Job responsibilities
Key Result Areas
Dispensary Services
Work within the Dispensary, including acting as the lead Pharmacist daily and on occasions the sole Pharmacist. Work closely with the Associate Pharmacy Director Operational services to ensure a safe and efficient service is provided from the dispensary.
Lead Pharmacist duties
Responsibility for Clinical Screening area, maintaining the workflow of prescriptions, in conjunction with the Senior Technicians.
Ensuring prescriptions are clinically assessed and validated
Ensuring any dispensary competencies for Pharmacists are completed and maintained.
Carry out entrance and exit interviews of Pharmacists who rotate through the dispensary
Ensure rotational Pharmacists are informed of any dispensary changes when starting a block
Overseeing weekly rota for Pharmacist cover in the dispensary.
Liaising with the other Senior Pharmacists to ensure appropriate Pharmacist cover within the dispensary
Liaising closely with the Senior Technician to ensure a safe efficient dispensary service.
Responsible for review and writing the Standard Operating procedures relevant to the Pharmacists role in the dispensary and others that are required, ensuring that they are the same cross site where possible.
Liaising closely with the Dispensary Pharmacists at both sites ensuring a close alignment of processes and SOPs where possible.
Acting as a support for the CGH dispensary-based Pharmacist when needed.
Responsible for maintaining the Responsible Pharmacist log required by the GPhC for maintaining the departments registration.
Acting as a super user for the Pharmacy stock control system
Ensuring staff working in the dispensary have completed any regular competency tests that are required (e.g. Methotrexate counselling, Valproate counselling)
Act as the system manager for Promatica WebTracker software in liaison with Pharmacy Systems Team
Provide reports from WebTracker that are used for reporting KPIs
Prepare reports for review at Pharmacy Board
Act as the responsible Pharmacist for undertaking the risk assessment for new unlicensed medicines received into the Pharmacy, maintaining the unlicensed medicines list on the SharePoint
To monitor the recording of action taken for MHRA Drug recalls, working closely with the purchasing manager if required for class 1 recalls.
To act as a link to the Pharmacy Manufacturing Unit (PMU) in CGH for any relevant issues
Liaison and Maintenance of Intrathecal file in the dispensary in conjunction with senior technician
Ensure technical staff are trained on handing out intrathecal medication in conjunction with senior technician
Liaise when necessary for pain clinic pump refills in conjunction with senior technician
Communicate any other issues related to items that link to CGH PMU
Supervising and training new Pharmacists working in the dispensary including induction training.
To oversee training junior pharmacists on clinical screening in dispensary
To act as a contact to the EJU department for any pharmacy related issues, checking with the Lead Pharmacist for Cancer Services if needed
To maintain processes for individualised haematology supply arrangements, e.g. compassionate stock arrangements
Pharmacist clinical validation duties:
Checking in-patient orders, out-patient, and discharge prescriptions for:
legality & legibility, intention of prescriber, and suitability of medication for that patient
any errors in dose, frequency, form and route, and resolving them with the prescriber
Making decisions about whether to supply medication, what to supply, when the prescriber cannot be contacted.
Checking the dispensing performed by other staff.
Checking formula calculations for extemporaneously prepared medication
Effectively educating out-patients on how best to take their medicines, and responding to any queries they may have when referred to .
Respond appropriately to queries from medical staff and all other hospital staff.
Discharge Lounge
Overall clinical pharmacy responsibility for all pharmacy and medicines governance aspects of the Discharge Lounge (DL).
Controlled Drugs stock checks quarterly and investigating any discrepancies in CD balances
Controlled drugs storage audit annually
Investigating DL pharmacy related Datix and complaints
Responding to any escalations for patients in DL
Inputting into and/or writing where needed any pharmacy-DL policies/SOPs
Monitoring performance of pharmacy service to DL
Carrying out any pharmacy (or other) audits within DL
Point of contact for DL service changes
Answering any and all clinical queries on medication
Clinical pharmacy service to patients in the DL
Validation of TTOs and Contacting Drs for clinical queries on TTOs
Input into all the pharmacy aspects of the discharge process for DL patients
Patient counselling
Monitoring of DL Dashboard
Adapting to changes in pharmacy working routine for DL
Operational
Assist Associate Director with Operational requirements and plans within the department and beyond
Be involved with departmental operational strategy
Responsible for drawing up and managing the Pharmacist On-call rota ensuring cover for all days of the year.
Responsible for drawing up and managing weekend pharmacist rota ensuring cover for all weekends
Keeping relevant records of the above
To act as management link for Health and Safety meetings, carrying out any duties or providing any input as required. Attend the meetings in this capacity.
Oversee recording and monitoring of Datix incidents from the dispensary
Act as Datix investigator where appropriate
Provide reports on Datix trends and subsequent actions
Provide Datix meetings to pharmacy staff on an annual basis
Monitor and report on Near Miss Data in conjunction with Senior Technician
PSEG
Attend and be an active member of the Pharmacy Safety and Experience Group (PSEG)
Populate the PSEG Dashboard with metrics specific to dispensary, Alerts and monitor their RAG rating
Contribute to actions from PSEG meetings to ensure safety issues are acted upon
Human Resources Be involved in, and lead where appropriate, the recruitment, selection, induction and appraisal of new staff.
Provide clinical supervision of less experienced pharmacists, trainee pharmacists and vacation students as required.
Line manages junior pharmacists, carry out their appraisals, career development interviews and represent them as necessary.
Provision of Clinical Pharmacy Service to clinical area of responsibility.
During the visit the pharmacist will:
Review prescriptions to ensure they are legal, safe, cost-effective, clinically necessary and appropriate, accurate, and complete.
Undertake Medicines Optimisation
Arrange for drugs to be supplied to patients, ward(s) or department(s).
Provide information and advice to nursing staff on a daily basis, about drugs, doses, administration and potential side-effects.
Provide information and advice to junior medical staff on a daily basis, and to Consultants as and when needed, including suggestions for initiating and modifying treatment.
Educate patients as appropriate about changes to their medication, and how to take specific medicines (e.g. warfarin, inhaler devices).
Access and interpret clinical information for specific patients (e.g. e-PMA system (Sunrise Clinical Manager), Patient Administration system (TrakCare), Pharmacy computer system (EMIS) as well as case notes and Summary Care Record (SCR)), and use it to individualise and monitor treatment.
Document relevant clinical and pharmaceutical information during in-patient stay which may be used to prepare discharge prescription and/or communicated to patient, carer(s) or GP.
Review discharge prescriptions written by medical staff, using professional judgement to make a final decision about content and appropriateness of discharge prescriptions when a suitable prescriber cannot be contacted.
Participate in Consultant ward rounds as appropriate, providing pharmaceutical advice and information to medical staff, nursing staff, and patients as part of a multi-professional team.
Undertake risk management and ensure compliance with legislation and relevant national policies and guidelines, along with local policies and procedures including the Trust Formulary.
Work in an effective team with technicians involved in Trust Medicines Management scheme
Usually work unsupervised, although the post-holder can seek advice from a range of colleagues as and when required.
Communicate with junior medical staff (and occasionally Consultants) to clarify aspects of the prescription including drug, dosage, frequency, duration of treatment, and length of supply when necessary.
Use professional judgement to make a final decision about content and appropriateness of discharge prescriptions when a suitable prescriber cannot be contacted.
