Specialist Pharmacist Practitioner – Oncology

Job responsibilities

Please see the Job Description and Personal Specification for full details of the role.

JOB SUMMARY

1) To partake in specialised clinical pharmacy duties ensuring core clinical pharmacy activities are undertaken

2) To provide a specialist level patient-facing clinical service to a defined caseload of patients

3) To develop the provision of advanced clinical practice promoting safe and evidenced-based practice and contributing to improved clinical outcomes and services to patients

4) To line manage and support more junior pharmacists in the listed specialties

5) To take full part in the 7 day shifted rota and bank holidays duties

The post holder will be based at City campus of Nottingham University Hospitals but may be required to carry out clinics at the satellite oncology service at Kingsmill Hospital, Mansfield

KEY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

To partake in specialised clinical pharmacy duties ensuring core clinical pharmacy activities are undertaken

Specialised clinical pharmacy activities

To provide clinical input (at specialist level) to the Oncology Department

To work alongside the medical and Advanced Practitioner team in prescribing for people being cared for in the Oncology Department

Provide highly complex advice and guidance requiring analysis, interpretation and comparison of options on all issues relating to prescribing and therapeutics within Oncology

Maintain a working knowledge relating to prescribing and therapeutics for all services in the Cancer cluster

To support oncology activity flow, through providing prescribing support to outpatient and daycase areas

To form a key component of the OncologyMDT

Core clinical pharmacy activities

To work in accordance with relevant pharmacy and Trust policies and procedures relating to medicines management

To ensure safe rational and effective prescribing

Providing medicines for individual patients during their stay in hospital, at discharge and also for out-patient visits where appropriate

To work as an independent prescriber alongside the medical team, contributing to medicines optimisation

Requesting and interpreting clinical tests to monitor and make recommendations to improve effectiveness of drug therapy

Pro-actively liaising with other members of the MDT in order to ensure safe use of medicines

Making recommendations about medicines to improve patient outcomes and to encourage adherence to hospital formulary and national guidelines

Providing advice and guidance in relation to unlicensed medicines use and clinical trial medicines under the direction of the senior pharmacist for clinical trials

Ensuring the efficient, safe and timely supply of medicines for individual patients during their stay in hospital, and when discharged, improving the patient experience in relation to the medication aspects of hospital discharge

To provide a specialist level patient-facing clinical service to a defined caseload of patients

To manage a caseload of patients as part of the Oncology Clinical Team within one or more defined specialist areas:

To review those patients in an outpatient clinic setting

To continue SACT treatment for cancer andinitiate supportive treatments, as appropriate

Initiate, evaluate and modify a range of interventions, including prescribing of medicines

Advanced Professional Practice: Improve standards of care for patients.

To develop and provide advanced clinical practice promoting safe and evidenced-based practice and contributing to improved clinical outcomes and services to patients within the oncology department.

To be a Trust-wide source of information on matters relating to chemotherapy and the wider speciality; including providing support to advanced practitioners and non-medical prescribers of chemotherapy

This will include:

Attending and actively participating in speciality ward rounds, board rounds, clinics and multidisciplinary team meetings, as appropriate.

Providing specialist advice and guidance on all issues relating to prescribing and therapeutics of medicines and chemotherapy for the specialty ensuring they are in line with national and local guidelines.

Critically evaluate published literature and a variety of medicines related information, including: clinical trials data, medicines usage and expenditure reports, national policy, and clinical intervention reports, to inform practice and patient care decisions.

To provide opinion and advice and be a source of referral for chemotherapy issues for members of the multidisciplinary team within Trust and externally.

To act as an independent prescriber in a specialist practice area, as appropriate for the service

Practice as an independent prescriber, provide dose adjustment, advice and prescriptions for SACT medication with a narrow therapeutic range requiring therapeutic effect monitoring, including recording relevant biochemistry results in relevant patient medical records. Recording action plans, and adjusting doses to account for biochemical or haematological dysfunction and other toxicities.

Other

To contribute to, facilitate or conduct clinical audits which are part of the Oncology or Pharmacy audit plan

To participate in research, communicate results and if suitable, register for a further degree

To undertake and document continuing professional development

To contribute to the teaching and training of undergraduate, postgraduate students and other healthcare professionals

To undertake any other duties that may reasonably be required as agreed by senior staff

Leadership, management and directorate/service support roles

Contribute to the delivery of clinical pharmacy and medicines management services to the Oncology Department, with a particular focus on one or more defined sub-specialties, under the auspices of the Advanced Pharmacy Practitioner/Team Leader - Oncology and in liaison with other Specialist Clinical Pharmacists.

Liaise and work alongside relevant pharmacy colleagues and specialty staff and managers in ensuring continuity and development of clinical pharmacy services within the Oncology Department, with a particular responsibility for discharge, flow and inpatient services.

Maintain appropriate contact with and actively participate in regional and national specialty groups, advising these groups as appropriate, and in also identifying best practice and incorporating it into NUH practice

Support the directorate lead pharmacist:

• to deliver the best possible clinical pharmacy service
• by developing KPIs that clearly demonstrate the contribution the post holder, rotational pharmacists and other support staff make to the care of patients within the Oncology Department
• by reporting KPIs (delivered by the clinical pharmacy service) at regular intervals, as directed by the Assistant Head of Pharmacy Clinical Services Lead e.g. activity data, contributions, service development contributions etc.
• by representing pharmacy in relation to issues linked to the Oncology Department
• Contribute to the submission of business cases to secure funding for service developments/new pharmacy posts within the Oncology Department
• Attending relevant specialty meetings including governance meetings as appropriate: this will require effective communication of messages to and from such forums and ensuring necessary actions are enacted
• Work with the lead oncology pharmacists to develop, implement and audit prescribing guidelines and drug protocols for the specialty. This includes risk assessments for new drug therapies and related protocols and supporting clinicians in the preparation of new product evaluations for own clinical area for the Drugs and Therapeutics Committee
• Monitoring drug usage, prescribing patterns and expenditure in order to support the service in achieving a balanced drugs budget and planning for new drug development
• Act as a role model
• Requirement to undertake and support relevant project work
• Assist in the recruitment of new staff

