What is your role now?
I am a Specialist Clinical Pharmacist based in Primary Care in North NHS Highland. I specialise in frail, elderly, complex polypharmacy, care home and care at home patients. I also work with the local multidisciplinary integrated team via its “Huddle” and contribute to rapid response falls team assessments. I collaborate with our geriatric consultant and regularly attend clinics with him.
What roles did you do to get to where you are now?
- Prescribing Support Pharmacist.
- Primary Care Clinical Pharmacist.
- Post graduate diploma in Clinical Pharmacy, various other clinical qualifications & Independent Prescriber.
What do you enjoy about your job?
The variety of patients that I get to see. I work with seven different GP practices, which keeps me constantly on my toes. I also participate in research projects, exploring pharmacist prescribing roles. My services can be required at short notice, so I have the flexibility to manage my working week to allow me to utilise my time most effectively. All the practices and teams I work with are excellent, so I have been fortunate to benefit from many different kinds of input.
How much do you earn?
Band 8a.
What do you not enjoy about your job?
Some of geography involved means that I can’t always accomplish everything in one day that I would like to. However, we are currently exploring the potential of telehealth to overcome some of the travel requirements in Highland.
Are you a member of any pharmacy organisations?
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
Who, if anyone, has influenced your career?
My husband and my parents, who are all independent community pharmacists, working at the coalface. We also have visionary senior staff members in the primary care pharmacy team in Highland.
What would you like to do next?
I’d like to integrate further with our local community hospitals – following up patients after discharge and expanding the role we have to improve health and prevent future admissions.