Job summary
An amazing opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated and dynamic pharmacist to join the Clinical Education and Pharmacy teams to support us in our ambition to deliver innovative and world class clinical education and clinical pharmacy services.
If you have a passion and enthusiasm for clinical education and supporting and developing healthcare professionals in their professional development, then we want to hear from you. We are looking for a highly motivated and experienced clinical pharmacist who is dedicated and hardworking.
The successful post-holder will support the Head of Clinical Education and Medical Education Faculty in leading on and delivering safe prescribing curricula for all medical students and doctors in training on placement at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. They will also support the delivery of other clinical education work streams, and experience of education and training is essential.
The successful applicant will be based at Southport District General Hospital but cross-site working will be required on occasion throughout Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals.
Main duties of the job
The successful post holder will have significant experience of hospital clinical pharmacy and education and training and they will be an excellent team player with ability to communicate effectively across teams. They will also be dynamic and innovative to develop and implement their own ideas to continually improve the service.and they will be responsible for:
- Leading on, developing, delivering and evaluating relevant clinical education workstreams, including safe prescribing curricula for medical students and doctors in training at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals.
- Providing a safe and effective advanced clinical pharmacy service to a designated ward/directorate at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals.
About us
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.
We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.
Our Services:
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements:
- Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
- Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
- National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
Education Provision
- To participate in and lead on the educational strategy around safe medication use within the Trust
- To determine the clinical pharmacology, therapeutics and safe prescribing training requirements for undergraduate medical students aligned to curricula within the Trust and Higher Education Institutions in conjunction with the Clinical Sub- Deans, Head of Clinical Education, Clinical Education Research Lead and other medical education pharmacy leads in the region
- To develop training programmes to ensure that the identified needs of medical students are met, and the requirements of the education providers and other stakeholders are fulfilled
- To determine the safe prescribing education needs of doctors in training in conjunction with the Director of Medical Education, Foundation Programme Lead, Head of Clinical Education, Clinical Education Research Lead and Foundation skills tutor
- To develop training programmes to ensure that the identified needs of doctors in training are met
- To collaborate with other members of the clinical education team to ensure delivery of relevant aspects of the clinical education teaching portfolio, including but not limited to intravenous drug administration, and drug calculation training days.
- To engage other appropriate pharmacists and health professionals as required to support delivery of relevant training curricula.
- To innovate, develop and improve teaching delivery methods based on emerging theory, technology and techniques.
- To act as a mentor or tutor where appropriate.
Operational Management
- Requisition and order all required disposables for relevant training programmes from the pharmacy department.
- To communicate and collaborate with the Clinical Sub- Deans, Head of Clinical Education and Clinical Education Research Lead to identify relevant workforce and capacity needs.
- Work closely with departments across the organisation to negotiate and coordinate support for delivery of relevant training programmes.
- To liaise with the Clinical Pharmacy Services Manager in identifying other pharmacists capable of delivering any relevant training to the standard required by the education providers
- To lead and co-ordinate the delivery of the training syllabus, engaging other appropriate pharmacists and health professionals as required.
- To produce and provide an annual training programme update report to the Clinical Sub-Dean, Director of Medical Education, Head of Clinical Education and Clinical Education Research Lead.
- Lead on the development and evaluation of relevant training programmes.
- To network and collaborate with relevant professional groups who are engaged in similar teaching at other sites on a regional, national or international level to enhance and support the development of future training programmes.
Business Management
- Support the Head of Clinical Education to prepare relevant business cases to the Trust Board/sub-committees and external funders to support and develop the Trusts capacity for clinical education.
- To attend meetings on behalf of the Head of Clinical Education and Clinical Education Research Lead when required.
CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- To provide an advanced clinical pharmacy service to a designated ward/directorate in accordance with professional, departmental and Trust policies.
This will include:
- Undertaking medicines reconciliation on admission.
- Checking medical notes of each new patient to ascertain presenting complaint, past medical history, working diagnosis and relevant biochemical, haematological and microbiological test results to ensure safe and effective medicines use.
- Ensuring each medicine has an appropriate indication and that each diagnosis has appropriate therapy.
- Ensuring that existing therapy is safe to take with, and has not contributed to, the presenting complaint.
- Ensuring that new treatments are compatible with the patients conditions.
- Making recommendations on changes to drug therapy in line with the above.
- Reviewing recommendations in the light of new results and treatment plans.
- Advising on which medications to continue and which to stop during the peri-operative period, if appropriate.
- Monitoring for adverse drug reactions and submit yellow cards to the MHRA where appropriate.
- Advising on therapeutic drug level monitoring for specific drugs where appropriate
- Ensuring compliance with formularies, policies and procedures.
- Educating patients about their drug therapy.
- Developing evidence-based treatment protocols for use within specialities or across the Trust where appropriate.
- Providing advice on the availability of alternative formulations suitable for use in patients who are nil by mouth.
- Providing information on the use of drugs outside their licensed indications.
- Monitoring use of and ensuring adequate stock levels of crucial drugs daily.
- To participate in consultant ward rounds and multidisciplinary meetings where appropriate.
- Provide specialist pharmaceutical information to medical and nursing staff and patients and to General Practitioners and other staff where appropriate.
- Record clinical interventions in line with departmental policy.
- Report any medication errors you identify in line with departmental and organisational policy.
- Participate in the departmental therapeutic drug monitoring service, interpreting drug levels, and providing advice to medical staff on appropriate dosage, including on-call.
- Liaise with appropriate healthcare professionals within local primary care settings to ensure the effective and efficient use of resources across the primary/secondary care interface and where necessary develop shared care protocols.
- For pharmacists who are registered as independent prescribers, they will prescribe within their level of competence to support patient care in line with national frameworks and organisational policy.
- Provide professional and legal supervision to the dispensaries in accordance with the Departmental rota. Duties will include:
- Professional checking of inpatient requisitions and TTOs.
- Ensuring all prescriptions comply with the Medicines Act.
- Ensuring all prescriptions comply with Misuse of Drugs Act where appropriate.
- Final checking of prescriptions for accuracy prior to release.
- Labelling and dispensing of medications as required.
- Providing advice to patients on how to take their medicines and potential side effects.
- Providing advice to doctors, nurses and other professionals as required.
- Ordering, receiving and dispensing controlled drugs in accordance with the Misuse of Drugs Act.
- Comply with the legal and other requirements related to the purchase, supply, use safe custody and destruction of drugs within pharmacy and other areas of the hospital.
- Supervise trainee pharmacists and band 6/7 pharmacists.
- To assist medical staff in undertaking of any clinical trials that have been approved by the research and development department.
- Assist in the development, implementation and monitoring of the Clinical Pharmacy Standards across the pharmacy department.
- To act as a clinical tutor for pharmacists undertaking the Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy.
- To assist the Clinical Pharmacy Services Manager in the recruitment of staff including participation on interview panels.
- To assist the department in the review of Patient Group Directions (PGDs).
- Return unwanted or patients own Controlled drugs from the wards in accordance with the departmental policy and the Misuse of Drugs Act as required.
- Assist in the delivery of pharmacist teaching of junior doctors and providing prescriber feedback.
- To participate in clinical audit and practice research as instructed by senior pharmacists within the department including the presentation of results where appropriate.
- To assist in the organisation and participate in the weekly clinical meetings and continuing professional development feedback sessions for the pharmacists.
- To attend appropriate training courses for pharmacists and to encourage other staff to undertake further training.
- To participate in Continuing Professional Development as per departmental policy and national guidelines from the General Pharmaceutical Council and Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.
- To comply with Health and Safety at Work legislation, COSSH Regulations, Data Protection Act and other appropriate legislation.
- To participate in a rota which enables the department to provide a full 7-day service including late night, on-call, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday rotas.
- To maintain the security of the department especially whilst working alone (for example on-call or whilst locking the department).
