Clinical Pharmacist - Independent Prescriber

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Type & Salary

• Job Type: Full-time, Self-Employed
• Salary: £25£28 per hour
• Hours: 8-hour shift, Monday to Friday
• Location : North West London(Onsite)

Clinical Reviews & Patient Input

• Reduce GP workload, particularly locum GP time, by conducting patient appointments for clinical medication reviews and addressing urgent medication queries. Complex patients or those with additional needs may require extended consultation slots.
• Assess the ongoing need for each medicine, review monitoring requirements, and support patients in achieving optimal use of their medications.
• Manage minor ailments triage, reviewing patients requesting GP appointments and directing them appropriately.
• Provide patient-facing clinics to address medication questions, concerns, and adherence issues.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary discussions on medication-related matters.
• Reconcile medicines following hospital discharge and review daily pathology results for patients on known medications.
• Conduct targeted medication reviews for high-risk patients, including frail elderly individuals, those with polypharmacy, renal or hepatic impairment, and patients on high-risk medicines.
• Provide recommendations to nurses and GPs following clinical medication reviews.
• Administer influenza and travel vaccines.
• Support the management of patients with drug dependence and alcohol-related disorders.
• Signpost patients to additional services or information to improve overall health and wellbeing.
• Advise senior clinical pharmacists and GPs on opportunities for medical and prescribing improvements.

Unplanned Admissions & Discharge Management

• Review medicines frequently associated with unplanned hospital admissions and readmissions, using audits and individual patient reviews.
• Implement changes to reduce prescribing risks for high-risk patient groups.
• Reconcile medicines after hospital, intermediate care, and care home discharges, identifying and rectifying unexplained changes.
• Collaborate with patients and community pharmacists to ensure continuity of care post-discharge, including management of high-risk patients using compliance aids or care home support.

Medicines Optimisation

• Assist with QOF targets and the management of long-term conditions including asthma, COPD, diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure, conducting dose optimisation and monitoring as per guidelines.
• Undertake training and certification in health assessments, history taking, and physical examinations.
• Commit to starting an independent prescribing course within six months of completing probation.
• Reduce inappropriate polypharmacy and provide follow-up support to improve patient adherence.

Audits & Risk Stratification

• Enhance prescribing quality and safety through regular K&W and practice-specific audits.
• Implement MHRA alerts, drug withdrawals, and NICE guideline recommendations.
• Identify high-risk patient cohorts via practice system searches and risk stratification.

Repeat Prescribing Process

• Implement and manage repeat dispensing processes.
• Review repeat prescription requests and ensure medicines are updated according to review dates.
• Synchronise patient medications to reduce wastage and manage DMD corrections to facilitate EPS.
• Support monitoring and prescribing of high-risk drugs, including warfarin and methotrexate.
• Ensure all practices maintain and adhere to repeat prescribing policies.

Medicines Optimisation Systems

• Collaborate with GPs and non-medical prescribers to action medicines management recommendations.
• Provide medicines information for practice teams and patients, covering doses, side effects, adverse events, and alternatives.
• Support GPs in audits, prescribing recommendations, and achieving targets.
• Issue newsletters or bulletins highlighting important prescribing messages.
• Liaise with pharmacy teams and CCG medicines management for practice-specific data and guidance.
• Encourage adherence to NWL integrated formulary and local prescribing guidance.
• Mentor and empower practice staff to contribute to medicines management in practices and care homes.
• Ensure compliance with CQC standards in medicines management.
• Facilitate timely referrals to appropriate healthcare professionals.

Training, Education & Information

• Mentor and support pharmacist trainees and other prescribing clinicians.
• Participate in MDT learning, supervision sessions, and case reviews.
• Develop and deliver educational sessions for clinical and non-clinical staff.
• Provide patient education and support for medicines management.
• Offer ad-hoc advice to clinicians and assess emerging clinical evidence for practice implementation.
• Advise on cost-effective prescribing and supply strategies.

Essential Qualifications

• First degree or masters degree in pharmacy (4 years).
• Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
• Completion of pre-registration training.
• Completed or working towards CPPE pathway completion.
• Evidence of continuing professional development meeting GPhC standards.
• IT skills equivalent to ECDL or relevant experience.
• Mandatory enrolment on CPPE pathway if not already completed.

Desirable Qualifications

• Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society or similar professional bodies.
• Independent prescribing qualification or commitment to achieve it.
• Significant post-registration experience.
• Experience in primary care, hospital, or community pharmacy settings.

Experience & Skills

• Significant relevant post-registration experience.
• Knowledge of pharmacy within primary care and community environments.
• Familiarity with NHS organisation operations.
• Experience in coaching, mentoring, and staff development.
• Ability to achieve demanding objectives under strict deadlines.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Self-motivated, with a drive to develop medicines management and clinical services.
• Analytical skills and ability to implement national strategies locally.
• Ability to consult via telephone, online, and face-to-face, and recognise personal limitations when necessary.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Essential Criteria
• Degree or Master's degree in Pharmacy (MPharm or equivalent).
• Current registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
• Qualified Independent Prescriber (IP).
• Relevant post-registration experience as a pharmacist.
• Completed or willing to undertake the CPPE Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway, where required.
• Experience conducting clinical medication reviews and medicines optimisation.
• Knowledge of managing long-term conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, asthma and COPD.
• Knowledge of prescribing guidelines, medication safety and NICE guidance.
• Ability to conduct patient consultations and make clinical decisions independently within professional competence.
• Excellent communication, organisational and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary healthcare team.
• Good IT skills and ability to maintain accurate clinical records.

Desirable

• Previous experience working in General Practice or Primary Care Networks (PCNs).
• Experience using EMIS Web or SystmOne.
• Experience conducting Structured Medication Reviews (SMRs).
• Experience managing patients with polypharmacy and high-risk medications.
• Experience with QOF targets, clinical audits and prescribing improvement initiatives.
• Knowledge of NHS primary care services and local prescribing formularies.
• Experience with medicines reconciliation following hospital discharge.
• Experience supporting or mentoring other healthcare professionals.
• Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS).

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

K&W Healthcare Ltd

Address

116 Chaplin Rd

Wembley

London

HA0 4UZ

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://kwhealthcare.org.uk/