Case study
Stephen Riley
Primary Care Pharmacist, North West Commissioning Support Unit
I am a Senior Prescribing Advisor with North West Commissioning Support
Unit (NWCSU). I am the lead pharmacist and accountable for the delivery
of the medicines management service provided to Wirral Clinical
Commissioning Group (CCG). The CCG is made up of 56 GP practices and
commissions medical services for a patient population of around 330,000.
I lead the well-established and respected locality medicines management
team of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, line managing the Prescribing
Advisors and Senior Pharmacy Technician. We work and support the medicines
optimisation agenda, improve use of cost effective medicines and ensure
high quality prescribing.
I provide strategic support to the CCG in developing / commissioning services
involving medicines and prescribing. On behalf of the CCG, I facilitate the
health economy process for medicines decision-making and sit on the joint
Drug and Therapeutics Committee with the local hospital trust. I lead effective
partnership working arrangements with secondary care; tertiary trusts
and independent providers in order to engage wider collaboration in
optimal medicines use and resource utilisation. An important element of my role
is to forge key relationships with CCG Board members, Clinical Leads and
senior managers; CSU managers; GPs, their staff and community pharmacy leads.