- To ensure the safe custody of all pharmacy keys and swipe cards in your possession both on and off site (for example when on-call).
LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Demonstrate and act as a role model for the Trusts values in your daily practice including challenging any inappropriate behaviours.
- Understand the Trusts key priorities and those of your department and how these translate within your area/team.
- Communicate regularly through meetings with teams and individuals and provide opportunity for two-way feedback.
- Promote equality, diversity and Human Rights in working practices by developing and maintaining positive working relationships, ensuring that colleagues are treated fairly and contributing to developing equality of opportunity and outcomes in working practices.
- Contribute to developing and maintaining equality of opportunity in working practices by complying with legislation and organisational policies. Advise colleagues about equality, diversity and human rights policies and procedures and ensure they are followed.
- Ensure that colleagues are treated fairly. Behave in a non-discriminatory way and challenge the discriminatory behaviour of others. Be supportive of colleagues or service users who wish to raise issues about discriminatory practice or experience
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
Education Provision
- To participate in and lead on the educational strategy around safe medication use within the Trust
- To determine the clinical pharmacology, therapeutics and safe prescribing training requirements for undergraduate medical students aligned to curricula within the Trust and Higher Education Institutions in conjunction with the Clinical Sub- Deans, Head of Clinical Education, Clinical Education Research Lead and other medical education pharmacy leads in the region
- To develop training programmes to ensure that the identified needs of medical students are met, and the requirements of the education providers and other stakeholders are fulfilled
- To determine the safe prescribing education needs of doctors in training in conjunction with the Director of Medical Education, Foundation Programme Lead, Head of Clinical Education, Clinical Education Research Lead and Foundation skills tutor
- To develop training programmes to ensure that the identified needs of doctors in training are met
- To collaborate with other members of the clinical education team to ensure delivery of relevant aspects of the clinical education teaching portfolio, including but not limited to intravenous drug administration, and drug calculation training days.
- To engage other appropriate pharmacists and health professionals as required to support delivery of relevant training curricula.
- To innovate, develop and improve teaching delivery methods based on emerging theory, technology and techniques.
- To act as a mentor or tutor where appropriate.
Operational Management
- Requisition and order all required disposables for relevant training programmes from the pharmacy department.
- To communicate and collaborate with the Clinical Sub- Deans, Head of Clinical Education and Clinical Education Research Lead to identify relevant workforce and capacity needs.
- Work closely with departments across the organisation to negotiate and coordinate support for delivery of relevant training programmes.
- To liaise with the Clinical Pharmacy Services Manager in identifying other pharmacists capable of delivering any relevant training to the standard required by the education providers
- To lead and co-ordinate the delivery of the training syllabus, engaging other appropriate pharmacists and health professionals as required.
- To produce and provide an annual training programme update report to the Clinical Sub-Dean, Director of Medical Education, Head of Clinical Education and Clinical Education Research Lead.
- Lead on the development and evaluation of relevant training programmes.
- To network and collaborate with relevant professional groups who are engaged in similar teaching at other sites on a regional, national or international level to enhance and support the development of future training programmes.
Business Management
- Support the Head of Clinical Education to prepare relevant business cases to the Trust Board/sub-committees and external funders to support and develop the Trusts capacity for clinical education.
- To attend meetings on behalf of the Head of Clinical Education and Clinical Education Research Lead when required.
CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- To provide an advanced clinical pharmacy service to a designated ward/directorate in accordance with professional, departmental and Trust policies.
This will include:
- Undertaking medicines reconciliation on admission.
- Checking medical notes of each new patient to ascertain presenting complaint, past medical history, working diagnosis and relevant biochemical, haematological and microbiological test results to ensure safe and effective medicines use.
- Ensuring each medicine has an appropriate indication and that each diagnosis has appropriate therapy.
- Ensuring that existing therapy is safe to take with, and has not contributed to, the presenting complaint.
- Ensuring that new treatments are compatible with the patients conditions.
- Making recommendations on changes to drug therapy in line with the above.
