Job Title

/ : / Principal Pharmacist – Cancer Services
Directorate / : / Based in Pharmacy and on wards and clinics. Has Trust-wide responsibilities requiring the postholder to work at all sites.
Grade / : / Band 8b
Hours of Duty / : / 37.5 hours per week over a 7 day rotation to include weekends and bank holidays
Accountable to / : / Clinical Director of Pharmacy
Managed by / : / Clinical Director of Pharmacy
Manages / : /
  • All Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians and Pharmacy Assistants based in or rotating into the specialist team.
  • Clerical support time allocated to this service.
  • Students and Trainees gaining experience in the specialties

Other key working relationships / : /
  • Patients and carers, and advocacy groups for patients in the relevant specialties
  • Clinical Directors, Medical Consultants, and other medical staff
  • Directorate (General) Managers, Clinical Financial Advisors, HR Advisors, Governance link persons, and other general management, contracting, and finance staff.
  • Matrons, other nursing staff, and other key professionals in the multi disciplinary team for the relevant areas.
  • Other members of the pharmacy team including other pharmacists, operations managers, chief technicians and pharmacy service managers.
  • Third party contractors providing Pharmacy services to that patient group.
  • MIDRU staff.
  • Key members of the Clinical Commissioning Groups.
  • The clinical network for the relevant specialties at Regional and/or National level.

JOB SUMMARY

As a clinical expert, acts as a lead on pharmacy services for governance and medication safety issues. Manages and co-ordinates a mixed team providing, delivering and developing clinical governance and medication safety initiatives across the Trust. Leads the team to plan and implement change in services or the way they are delivered. Provides advice and support to directorates and healthcare professionals regarding governance and medication safety issues, some of which may be complex situations or scenarios.

Initiates clinical or practice research in the relevant areas. Undertakes teaching. Acts as a role model for the practice of clinical pharmacy, governance and medication safety.

As a member of the Pharmacy Board, shares in the solving of high-level problems, and the development and implementation of a strategy and annual business plan for pharmacy and for Trust-wide multi-disciplinary medicines management.

Represents the directorate and the Trust in relevant clinical or medication safety networks, in joint work with our locality Clinical Commissioning Groups, Area Teams, and other bodies at Regional and National level.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinical Practice

  1. To personally undertake an expert level of Clinical Pharmacy service including receiving referrals and assessing and advising on patients with highly complex therapeutic and or medicine related problems or needs
  2. To take part in multidisciplinary ward rounds and case discussion meetings as well as pharmacy teaching rounds
  3. Ensure that any practice that would have an implication for primary care or which requires particular attention at the interface is highlighted when patients are admitted and discharged. Work with the Interface Prescribing Manager to address this
  4. To ensure that the Cancer Services speciality have the relevant medicine based treatment guidelines, clinical protocols, patient group directions, standard operating procedures and other documents
  5. To ensure that the Cancer Services speciality comply with the legislation concerning the use of medicines and with the related policies and procedures concerned with the control, custody, prescribing and use of medicines
  6. To record clinical interventions to allow areas for concern to be highlighted and addressed
  7. To design and deliver pharmaceutical care plans for patients when required
  8. To provide advice to other pharmacy staff, out of hours, on request from home, as part of an informal arrangement which does not require a commitment to set times or days
  9. If agreed on an individual basis, to provide cover on request for the on-call pharmacist pool if the pharmacist rostered to be on duty is unavailable and no substitute can be found from the pool
  10. To undertake limited routine dispensary work, made up of final checking and clinical screening, as a contributor on rotation and in evening, weekend and bank holiday rotas
  11. To undertake ward cover when required
  12. To undertake a checking role, following training and accreditation, within the aseptic dispensing unit when required
  13. To act as intrathecal chemotherapy lead with responsibility for training.
  14. When suitably qualified to prescribe medicines for agreed patients within their capacity of a dependent (e.g. supplementary) prescriber in line with current legislation, local policies and within their own level of experience and competence.
  15. When suitably qualified, to prescribe medicines in their capacity of an Independent Prescriber in line with current legislation, local policies and within their own level of experience and competence.

