby sites in Slough.

Our multidisciplinary team includes experienced GP partners, salaried GPs, advanced nurse practitioners, clinical pharmacists, first-contact physiotherapists, practice nurses and administrative staff.

We place a strong emphasis on high-quality clinical care, medicines safety, evidence-based prescribing and proactive management of long-term conditions.

Our practice uses modern digital systems, including EMIS Web, Ardens, Anima and Accurx, to support efficient clinical workflows, population health management and medicines optimisation.

We value confident, proactive clinicians who can take ownership of defined responsibilities while working collaboratively with colleagues.

We offer a supportive professional environment, flexible working arrangements and opportunities to contribute to clinical improvement and patient safety initiatives.

We are committed to developing our clinical services and welcome pharmacists who want to make a meaningful contribution to modern general practice.