Chief Pharmacist

Job responsibilities

The Chief Pharmacist is responsible for the management of all aspects of pharmaceutical services provided to the Trust. The post holder is expected to provide professional leadership and pharmaceutical advice at an appropriate level throughout the Trust.

The Chief Pharmacist sets strategic direction for medicines optimisation and medicines management activities at RJAH through expert knowledge, clinical leadership, strategic planning and governance oversight. From a governance perspective it is essential that the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) Chief Pharmacist standards are adhered to and actively integrated into the responsibilities of this role:

Provide strategic and professional leadership for the Pharmacy Department and all aspects of medicines use within RJAH.

Develop a workforce with the right skills, knowledge and experience to be ensure delivery of a safe and effective Pharmacy service to all RJAH patients.

Ensure there is appropriate delegation and organisation of responsibilities and make sure there are clear lines of accountability.

Maintain and strengthen governance to ensure safe and effective delivery of pharmacy services and medicines use across the Trust.

The Chief Pharmacist is the Trust Controlled Drugs Accountable Officer (CDAO). The CDAO is responsible for the management of controlled drugs and related governance issues within the organisation. The roles and responsibilities of CDAOs are governed by the Controlled Drugs (Supervision of Management and Use) Regulations 2013 and all CDAOs must be on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) list of CDAOs. The CDAOs are required to participate in Controlled Drugs Local Intelligence Networks (CD LINs), submit a quarterly report of incidents to them and to share intelligence, concerns and good practice within their area.

Key Job Responsibilities and Priorities

Provide clinical leadership and expertise and have corporate responsibility for all aspects of medicines optimisation and medicines management (delegated from the Chief Executive and reporting through the Medical Director). This includes medical gases, advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) and any investigational medicinal products (IMPs) that prescribed and administered in the Trust.

Fulfil the statutory requirements of the Accountable Officer for Controlled Drugs on behalf of the Trust.

Provide clinical leadership in transforming the way the Trust handles medicines, in every way, to optimise their use. The expectation is strategic engagement at the highest levels. Trust Board assurance is provided by regular reports to the Quality and Safety Committee.

Have accountability for clinical governance and assurance within the Pharmacy Directorate and wider Trust regarding medicines optimisation and medicines management. This includes responsibility for all Trust medicines related policies and ensuring medicines related committees /meetings are in place.

Ensure that the Trust retains all statutory licenses it requires for its pharmaceutical activities.

Ensure that all pharmacy practice is compliant and provided within the boundaries described within the latest version of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Medicines, Ethics and Practice; standards provided by regulators Care Quality Commission (CQC), MHRA, GPhC, commissioners and other authoritative bodies (e.g. National Institute of Clinical Excellence).

Ensure that all practice relating to Medicines Optimisation throughout the Trust broadly complies with the current legislative and regulatory framework and, where practice is found to be non-compliant, this is addressed through risk registers and relevant Trust processes.

Professionally and managerially accountable for the direct delivery of all pharmaceutical services provided to the Trust and other external customers via service level agreements.

Perform the statutory legal responsibilities and duties of the Superintendent Pharmacist (as required by the GPhC).

Attend relevant ICB, ICS and Trust Committees to represent the Pharmacy Directorate and ensuring medicines optimisation implications are considered.

Be a member of and contribute to key Committees within Trust and health economy including: Medicines Value Group; Integrated Medicines Optimisation Group; Drug and Therapeutics meeting, Regulatory Oversight meeting, Medical Gas Meeting, Patient Safety Meeting and any other meetings relevant to the strategic and professional role.

Continuing to develop the Medicines Optimisation strategic plan to align pharmaceutical and medicines related services to meet Trust-wide and ICS needs to drive both quality improvement and productivity gains.

Leading and implementing on transformational change and a digital medicines roadmap.

Enabling excellent partnerships with Trust Finance team and commissioners to deliver contractual requirements. Includes: formulary management and entry of new medicines; management of high-cost medicines, relevant medicines related budgets and cost improvement programmes; implementation of commissioning guidelines for medicines.

Line management of all the relevant pharmacy staff (through relevant Human Resources policies and processes) and to be responsible for their performance management and annual personal development plans.

Lead the development of the pharmacy workforce through implementing professional career pathways frameworks.

Ensure that there is a proactive plan in place regarding staff engagement and well-being.

Ensure that services provided are progressive, responsive to internal and external demand, are patient focused, safe, efficient and effective.

