Job summary
The Lead Pharmacist - Production Services will lead in delivering, developing, and evaluating comprehensive production services for the Trust. This is essential to ensure compliance with current directives, legislation, external audits, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Good Distribution Practice (GDP), and Health and Safety requirements.
As the Accountable Pharmacist, it is essential to ensure that the methods used for preparing and releasing of chemotherapy, Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN), and other aseptic products, as outlined in section 10 of the Medicines Act, adhere to the national guidance provided by 'Quality Assurance of Aseptic Preparation Services' for the assurance of aseptic medicine preparation.
Act as lead specialist on strategic issues related to production Services, contributing to multi-disciplinary service planning and complex re-configuration projects.
Take overall responsibility for the Production services provided from the pharmacy by coordinating the activities and setting objectives of senior staff. Oversee recruitment of staff to production services as needed, including advertising, short-listing, interviewing and selecting staff. Lead recruitment strategies including undertaking skill mix reviews and succession planning.
Main duties of the job
The Lead Pharmacist - Production Services will be the Accountable Pharmacist ensuring methods used to prepare and release chemotherapy, Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN), and other aseptic products prepared under section 10 of the Medicines Act comply with national guidance, 'Quality Assurance of Aseptic Preparation Services' and the EL97(52) audit framework.
Pharmacy Department
Our progressive and friendly pharmacy department consists of approximately 300 staff. The department provides the following services: clinical services, dispensary, Medicines Information, aseptics (TPN and oncology), quality assurance, clinical trials dispensary and stores. The Pharmacy team includes a wide range of job roles including pharmacy assistants, pharmacy technicians and pharmacists.
As a department, we are proud of the diversity of our team and weprioritise supporting everyone to achieve their potential. Our aim within the Pharmacy aseptic unit is to support and develop all members of staff working in the unit, which in turn helps us to deliver optimal patient care.
About us
Our Trust
Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 12000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people - patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing 'outstanding' care to our patients and rated 'Good' overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH's values - Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent - are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.
CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people's age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.
This vacancy will close at midnight on 4th June 2024
Interviews are due to be held week commencing 10th June 2024
Benefits to you
We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse, day nurseries and access to a great transport system with easy access to airports and rail travel.
Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.
We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.
This vacancy will close at midnight on 4th June 2024
Interviews are due to be held week commencing 10th June 2024
Benefits to you
We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse, day nurseries and access to a great transport system with easy access to airports and rail travel.
Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.
We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Masters qualification in pharmacy or equivalent qualification plus pre-registration training
- Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council
- Post graduate Diploma in clinical pharmacy or equivalent experience or qualification
- Completion of the Aseptic Preparation and Dispensing Medicines course
- Computer literacy including pharmacy applications
Desirable
- Relevant management qualification or equivalent experience
- Eligible as a Qualified Person (QP(IMP)under the medicines act and EU Directive
- Diploma in Pharmaceutical Technology and Quality Assurance
- Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
Experience
Essential
- Extensive post-qualification experience either of hospital pharmacy or in a relevant commercial/industrial pharmacy
- Experience of working in an aseptic unit, including day to day management and supervision
- Experience of acting as an Accountable/Authorised Pharmacist for an aseptic unit (licensed or unlicensed)
- Experience of dealing with a wide variety and grade of hospital staff on a regular and on-ongoing basis, including senior medical/ managerial staff and auditors and inspectors
- Experience of the following specialist areas; QA/QC, aseptic preparation, Pharmaceutics and formulation, audit and risk assessment.
- Experience of managing the introduction, operation and audit of clinical trials according to GMP and GCP.
- Previous evaluated experience of mentorship and training skills.
- Demonstrated evidence of being able to manage change and improve service quality with Quality Assurance /Production services
- Experience of practice research and audit
- Experience of managing and supervising others
- Previous relevant clinical experience
Desirable
- Experience of validation of computer systems
- Experience of design and validation of aseptic clean rooms
- Experience of staff recruitment
- Experience in the design, building and commissioning of new, or major upgrade to, production facilities or laboratory
- Experience of conducting research.
- Demonstrated understanding of the commercial manufacturing environment
- Demonstrated evidence of being able to lead and evaluate a Pharmaceutical Production Services
- Demonstrated evidence of being able to devise and monitor capacity plans within Production services
Knowledge
Essential
- Extensive understanding of clinical governance and current UK medicines legislation (e.g. Medicines Act 1968, Human Medicines Regulations 2012)
- Demonstrated expert technical knowledge of pharmaceutical production, Quality Assurance and GMP, GCP, GDP and a proven ability to apply this knowledge to develop and maintain quality systems
- Understanding of COSHH regulations and Health and Safety at Work Act.
- Understanding of clinical governance and risk assessment processes
- Knowledge of aseptic processes related to aseptic preparation and manufacturing
- Specialist theoretical and practical knowledge in clinical pharmacy practice
- Understanding of the national NHS and pharmacy landscape
- Demonstrated knowledge of the validation requirements for pharmaceutical facilities, equipment and products
- Advanced clinical and technical pharmacy knowledge in a relevant area
- Demonstrated evidence of managing the safe handling of hazardous materials
- Familiarity with specialist labelling, TPN and electronic chemotherapy prescribing software associated with Aseptic dispensing
Desirable
- Good understanding of critical manufacturing systems such as ventilation
- Understanding of the commercial manufacturing environment
Skills
Essential
- Proven ability to deal with highly complex clinical and technical issues which require analysis and formulation of a response, based on a range of sources, some of which may not be in agreement.
