PCN Clinical PharmacistNHS

Job summary

Join Meir Primary Care Network as a Clinical Pharmacist and become part of a supportive, forward-thinking pharmacy team working at the heart of primary care.

Based at Meir Primary Care Centre, you will work alongside our team of Clinical Pharmacists and the wider multidisciplinary team, supporting patients across our six practices. You will have the opportunity to use your clinical expertise to make a real difference to patient care through medicines optimisation, structured medication reviews, long-term condition management, prescribing safety and patient education.

This is a varied role with the opportunity to develop your skills and contribute to service improvement, quality improvement and innovative PCN projects. You will play an important part in delivering our Pharmacy SLA and relevant PCN DES requirements, working collaboratively with practice teams and, where appropriate, the wider Neighbourhood MDT.

We are looking for a pharmacist who is enthusiastic about primary care, committed to patient-centred care and enjoys working collaboratively. Whether you already have primary care experience or are looking to develop your career in general practice, Meir PCN offers the opportunity to grow your clinical skills, contribute to meaningful change and be part of a team that values your expertise.

Main duties of the job

As a Clinical Pharmacist with Meir PCN, you will provide expert pharmacy input across our six practices, working closely with GPs, nurses, ARRS colleagues and the wider multidisciplinary team.

Your role will involve supporting patients with their medicines and long-term conditions, helping to ensure treatment is safe, effective and appropriate. You will use your clinical knowledge to identify opportunities to improve medicines use, reduce medicines-related risk and support patients to get the best outcomes from their treatment.

You will also contribute to the wider work of the PCN, including delivering our Pharmacy SLA and relevant PCN DES requirements. This will involve contributing to agreed clinical programmes, audits, quality improvement activity, searches, reporting and evidence gathering.

You will work collaboratively with the wider PCN pharmacy team and practice teams, sharing knowledge and supporting consistent approaches across the network. Where required, you will also contribute to MDT working across the wider Neighbourhood.

This is a varied role with a balance of patient-facing clinical work, medicines optimisation, service development and PCN-wide responsibilities, offering opportunities to develop your skills and make a tangible difference to patient care.

Job description

Job TitleClinical Pharmacist

Responsible toMeir PCN Operations Manager

Accountable toMeir PCN Clinical Director

BaseMeir Primary Care Centre, with cross-practice working across Meir PCN and wider Neighbourhood MDT working where required.

Job PurposeThe Clinical Pharmacist will work as a member of the Meir PCN team of Clinical Pharmacists, based at Meir Primary Care Centre and providing patient-facing clinical pharmacy services across the six PCN practices.

The post holder will use their professional expertise to improve medicines optimisation, prescribing safety, patient outcomes and access to appropriate medicines support. They will work as part of the multidisciplinary team within the PCN and, where required, contribute to MDT working across the wider Neighbourhood.

The role includes clinical medication reviews, long-term condition support, medicines reconciliation, prescribing support, medicines safety, quality improvement and delivery of agreed PCN pharmacy services.

The post holder will contribute to PCN priorities, practice improvement work, completion of the PCN Pharmacy SLA, and relevant PCN DES requirements and associated reporting and evidence where pharmacy input is required.

Key ResponsibilitiesPatient-facing clinical care

• Undertake structured and clinical medication reviews for patients with single or multiple long-term conditions and/or complex polypharmacy.
• Identify medicines-related risks, opportunities for optimisation, monitoring requirements, adherence issues and potential adverse effects.
• Support medicines optimisation within long-term conditions, including respiratory and other areas agreed with the PCN and practices.
• Provide patient-facing medicines advice and support, including shared decision-making and adherence support.
• Undertake appropriate care home and domiciliary medication reviews where included within the agreed service.
• Support medicines reconciliation following hospital, intermediate care or other transfers of care.
• Recognise and manage common/minor conditions within scope of practice, with appropriate signposting or referral.
• Refer patients to GPs, nurses, community pharmacy or other professionals where clinical needs fall outside the post holder's competence or remit.

Prescribing and medicines management

• Support safe and effective repeat prescribing, including review of medicines reaching review dates and identification of patients requiring clinical review.
• Respond to prescribing and medication queries from clinicians, practice staff and patients.
• Ensure appropriate monitoring is in place for medicines where clinically required.
• Identify patients at increased risk of harm from medicines using agreed searches, registers and risk stratification processes.
• Review medicines associated with avoidable harm, hospital admission or readmission and support appropriate action.
• Implement and monitor actions arising from MHRA alerts, safety communications, product withdrawals and relevant local and national guidance.
• Support implementation of local formulary and prescribing guidance and identify prescribing that requires review or specialist/shared-care input.
• Provide clear, evidence-based recommendations to GPs, nurses, pharmacists and other relevant clinicians.