Leadership and Management

1. To provide leadership to a mixed team of Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians and Pharmacy Assistants allocated to the provision of Clinical Pharmacy and Medicines Management services to the Cancer Services speciality. This includes the day to day planning of work, annual objectives setting and negotiation of personal development plans, assurance of competency and in year performance management

2. Work with other principal pharmacists to ensure a consistent approach and standards of Clinical Pharmacy Practice

3. To guide the Operational Managers managing and delivering a pharmacy specialist service to the Trust within pharmacy

4. To monitor service delivery and ensure that a safe and effective level of service is provided, within allocated resources, and in line with the Pharmacy Business Plan and any service level agreements with service users. To take part in the development of business cases.

5. To act as a role model and mentor for pharmacy staff and, in particular, support the professional and personal development of team members

6. To lead the team to plan and implement changes in clinical practice involving the negotiation of change with staff of various professions and the development of new systems

7. To support a pharmacist independent prescribing service to the Cancer Services speciality and determine and recognise opportunities to develop this service and improve patient care

8. Determine and recognise opportunities to improve patient care through service innovation

9. To be a high level ambassador for the profession of pharmacy, the pharmacy directorate and the medicines management agenda with key senior people within the Trust, external agencies, organisations and official bodies

10. To work with the specialty and the Electronic Prescribing Team to ensure the delivery of a safe, efficient and effective prescribing system.

11. To work with the relevant Trust leads and the Electronic Prescribing Team to deliver developments to the Electronic Prescribing system relevant to the specialty

12. To represent the Trust on clinical networks at local, regional and national level in the speciality area. Use these networks to share best practice and bring back ideas to the Trust

13. Analyse with relevant lead pharmacists, new local, regional and national initiatives, NSF’s and other standards documents relevant to the speciality and identify responses to them, plan and implement actions and report back to any monitoring group.

14. Be a member of the Pharmacy Board to contribute to high level problem solving, the development and implementation of a five year strategy and an annual business plan both for pharmacy services and for Trust Medicines Management.

15. To contribute to Pharmacy business cases and the writing and negotiation of Service Level Agreements

16. To take a proactive role in identifying and managing risk and act as the local focus for investigation work related to medication or pharmacy related incidents within the Cancer Services speciality.

17. To act as the link person between pharmacy and the Cancer Services speciality interpreting the needs of the speciality to pharmacy and communicating the aspirations and limitations of, and projects within, pharmacy to the speciality

18. To influence clinical directors and general managers so that pharmacy and the pharmaceutical needs of patients are taken into consideration when the Cancer Services speciality develops their business plan

19. To lead the team of pharmacists for the Cancer Services speciality to influence the utilisation, by relevant directorates, of their drugs budgets by guiding them to best practice

20. To commission reports on drugs usage and costs and lead pharmacists to identify trends in prescribing, the use of medicines and propose ways to address any adverse trend

21. To attend any Cancer Services speciality meetings, where appropriate, to share information about drug usage and costs, activity information and case mix and advise on the future implications and agree actions

22. To identify, with lead pharmacists, any opportunities to realise cost improvements in the drugs budget

23. To ensure that horizon scanning takes place within the Cancer Services speciality in order to consider the implications of new drugs, drugs in development, service developments and changes coming into clinical practice

24. Take the lead for Formulary related issues relevant to the specialty including supporting the lead pharmacists with the preparation of new drug request forms for the submission to the Medicines Assessment & Advisory Group and the Medicines Management Committee, facilitating cross boundary working including the preparation of ESCAs and ensuring compliance with the relevant aspects of the formulary and taking action as appropriate.