- Computer data manipulation skills
- Demonstrated ability to evaluate and improve service quality
- Demonstrated ability to identify training needs of self and others
- Track record of successful team working and able to plan and prioritise work of others
- Demonstrated ability to manage staff sickness and disciplinary issues.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate complex, contentious and sensitive information effectively, using clear written and spoken English.
- Well-developed negotiating and persuasive skills when interacting with other team members, pharmacists, hospital managers, clients, patients and relatives.
- Good presentation and teaching skills Be able to interpret highly complex medicines information in medicines used within aseptic services (Parenteral Nutrition and chemotherapy)
Desirable
- Effective leadership strategies to optimise team and service performance
- Demonstrated evidence of being able to develop and deliver a Production Services strategic plan
Additional Requirements
Essential
- The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of Safe, Kind, Excellent.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Masters qualification in pharmacy or equivalent qualification plus pre-registration training
- Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council
- Post graduate Diploma in clinical pharmacy or equivalent experience or qualification
- Completion of the Aseptic Preparation and Dispensing Medicines course
- Computer literacy including pharmacy applications
Desirable
- Relevant management qualification or equivalent experience
- Eligible as a Qualified Person (QP(IMP)under the medicines act and EU Directive
- Diploma in Pharmaceutical Technology and Quality Assurance
- Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
Experience
Essential
- Extensive post-qualification experience either of hospital pharmacy or in a relevant commercial/industrial pharmacy
- Experience of working in an aseptic unit, including day to day management and supervision
- Experience of acting as an Accountable/Authorised Pharmacist for an aseptic unit (licensed or unlicensed)
- Experience of dealing with a wide variety and grade of hospital staff on a regular and on-ongoing basis, including senior medical/ managerial staff and auditors and inspectors
- Experience of the following specialist areas; QA/QC, aseptic preparation, Pharmaceutics and formulation, audit and risk assessment.
- Experience of managing the introduction, operation and audit of clinical trials according to GMP and GCP.
- Previous evaluated experience of mentorship and training skills.
- Demonstrated evidence of being able to manage change and improve service quality with Quality Assurance /Production services
- Experience of practice research and audit
- Experience of managing and supervising others
- Previous relevant clinical experience
Desirable
- Experience of validation of computer systems
- Experience of design and validation of aseptic clean rooms
- Experience of staff recruitment
- Experience in the design, building and commissioning of new, or major upgrade to, production facilities or laboratory
- Experience of conducting research.
- Demonstrated understanding of the commercial manufacturing environment
- Demonstrated evidence of being able to lead and evaluate a Pharmaceutical Production Services
- Demonstrated evidence of being able to devise and monitor capacity plans within Production services
Knowledge
Essential
- Extensive understanding of clinical governance and current UK medicines legislation (e.g. Medicines Act 1968, Human Medicines Regulations 2012)
- Demonstrated expert technical knowledge of pharmaceutical production, Quality Assurance and GMP, GCP, GDP and a proven ability to apply this knowledge to develop and maintain quality systems
- Understanding of COSHH regulations and Health and Safety at Work Act.
- Understanding of clinical governance and risk assessment processes
- Knowledge of aseptic processes related to aseptic preparation and manufacturing
- Specialist theoretical and practical knowledge in clinical pharmacy practice
- Understanding of the national NHS and pharmacy landscape
- Demonstrated knowledge of the validation requirements for pharmaceutical facilities, equipment and products
- Advanced clinical and technical pharmacy knowledge in a relevant area
- Demonstrated evidence of managing the safe handling of hazardous materials
- Familiarity with specialist labelling, TPN and electronic chemotherapy prescribing software associated with Aseptic dispensing
Desirable
- Good understanding of critical manufacturing systems such as ventilation
- Understanding of the commercial manufacturing environment
Skills
Essential
- Proven ability to deal with highly complex clinical and technical issues which require analysis and formulation of a response, based on a range of sources, some of which may not be in agreement.
- Computer data manipulation skills
- Demonstrated ability to evaluate and improve service quality
- Demonstrated ability to identify training needs of self and others
- Track record of successful team working and able to plan and prioritise work of others
- Demonstrated ability to manage staff sickness and disciplinary issues.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate complex, contentious and sensitive information effectively, using clear written and spoken English.
- Well-developed negotiating and persuasive skills when interacting with other team members, pharmacists, hospital managers, clients, patients and relatives.
- Good presentation and teaching skills Be able to interpret highly complex medicines information in medicines used within aseptic services (Parenteral Nutrition and chemotherapy)
Desirable
- Effective leadership strategies to optimise team and service performance
- Demonstrated evidence of being able to develop and deliver a Production Services strategic plan
Additional Requirements
Essential
- The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of Safe, Kind, Excellent.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).