Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and well-motivated individual to join the Mersey Care Medicines Management Team.
The Medicines Management Team is a well-established team of pharmacists, technicians and support staff with a track record of delivering pharmaceutical outcomes. The Medicines Information service provides high-quality, evidence-based, information and advice about medicines to support safe clinical care of patients and contributes to medicines optimisation activities.
The post holder will be responsible for providing a high-quality clinical Medicines Information Service for patients, carers and healthcare professionals. You will provide evidence-based information and expert advice on the use of medicines to answer patient specific enquiries about medicines, and to provide proactive advice and information to ensure the safe, effective and economic use of medicines. You will also have day-to-day responsibility for ensuring that the medicines within the trust are used in line with agreed formularies and guidelines.
We are looking for a pharmacist with extensive post-graduate clinical experience who can demonstrate effective leadership skills and has an interest and enthusiasm for this specialist area of pharmacy.
As part of this job, you will be expected to work as part of a team, but also independently and must possess effective communication and prioritisation skills to successfully manage a dynamic workload, under pressure when necessary.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will manage, develop and deliver the Medicines Information Service for Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust.
The postholder will be responsible for providing leadership of the Medicines Information Service and managing the production and monitoring of formulary and clinical guidelines which involve medicines, taking a role as a senior clinical pharmacist specialising in this area.
To provide detailed and timely clinical and pharmaceutical information in response to queries from medicines management staff, other healthcare professionals, service users and their carers.
An effective medicines information service will ensure that clinical information is accessible for patients, carers and healthcare professionals. The Trust will make best use of resources by effectively prescribing in line with best available evidence, and agreed formularies, which are supported within the electronic medicines management systems.
The postholder will deputise for the Medicines Optimisation Lead in Medicines Information issues ensuring that the service is delivered in line with business planning requirements.
There are no current requirements to work Bank Holidays or weekends and there is no dispensary or on-call commitment.
Shortlisting date is planned for 31st May 2023
Interview date is planned for 7th June 2023
About us
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North-West, serving more than 11 million people.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide.
Our inpatient services cover a wide geographical area across a large proportion of the North West providing specialist care including; Secure Services located in Maghull health park, Whalley, Hollins Park and Rathbone site, Non-Secure Services located in Broadoak, Clock View, Hartley Hospital, Knowsley and Peasley, Hollins Park, Windsor House, Fern ward, Heys Court, Brain Injury Rehabilitation, Hope Centre and Longmoor intermediate care reablement unit.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- The post holder will provide evidence-based information and expert advice on the use of medicines to answer patient specific enquiries about medicines, and to provide advice and information to ensure the safe, effective and economic use of medicines.
- They will provide day to day supervision and senior support to the Medicines Information team, and to those on rotations in Medicines Information.
- They will be responsible for maintenance of the Medicines Information database, and for the provision of access to relevant, up to date information sources in accordance with UKMi recommendations.
- To support the trust in writing medication-based treatment guidelines and clinical protocols, standard operating procedures, and other documents.
- To anticipate and respond to changing requirements for formulary and clinical guidelines within the trust.
- To represent the interests of the Trust and the local health economy, in attendance at the Pan-Mersey Area Prescribing Committee and its sub-groups, including as a member of the formulary subcommittee.
- They will provide specialist education and training to pharmacy and the wider healthcare team in relation to medicines information.
- To directly influence the cost-effective use of medicines within the trust promoting best practice, the trust formulary, Pan-Mersey Area Prescribing Committee recommendations and guidelines and recommendations from NICE.
For further information please see attached job description and person specification
Job description
Job responsibilities
- The post holder will provide evidence-based information and expert advice on the use of medicines to answer patient specific enquiries about medicines, and to provide advice and information to ensure the safe, effective and economic use of medicines.
- They will provide day to day supervision and senior support to the Medicines Information team, and to those on rotations in Medicines Information.
- They will be responsible for maintenance of the Medicines Information database, and for the provision of access to relevant, up to date information sources in accordance with UKMi recommendations.
- To support the trust in writing medication-based treatment guidelines and clinical protocols, standard operating procedures, and other documents.
- To anticipate and respond to changing requirements for formulary and clinical guidelines within the trust.
- To represent the interests of the Trust and the local health economy, in attendance at the Pan-Mersey Area Prescribing Committee and its sub-groups, including as a member of the formulary subcommittee.
- They will provide specialist education and training to pharmacy and the wider healthcare team in relation to medicines information.
- To directly influence the cost-effective use of medicines within the trust promoting best practice, the trust formulary, Pan-Mersey Area Prescribing Committee recommendations and guidelines and recommendations from NICE.
