Senior Rotational Pharmacist

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our pharmacy team at BHFT. You will join our cohort of Band 7 pharmacists who will be responsible for completing 9 month rotations across both our Luton and Bedford sites in the following areas: Paediatrics, Maternity, Critical Care introduction, Aseptics, Acute admissions, Medicines Information, Cardiology, Respiratory, Complex and Elderly care and Surgery.

We are looking for dynamic, organised and motivated pharmacists with excellent communication skills and a commitment to patient care. Your focus will be to deliver a patient-centred ward pharmacy service and forge strong links with other healthcare professionals. This will be achieved through attending consultant led ward rounds and MDT board rounds. You will also have the opportunity to work closely with Lead Pharmacists and given small to medium term directorate projects to further assist your development.

This opportunity presents the successful candidates with an excellent chance to build on their clinical knowledge across a broad range of specialties. We are fully committed to your training and development to enable you to maximise your potential contribution to patient care and would actively support the non-medical prescribing qualification, subject to funding.

Our Pharmacy Department is a vibrant and forward thinking department, with a strong emphasis on teamwork. To see our staff opinions please follow the link in the attached brochure

Main duties of the job

To undertake clinical supervision and line management of Foundation Pharmacists, medicines management pharmacy technicians and pre-registration pharmacists

To ensure the safe, clinical/ cost effective use of medicines and staff resources across the Division. To be responsible for delivering the defined service Key Performance Indicators

To undertake 9-monthly rotations throughout the following areas: Paediatrics, Maternity, Critical Care, Medicines Information, Acute Medicine, Cardiology, Complex care, Surgery and Aseptics, and support to Antimicrobials and Education and Training teams.

To actively participate in Consultant ward rounds, taking the lead for inpatient prescribing and real-time prescribing of discharge medicines on ePMA during the rounds.

To practice as an Independent Pharmacist Prescriber with both a specialist and generalist scope of practice (or willing to undertake Independent Pharmacist Prescribing status)

To deliver and develop clinical services to inpatients of the Division (primarily in the speciality) through involvement in multi-disciplinary teams, development of protocols and discharge planning ensuring the patient is at the centre of your practice.

To provide a highly developed generalist pharmacy and medicines optimisation expertise to the relevant Divisions, ensuring that medication is optimised for the individual patient and that the patient is fully aware of the indication and side effects of their medicines

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology.

Our Values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.

Job description

Job responsibilities

In addition to maintaining a high level of generalist pharmaceutical knowledge, to actively develop and maintain a specialist level of therapeutic and pharmaceutical knowledge in a chosen speciality providing specialist support, education and development to junior pharmacists.

To provide professional, managerial and clinical leadership to the team of pharmacy staff involved in the delivery of pharmaceutical services across the division. To provide active support and mentorship to the Foundation Pharmacists to further develop their leadership potential.

To support the Lead Divisional and Directorate Pharmacist in developing, implementing and monitoring pharmacy services to the speciality, to ensure the service is consistent with Divisional priorities and requirements and is aligned to the over-arching patient focussed ethos of the pharmacy service whilst ensuring compliance with medicines legislation. To provide the division and Lead Divisional and Directorate Pharmacist with regular assurance that the pharmacy service is meeting agreed Key Performance Indicators.

To actively manage the day to day activities of Foundation Pharmacists, Medicines Management Pharmacy Technicians, Medicines Management Assistants and Pre-Registration Pharmacists to deliver a safe and responsive clinical and operationally effective service that meets the needs of patients and other healthcare staff.

To provide appropriate clinical supervision and mentorship of Foundation Pharmacists, pre-registration pharmacists, MSc students and pharmacy undergraduates in the provision of pharmaceutical care for patients on the legal, ethical, safe, clinical and cost-effective use of medicines, ensuring compliance with medicine legislation and national clinical guidelines.

To use specialist clinical knowledge to contribute to the development and implementation of policies and guidelines which ensure the safe and cost-effective use of medicines.

To identify developments to improve the management of medicines and medicine optimisation requirements of patients across acute medical wards and support the Lead Pharmacists in the development of appropriate outline business cases.

To review adverse clinical incidents relating to medicines use and support the Lead Pharmacists and Medication Safety Pharmacist in developing strategies to minimise risks during the use of medicines.

To provide Medicines Governance support within the multidisciplinary team responsible for the care of the patient group.

With the support of the Lead Pharmacists develop and interpret financial reports on medicines use within the Division, using specialist clinical knowledge to advise the Division on the cost effective use of medicines and identifying potential areas for cost minimisation.

To line manage and appraise Foundation pharmacists and Medicines Management Pharmacy Technicians and as requested by the Clinical Pharmacy Services Manager.

