Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Clinical Pharmacist to work at Northgate Health Centre (part of Oxford Central Primary Care Network (PCN)) The purpose of the role is to improve patient care and prescribing at the practice, working as part of the Primary Care Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT). The role is broad and will range from contribution to direct patient care (chronic disease management, medication reviews, prescription queries), service development and delivery within the practice and quality improvement and audit across the spectrum of Medicines Management.

Main duties of the job

• Reduce inappropriate poly-pharmacy and wasteful prescribing through clinical medication review
• Pro-actively identify patients using computer searches who require medication reviews (e.g. polypharmacy, over 75s etc)
• Contribute to reductions in medicine related hospital admissions and readmissions by supporting patients to get the best outcomes from their medicines and identifying and addressing medicines related issues.
• Liaise with colleagues in community pharmacy and be the main point of contact for medicines, to align support for medicines adherence.
• Long-term condition (LTC) clinics (e.g., hypertension, asthma, diabetes)
• Work within and develop own competence to deliver patient facing clinics in patients with single or multiple medical problems where medicines optimisation is required
• Build and use computer searches to pro-actively identify patients who may benefit from attending LTC clinics
• Make appropriate recommendations for ongoing treatment to patients and refer appropriately to the GP/other services where needed

About us
Northgate Health Centre is situated in the heart of Oxford in a state-of-the-art (purpose-built) centre which opened in 2022, with a list size of circa 13,500 patients. We have a dedicated multidisciplinary team putting patient care at the heart of everything we do. We are a supportive and friendly team of 5 GP Partners, 7 salaried GPs, 3 experienced paramedic specialists, a collaborative nursing team along with a friendly patient adviser team and efficient practice administration & management team. We are the named GPs for 6 of the colleges (University of Oxford) and two local care homes.

Youll be joining a friendly, closeknit team who celebrate successes together and support one another through challenges. We enjoy building strong working relationships and creating a workplace staff look forward to coming to. Our team culture is grounded in respect, positivity, and genuine care for one another. We make time for team activities and shared moments that help us stay connected and enjoy our work. Our team meets regularly for clinical discussions & practice wide meetings, and we enjoy a range of wellbeing activities and staff/charitable celebrations throughout the year.

Job responsibilities

• Provide expertise in clinical medicines review and address public health and social needs of patients
• Reduce inappropriate poly-pharmacy and wasteful prescribing through clinical medication review
• Pro-actively identify patients using computer searches who require medication reviews e.g. polypharmacy, over 75s etc
• Contribute to reductions in medicine related hospital admissions and readmission by supporting patients to get the best outcomes from their medicines and identifying and addressing medicines related issues
• Liaise with colleagues in community pharmacy and be the main point of contact for medicines, to align support for medicines adherence.
• Long-term condition clinics e.g., hypertension, asthma, diabetes
• Work within and develop own competence to deliver patient facing clinics in patients with single or multiple medical problems where medicines optimisation is required
• Build and use computer searches to pro-actively identify patients who may benefit from attending LTC clinics
• Make appropriate recommendations for ongoing treatment to patients and refer appropriately to the GP/other services where needed

Repeat Prescribing

• Review/implement practice repeat prescribing policies
• Manage the repeat prescribing and reauthorisation process by reviewing requests for repeat prescriptions and medicines reaching review dates
• Manage prescription queries across the practices, providing remote support where needed
• Ensure processes are in place for ordering and re-authorisation of high-risk medications and that monitoring tests are appropriately ordered

Management of medicines at discharge from hospital

• Reconcile medicines following hospital discharge and work with patients and community pharmacists to ensure patients receive the medicines they need post discharge
• Liaise with pharmacy colleagues in secondary care and be the main point of contact for medicines, to align support for medicines reconciliation on admission to hospital and on discharge

Medicines safety & Service Development

• Manage patients and health care professionals medicine queries
• Increase quality and safety of prescribing through mechanisms such as audit and quality improvement projects
• Manage practice formularies to improve the quality, safety and cost effectiveness of prescribing
• Monitor practice prescribing against local prescribing dashboard and QOF targets
• Implement drug withdrawals and alerts e.g. MHRA aimed at improving medicines safety
• Act as a source of medicines information for all of the practice team and patients (e.g. around doses, side effects, adverse events, possible alternatives e.g. around out of stocks)

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• NHS pension

Contact
Please send a CV and a cover letter to Carmen Stewart carmen.stewart1@nhs.net

Oxford City Primary Care Network (PCN)
Oxford City PCN is forward thinking newly formed group of 4 City Centre Practices, Northgate Health Centre, King Edward Street Practice KES @ Northgate, John Leaver & Partners and Observatory Medical Practice) with a total population of approximately 40,000 patients. The role will involve working at NORTHGATE HEALTH CENTRE.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Professional Registration with the GPhC
• Qualifications Masters degree in Pharmacy (MPharm) or equivalent
• In depth clinical knowledge and understanding of evidence-based healthcare
• Understanding the nature of general practice and current pressures in primary care
• Understanding the nature of primary care prescribing and strategies to improve prescribing
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills
• Ability to make informed clinical decisions and maintain accountability
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrate ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to both patients and health care professionals
• Understands the importance of medicines optimisation in the management of long-term conditions
• Recognises priorities when problem solving and identifies when referral is appropriate
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Demonstrates ability to work independently as well as part of a team
• Self-motivated, flexible and willing to adapt

Desirable

• Minimum 5 years post-registration experience
• Experience of working in Primary Care/GP Practice
• Completion of the CPPE Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway (PCPEP)
• Independent prescriber or working towards qualification
• Post graduate diploma or equivalent training/experience
• Member of the 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.