Advanced Clinical Pharmacist, Emergency Care/Admissions

Job summary

At Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of patient care, and since 2016, we've led the way by placing dedicated ward pharmacists in our Emergency Department. In 2021, we expanded this approach to our Admissions Unit. Our highly skilled team includes medicines management technicians, assistants, and specialist pharmacists (Bands 6, 7, and 8) with expertise in emergency care, diabetes, and respiratory medicine.

As a forward-thinking department, we are constantly evolving--driven by a passion for improving services, enhancing safety, and delivering the best possible care. Our Emergency Care Team showcased their impactful work at the Clinical Congress 2024, and we're incredibly proud of our Advanced Pharmacist, who won the poster competition at the UKCPA Conference 2023 for her work on VTE assessments in admissions.

Come and join us as we help to shape the future of emergency care

Main duties of the job

To operate as an Advanced Pharmacist in the Emergency Department and support the pharmacists in Admissions Unit as an Urgent Care pharmacy Team

To communicate highly complex information relating to medicines with clinicians, nurses, independent prescribers, carers and patients.

To develop and evaluate the delivery of a responsive, proactive, patient-focused Clinical Pharmacy Service to ED, being an active member of the multidisciplinary team and thereby promoting the safe, appropriate and clinically effective use of medicines

To organise, provide and evaluate Pharmaceutical Services to the ED

To lead the strategic planning of pharmaceutical issues relating to the ED Implement ,develop and maintain the electronic patient record and EPMA system.

Facilitate achievement of clinical standards for 7-day Pharmacy Services.

To supervise and train Pharmacy staff rotating through the clinical specialities within the Medicine and Urgent Care Group.

To play a lead Trust role in promoting and developing the optimum use of medicines as per Primary and Secondary policy use of medicines.

To play a key role in ensuring continuity of pharmaceutical care on admission and transfer to acute admission wards, to facilitate smooth and rapid admission and discharge.

Be responsible for advising areas regarding security of medicines and controlled stationery.

To contribute to the delivery of the Trust Medicines Optimisation Strategy

About us

Northampton General Hospital is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. All of our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered into a Group Model with neighbouring Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.

Our Excellence Values

Compassion

Accountability

Respect

Integrity

Courage

We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone's full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities.

We are a Defence positive trust, supporting our reservists, veterans, spouses and partners.

The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals.

We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.

We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The main responsibilities of the post include the following:

Clinical Services To provide information, advice and guidance on the safe, effective and economical use of medicines and to challenge poor practice. To maintain appropriate standards of service and safety; to enforce guidelines, policies and procedures to ensure standards are met. To fulfil the requirements of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Good Professional Practice. To optimise medicines management by reconciling drug histories, performing medication reviews, using patients own medicines, counselling and ensuring continuity of care on discharge. To detect, record and report adverse drug reactions to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and via Datix as per Trust Policy. To monitor pharmacy interventions and Datix reports to identify training and information needs within Urgent Care. To participate in CQUINs and QIPPs within Urgent Care. To identify and implement service improvements within Urgent Care. To lead and support on the auditing of medicines and prescribing within Urgent Care. To implement countywide and local prescribing strategies within the Trust. Facilitate the expansion of the tools within EPMA. Support the development and implementations of medicine related guidance, policies and procedures within medicine and Urgent Care. Support the process for new medicines being integrated into the Trust by Formulary submissions. To detect, record and report adverse drug reactions to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and via Datix as per Trust policy. To undertake validation duties in the dispensary. To supervise, check and, if necessary, undertake the supply of medicines. Technical checking is in place; pharmacists make initial validations and have a professional responsibility to decide on the need for their further involvement in the supply process.

Advanced Clinical Pharmacy Role To lead and develop practice guidelines and protocols within the Emergency Department and how these relate to national and other guidance. To optimise medicines through prescribing role operating within areas of competence (where appropriately qualified and authorised via the Trust NMP register). To prescribe safely in the interests of the patients and in line with the formulary, policy, procedures and guidance. Provide a specialist clinical pharmacy service to the Emergency Department and urgent care wards. To provide an Enquiry Answering Service for Urgent care-related enquires from other pharmacists or referred from other wards. Support the Advanced Clinical Pharmacists in Admissions in delivering clinical pharmacy and medicine management services and developing relevant business cases to Urgent Care. Able to demonstrate and understanding of relevant pharmacy services priorities and contribute tothe implementation of these priorities. Requirement to undertake and support in project work within the Urgent Care Team. Attend governance meetings and report any medicine management issues. Support and develop Medicines Management Team with Advanced Technician for Urgent CareEducation, Training and Supervision To line manage staff including objective setting and appraisal. Act as a role model to the pharmacy team, including supporting junior pharmacist to achieve theirobjectives. Attend clinical pharmacy meetings and education/training schemes relevant to post. To take part in formal and informal education of pharmacy staff Technician enhancedcounselling skills and other healthcare professionals in Urgent Care. To supervise aspects of undergraduate, trainee pharmacist, diploma or as Designated prescribingPractitioner (DPP) . To line manage and lead those staff allocated, undertaking appraisals, supervision andidentification of training and development of their skills and knowledge. To assist in the induction of staff into the service; to help identify training and development needs. To provide information to patients, parents, and carers on admission and at discharge regardingtreatment and medication to optimise patient concordance, particularly if there is a need toovercome language or communication barriers. To maintain up-to-date clinical knowledge in clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice to ensure abroad base of pharmaceutical knowledge, clinical reasoning and judgement. To take responsibility for own personal CPD by participating in education and training programmesto improve competence and to develop specialist expertise in Urgent Care area. To obtain/maintain prescribing qualification and support services and ward rounds as appropriate.

Please see Job Description for further information.

Person Specification

Education , Training and Qualification

Essential

MPharm (or equivalent) Member of General Pharmaceutical Council Achieved postgraduate clinical qualification (or equivalent knowledge/experience) diploma /Msc Clinical Pharmacy CPD portfolio Independent prescriber or working towards

Desirable

Member of Royal Pharmaceutical Society RPS faculty recognition Member of UKCPA or other society

Knowledge and Experince

Essential

Extensive Post-graduate hospital clinical pharmacy experience Good clinical knowledge Experience of working with consultant ward rounds Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team Skill mix issues/role of Technicians in Clinical Services Awareness of interface issues Teaching, supervising and training staff NHS arrangements, eg CCGs, NICE, CQC, Clinical Governance

Desirable

Pharmaceutical care of specific patient group

Personal Qualities and Attributes

Essential

Passionate and committed to bring our Dedicated to Excellence values to life, improving the way we work with each other, particularly focusing on empowerment, equality, diversity and inclusion of our staff, patients and service users Smart appearance Enthusiasm Confidence Credible with medical and nursing staff Innovative Willingness to learn and develop personally

Skills

Essential

Excellent Communication Ability to work under pressure Ability to delegate Computer Skills Ability to work alone and as a team Time management

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