Clinical Pharmacist - Frailty and care homes

Vertishealth; Droitwich Spa; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Droitwich Spa is looking for an experienced clinical pharmacist with expertise in medicines optimisation for older adults. The role involves conducting medication reviews, collaborating with healthcare teams, and providing clinical support in care homes. The ideal candidate will have a degree in Pharmacy, be a registered pharmacist, and possess strong communication and team-working skills. This position aims to improve patient outcomes, focusing on frailty management and collaborative care strategies.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of frailty, long-term conditions, and older adult care.
• Experience in primary care, community, or hospital pharmacy.
• Experience of medication reviews and polypharmacy management.

Responsibilities

• Undertake structured medication reviews for frail patients.
• Support medicines optimisation aligned to NICE guidance.
• Communicate complex medication information clearly.

Skills

Medicines optimisation

Clinical pharmacy support

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Frailty management

Education

Undergraduate degree in Pharmacy

Registered Pharmacist with GPhC

Completed CPPE PCPEP pathway

Tools

GP clinical systems (e.g., EMIS, SystmOne)

Job description

Droitwich, Ombersley & The Rurals PCN consists of 7 practices, based across South Worcestershire, serving over 56,000 patients. We aim to offer and deliver excellent, safe, co‑ordinated, 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 37 healthcare professionals and are looking for individuals with a passion to deliver excellent service in General Practice and in the local communities.

Job Summary

DO&R has an exciting opportunity for an experienced frailty clinical pharmacist to join our PCN. We are looking for someone who will provide expert medicines optimisation and clinical pharmacy support for older adults living with frailty across our care homes and the wider PCN. The post holder will work as a core member of the multidisciplinary frailty team, supporting proactive, personalised care to improve outcomes, reduce medicines‑related harm, and prevent avoidable hospital admissions.

The role focuses on current PCN contracts, comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs), polypharmacy management, deprescribing, and close collaboration with GPs, nurses, social prescribers, link workers, community services, and care homes.

Key Responsibilities

You will be working as part of a multidisciplinary team, to provide advice and support on all prescribing and medication related issues for care home residents, and those living with moderate to severe frailty. When clinically appropriate, you will be expected to implement and action changes to the patients’ medical prescribing record as directed by primary, secondary or community care; always working within professional limits. Provide expertise in clinical medicines, review and address public health and social needs of these patients.

Clinical Responsibilities

· Undertake structured medication reviews (SMRs) for patients living with moderate to severe frailty, including those:

• At risk of falls
• With polypharmacy
• Approaching end of life

· Apply frailty‑specific prescribing principles, including:

• Optimising treatment in line with patient goals and quality of life

· Support medicines optimisation aligned to:

• NICE guidance
• STOPP/START criteria

· Conduct clinical assessments within scope of practice, including:

• Undertaking appropriate clinical assessments to support care planning and management of acute presentations alongside long term chronic disease management
• Falls assessment and frailty scoring

· Support anticipatory care planning and shared decision‑making with patients and carers.

Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Working

· Act as a core member of the PCN frailty MDT, working alongside:

• GPs and Advanced Practitioners
• Community geriatric services
• Participate in MDT meetings, case conferences, and proactive frailty reviews
• Contribute to personalised care plans and escalation planning

Care Home and Community Support

• Provide regular clinical pharmacy support to care homes within the PCN
• Support medicines reconciliation following hospital discharge
• Reduce medicine‑related admissions and prescribing risks in care home residents
• Work collaboratively with community pharmacists and care home staff

Patient and Carer Engagement

• Communicate complex medication information clearly and compassionately
• Support shared decision‑making and personalised goals of care
• Provide education to patients and carers about medicines, side effects, and safe use

Service Development and Quality Improvement

• Support the development and delivery of PCN frailty pathways
• Contribute to audits, quality improvement projects, and prescribing safety initiatives
• Support training and education for the wider PCN workforce on frailty and medicines optimisation
• Use population health data to identify patients at risk of medicine‑related harm

PCN Contract Responsibilities

Support the delivery of the Network Direct Enhanced Services (DES) contract requirements, service specifications, and any other relevant PCN contract.

Professional Responsibilities

• Maintain professional registration and revalidation requirements
• Work within clinical governance frameworks and PCN policies
• Participating in supervision, appraisal, and continued professional development

Qualifications and Training for the Role

• Completion of an undergraduate degree in Pharmacy, and registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Registered Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• Completed CPPE PCPEP pathway or equivalent
• Experience in primary care, community, or hospital pharmacy
• Experience of medication reviews and polypharmacy management
• Strong understanding of frailty, long‑term conditions, and older adult care
• Excellent communication and MDT working skills
• Experience working with frail older adults or care homes
• Knowledge of social prescribing and personalised care models
• Experience contributing to service development or quality improvement
• Experience using GP clinical systems (e.g., EMIS, SystmOne)
• Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)
• Has an awareness of the breadth of common acute and long‑term conditions that are likely to be seen in general medical practice
• May hold or be working towards a postgraduate pharmacy qualification

Key Values and Behaviours

• Person‑centred and compassionate approach
• Commitment to reducing health inequalities
• Proactive, adaptable, and collaborative
• Strong professional judgement and accountability
• Demonstrates general pharmaceutical skills and knowledge in core areas
• Can 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 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 can refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate
• Can 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

Collaborative Working Relationships

• Recognises the roles of other colleagues within the organisation and their role to patient care Demonstrates use of appropriate communication to gain the co‑operation of relevant stakeholders (including patients, senior and peer colleagues, and other professionals, other NHS/private organisations e.g. ICBs)
• Demonstrates ability to work as a member of a team
• Can recognise personal limitations and refer to more appropriate colleague(s) when necessary
• Liaises with ICB colleagues including ICB pharmacists on prescribing related matters to ensure consistency of patient care and benefit
• Liaises with ICB pharmacists and Heads of Medicines Management/ Optimisation to benefit from peer support
• Liaises with other GP Practices and staff as needed for the collective benefit of patients

Confidentiality

• While seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately
• In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post‑holder will have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source, and held in any format, is to be regarded as strictly confidential
• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data

Health & Safety

The post‑holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others’ health, safety and security as defined in the practice health & safety policy, the practice health & safety manual, and the practice infection control policy and published procedures. This will include:

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards

Actively reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised

• Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holder’s role
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)

Equality and diversity

The post‑holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers, and colleagues, to include:

• Acting in a way that recognises the importance of people’s rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers, and colleagues
• Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non‑judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights