Specialist Biologics And High Cost Medicines Pharmacist

Job responsibilities

Post Title: Specialist biologics and High Cost Drugs pharmacistPay Band: Band 8a

Hours: 35 hours per week to include, EDC, weekends and Bank Holidays on departmental rota

Contract: Permanent

Accountable to: Deputy Chief Pharmacist - Operations

Reports to: Lead Pharmacist Procurement, Homecare and High Cost Drugs

Job Purpose:

1. To manage and develop the clinical services and delivery of all high cost and homecare medicines to WAHT patients.

2. To deputise and support the lead pharmacist for High Cost Drugs, Homecare and Procurement.

3. To ensure that appropriate clinical and governance arrangements (as set out in national standards for homecare services) are used for the delivery of all homecare medicines and high cost drugs.

4. Liaise with the Lead Pharmacist for High Cost Drugs & Homecare and Lead technician for Homecare, and other relevant members of the Pharmacy Management team to ensure that the operational services for high cost drugs and homecare are clinically appropriate, safe, efficient and responsive to patient need.

5. Liaise with the Lead Pharmacist for High Cost Drugs, Homecare and Procurement in the development and maintenance of a Homecare strategy. This includes leading on clinical and financial aspects of product switching to ensure best value for money for all procured homecare medicines.

6. Supervise the team of pharmacists and medicines management technicians who are working within the High Cost Drugs & Homecare Hub.

7. Develop and maintain effective communication channels and relationships with lead consultants, managers, senior nurse specialists and others to effectively carry out the responsibilities of the post.

Key Duties:

1. To provide a clinical service in the provision of all high cost drug prescriptions to the key therapeutic areas, with a focus on use of biologic medicines to specialities such as gastroenterology, rheumatology and dermatology.
2. Individual will be the appointed lead pharmacist for immunoglobulins (IVIG) for the Pharmacy Department.
3. To support the development of commissioner approved pathways within these key therapeutic areas, liaising with clinicians and nurse specialists.
4. To support the appropriate procurement of biologics from contracted aseptic service providers for infusions, and nominated agreed homecare providers, ensuring implementation of any national or locally agreed PAS or discounts.
5. Incorporate any plan for homecare into treatment guidelines, protocols and local patient pathways
6. To help support a strategy for homecare medicines by contributing to the development and maintenance of Trust homecare policy and database.
7. To lead in the optimised use of biologics including the introduction of biosimilar equivalents in the Trust according to agreed protocols and standards.
8. To co-ordinate and review the service provision of all homecare providers according to national standards and KPIs, by means of regular service review meetings with the relevant providers to ensure KPIs are met and any issues are escalated promptly. Liaise closely with clinicians/nurse specialist in each key therapy area to ensure that clinical issues are resolved promptly.
9. To ensure all use of high cost medicines are appropriately funded as per commissioning policy and Blueteq.
10. Work with the pharmacy homecare procurement team and liaise with homecare companies to ensure prompt and accurate payment of all invoices for homecare medicines.
11. Provides specialist advice on clinical and operational processes associated with homecare medicines management to patients, carers and homecare contractors
12. Works under guidance of SOPs, GMP and COSHH, and compliance with RPS Homecare standards. Works independently to develop and implement SOPs for homecare medicines management which may include policies that impact on areas other than homecare medicines management. Delivery and implementation of agreed procedures and monitor compliance with all SOPs.
13. To identify and participate in the management of areas of risk involving homecare medicines in conjunction with the Lead Pharmacist for High Cost Drugs, Homecare and Procurement, to identify any incidents, potential incidents, risks etc. and resolve or escalate known issues appropriately.
14. Responsible for training and supporting all grades of staff on high cost medicines management

15. To work towards or maintain a non-medical prescribing qualification and fully comply with all the Trust procedures and policies which apply to non-medical prescribers.

1. Forge links nationally and regionally with other pharmacists and technicians working in homecare medicines in order to share best practice, including attendance at regional homecare medicines meetings.
2. To monitor prescribing patterns and medicines expenditure on all high cost medicines, ensuring that all costs are appropriately passed through to assigned commissioner. liaising with finance where needed.
3. To horizon scan and identify changes in biologics/biosimilar prescribing in specific therapy areas, leading on the pharmacy aspect of any associated projects and changes to clinical pathways.
4. Meet with pharmaceutical industry representatives as appropriate to identify any clinically relevant updates and associated training or commissioning/funding requirements are met.
5. To co-ordinate, deliver and evaluate the training to all staff on the use of biologic medicines and homecare services to deliver the safe, effective and economic use of these medicines.
6. Line manage assigned pharmacist(s)
7. Identify and respond to medication related errors, completing appropriate error reporting forms (DATIX) and providing investigation to support the root cause analysis and prevent future events.
8. Contribute to the recruitment and selection of staff as appropriate
9. Develop pharmacy services to the division in response to the needs of the division and the Pharmacy department.
10. Continuously look for and identify initiatives to contribute to quality improvement within the specialist and pharmacy directorates.
11. Contribute to planning and organising the delivery, standard and modernisation of clinical pharmacy services within WAHT.
12. Ensure all pharmaceutical aspects of research in the post-holders clinical area complies with relevant legislation
13. Plan and conduct pharmaceutical practice-based research/audit in the Division in conjunction with the Clinical Pharmacy Team Lead Pharmacists.
14. Contribute to a culture which encourages all staff to contribute to research and audit and use your expertise to support staff in this process.
15. Develop and promote the role of an advanced pharmacist through contribution to professional publications and conference papers.
16. Lead in the creation, implementation and audit of clinical guidelines relating to all areas of medicines use within the post-holders area.
17. Actively engage in the Trust skills development review (PDR). Agree service and personal objectives with the Lead Pharmacist for Procurement, Homecare and High Cost Drugs and be responsible for self-audit to demonstrate both achievement of objectives and evidence of value to the Trust.
18. Deliver teaching and training on the post holders specialist area to pharmacy, medical and nursing staff including pharmaceutical induction for new medical and nursing staff.
19. Ensure pharmacy staff are regularly updated in new developments within post holders specialism.
20. Maintain compliance with mandatory training and CPD to maintain professional registration
21. Assist in the delivery of other operational, and clinical, services as required to meet the needs of the service
22. Participate in a 7 day working rota in which contracted working hours will be worked over a 7-day period to include bank holidays
23. Participate in weekend and bank holiday rota.
24. Participate in the countywide emergency on-call rota.

