Senior Clinical Pharmacist – Cardiothoracic Surgery & Critical Care

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

• To provide a safe and effective highly specialist clinical pharmacy service to cardiac and thoracic surgery wards including critical care areas.
• To assist the lead surgical pre-admission pharmacist on the development, implementation and management of the surgical pre-admission medicines optimisation service.
• Work with fellow health care professionals to facilitate the delivery of local and national health policy.
• Assist the Deputy Chief Pharmacist for Clinical Services and lead surgical pre-admission pharmacist in providing clinical training and supervision, relevant to the Surgical Division, for other healthcare professionals and students.
• Assist the Deputy Chief Pharmacist for Clinical Services in the development of pharmacy services and medicines management within the Surgical Division.
• Provide essential pharmaceutical services out of hours
• Analyse and challenge medicines expenditure and provide regular reports to the surgical division ensuring the cost effective use of medicines.
• To assist the critical care lead pharmacist in developing an enhanced pharmaceutical service to critical care.
• To represent the department at Surgical Governance Committee meetings and provide any necessary information and advice.

CLINICAL

• Provide a highly specialist clinical pharmacy service to a designated ward/area/clinic in the Surgical Division in accordance with professional, departmental and Trust policies which will includes:
• Undertaking medicines reconciliation on admission or in pre-operative clinic, preparing patients for admission to hospital with regard to their drug therapy, which includes providing perioperative advice and prescribing of medicines
• Assessing the appropriateness for use of patients own medicines
• Reviewing medicines to ensure safe and effective use
• Formulation of individual pharmaceutical care plans
• Review and update of care plans depending on response, results of investigations and adverse effects
• Therapeutic drug monitoring for specific medicines
• Educating patients about their medicines
• Providing advice about medicines to patients and their carers in diverse situations and with diverse needs, often providing advice on complex conditions
• Providing advice to medical and nursing staff on choice of medicine, dosage, route of administration, duration of therapy, drug interactions and toxicity.
• Participate in consultant ward rounds and multidisciplinary meetings relevant to the designated ward(s).
• Developing evidence based treatment protocols for use either within the directorate or across the trust where appropriate
• Facilitating implementation of local and national guidelines.
• Monitoring and recording adverse drug reactions and reporting to the MHRA when necessary.
• Implementing patient self-administration schemes in accordance with Trust policy
• Acting as an independent prescriber in accordance with the Trusts Non-Medical Prescribers policies and guidelines (once registered as a non-medical prescriber).
• Writing discharge prescriptions and providing discharge information to Community Pharmacists and General Practitioners.
• Providing advice to ward managers on the safe and secure storage of medicines in line with current legislation.
• Recording clinical interventions and activities in line with departmental policy and Trust procedures for the management of risk.
• Investigating any medicines related incidents or complaints from the designated clinical area and explore ways of minimising risk of future recurrence.
• Establishing communication with primary care professionals to facilitate the transfer of patient care when necessary.
• Liaising with appropriate health care professionals within Primary Care Trusts to ensure the effective and efficient use of resources across the primary/secondary care interface and where necessary develop shared care protocols.
• Providing professional and legal clinical supervision and act as the designated Responsible Pharmacist in the dispensary as allocated.
• Covering the duties of other pharmacists during periods of sickness and absence and to undertake any other reasonable duties that may be required.
• Being responsible for the safe dispensing, checking and issuing of medicines from the dispensary in accordance with the Medicines Act, Misuse of Drugs Act and COSHH.
• Offering advice, according to the training of a pharmacist, to staff and general public working within the guidelines of the standard operating procedures for the sale of medicines from the pharmacy retail area.

Please see attached Job Description for additional responsibilities

Qualifications & Education

Essential

• Vocational masters degree in pharmacy
• Registered member of the General Pharmaceutical Council Diploma in clinical pharmacy or MSc in clinical Pharmacy

Desirable

• Non-Medical Prescribing certificate
• Member of Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• 1 year pre-registration training and significant experience as a hospital pharmacist with strong clinical pharmacy background
• Good all round clinical knowledge in other areas and practical clinical skills.
• Awareness of current health policy and guidance relating to the use of medicines in patients undergoing surgery

Desirable

• Advanced clinical knowledge in the pharmaceutical care of critically ill patients or those undergoing cardiothoracic surgery
• Previous pharmacy teaching experience

Skills & Abilities

Essential

• Able to work independently and compute information from various sources quickly
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
• Computer literate (word processing, spreadsheets, databases, email and presentations)
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to manage time effectively
• Ability to meet deadlines whilst paying attention to details

Desirable

• Ability to teach junior pharmacists the delivery of pharmaceutical care to patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery
• Proven ability to negotiate a positive outcome with senior pharmacy and medical staff and Trust management

Values & Behaviours

Essential

• Demonstrable commitment to continuing professional development / education

Desirable

• Self-motivated

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).