Clinical Commissioning groups are clinically led general practice organisations that commission most of the hospital and community NHS services in the local area that they are responsible for.

As a CCG Pharmacist you combine your clinical and change management skills to help drive improved use of medicines and the management of long-term conditions for people in the local health area.

Key responsibilities

• Proactively working with partners and stakeholders to support the implementation of medicines optimisation, strategy and priorities for commissioning.
• Contribute towards the prescribing of budgets, audits and interpretation of prescribing data to drive change and develop options for budget management
• Provide expert medicines information and prescribing advice to GPs and other clinicians and managers for best practice in the management and use of medicines and patient safety in compliance with national guidelines and legal frameworks.
• Help develop robust, evidence-based business cases and identify the potential impact, barriers and mitigating options that support and help contribute to the decision-making of the Chief Pharmacist and senior clinical commissioning pharmacists national and local initiatives.
• Develop guidelines and recommendations that address identified risk areas in medicines use through audit and analysis
• Support senior clinical commissioning pharmacists develop and manage contracts by analysing highly complex sensitive drug and patient information, prescribing data, acute activity and other data sources providing budgetary reports, advice and recommendations to GP practices; to help them review their performance.
• To improve accountability to the public and patients through engagement, responding to sometimes complex enquiries and liaising with other healthcare professionals.
• To support and promote an environment of continuous professional development and training to ensure better medicines use.

Applicants must have a degree in Pharmacy, be registered as a Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council and committed to continuing professional development.

Read more about Clinical Commissioning groups here.

Read more about National Commissioning Pharmacist Networks here.