Lead Pharmacist - Surgery, Theatres and Critical Care

Job responsibilities

Key Working Relationships

Other Lead pharmacists within the Trust.

Pharmacy Operations Manager.

Service leads for all surgical areas, theatres and critical care within the Trust.

Consultant medical staff and their teams.

Matrons, senior nursing staff and other key professionals in the multi-disciplinary team.

Clinical pharmacists.

Pharmacy staff.

Medicines Management Technicians for the specialty areas served.

Other senior healthcare professionals.

Patients and carers.

Divisional Manager and other senior Trust staff.

Result Areas

With the assistance of nominated pharmacists and medicines management technicians, to lead the provision of a high level, responsive, and developing clinical pharmacy service to designated specialist surgical wards, theatres, clinics and critical care at Warwick Hospital.

To design and deliver packages of pharmaceutical care to individual patients on the designated wards and assist other pharmacists to undertake such duties.

To assure the standards of pharmaceutical care provided to patients on the designated wards, ensuring that a satisfactory level of pharmacy service is provided within the staffing resources available.

To be actively involved in efficient discharge planning on the designated surgical wards by reviewing patients discharge treatment, facilitating timely supply of discharge medication and, where necessary, liaising and communicating with relevant healthcare practitioners in intermediate or primary care to ensure safe transfer and continuity of care.

To be a lead pharmacist in advising the Principal Pharmacist - Clinical Services and the Director of Pharmacy on the strategic development of clinical pharmacy services to the designated specialist surgical services, theatres and critical care within the Trust.

To contribute to the development of pharmacy services and standards, the preparation of business cases and the implementation of agreed developments.

To maintain an awareness of current developments in pharmacy practice by liaising with relevant bodies, outside agencies, special interest groups and other pharmacists. To inform and advise senior pharmacy staff as appropriate.

To assist the relevant drug budget holders in managing their drugs budget and advising on potential improvements in the cost-effective use of drugs.

When required, to advise specialty leads and budget managers on issues relating to the use of drugs in their area including potential improvements in the clinical and cost-effective use of drugs.

To commission reports from the Pharmacy IT Manager, on drugs usage and costs by Division, specialty, drug, and / or prescriber. To identify trends in prescribing and the use of medicines, and propose ways to address any adverse trend. To attend Divisional meetings, to share information about drug use and costs, and advise of the future implications, and link this where possible to activity and case mix, and to agree action. To identify and propose opportunities to realise a cost improvement in the drugs budget. To recommend increased investment in drugs budgets when this would be cost effective for the overall care of patients.

To horizon scan and advise on budget implications of new and developing drug therapies in the designated specialty areas.

To support the specialty to write medication-based treatment guidelines and clinical protocols, patient group directions, standard operating procedures, and other documents.

To advise on/recommend/adapt clinical treatment guidelines for use in the specialty area that have been produced locally or by national bodies e.g. NICE, NSFs, National Prescribing Centre guidelines etc.

To supervise, contribute to and undertake research and audit projects in the specialty areas particularly those concerned with the clinical and cost effective use of drugs, compliance with safer prescribing and drug administration policies, procedures and guidelines, and implementation of pharmacy service developments. To provide reports and present the audit findings within the Trust or to outside organisations or regional or national meetings where appropriate.

To highlight any practice which has an implication for Primary Care, or which requires particular attention at the interface when patients are admitted or discharged.

To develop and maintain a training programme for clinical pharmacists allocated to the specialty areas and to develop and administer a competency assessment process to ensure the appropriate standards are achieved.

To undertake the formal duties of a pre-registration tutor/clinical coordinator for the Clinical Diploma in accordance with the requirements of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and Universities. To ensure that all appropriate training is provided, reviews are undertaken at the specified times and liaison with the regulatory body and training providers is carried out as necessary.

To provide clinical pharmacy training for undergraduate pharmacy students, vacation students, pre-registration pharmacists (hospital and community-based) and hospital clinical pharmacists.

To contribute to the induction and in-service training of nursing, midwifery and medical staff as appropriate.