Network at a Regional and National level with pharmacy professional leads including membership of national and regional pharmacy committees.

Support the strategic Trust objectives relating to education, research and innovation. This includes: working in collaboration with local education providers and the West Midlands Academic Health Science Network; delivery of clinical trials (commercial, Trust sponsored, portfolio) involving medicines and investigational medicinal products in accordance with MHRA Good Clinical Practice.

Lead and develop pharmacy practice research agenda.

Manage the Directorates pay, non-pay and income in accordance with Standing Finance instructions. Provide strategic input into the management of the Trusts medicines budget by horizon scanning, forecasting cost pressures and identification of cost improvement programmes.

Be a designated signature for medicines orders and invoices and ensure delegated authority is robust and in place for the procurement of medicines.

Have accountability for the audit of all aspects of the pharmacy service against agreed standards and implementation of any remedial action plans and recommendations.

Contribute strategically as a member of the Specialist Unit senior leadership team and the Trust Management Group.

Provide professional and clinical leadership regarding medicines optimisation by working in collaboration with other provider Chief Pharmacists and Pharmacy leaders in the Integrated Care System to deliver efficiencies and building relationships with primary care providers as new clinical leadership structures emerge.

Professionally lead and manage the RJAH Medication Safety Officer.

Qualifications and Training.

Essential

• oRegistered as a pharmacist with the GPhC
• oPharmacy Degree BPharm or MPharm (depending on year of graduation)
• oPost-graduate qualification in a Pharmacy related subject
• oEvidence of annual revalidation with GPhC and evidence of commitment to Continuing Professional Development
• oTraining in Human Resource Policies, business planning and project management
• oTraining in NHS financial management
• oTraining in Quality Improvement
• oAdditional management study through formal courses.

Desirable

• oHigher qualification in management and/or leadership
• oMember of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of GB
• oIndependent prescriber qualification

Experience

Essential

• oSignificant experience of working at a leadership level within the Hospital Pharmacy setting
• oExperience in leading on transformational and innovational change.
• oExperience of working in a wide range of specialities within hospital pharmacy
• oEvidence of successful change management particularly medicines management
• oEvidence of recent involvement and leadership in risk management governance and audit
• oEvidence of delivering staff development pre and post-registration
• oEvidence of managing services to external customers including through SLAs.
• oExperience of managing multistranded situations where there may be conflicts of opinions involving a wide range of stakeholders.
• oEvidence of successful operational management in a senior position

Skills and competencies

Essential

• oEffective oral and written communication skills
• oAbility to communicate (verbal and written) complex information and advice on a wide range of medicines topics on an individual basis to Chief Executive level and to members of public / patients.
• oStrong, inclusive leadership style, consistent with Trust values and behaviours focussed on team building and staff empowerment
• oProven ability to develop positive working relationships with senior colleagues across the Trust
• oAdvanced leadership and senior team member skills
• oAbility to work under significant pressure and to demanding timescales.
• oAbility to monitor, maintain and improve service delivery and to lead service re-design
• oProfessional image and positive approach to problem solving Commitment to own personal and professional development and the development of others.
• oHonesty and integrity, with a positive attitude to change.
• oTolerance, understanding, tact and diplomacy Transparency in decision making
• oPromotes a culture of equality, mutual respect
• oAbility to balance strategic and operational management demands
• oProven budgetary management skills
• oHigh level change and conflict management skills
• oExpert ability in analytical and numerical skills

Knowledge

Essential

• oExtensive clinical pharmacy experience - specialist and / or general
• oDemonstrate expert knowledge of medicines optimisation and the legal framework regarding all medicines
• oDemonstrate an understanding of current NHS issues
• oComprehensive knowledge of commissioning and contracting frameworks.
• oExperience of demand management / capacity planning and developing business cases
• oSpecialist knowledge and experience with: MHRA Alerts, Care Quality Commission inspections, working with NHS Improvement, internal and external auditing, serious incident investigation and management of never events.
• oKnowledge and experience of a range of management disciplines ,including finance, people management, commissioning, risk management, performance management, service improvement and change management
• Understanding of EU Clinical Trial Directive, Good Manufacturing and Distribution Practice and ICH GCP
• Understanding of clinical and risk management guidance as applied to Medicines Optimisation including legal and coroner's context.
• Knowledge and experience of Understanding of NHS systems of work
• Thorough contemporary knowledge of NHS strategy and policy
• Understanding of complex organisation dynamics Ability to influence significant organizational change and service development

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).