PCN SLA and DES Responsibilities

• Complete agreed activity within the Meir PCN Pharmacy SLA, maintaining accurate records and evidence of delivery.
• Support delivery of relevant PCN DES requirements, including agreed searches, patient reviews, audits, improvement work, reporting and evidence.
• Maintain timely and accurate activity data required for PCN monitoring, governance, contractual submissions and evidence requirements.
• Participate in PCN workstreams and projects where pharmacy expertise is required, including medicines optimisation, prescribing safety and quality improvement.
• Identify risks, barriers to delivery or gaps in evidence and escalate these through agreed PCN governance arrangements.
• Work with the PCN Operations Manager, Clinical Director and practice teams to ensure agreed SLA and DES activity is planned, delivered, recorded and evidenced.

Quality improvement, audit and service development

• Undertake prescribing and medicines optimisation audits and contribute to quality improvement activity.
• Analyse and interpret medicines data to identify trends, risks, variation and opportunities for improvement.
• Support development and implementation of medicines-related pathways, protocols and patient information.
• Contribute to relevant PCN and practice improvement projects and contractual requirements.
• Maintain appropriate records and provide information required for PCN, practice and medicines-management reporting.
• Support work relating to clinical governance, prescribing safety, medicines management and CQC requirements.

Education and team development

• Provide medicines-related education and advice to GPs, nurses, ARRS colleagues, administrative staff and other members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Share learning, good practice and prescribing updates across the PCN pharmacy team and practices.
• Participate in clinical supervision, appraisal, continuing professional development and agreed development plans.
• Work collaboratively with other PCN pharmacists and pharmacy colleagues, contributing to consistent approaches, shared learning and service resilience.

Collaborative Working

• Work effectively across the six Meir PCN practices and as part of the wider PCN multidisciplinary team (MDT), contributing to multidisciplinary working across the wider Neighbourhood where required.
• Develop effective working relationships with GPs, practice nurses, pharmacy technicians, ARRS staff, community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, ICB medicines optimisation teams, wider Neighbourhood MDT colleagues and other healthcare professionals.
• Support integrated working between general practice, community pharmacy, secondary care, wider Neighbourhood services and other relevant health, care and community services.
• Communicate clearly and professionally with patients, carers, colleagues and external partners.
• Recognise professional limitations and seek advice, supervision or referral when appropriate.

Professional, Governance and Safety Responsibilities

• Maintain GPhC registration and practise in accordance with professional, legal and ethical requirements.
• Work within competence, scope of practice and agreed PCN and practice policies and procedures.
• Maintain patient confidentiality and comply with information governance requirements.
• Identify, report and manage clinical and operational risks in accordance with local procedures.
• Participate in incident reporting, learning and service improvement.
• Maintain mandatory training and professional development requirements.
• Promote equality, inclusion, dignity and respect in all interactions.

Working Arrangements

• Work across PCN practices and at Meir Primary Care Centre as required by service need.
• Travel independently between sites where required.
• Participate in PCN meetings, MDT meetings, clinical supervision and relevant service development meetings.
• Use EMIS Web and other approved digital systems to document clinical activity and support reporting.
• Work flexibly to meet changing PCN and practice priorities while maintaining safe clinical care.

Performance and DevelopmentPerformance will be assessed against agreed clinical, medicines optimisation, SLA and PCN/DES objectives. This will include:

• Delivery of agreed clinical activity and medicines optimisation work.
• Completion of agreed Pharmacy SLA activity.
• Contribution to relevant PCN DES requirements.
• Contribution to prescribing safety, audit and quality improvement.
• Effective multidisciplinary and cross-practice working.
• Completion of required reporting and evidence for PCN governance and DES delivery.
• Completion of mandatory training, CPD, supervision and appraisal requirements.
• Contribution to agreed PCN projects and service development.

Job Description ReviewThis job description provides an outline of the key duties and responsibilities of the post and is not exhaustive. The role may develop in response to changes in patient need, PCN priorities, service design, professional practice and contractual requirements. The job description will be reviewed periodically with the post holder and amended following appropriate consultation.

About us

Meir PCN is a membership comprising of six practices - Dr Raju & Partners, Adderley Green Surgery, Meir Medical Practice, Meir Park & Weston Coyney Medical Practice, Trinity Medical Practice and Willow Bank Surgery - covering the Meir, Longton & Blythe Bridge areas of Stoke on Trent.

We currently have a PCN population of approximately 38,500 patients and the PCN staff work in conjunction with the local general practices, local services and other organisations to support both local and national priorities.

We take immense pride in how our PCN is shaping and how we are providing excellent support and care to our practice colleagues and patients.

Our goal is to improve health & care locally and to meet everyday health and care needs for patients by connecting primary care systems and using creative thinking to develop, improve and support great local services.