25. To deputise for the Clinical Director of Pharmacy on request

26. To act as an authorised signatory for drug orders up to £75,000

27. In conjunction with other principal pharmacists, manage the on-call pharmacist rotation for the department

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

29. To participate in the recruitment and selection of staff

Education and Training

  1. To deliver specialist education and training in drug therapy in the speciality to audiences both within and outside pharmacy and within and outside the Trust. This may include developing stand alone training packages.
  1. To provide medication awareness training to doctors, nurses and midwives, pharmacy staff, and other healthcare professionals.
  2. To provide advice, information and education to patient self help groups
  3. To ensure that the appropriate training/ development and appraisal processes are in place for all grades of pharmacy staff within the speciality teams
  4. To be involved with developing the education and training strategy for the clinical pharmacy teams.
  5. To support the relevant members of staff within the team in the identification and undertaking of post diploma education and training relevant to the specialty
  6. To undertake on request the duties of clinical co-ordinator, tutor or mentor for those undertaking a diploma or masters degree, pre-registration year or the technician clinical or medicines management development programme
  7. To demonstrate and maintain a commitment to Continuing Professional Development

Research and Development

1. To initiate clinical research and/or practice in relevant areas which may lead to the publication or to the presentation of papers or posters at conferences and workshops

2. To lead and undertake clinical audit of pharmaceutical care in the Cancer Services speciality and to share the lessons with fellow healthcare staff and to implement improvements and re-audit practice

3. To ensure the delivery of the medicines management audit programme within the Cancer Services speciality

4. To contribute to the pharmacy departmental audits

General

Infection control

Staff will work to minimise any risk to clients, the public and other staff from Healthcare Associated Infection including MRSA and C difficle by ensuring they are compliant with the Health Act 2006 – Code of Practice For The Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections (They Hygiene Code); and by ensuring they are familiar with the Trust’s Infection Control Polices, located on the Intranet.

All employees must comply with the Trust Infection Control Policy. All employees must attend infection control training as required within their department or as directed by their line manager.

Confidentiality

As an employee you have a responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of any confidential information which comes into your possession regarding patients, employees or any other business relating to the Trust

In accordance with the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 protected disclosures are exempt from this express duty of confidentiality.

Health & Safety

As an employee you have a responsibility to abide by all of the safety practices and codes provided by the Trust and have an equal responsibility with management for maintaining safe working practices for the health and safety of yourself and others.

All employees must comply with the Trust Infection Control Policy. All employees must attend infection control training as required within their department or as directed by their line manager.

Quality Assurance

As an employee of the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust you are a member of an organisation that endeavours to provide the highest quality of service to our patients. You are an ambassador of the organisation and, as such, are required to ensure that high standards are maintained at all times.

As an employee you have a responsibility for data quality. All employees are accountable for the quality of data they input into Trust systems and/or document in paper-based records, and must ensure that it is accurate, complete, valid and timely at all times.

Equal Opportunities

As an employee you have a responsibility to ensure that all people that you have contact with during the course of your employment, including patients, relatives and staff are treated equally in line with the Trust’s Equal Opportunities Policy.

Risk Management

You have a responsibility for the identification of all risk which have a potential adverse affect on the Trust’s ability to maintain quality of care and the safety of patients, staff and visitors, and for the taking of positive action to eliminate or reduce these.

Safeguarding

Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust has a responsibility to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults who use our services. The Trust expects all staff and volunteers to share this responsibility. As part of the selection process for this post you may be required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service Check. If you are successful appointed, you will receive confirmation of which checks and/or registration you are required to have.

The Job Description is subject to change and may be reviewed by the manager in conjunction with the post holder.

The Trust operates a no smoking policy and is working towards a smoke free environment.

Updated by: Lynn Ansell (April 2013)

Tania Carruthers 2013

Tania Carruthers (1.7.15)

Generic clauses updated: September 2013

1

J:/AFC/8Bprincipalpharmacist