Medication Safety Lead Pharmacist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key result areas

Medication safety

To be the designated Medication Safety Officer (MSO) on behalf of the Trust.

Ensuring medicines incidents are reported, and reviewed in a timely and appropriate manner and to promote effective reporting of medicines-related incidents.

To lead or support the investigation of incidents and prepare incident reports.

To undertake analysis of highly complex information where data sets may be incomplete and identify recommendations for action and monitor these to ensure they are delivered.

To take professional responsibility for highly complex decision making in relation to medicines safety, balancing potentially conflicting opinion from different professional groups within and external to the Trust and taking account of risk and analysis of potential consequence to develop and implement solutions utilising highly developed professional analysis and judgement.

To improve the quality of medicine incident reporting across UHL

Develop and implement strategies and policies to reduce the risks related to medication use both within pharmacy and across the Trust. Monitor effectiveness of these through audit and user feedback

To represent pharmacy on the Trust Policy and guideline Committee and the CSI audit committee

To lead on reviewing all medicines management policies for the trust and ensure that these are in date and reflect current practice

Work with Quality and Safety leads across CMGs in reviewing medication related incident data, utilising the System Engineering Imitative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) framework and other tools to promote changes in practice following an incident. To provide analysis of medicines related incidents to the Medicines Optimisation Committee (MedOC).

Assist the corporate safety team to review medication incidents as required, meeting with patients or relatives, responding to medication related questions.

Support staff in attending coroners inquest and assist the inquest / claims department in responding to incidents relating to medicines

To coordinate data collection and reporting for spot checks in relation to medicines security and controlled drugs

To lead on multi-disciplinary medicines safety-related improvement work and projects, ensuring timely achievement of objectives and agreed KPIs

To assist the Chief Pharmacist in the collation and review of evidence for Care Quality Commission (CQC) and external medication standards

To support the Controlled Drugs Accountable Officer (CDAO) in auditing the use of controlled drugs across the Trust, monitoring prescribing and usage trends, identification of areas for concern.

To prepare reports on controlled drug incidents within the Trust and actions taken to resolve these for the CD Local Intelligence Network (LIN) on behalf of the CDAO.

To support the CDAO in the investigation of CD discrepancies including developing and implementing recommendations from root cause analysis.

To carry out risk assessments in relation to the use of medicines and appropriately communicate such risks; to support risk mitigation actions

To lead on the design and delivery of audit activity in relation to medicines in conjunction with the clinical pharmacy team

To support and advise CMG lead pharmacists on all aspects of medicines management

To deputise for the CD Accountable Officer at CD LIN meetings as required

To assist the Chief Pharmacist in the implementation of National patient safety alerts across the Trust

To prepare medicines related bulletins for dissemination to staff across UHL focused on learning from medicines incidents and improving medicines safety

To work with colleagues in Medicines Information and Procurement to respond to MHRA Drug reports; specifically to ensure any impact on medicines management is considered

To advise Procurement and Medicines Information staff on medicines safety issues, including purchasing decisions

To provide expert advice on all aspects of medicines management to staff of all disciplines across UHL and the Alliance contract

To liaise with organisations and colleagues across the Integrated Care System to develop and maintain the Leicestershire Medicines Code

To support the Chief Pharmacist in delivering the Medicines Optimisation Committee (MedOC) terms of reference, including preparing papers for MedOC

Work with clinical governance / medication safety leads from other local healthcare providers and network with national organizations eg NHSE and MSO network to share information, learning and increase a uniform approach to patient safety, particularly the implementation of National medication safety alerts across the healthcare community.

To represent UHL at Regional Medicines Safety Network meetings, sharing best practice for improving medicines safety.

To actively represent UHL on the National Patient Safety Network, including acting as the main contact for NHS England and MHRA and contributing to development of strategy nationally.

To regularly review information from the Learning From Patient Safety Events System (LFPSE) and the MHRA to support improvements in reporting. To support dissemination of this information across UHL.

To receive and respond to requests for more information about medication error incident reports from the Patient Safety Domain in NHS England and the MHRA, including responding to requests for additional or highly complex data in relation to medication errors which requires full analysis and interrogation of databases.

To develop a framework for monitoring medicines safety in UHL

To support the development and implementation of a strategy for the improvement of medication information to patients, responding to patients needs identified through patient polling. To be active in developing and promoting methods for increasing patient adherence.

To lead for pharmacy on education for medical, nursing and pharmacy staff in relation to medicines management, including ensuring learning from incidents.

To support staff undertaking audit in relation to medicines management

Management and Leadership

To be the lead for reviewing medicines management standards through regular audit of the Leicestershire medicines code, working with CMG leads to co-ordinate action plans.

To take the lead in medicines management audit across pharmacy services, to underpin practice evidence for medicines management. Work closely with the Trust clinical audit team, actively participating in medicine related audits across the Trust. Assist in the co-ordination of joint audits across Leicestershire.

To have direct management responsibility for the Medicines Safety Team ensuring that each person has an annual appraisal and personal development plan in accordance with Trust criteria. Ensure that all staff have access to effective and timely HR advice.

In conjunction with General Managers, support the pharmacy clinical risk and governance agenda to ensure that all aspects of pharmacy services are operating in a safe manner in accordance with local and national standards, producing and implementing local actions, policies and procedures as necessary.

To support the training of pharmacy staff in clinical risk and clinical governance

Undertake the pharmacist role and duties within the dispensary weekly subject to rota.

Contribute to the business and strategic planning for the UHL pharmacy service and play a central role for improving patient care and processes.

Manage and develop the pharmacy part of UHL connect, assist in developing tools for improving communication to staff.

Person Specification

Qualifications and experience

Essential

• Registered with General Pharmaceutical Council
• Previous significant managerial experience and responsibility for Pharmacists and other associated staff groups
• Significant experience of facilitating and managing change
• Experience of medicines policy and guidelines development

Desirable

• Relevant medicines safety training accreditations e.g. PSIRF
• Contribution to national and regional medicines safety policies/ initiatives

Qualifications

Essential

• Post-graduate qualification relevant to hospital pharmacy practice /research

Desirable

• Project management qualification or relevant experience

Analytical and judgement skills

Essential

• Highly developed analytical and problem solving skills will be required for assessment of service delivery plans of multiplicity of organisations and formulation of improvement strategies where opinion may differ on the best course of action

Communication and relationship skills

Essential

• Experience of communicating highly complex drug information or medicine related information to prescribers, clinicians, where professionals may challenge the advice
• Highly developed interpersonal, negotiation, influencing and conflict management skills

Desirable

• Experience of attending and presenting at high level committees

Knowledge

Essential

• Understanding of medicines legislation and guidance i.e. Medicines Act, Misuse of Drugs Act, Safe and Secure Handling of Medicines, Medicine Guidance Notes, MHRA Alerts

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).

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

Address

Leicester Royal Infirmary

Leicester

LE1 5WW

Employer's website

https://www.jobsatleicestershospitals.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)