Senior Clinical Pharmacist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Patient Care

Ensure safe and appropriate use of medicines in order to maximise benefit and minimise risk to patients. This includes regular review of prescriptions, identification of significant drug interactions, advice for clinical monitoring, compliance with legal aspects (Medicines Act, Mental Health Act) of medicine supply and compliance with the Trust formulary. To undertake medicines reconciliation and support with patients one to one discussions during the admission. Take steps to ensure patients understand the purpose of their medicines and deal with any practical issues that may prevent the optimal use of their medicines. Ensure the effective outcomes of treatment with medicines. Monitor patients for potential and actual adverse effects of their medicines. Demonstrate professional accountability to patients. Actively promote self-medication on the step-down and long stay wards when appropriate. Support the planning of patient discharge with respect to medication, including the transcription of requests for dispensing and discharge counselling.

Clinical

Be responsible for providing clinical pharmacy input at ward level. Review prescriptions for accuracy and legality and identify actual or potential problems. Ensure the effective supply of medicines suitable for use as an inpatient and appropriately labelled for discharge where applicable. Provide advice to clinicians on unlicensed medicines use and areas of practice where the evidence base is lacking. To support the nurses in the community teams to ensure appropriate transcribing of medications on the Medicines Administration Record (MAR) charts in order to minimise risks and harm. Manage and make appropriate referrals to other members of the multidisciplinary team and within the pharmacy department. Be able to critically appraise the literature and give accurate interpretation in order to improve use of medicines. Reduce risk associated with medicines use by contributing to the safe medication practice agenda. This will include identification and reporting of medicines related errors or near miss. Act as a clinical role model and demonstrate the ability to provide safe, clinically effective and cost-efficient use of medicines for junior pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Respond to medicines information enquiries, giving advice to health care professionals, patients or carers who have been unable to access information/advice. To provide clarity where information is conflicting or pharmaceutical support to healthcare professionals who may have difficulty interpreting the management of either individual patient, or groups of patients. Provide accurate advice, which is well-evaluated, impartial and up to date to ensure the safe, clinically effective and cost-efficient use of medicines in patients. Assess medicine regimes both during enquiry answering and/or routine ward visits and providing highly specific advice to other clinical team members on the management of often complex medicine related issues, such as complex drug interactions, medicine use in palliative care, unlicensed use of medicines etc. The post holder will continually update their skills and knowledge as part of Continuing Professional Development.

Administration

Identify and respond to the specialist pharmaceutical information needs of patients, carers, doctors, nurses, and other members of the healthcare team. Information will be required to be presented on an individual case basis or as part of structured medication education groups. Ensure information is provided in a timely manner, to the appropriate individual (in accordance with the degree of urgency of the request or issue identified). Be able to present information in a suitable format (e.g. written and/or verbal) and style for the target audience. Barriers to effective communication may include learning disability, mental impairment, non-consenting/non-compliant patients, and patients detained under the Mental Health Act who may be violent/aggressive. To assist the Clinical Lead Pharmacist in communicating relevant Trust decisions and policy relating to medicines to local clinical areas. To provide pharmaceutical support to local community teams within Newham CHS directorate.

Management

To provide an overview support and day to day management of junior pharmacy staff working within East Ham Care centre. Provide leadership for the senior pharmacy technician. To support the senior pharmacy technician with medicines reconciliation and other departmental Key Performance Indicator (KPI) targets including discharge counselling. Be responsible for providing a clinical pharmacy service to groups of patients. To be responsible for ensuring medicines are handled safely and securely within designated clinical areas and report any anomalies to the Clinical Lead Pharmacist. To contribute to the writing of Trust wide medicines-related clinical policies/guidelines as delegated by the Clinical Lead Pharmacist and the Chief Pharmacist. To support local implementation of Trust Medicines policies/procedures within own clinical area. Work across traditional boundaries as part of a fully integrated multidisciplinary team and provide pharmaceutical support where required. To assist the Clinical Lead Pharmacist in identifying local service developments and areas for service improvement. To deputise for the Clinical Lead Pharmacist in some departmental meetings and CHS meetings.Human Resources To assist the Clinical Lead Pharmacist in the preparation and delivery of training for clinical staff (e.g. nurses, junior pharmacists, medicines management technicians, support workers etc) working within the designated areas of service. To participate in ward based training of undergraduate students including nursing students when required. To provide education and training of pharmacy staff. To be responsible for own continuing professional development CPD, (and portfolio) in order to continue to update clinical knowledge and skills. To participate and contribute to the ELFT Pharmacy Continuing Professional Development Programme in house. Be familiar with the use of breakaway techniques.

Performance and Quality

To participate in ELFT Trust wide Medicines Audits. This includes collection of data for the clinical use of medicines, safe and secure handling of medicines, and the use of controlled drugs by wards/teams. To also assist in identifying audit topics or project work that will enhance service and quality care within the designated clinical areas. To be responsible for planning and organising own workload for your clinical areas in accordance with the requirements of the job. To be responsible for managing medicines storage and security (prescription only medicines and medicines specified in the Misuse of Drugs Act). To support in implementing changes required as result of audit cycles and quality improvement. To review and propose changes to Trust medicines-related policies and decisions. To participate in achieving KPIs and CQUIN targets.

Financial and Physical Resources

To be responsible for medicines supply (e.g. stock lists) ensuring appropriate quantities are stored in accordance with the changing clinical needs of each clinical environment to minimise waste and reduce risk. To manage pharmacy technicians involved in providing the pharmacy service. This includes supervision and performance management against Trust targets and recruitment.

Person Specification

Currently registered as UK pharmacist with GPhC

Essential

• Vocational Masters Degree in Pharmacy
• At least 2 years post registration training relevant to hospital pharmacy
• Registered with GPhC

Desirable

• Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy
• Experience in clinical pharmacy working with older people

Experience of providing a clinical pharmacy service

Essential

• Post registration training relevant to hospital pharmacy

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

East London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

East Ham Care Centre

Shrewsbury Road

London

E7 8QP

Employer's website

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