To contribute to the recruitment, induction, management and development of staff and where necessary in grievance and disciplinary matters.

To advise senior nursing staff on appropriate use of patient group directions in order to improve the efficiency of healthcare provision on the designated wards and to assist in the development of PGDs.

To undertake duties as a clinical pharmacist to other wards in the Trust when necessary, including occasional work at other pharmacies from which a pharmacy service is provided.

To advise medical, nursing, other professional staff, managers and patients on any aspect of drug therapy or drug control as required or when considered necessary.

To contribute to the audit work of the pharmacy service and developments in service quality.

To undertake the reporting of medication incidents when necessary according to the Trusts Incident Reporting Policy, to assist other pharmacists in reporting, to investigate medication incidents as necessary, to provide senior pharmacist input to incident report forms, to recommend improvements and implement agreed improvements.

To be an authorised signatory for drug purchase orders and for invoice payments.

To undertake routine duties within the dispensary as required and supervising the work of junior pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and (senior) ATOs.

To undertake Saturday, Sunday, Bank Holiday and Statutory Day working on rota and to contribute (if required) on rota to the Emergency Duty Commitment of pharmacists providing an out-of-hours emergency Pharmacy service.

To deputise for senior pharmacy managers as required.

To demonstrate and maintain through annual revalidation a commitment to continuing professional development and encourage members of the team to do likewise.

Qualifications

Essential

• Master's Degree in Pharmacy (or equiv)
• Membership of General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• Clinical pharmacy diploma or equivalent advanced experience

Desirable

• Membership of Royal Pharmaceutical Society
• Faculty Member of Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Experience

Essential

• 4 years of hospital pharmacy experience (as a registered pharmacist)
• Minimum of 3 years' experience of hospital clinical pharmacy practice
• Recent clinical experience in a general hospital setting
• Experience of managing a clinical service in pharmacy

Desirable

• Undertaken audit work
• Lectures, talks, training given (Medical/Nursing/Pharmacy staff and patients)

Skills

Essential

• Good understanding of recent NHS and pharmacy reports and how they relate to surgery, theatres and critical care
• Ability to demonstrate a very high level of specialist knowledge in surgery, theatres and critical care
• Ability to advise and influence all grades of medical and nursing staff on therapeutic aspects of patient care
• An understanding of the relevance of clinical governance and risk management
• Knowledge of drug expenditure/drug budget/clinical activity issues
• Able to understand clinical research data
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Able to clearly communicate highly complex clinical information to all grades of medical, nursing and pharmacy staff
• Able to sensitively question patients on their drug treatment and to communicate clearly with them
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Good presentation skills
• Ability to prioritise own work and assist others to do so
• Able to use initiative and work without supervision
• Understanding of budgetary mechanisms, funding processes
• Ability to manage pharmacy team members
• Able to give credible representation of pharmacy at very senior medical and management levels
• Ability to work in teams - pharmacy teams and multidisciplinary teams
• Sound judgement on clinical, pharmaceutical and ethical issues
• Able to advise other pharmacists of all grades in the post holder's expert area of knowledge
• Assertiveness skills - able to respond at very senior medical levels
• Able to deal with concerned/anxious patients or relatives particularly in relation to their drug treatment
• Able to meet deadlines
• High standards of work presentation

Desirable

• Able to create a rapport with interview panel

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Smart appearance
• Friendly/sense of humour
• A positive "can do", enthusiastic approach to work
• Self-motivating and able to motivate a pharmacy team
• Wants to "make a difference"
• Can enthuse about the potential of the post

Other

Essential

• Prepared to undertake regular clinical pharmacy and dispensary duties
• Accurate clinical, dispensing and checking abilities
• Able to undertake Saturday, Sunday, Bank Holiday and Statutory Day working and (if required) Emergency Duty Commitment on a rota
• Ability to use VDUs
• Able to demonstrate through revalidation a satisfactory level of continuing professional development
• Satisfactory computer keyboard skills
• Use of motorised transport and insured for business use
• Honest and trustworthy
• Competent in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Microsoft Outlook

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).