Job Title: Fellowship in Repeat Prescribing in General Practice
Reporting to: Dr Emer O'Brien, RCSI clinical lecturer in General Practice & ICGP QSi P clinical lead
Base: Dept. of General Practice, Royal College of College of Surgeons in Ireland
Contract type: 12-month Fixed Term or equivalent
Hours per week: 40 hours/ Full time or equivalent
Annual Leave: 30 days / 6 weeks
Salary: Confirmed on application
Closing Date: 5pm on Monday 23rd September 2024


About The Irish College of GP's
The Irish College of GP's (the College) is the postgraduate medical training body (PGTB) responsible for postgraduate education, training and research in the medical specialty of General Practice. The College has a national advisory role in relation to medical standards and engages with the Medical Council, Department of Health and Children, the Health Service Executive and the Health Information & Quality Authority among others. As a membership organisation, the Irish College of GP's is responsible for providing and supporting the continuous professional development for general practitioners, numbering over 4,000.


About The Department of General Practice, RCSI
The Department of General Practice is involved in teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate levels. At undergraduate level, teaching takes place across Years 1 to 4 of the Medical degree programme. At Postgraduate level the Department is involved in the delivery of the MSc Healthcare Ethics & Law programme, as well as contributing through teaching and supervision to the Masters of Surgery, MPharm and SPHe RE Ph D Programmes. The Departments research work continues the departments overall aim to enhance patient safety in terms of prescribing, diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to the care of patients.


About the fellowship
The GP fellow will be based in the Department of General Practice RCSI and work with a multidisciplinary team of researchers, senior academics, medical educators and professional organisation clinical leads. The GP practice clinical component can be sourced by the successful applicant. Dr Emer O'Brien as the main academic supervisor will provide support, guidance and supervision during the fellowship and Dr Caroline Mc Carthy, as the subject expert supervisor will provide guidance on repeat prescribing and offer both topic area and methodological expertise for the fellow. The aim of this GP fellowship is to equip a post CSCST GP with the skills and experience to become a leader in primary care prescribing. The fellow will acquire a unique set of skills essential for improving patient safety and enhancing healthcare delivery efficiency. These skills can be categorised into clinical, academic, and leadership skills:


Clinical skills:

• Develop expertise in primary care therapeutics and medication review.
• Design, implement, and evaluate Quality Improvement Projects (QIPs) and audits focusing on medication safety and optimising repeat prescribing processes.
• Develop the ability to communicate effectively with other healthcare professionals and patients about medication safety and effectiveness.

Academic skills:

• Gain expertise in evidence synthesis and guideline development by conducting systematic reviews and synthesising evidence to create practical, evidence-based guidelines tailored for Irish general practice.
• Acquire skills in academic writing and dissemination of research through publications, presentations, podcasts, and other media to share insights and advancements with the broader medical community.
Gain experience in curriculum design, teaching, and assessment.

Leadership skills:

• Develop the ability to manage projects effectively, ensuring that initiatives are completed on time and within scope.
• Receive training in leadership and change management to lead initiatives, manage teams, and drive positive changes within their practice and the broader healthcare system.
• Develop insights into healthcare policy development and advocacy.
• Gain valuable experience in medical education and research methods, which will position the fellow to pursue a higher degree if desired or advance their career in General Practice.

Key Result Areas


1. Perform a systematic review of guidelines on repeat prescribing in primary care internationally.
2. Develop an Irish College of GP's General Practice Update (GPU) on Repeat Prescribing for use by GPs and GP trainees.
3. Develop practice-based audit and quality improvement projects that target safe repeat prescribing.
5. Become a member of the Quality and Safety in Practice (QSi P) committee and lead the development of a reviewer guidance template for GPs peer reviewing GPUs.
6. Engage with the Irish College of GP's education team on the Better Safer Prescribing Module.
7. Become a team member in the Department of General Practice developing a teaching portfolio gaining experience with both undergraduate and postgraduate medical education.
8. Evaluate the fellowship through an iterative process, to maximise the experience and skills development for the current and future fellows, ensuring the fellowship remains tailored and effective.


Person Specification
The ideal candidate will have the following knowledge, skills, expertise, and competencies:


Qualifications and experience

• A fully qualified GP with MICGP and current member of the College in good standing.
• Candidate has to be within 2 years of completing their CSCST
• Previous research experience, for example intercalated Medical Degree, Master's Degree, peer reviewed publication(s) or student research elective is desirable.

Technical competencies

• Excellent ICT skills with initiative to maximise technology to increase efficiencies.
• Competent in MS packages, especially Word and Excel.
• Previous development and implementation of practice Quality Improvement Projects is desirable
• Previous literature search strategy development is desirable

Behavioural competencies

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with team members.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills.
• Competent, conscientious, and motivated, with a methodical approach to work.
• Capacity to work collaboratively as part of a team as well as independently, in a non-structured environment.

Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr Emer O'Brien: emerobrien@rcsi.ie