For further information please see attached job description and person specification
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Masters degree in Pharmacy, or equivalent
- Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
- Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent qualification
- Independent prescriber qualification, or willingness to work towards
Desirable
- Leadership or management qualification, or willingness to work towards
- National Medicines Information Training Course (NMITC) for pharmacists
- Relevant procurement/ purchasing qualification
- Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Experience of working within pharmaceutical services Experience or knowledge of medicines management services within an NHS context
- Specialist knowledge of medicines information services
- Demonstrable experience in the speciality and relevant skills and competencies
- Experience of dealing with complex enquiries
- Knowledge of the evidence base relating to the prescribing of medication
- Experience of clinical audit and/or practice research
- Familiarity with drugs expenditure and prescribing trends
- Experience of planning and implementing change
- Experience of multi-disciplinary team working
- Demonstrates broad based clinical knowledge of therapeutics
- Demonstrates detailed technical and practical knowledge of Mental Health and Learning Disabilities speciality
- An understanding of governance, risk management, and medication safety
- Understanding of commissioning, budgetary mechanisms and funding processes
- Experience of providing supervision
- Clear understanding of relevant legislation and guidance
- Demonstrable evidence of commitment to self development and CPD
Desirable
- Experience of working within an NHS organisation
- Experience of line managing staff
- Experience in providing training to other healthcare professionals
- Experience of project/change management
- Experience of service development
- Experience of operational management
Values
Essential
- Continuous Improvement
- Accountability
- Respectfulness
- Enthusiasm
- Support
- High professional standards
- Responsive to service users
- Engaging leadership style
- Strong customer service belief
- Transparency and honesty
- Discreet
- Change oriented
Skills
Essential
- Excellent organisational skills
- Good IT skills
- Excellent communication skills: o - written o - verbal o - listening
- Ability to work both independently and as a team player
- Ability to work flexibly
- Ability to work under pressure
- Able to understand, critically appraise and evaluate clinical research data to meet specified deadlines
- Decision-making skills
- Negotiation and influencing skills
- Ability to understand, interpret and respond appropriately to complex information requests
- Ability to undertake effective literature searches
- Ability to explain information verbally in a way that is understood
- Ability to present written information clearly, precisely and accurately
- Good presentation skills
- Ability to exercise significant discretion in the application of evidence and policies to situations encountered and individual patients
- Attention to detail in checking and verification of data
- Able to communicate detailed clinical and financial information
- Ability to prioritise workload and manage time effectively to meet specified deadlines
- Self-motivated and able to use initiative
- Problem-solving skills
- Ability to adapt to changing environments, needs and demands
- Recognition of own limitations and ability to ask for support when necessary
- Professional manner
- Ability to travel between different sites
Desirable
- Project management skills
- Able to edit and present information on Trust's intranet pages
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Masters degree in Pharmacy, or equivalent
- Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
- Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent qualification
- Independent prescriber qualification, or willingness to work towards
Desirable
- Leadership or management qualification, or willingness to work towards
- National Medicines Information Training Course (NMITC) for pharmacists
- Relevant procurement/ purchasing qualification
- Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Experience of working within pharmaceutical services Experience or knowledge of medicines management services within an NHS context
- Specialist knowledge of medicines information services
- Demonstrable experience in the speciality and relevant skills and competencies
- Experience of dealing with complex enquiries
- Knowledge of the evidence base relating to the prescribing of medication
- Experience of clinical audit and/or practice research
- Familiarity with drugs expenditure and prescribing trends
- Experience of planning and implementing change
- Experience of multi-disciplinary team working
- Demonstrates broad based clinical knowledge of therapeutics
- Demonstrates detailed technical and practical knowledge of Mental Health and Learning Disabilities speciality
- An understanding of governance, risk management, and medication safety
- Understanding of commissioning, budgetary mechanisms and funding processes
- Experience of providing supervision
- Clear understanding of relevant legislation and guidance
- Demonstrable evidence of commitment to self development and CPD
Desirable
- Experience of working within an NHS organisation
- Experience of line managing staff
- Experience in providing training to other healthcare professionals
- Experience of project/change management
- Experience of service development
- Experience of operational management
Values
Essential
- Continuous Improvement
- Accountability
- Respectfulness
- Enthusiasm
- Support
- High professional standards
- Responsive to service users
- Engaging leadership style
- Strong customer service belief
- Transparency and honesty
- Discreet
- Change oriented
Skills
Essential
- Excellent organisational skills
- Good IT skills
- Excellent communication skills: o - written o - verbal o - listening
- Ability to work both independently and as a team player
- Ability to work flexibly
- Ability to work under pressure
- Able to understand, critically appraise and evaluate clinical research data to meet specified deadlines
- Decision-making skills
- Negotiation and influencing skills
- Ability to understand, interpret and respond appropriately to complex information requests
- Ability to undertake effective literature searches
- Ability to explain information verbally in a way that is understood
- Ability to present written information clearly, precisely and accurately
- Good presentation skills
- Ability to exercise significant discretion in the application of evidence and policies to situations encountered and individual patients
- Attention to detail in checking and verification of data
- Able to communicate detailed clinical and financial information
- Ability to prioritise workload and manage time effectively to meet specified deadlines
- Self-motivated and able to use initiative
- Problem-solving skills
- Ability to adapt to changing environments, needs and demands
- Recognition of own limitations and ability to ask for support when necessary
- Professional manner
- Ability to travel between different sites
Desirable
- Project management skills
- Able to edit and present information on Trust's intranet pages
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
