GP pilot sites reveal wishlist for pharmacist applicants
Practice pharmacists could manage patients on muttiple medicines and with declining liver function, says RCGP chair Maureen Baker
EXCLUSIVE
Pilot sites in an NHS England scheme to recruit pharmacists into GP surgeries have shared their tips for successful applicants.
Last month, NHS England revealed the details of the 73 pilot sites it will partially fund to employ 403 pharmacists over three years. The commissioning body will pay 60% of these pharmacists’ fees for their first year, dropping to 20% by the third and final year.
The East Coast Community Healthcare pilot site in Great Yarmouth told C+D it is looking for pharmacists to work as independent prescribers across its seven practices, while Park Medical Centre in London said it is seeking candidates who can take on “an element of risk”.
Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) chair Maureen Baker told C+D there is a “great deal” pharmacists can contribute to practices. She highlighted medication reviews for patients with “declining renal and liver function” and managing patients on multiple medicines as two key areas where they could add value.
“Contributing to the team is just for starters. When we have a growing body of pharmacists in general practice, we will find other things they can do profitably that we haven’t even started to think about yet,” she added.
View a list of the 73 pilot sites here
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East Coast Community Healthcare, Great Yarmouth
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Number of practices: 7
What the role will involve:
Each pharmacist will be based in a designated practice to “allow integration into the multidisciplinary team”, East Coast Community Healthcare said. The pilot site already has a team of “experienced clinical pharmacists and technicians” who will provide peer support for the new recruits.
Pharmacists will take on some responsibilities traditionally held by GPs and practice nurses. Their roles will be focused on medication reviews of high-risk patient groups, developing pharmacist-led clinics to manage long-term conditions, managing repeat prescriptions and analysing pathology results.
Interest from pharmacists:
Recruitment is “just beginning”, and the pilot site has “already had several expressions of interest”, it told C+D.
Tips for applicants:
Candidates should be – or be willing to become – an independent prescriber, the pilot site told C+D. They must also be prepared to undertake an 18-month induction training programme and possess a “good understanding of primary care and the broader social and healthcare system”, it added.
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Park Medical Centre, West London
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Number of practices: 6
What the role will involve:
John Adams, a practice pharmacist who has worked at Park Medical Centre for four years, told C+D he will be available to support the five new recruits. The centre wants the pharmacists to be able to tutor others, because it is keen to “push the pre-registration scheme into general practice”. Pharmacists will also work within a multidisciplinary team to “communicate with patients” and “liaise with doctors and nurses”.
Interest from pharmacists:
Although the pilot site has not put out any formal adverts, it says it has already received CVs from applicants.
Tips for applicants:
“There is a degree of risk management involved and a willingness to take on responsibility,” Mr Adams said. The successful applicants must also show initiative and be comfortable “going in with their ideas”. “Even with the information [NHS England has] provided, the GPs won’t be wholly familiar with what pharmacists can do,” Mr Adams stressed. “Really good clinical knowledge” will be needed so that pharmacists can “start operating independent clinics” and help reduce pressure on practices, he added.
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Millbrook Medical Centre, Merseyside
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Number of practices: 13
What the role will involve:
Millbrook Medical Centre has worked with its existing practice pharmacist to develop the new roles, business manager Robin Siddell told C+D. This will involve “a number of pharmacists in a number of different practices”, he said. “Depending on what commitment they can provide, it might be offering a full-time role on one site or [working] across three [or] four sites.”
Interest from pharmacists:
The pilot site has not begun advertising the roles, but it has already been contacted by “proactive pharmacists”, Mr Siddell said. “We have had quite a bit of interest and have identified pharmacists looking at taking this opportunity,” he said. “We have also got a university on board to evaluate the pilot.”
Tips for applicants:
The centre is looking for pharmacists with “a bit of experience” and a willingness to “meet [us] in the middle”. “We want to get something out of that individual and for them to get something out of us – such as putting them in touch with an educational programme,” Mr Siddell said. They should be keen to “develop their interests and work with the general public”, he added.
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