09 Oct
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
London
Job description
Job summary
The post holder will support the Principal Pharmacist to deliver a consistently high-quality clinical pharmacy and medicines management service to patients within the Private Patients Unit (PPU), which includes three ward areas, dialysis unit, outpatients, and a chemotherapy suite.
Previous experience of working in a Private Patient service is desirable but not essential as training will be provided.
Clinical experience in renal medicine, hepatology, health services for the elderly, haematology and oncology, renal and hepato-biliary and vascular surgery is essential.
You will have experience of leading a team in a hospital (NHS or Private) setting.
You will be working closely with service leads and colleagues to further develop services and identifying ways to participate in cost-efficiency or income-generating projects.
The postholder will also support the delivery of the pricing and costing processes for private patients within the Trust.
Main duties of the job
The Senior Pharmacist for PPU will support the provision and development of the clinical pharmacy service on the Private Patients Unit in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
The successful candidate will provide regular input for the management of patients on the unit, participating in the decision-making process and providing expert specialist advice on the effective use of medicines amongst this patient group.
The post holder will be required to manage medications used across the service with provision of expert prescribing advice in the specialist area.
The postholder will work closely with the Principal Pharmacist to develop safe and effective use of medications on the Private Patient Unit,
and will deliver the pricing and costing processes for medications used in private patients within the Trust.
Other key duties to the role are listed in the job description.
About us
The Pharmacy department is a friendly, progressive and expanding unit dedicated to providing the highest standards of pharmaceutical care and service.
Providing a variety of pharmacy services across all three sites, the pharmacy department have recently played a pivotal role in the implementation of electronic prescribing system and have strategic plans for the development of more consultant and independent prescribing pharmacists.
The pharmacy team play a key part on providing cost-effective and timely service to patients either throughout their stay as inpatients or through pharmacist-led clinics.
The team are well-respected both at ward and clinic level, providing advice to both nursing and medical staff on the use of medicines for this complex set of patients.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attachments for a more detailed job description and personal specification.
CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES
To provide a high-quality clinical pharmacy service as part of the multidisciplinary team to private patients on the unit, to ensure maximum efficacy, safety, and cost-effective drug use and to demonstrate professional accountability to enhance patient care.
The responsibilities will include :
- Regular attendance of consultant ward rounds and multidisciplinary team meetings.
- Demonstration of clinical knowledge in a number of specialties including hepatology, health services for the elderly, haematology and oncology, renal and hepato-biliary and vascular surgery
- Delivery of a high quality, specialist ward-based pharmacy service. This involves : taking medication histories from patients admitted to the wards, clarifying inconsistencies with the patients GP or Community Pharmacist, ensuring appropriate use of patients own drugs brought from home, timely supply of medicines review of highly complex medication regimens, clarification of medication changes made during inpatient stay by liaising with the medical team, drug interaction and adverse drug reaction monitoring medicines optimisation
- To make clinical decisions where limited / conflicting information is available.
- To ensure compliance with local policies including medicines policy, formulary, and microbiology guidelines. To challenge prescribing practices where necessary.
- Promotion of high quality and cost-effective prescribing.
- To be one of the main pharmacy contacts for the Private Patient Unit.
- Development and review of Patient Group Directions
- Development and review of Shared Care guidelines
- Implementation of relevant local and national guidelines within the specialist area
- Assist in the implementation and evaluation of Drug Usage Reviews and clinical audits and implement changes in prescribing practice accordingly.
- To liaise and work with other specialist pharmacists to share the best practice,
to strengthen patient focused pharmaceutical care.
- Work with the Principal Pharmacist to ensure set key performance indicators are met
- Work with the private care finance team to ensure appropriate authorisations for treatment are in place for individual patients
- Work with the Principal Pharmacist to help facilitate co-payment and top-up patients.
- Participate in any pharmacy related private care initiatives as appropriate.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR PATIENTS
- To assist in the planning and organising of a clinical pharmacy service to the Private Patient Unit to patients in our service in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.
- To qualify as an independent prescriber and where appropriate to improve patient care and safety,
to continue to develop the role of pharmacist independent prescriber within a designated clinical area.
- To provide clinical screening and dispensing support to the PPU pharmacy team to ensure the accurate and timely dispensing of prescriptions.
To assist with the timely screening and checking of discharge prescriptions.
- To provide medicines management reviews for complex patients.
- To deal effectively with situations where medication errors have occurred, including liaising directly with patients and staff concerned.
- Assist in responding to complaints from patients and the public in relation to medicines management issues as required.
- To deliver a high quality and comprehensive medicines counselling service to patients and / or their relatives on all aspects of their pharmaceutical care including specialist and unlicensed drugs.
To overcome communication barriers through the use of interpreters or other forms of communication.
Person Specification
Royal Free World Class Values
Essential
Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust Values
Education & professional Qualifications
Essential
- Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council
- Post graduate certificate in pharmacy practice or equivalent
- Post graduate diploma in pharmacy practice or equivalent
Desirable
- Advanced qualification in specialist area
- Registered supplementary or independent prescriber
Experience
Essential
- Demonstrable experience working as a hospital pharmacist and at proven experience providing a clinical service to a specialty
- Multidisciplinary working
- Evidence of clinical audit / drug evaluation / practice research and the promotion of evidence based practice
- Experience in delivering education and training
Desirable
- Experience providing a clinical service for private patients
- Experience of managing and analysing drug expenditure
Skills and aptitudes
Essential
- Good written and verbal communication skills
- Good interpersonal skills
- Good presentation skills
- Good teaching and training skills
- Time management & problem solving
- Ability to carry out day to day responsibilities and deal effectively with unpredictable / acute demands
- Ability to justify and reason any advice given should this be challenged
- Ability to communicate with patients / carers and staff of all levels
- Good negotiation skills and the ability to influence senior pharmacy and medical staff, and the multidisciplinary team.
- Ability to work alone and a part of a team
- Ability to work accurately under pressure
- Ability to integrate in a multidisciplinary forum
- Ability to manage difficult and ambiguous situations
- Demonstrates initiative particularly in relation to problem solving.
- Ability to identify and implement best practice
- Ability to identify and manage risk
- Demonstrates advanced clinical knowledge and pharmaceutical care skills
- Expert clinical knowledge on the medical management of oncology and haematology patients , and patients receiving dialysis
- Critical appraisal skills
- Ability to take full responsibility for and be accountable for own actions
- Ability to contribute to business plans, policies and clinical protocols
- Understanding of clinical risk and clinical governance
- Understanding of current national standards, guidelines and service delivery issues relevant to palliative care patients
- Computer literate (including word processing, email & use of internet. Preferably knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages)
Personal Qualities & attributes
Essential
- Enthusiastic, well motivated, hardworking
- Identifies own training needs actively seeks training opportunities and maintains a portfolio of practice.
- Flexibility to work weekends, bank holidays, evenings and on call
- Reliable with good attendance record
▶️ Band 8a Senior Pharmacist - Private Patients Unit
🖊️ Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
📍 London