Band 8a + Roles Job Overview - Improving Diversity and Inclusive Recruitment:

As part of the Trust's aim to improve diversity across the Trust, positive action is being taken and all applications for this post from BAME, Disabled and LGBT+ candidates can request to be considered under an expanded Guaranteed Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum criteria as specified in the person specification for this role.

Applicants will be prompted in the application form to declare if they wish to be considered under this expanded Guaranteed Interview Scheme, and their response would be visible to the Shortlisting Panel.

If you have any queries about expanded Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please contact Rob Saunders (HR Manager - Recruitment) in confidence via email robert.saunders1@nhs.net

Improving Diversity and Inclusive Recruitment

Essential

• As part of the Trust's aim to improve diversity across the Trust, positive action is being taken and all applications for this post from BAME, Disabled and LGBT+ candidates can request to be considered under an expanded Guaranteed Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum criteria as specified in the person specification for this role. Here you can declare if you wish to be considered under this expanded Guaranteed Interview Scheme and this response would be visible to the Shortlisting Panel

Qualifications

Essential

• Professional knowledge acquired through a vocational degree in pharmacy
• Currently Registered as a pharmacist in UK: Member of the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Postgraduate clinical specialist knowledge acquired through diploma level training i.e. Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent
• Currently meeting the GPhC standard for continuing professional development.
• Accredited independent prescriber or working towards

Desirable

• Have undertaken a Health Assessment course
• Working towards RPS Faculty membership
• Holds a leadership or management qualification
• Formal teaching/ training on providing feedback

Experience

Essential

• Experience in delivering specialist clinical services to a medical speciality or directorate
• Currently a practising independent prescriber or working towards
• Experience in influencing and persuading senior secondary care clinicians and/or primary care clinicians in relation to optimal medicine treatment for patients
• Experience of successfully supervising and contributing to the training of trainee pharmacists, pharmacists and pharmacy technical staff.
• Can evidence commitment to antimicrobial stewardship
• Experience in developing and implementing quality improvement

Desirable

• Experience in providing an extended service as sole clinical practitioner e.g. residency service
• Experience of delivering a clinical pharmacy service to a medical specialty e.g. ophthalmology, neurology, gastroenterology & dermatology

Knowledge

Essential

• Possesses relevant clinical knowledge in medical specialties e.g. ophthalmology, neurology, gastroenterology & dermatology
• Skilled at preparing and implementing pharmaceutical care plans to best meet patient needs within the ward/clinic multidisciplinary team.
• Understanding of both the current and longer term issues facing pharmacy services within the NHS.
• Knowledge and understanding of Medicines Management, Optimisation and Governance issues in pharmacy services
• Skilled at using reference sources, journals, the internet and on-line information sources to prepare evaluated medicines information for consultants and other health-care professionals.
• Skills for providing relevant specialist pharmacy services (e.g. clinical pharmacy, medicines information, sterile dispensing, nuclear medicine, community services).
• Able to interpret national guidelines within specialist area(s), and Trust policies, procedures and guidelines related to specialist area(s) including clinical governance and risk management.
• Skills for teaching and supervising junior pharmacists and technical staff
• Skills for utilising resources cost-effectively
• Skills for using various Microsoft Office packages including MS Excel spreadsheets for analysing, and producing financial reports.
• Standard key-board skills for using the Pharmacy Computer System, and other software, to prepare reports, analyses, label medicines etc
• Competent to dispense medicines accurately without making errors.
• Competent to check medicines dispensed by others and to detect any errors that have been made.
• Competent in weighing, measuring, compounding, and medicine manufacturing and preparation skills, where accuracy is of the utmost importance.
• Up to date knowledge of specialist field and general knowledge of other medicines actions and usage.
• Understanding of both the current and longer term issues facing pharmacy services within the NHS.
• Knowledge and understanding of Medicines Management, Optimisation and Governance issues in pharmacy services.
• Up to date knowledge and understanding of Safe Systems of Working in hospital pharmacy services.
• Up to date knowledge of Health and Safety at Work including COSHH, Manual Handling, and VDU usage.
• Up to date knowledge of Medicines Legislation including the Medicines Act, and Misuse of Drugs Act as they apply to pharmacy service SOPs and the legal requirements for dispensing and supplying medicines.
• Knowledge of commissioning of medicines including those which are high cost and associated funding arrangements, and medicines formulary

Desirable

• Experience of change management
• Experience of working with e-prescribing system(s)
• Experience in/understanding of provision of medicines via homecare services

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).