- Reviewing recommendations in the light of new results and treatment plans.
- Advising on which medications to continue and which to stop during the peri-operative period, if appropriate.
- Monitoring for adverse drug reactions and submit yellow cards to the MHRA where appropriate.
- Advising on therapeutic drug level monitoring for specific drugs where appropriate
- Ensuring compliance with formularies, policies and procedures.
- Educating patients about their drug therapy.
- Developing evidence-based treatment protocols for use within specialities or across the Trust where appropriate.
- Providing advice on the availability of alternative formulations suitable for use in patients who are nil by mouth.
- Providing information on the use of drugs outside their licensed indications.
- Monitoring use of and ensuring adequate stock levels of crucial drugs daily.
- To participate in consultant ward rounds and multidisciplinary meetings where appropriate.
- Provide specialist pharmaceutical information to medical and nursing staff and patients and to General Practitioners and other staff where appropriate.
- Record clinical interventions in line with departmental policy.
- Report any medication errors you identify in line with departmental and organisational policy.
- Participate in the departmental therapeutic drug monitoring service, interpreting drug levels, and providing advice to medical staff on appropriate dosage, including on-call.
- Liaise with appropriate healthcare professionals within local primary care settings to ensure the effective and efficient use of resources across the primary/secondary care interface and where necessary develop shared care protocols.
- For pharmacists who are registered as independent prescribers, they will prescribe within their level of competence to support patient care in line with national frameworks and organisational policy.
- Provide professional and legal supervision to the dispensaries in accordance with the Departmental rota. Duties will include:
- Professional checking of inpatient requisitions and TTOs.
- Ensuring all prescriptions comply with the Medicines Act.
- Ensuring all prescriptions comply with Misuse of Drugs Act where appropriate.
- Final checking of prescriptions for accuracy prior to release.
- Labelling and dispensing of medications as required.
- Providing advice to patients on how to take their medicines and potential side effects.
- Providing advice to doctors, nurses and other professionals as required.
- Ordering, receiving and dispensing controlled drugs in accordance with the Misuse of Drugs Act.
- Comply with the legal and other requirements related to the purchase, supply, use safe custody and destruction of drugs within pharmacy and other areas of the hospital.
- Supervise trainee pharmacists and band 6/7 pharmacists.
- To assist medical staff in undertaking of any clinical trials that have been approved by the research and development department.
- Assist in the development, implementation and monitoring of the Clinical Pharmacy Standards across the pharmacy department.
- To act as a clinical tutor for pharmacists undertaking the Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy.
- To assist the Clinical Pharmacy Services Manager in the recruitment of staff including participation on interview panels.
- To assist the department in the review of Patient Group Directions (PGDs).
- Return unwanted or patients own Controlled drugs from the wards in accordance with the departmental policy and the Misuse of Drugs Act as required.
- Assist in the delivery of pharmacist teaching of junior doctors and providing prescriber feedback.
- To participate in clinical audit and practice research as instructed by senior pharmacists within the department including the presentation of results where appropriate.
- To assist in the organisation and participate in the weekly clinical meetings and continuing professional development feedback sessions for the pharmacists.
- To attend appropriate training courses for pharmacists and to encourage other staff to undertake further training.
- To participate in Continuing Professional Development as per departmental policy and national guidelines from the General Pharmaceutical Council and Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.
- To comply with Health and Safety at Work legislation, COSSH Regulations, Data Protection Act and other appropriate legislation.
- To participate in a rota which enables the department to provide a full 7-day service including late night, on-call, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday rotas.
- To maintain the security of the department especially whilst working alone (for example on-call or whilst locking the department).
- To ensure the safe custody of all pharmacy keys and swipe cards in your possession both on and off site (for example when on-call).
LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Demonstrate and act as a role model for the Trusts values in your daily practice including challenging any inappropriate behaviours.
- Understand the Trusts key priorities and those of your department and how these translate within your area/team.
- Communicate regularly through meetings with teams and individuals and provide opportunity for two-way feedback.