To line manage and support more junior pharmacists and Medicines Management Technicians in the Cancer cluster

Direct contact point to provide support to the more junior pharmacists and other members of the team in the cluster

Ensure objectives for junior and senior rotational pharmacists who are assigned to this specialty are always up-to-date / current

Ensure that these pharmacists are making progress with objectives that have been set clearing the path where there are barriers to achieving these

Ensure effective performance management of pharmacy staff working in own specialty and other junior pharmacy staff, including 1:1s, diploma assessments and conducting appraisals using the Trust appraisal process

Ensure completion of all relevant documentation relating to performance management and objectives/PDPs of these pharmacists within the agreed time frames

Education and training of staff (rotational and diploma pharmacists, technicians, pre-registration pharmacists, pharmacy students) that are linked to the specialty

Act as a designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) for pharmacists undergoing their prescribing qualification

To take full part in the 7 day shifted rota and bank holidays duties

This post-holder will be required to provide clinical cover on weekends this may vary with staffing levels. For each weekend worked equivalent time will be given back during the week. There will also be a requirement to be part of the senior pharmacist on-call rota as well as participating in rostered flexible shift working including evening, weekend and bank holiday arrangements over a 7 day period, in line with service requirements.

Please refer to the job description and person specification attached to the advert for the full details of the vacancy

This job description is not exhaustive. It is intended to give an outline of what is expected and is subject to annual review as part of appraisal scheme by the manager

Physical skills

Essential

• Competent ICT skills
• Good level of computer literacy and word processing /keyboard skills
• Sound Word, Excel and Power-point skills and be able to retrieve relevant and appropriate information from the internet

Training & Qualifications

Essential

• B.Pharm / BSc (Pharmacy) or MPharm
• GPhC registered
• Clinical Diploma or equivalent
• Demonstrates continued professional development
• Member of relevant national specialist pharmacist group
• To be qualified as a pharmacist independent prescriber or be working towards

Desirable

• Plays an active role in a relevant national network / specialist pharmacist group
• Holds a position of office in a relevant national network / specialist pharmacist group
• Leadership and/or management qualifications
• Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)
• To hold evidence of practice at advanced stage II, as part of the RPS Advanced Pharmacy framework, or to be working towards credentialing

Experience

Essential

• Extensive previous hospital experience (post-registration)
• Experience in providing specialist pharmacist review of people with cancer
• Experience of delivering clinical pharmacy service and relating advice to the safe use of medicines.
• Broad knowledge base of a wide range of clinical areas
• Some experience of excellent leadership and management skills
• Some experience of line management including effective performance management, recruitment and allocation of tasks/staff
• Experience of developing and implementing medicines and service related policies for a specialty
• Experience of multidisciplinary team working at Pharmacy, Trust and regional level
• Experience of training and education of both pharmacy staff and other health care professionals
• General understanding of healthcare policy and agenda

Desirable

• Publication of audit/research/clinical work at national level
• Experience of working actively on national groups
• Experience in project management (including department-wide roles) and evidence of completed outcomes
• Experience in undertaking, supervising and reporting/presenting audit / research work at local (Trust) level
• Effective liaison with relevant Trust level committees / groups
• Experience of leading and delivering a clinical pharmacy service to a clinical specialty

Communication and relationship skills

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills, both verbal and written - must be able to communicate highly complex drug or medicine related information to prescribers, clinicians, patients, relatives, relevant Trust committees and other stakeholders. Patients may have language difficulties, physical or mental disabilities; other professionals may challenge advice
• Empathy with patients, relatives and pharmacy customers
• Confident and assertive; able to defend opinions in a constructive manner when challenged
• Proven ability to influence and negotiate with relevant senior

Desirable

• Experience of writing compelling business cases or case of need for service development

Analytical and Judgement skills

Essential

• Experience of assessing and minimising risk associated with service provision and within medication processes
• Ability to work alone and make decisions within agreed parameters and appropriate referral / escalation as necessary
• Experience in making judgements involving highly complex facts, which require analysis, interpretation and options appraisal
• Ability to maintain and monitor database of medicines and activity related information e.g. medicines expenditure and usage; rotas etc.
• Able to critically analyse information and evidence and to communicate the findings clearly in simple terms
• Evidence of incorporating innovative and 'best practice' into current practice.

Planning and organisation skills

Essential

• Ability to plan and organise existing and new clinical pharmacy services to a specialty. This may include creation and adjustment of plans
• Ability to be flexible and manage change in a complex and changing healthcare environment
• Self-motivated with excellent organisational skills, able to motivate others, to manage time effectively and work to deadlines, even when under pressure
• Positive thinker, problem solver, ability to think laterally to develop new ideas

Other requirements specific to the role (e.g. be able to work shifts/on call)

Essential

• Well motivated, conscientious, accurate and reliable
• Professional, credible, accountable, responsible and confident
• Commitment to life-long learning and professional development.
• Prepared to work flexible hours over 7 day shifted pattern of work
• Ability to concentrate for long periods of time
• Ability to work in a challenging and emotive environment

Commitment to Trust Values and Behaviours

Essential

• Must be able to demonstrate behaviours consistent with the Trust's behavioural standards

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).