Clinical Pharmacist - Maternity cover

Job summary

The post holder is a Clinical Pharmacist within Worcester City PCN, working across general practice teams to support the safe, effective and cost-efficient use of medicines. The role focuses on improving patient outcomes through medicines optimisation, delivering local prescribing priorities, including the Quality Prescribing and Medicines Service (QPMS), and supporting national targets such as the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF).

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, the pharmacist provides expert advice on prescribing and medication queries, undertakes medicines reconciliation following transfers of care, and promotes safer prescribing practices. Responsibilities include conducting structured medication reviews, particularly for high-risk patients and those with complex medication regimes, and supporting chronic disease management through patient clinics.

The post holder will oversee aspects of prescription management, including repeat prescribing processes, implement evidence-based prescribing improvements, and work collaboratively with practices, commissioners and the wider PCN team to deliver QPMS, DES, QOF and LES objectives at both practice and network level.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will undertake structured medication reviews, both face-to-face and remotely, with a particular focus on high-risk patients, including care home residents, housebound individuals and those with complex long-term conditions or polypharmacy. They will reconcile medicines following hospital discharge to ensure continuity of care, support chronic disease management clinics, and contribute to multi-morbidity reviews and QOF objectives.

The role includes leading prescription management processes, overseeing repeat prescribing, ensuring appropriate monitoring requirements are met, and supporting prescribing administration teams. The post holder will implement MHRA alerts, drug withdrawals and evidence-based prescribing changes to improve medicines safety and clinical effectiveness.

They will provide medicines information, prescribing advice and training to practice staff, work closely with community and hospital pharmacy colleagues to support integrated care pathways, and identify high-risk patient groups through population health searches to reduce harm and prevent avoidable admissions. The pharmacist will also contribute to audits, quality improvement projects and medicines optimisation initiatives, supporting the delivery of local and national prescribing priorities, including QPMS, DSQS and QIPP.

About us

Worcester City PCN consists of 9 practices, based across South Worcestershire, serving over 130,000 patients. We aim to offer and deliver excellent, safe, coordinated, high quality patient care. Continuously learning, evolving and implementing new models of care, to create inclusion and reduce inequalities and improve outcomes. We work hard to promote a culture where staff feel engaged, valued and recognised by the organisation and the others they work with.

We have an Additional Roles team of over 70 healthcare professionals and are looking for an individual with a passion to join our PCN Pharmacy team to deliver excellent service to our patients.

Job responsibilities

PCN Clinical Pharmacist (12-Month Maternity Cover)

Worcester City Primary Care Network

Full Time - 37.5 Hours per Week

The Role:

We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Clinical Pharmacist to join our established Pharmacy Team on a 12-month maternity cover contract. This is an exciting opportunity to work across our Primary Care Network, supporting medicines optimisation, improving patient outcomes and contributing to key prescribing initiatives.

As part of a multidisciplinary team, you will undertake structured medication reviews, provide expert prescribing advice, support chronic disease management, reconcile medicines following hospital discharge and lead on safer prescribing practices. You will play a key role in delivering local prescribing priorities, including the Quality Prescribing and Medicines Service (QPMS), alongside national programmes such as QOF and the Network Contract DES.

Main Duties of the Job:

• Conduct structured medication reviews for patients with complex needs, polypharmacy and long-term conditions.
• Support medicines reconciliation following hospital discharge.
• Provide prescribing advice and medicines information to clinical and non-clinical staff.
• Lead aspects of prescription management, including repeat prescribing processes.
• Support chronic disease management clinics.
• Implement MHRA safety alerts, evidence-based prescribing changes and medicines optimisation initiatives.
• Identify high-risk patient cohorts and help reduce medication-related harm.
• Work collaboratively with GP practices, community pharmacies, hospital colleagues and wider healthcare partners.
• Participate in audits, quality improvement projects and prescribing programmes including QPMS, DSQS and QIPP.

About You:

You will be a GPhC-registered pharmacist with substantial experience in primary care or general practice. You will have completed the CPPE Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway (or equivalent recognised pathway) and possess strong clinical, communication and organisational skills. Experience of medicines optimisation and quality improvement initiatives within primary care is essential.

The candidate must hold their CPPE qualification and have Primary Care experience.

Essential Qualifications and Experience:

• Master's degree (or equivalent) in Pharmacy.
• Current registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
• Completion of the CPPE Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway (PCPEP) or equivalent.
• Minimum two years' post-registration pharmacy experience.
• Significant experience working within primary care/general practice settings.
• Strong understanding of multidisciplinary working and medicines optimisation.

Desirable:

• Independent Prescriber qualification.
• Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS).
• Experience working with QOF, QPMS, DES, LES or similar primary care programmes.

What We Offer:

• NHS Pension Scheme
• Enhanced sickness entitlement
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Supportive and collaborative team environment
• Opportunities for professional development and continuing education

Please note: The post holder will be required to travel between practice sites across the PCN as required. Worcester City PCN reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received

Person specification

BEHAVIORAL COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS

Essential

• Demonstrates general pharmaceutical skills and knowledge in core areas.
• Is able to plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general pharmaceutical care programmes for patients in core areas, including disease states / long term conditions identified by local Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment.
• Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision as an individual.
• Demonstrates ability to use skills in a range of routine situations requiring analysis or comparison of a range of options.
• Recognises priorities when problem-solving and identifies deviations from the normal pattern and is able to refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate.
• Able to follow legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct.
• Involves patients in decisions about prescribed medicines and supporting adherence as per NICE.

Qualifications

Essential

• Completion of an undergraduate degree in Pharmacy and registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Completion of CPPE Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway (PCPEP), or an equivalent recognised pathway.
• Substantial experience working in primary care/general practice, with a good understanding of the general practice environment, systems and multidisciplinary working.
• Minimum of 2 years post graduate experience in pharmacy as demonstrated within a practice portfolio.

Desirable

• Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS).
• Independent Prescribing qualification with demonstrated prescribing portfolio.
• Experience of working with QOF, QPMS, DES, LES or other primary care prescribing and medicines optimisation initiatives.