To actively participate in consultant and/or Registrar ward rounds within the division, taking the lead for inpatient prescribing and real-time prescribing of discharge medicines on ePMA during the rounds. To proactively provide advice and prescribing recommendations, in real time, to support adherence to national guidelines and formulary choices, cost-effective and safe prescribing optimised to the individual patient. To provide ad-hoc advice to junior Foundation years doctors making use of every teaching moment

To directly provide and monitor the delivery of pharmaceutical supply and medicines optimisation services to patients within the division according to their needs and ensuring compliance with medicines legislation. This includes prescription review and clinical screening, medicine supply, patient medication counselling and other activities associated with medicines management and optimisation.

To ensure seamless pharmaceutical care during admission and on discharge. This includes responsibility for ensuring that patients medication histories are correctly entered and maintained on the pharmacy computer system and that medicines are optimised for the patient with full engagement with the patient as a partner wherever possible

To support clinical risk management activities in medicine use and the safe and secure supply and storage of medicines.

To participate in the induction training and ongoing education of other healthcare professionals in aspects of medicines use including intravenous injection/infusion training and use of ePMA

To consistently deliver the Keogh standards across the division ensuring medicines optimisation for all patients has been undertaken within 24 hours of admission

To support the division in fulfilling their medicines management responsibilities through active involvement in the development of:

medication use protocols and policies

shared care protocols

formulary reviews and evaluations

patient group directions

multidisciplinary team working

To promote safe, economic and cost effective prescribing by

provision of specialist clinical pharmacy advice

encouraging correct use of the hospital formulary by challenging non-formulary prescribing and suggesting alternatives

utilisation of clinical drug use review and critical literature appraisal skills to inform specialist practice

encouraging evidence based prescribing

active support of Divisional QIPP objectives

To provide specialist pharmaceutical advice:

to clinicians on medicine choice / use, monitoring parameters

to patients, either individually or as part of a group, on the use of medicines and provide medicines optimisation activities

Audit, Research and Development

Participate in multi-disciplinary research or audit within own area of clinical practice including clinical trials

Participate in the pharmacy undergraduate, pre-registration, diploma and MSc student research activity in a specified patient population or directorate/clinical speciality

To actively participate in clinical audit programmes designed to develop and evaluate pharmaceutical care for the specified patient population or directorate/clinical speciality

Speciality Prescribing Practice

To take prescribing responsibility for the appropriate management of patients referred for medicines optimisation / reconciliation input or who otherwise fall within the agreed scope of practice when appropriate qualification obtained

In consultation with the Lead Directorate Pharmacist to identify and develop a specialism in a designated therapeutic area, developing specialist knowledge and obtaining Pharmacist Independent Prescriber qualifications as soon as appropriate.

Education and Training

Participate in the provision and evaluation of training in prescribing for junior medical staff

Participate in the provision and evaluation of training in pharmaceutical care for undergraduates, pre-registration and all grades of pharmacists including those studying for a Diploma/MSc in Clinical Pharmacy. This may include being a pre-registration pharmacist tutor and/or a Diploma tutor

Deliver education and training to pharmacy and other staff, including medical and nursing staff in relation to safe, clinical and cost-effective use of medicines in the Medicine Division

Provide education and training for patients and their carers on the safe and effective use of their medicines

Participate in regular specialist training in-house and in local and national specialist training events

Participate in the regular clinical training and supervision of Foundation and other grade pharmacists and pharmacy technicians

To personally fulfil the General Pharmaceutical Council CPD requirements and support managed staff to do the same

Please see full Job Description and Person Specification attached. If further information is required, please speak to our contact on the advert.

Bedfordshire Hospitals Pharmacy Department

Bedfordshire Hospitals Clinical Pharmacists

Bedfordshire Hospitals Medicine Use and Quality

Bedfordshire Hospitals Pharmacy what our staff have to say

Bedfordshire Hospitals I love pharmacy because

Person Specification

Knowledge

Essential

Demonstration of up to date clinical awareness in medicine Knowledge and understanding of medicines legislation Awareness of current developments in Pharmacy practice Understanding the need of confidentiality awareness at all times

Desirable

Computer literacy Knowledge and awareness of implications of current developments in pharmacy practice and NHS strategies

Experience

Essential

Evidence of audit Relevant CPD Experience of supervision Validated experience in delivering clinical pharmacy services to medical patients in a hospital setting

Desirable

experience of collaborative working in multidisciplinary setting Risk Management Research/Project experience Experience of training staff Policy and service development

Qualifications

Essential

Pharmacy degree (Masters level). GPhC registration Post graduate Certificate in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent Willing to undertake Diploma if not yet completed Willing to undertake Independent Prescribing course

Desirable

Post graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent Accredited Diploma Tutor Train the Trainer qualification Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) RPS Faculty Member portfolio in preparation Independent Prescriber qualification

Skills

Essential

Organised and able to plan and manage work programmes Critical review/analysis and interpretation of clinical literature and medicines legislation Appropriate IT skills are required to utilise clinical information systems, pharmacy computer systems, databases and other software to improve patient care. Good written and verbal communication skills Ability to influence other professionals Presentation skills Supervisory skills Medication counselling skills

Desirable

Active involvement in supporting implementation of service developments Ability to apply logical and analytical skills to manage clinical risk during the use of medicines Report writing Negotiation skills

---