- Promote equality, diversity and Human Rights in working practices by developing and maintaining positive working relationships, ensuring that colleagues are treated fairly and contributing to developing equality of opportunity and outcomes in working practices.
- Contribute to developing and maintaining equality of opportunity in working practices by complying with legislation and organisational policies. Advise colleagues about equality, diversity and human rights policies and procedures and ensure they are followed.
- Ensure that colleagues are treated fairly. Behave in a non-discriminatory way and challenge the discriminatory behaviour of others. Be supportive of colleagues or service users who wish to raise issues about discriminatory practice or experience
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Vocational master's degree in pharmacy
- Post Graduate Diploma/MSc in Clinical Pharmacy
- 1 Year pre-registration training
- Accredited Independent non-medical prescriber or currently working towards accreditation
- Demonstrate commitment to continuing professional development/education
- Membership of General Pharmaceutical Council
Desirable
- Postgraduate qualification in teaching or education
- Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Demonstrate extensive experience of providing clinical pharmacy services to multiple specialities within an acute hospital
- In depth clinical knowledge and experience of management of patients within allocated speciality
- Experience of mentoring or tutoring others
- Experience of developing and delivering training to healthcare staff or students
- Experience of working in a busy dispensary environment
- Experience of drug reporting and financial management to directorates
- Demonstrable experience of clinical audit and practice research
Desirable
- Leading and supervising audit or practice research projects
- Experience in using the Pharmacy computer system
- Experience of electronic prescribing
Skills
Essential
- Excellent written, verbal communication and presentation skills
- Good time management, decision making and organisational skills
- Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
- Ability to deliver teaching to individuals and small and large groups of clinical and non-clinical staff and students
Other
Essential
- Use of VDU equipment
- Able to work under pressure, remains calm and objective
- Analysis of prescriptions. Interruptions for advice
- Frequent concentration, work pattern unpredictable Concentration for reviewing prescriptions, calculations, statistics; may be interrupted by urgent requests for advice
- Analysis and formulation of procedures and guidelines
- Ability to rationalise complex issues
- Complex dosage advice
- Exposure to upsetting situations, high level of resilience to deal with distressing and/or challenging situations
- Distressed patients with complex diseases
- Weekend, Late night, on call and Bank Holiday Working
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Vocational master's degree in pharmacy
- Post Graduate Diploma/MSc in Clinical Pharmacy
- 1 Year pre-registration training
- Accredited Independent non-medical prescriber or currently working towards accreditation
- Demonstrate commitment to continuing professional development/education
- Membership of General Pharmaceutical Council
Desirable
- Postgraduate qualification in teaching or education
- Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Demonstrate extensive experience of providing clinical pharmacy services to multiple specialities within an acute hospital
- In depth clinical knowledge and experience of management of patients within allocated speciality
- Experience of mentoring or tutoring others
- Experience of developing and delivering training to healthcare staff or students
- Experience of working in a busy dispensary environment
- Experience of drug reporting and financial management to directorates
- Demonstrable experience of clinical audit and practice research
Desirable
- Leading and supervising audit or practice research projects
- Experience in using the Pharmacy computer system
- Experience of electronic prescribing
Skills
Essential
- Excellent written, verbal communication and presentation skills
- Good time management, decision making and organisational skills
- Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
- Ability to deliver teaching to individuals and small and large groups of clinical and non-clinical staff and students
Other
Essential
- Use of VDU equipment
- Able to work under pressure, remains calm and objective
- Analysis of prescriptions. Interruptions for advice
- Frequent concentration, work pattern unpredictable Concentration for reviewing prescriptions, calculations, statistics; may be interrupted by urgent requests for advice
- Analysis and formulation of procedures and guidelines
- Ability to rationalise complex issues
- Complex dosage advice
- Exposure to upsetting situations, high level of resilience to deal with distressing and/or challenging situations
- Distressed patients with complex diseases
- Weekend, Late night, on call and Bank Holiday Working
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).
