High Cost Drugs Pharmacist

Job responsibilities

Provide clinical support and oversight for managing High Cost Drugs (National Tariff excluded drugs).

This includes development and implementation of national or locally-agreed patient specific selection criteria for use of High Cost Drugs via established monitoring systems so to ensure appropriate use and safeguarding of public money.

Reducing inequalities in access to high cost medicines rapid and consistent implementation of NICE TAs and national standards.

This is a critical, highly specialised function and the post holder is responsible for review and presentation of Individual Funding Request (IFR) cases for high cost medicines where necessary through clinical triage and panel IFR applications.

Deputise for the High Cost Drugs Lead in their absence.

Management of the NW London Integrated Formulary system includes:

-Maintaining suitable clinical membership of and participation in the NW London Integrated Formulary New Drug Panel (IFNDP).

-Support in review and presentation of NW London Integrated Formulary new drug applications.

-Acting as Secretary to the IFNDP, ensuring that Panel members are equipped with all relevant published trial evidence before applications to add medicines to the Integrated Formulary are considered.

-Updating the Integrated Formulary and prescribing decision support systems to reflect decisions of the IFNDP and new NICE technology appraisal guidance

-Contributing to the identification of savings opportunities.

-Identifying medicines for which shared care guidance is needed.

Respond to queries about high cost medicines and the Integrated Formulary.

To contribute to the promotion of licensed best value biological high cost medicines, so as to ensure market share and sustained price competition.

Support the development and implementation of evidence-based High Cost Drug pathways and Integrated Formulary functions in collaboration with stakeholders in order to target unwarranted variation, maximise value for money and improve patient outcomes.

Build effective relationships with colleagues through open communication and constructive feedback.

This is not an exhaustive list of duties and the post holder is required to undertake any other duties commensurate with the band and in line with the requirement of this post.

Produce and present performance reports on High Cost Drugs and integrated formulary activities as required for a range of stakeholders within North West London.

Provide financial management information with detailed analysis and mitigation for variance as required.

Use data and information to actively review and monitor the impact of services and decisions on our diverse population, taking action where necessary to ensure greater equality of impact.

Support agreement and alignment of data collection for High Cost Drugs between NW London hospitals and also with other ICBs to reduce variation and inequalities.

Support the development of systems and frameworks to effectively monitor performance and outcomes of High Cost Drugs and Integrated Formulary activities.

Use a range of systems and complex data to monitor prescribing patterns and adherence to national or local guidance.

Analyse, interpret and present data to highlight issues, risks and opportunities to benefit NHS services.

Knowledge and skills

Essential

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Problem solving skills
• Ability to respond effectively and efficiently to unexpected demands
• Ability to find and critically appraise literature on medicines and reach appropriate conclusions from available evidence
• Time management
• Ability to deliver agreed work on schedule
• Committee secretarial skills
• Competence in using Microsoft Office programmes efficiently, especially Word, Outlook and Excel
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently in busy and sometimes noisy spaces
• Ability to cope well with uncertainty and change, viewing it as an opportunity
• Ability to project a professional manner
• Presentation skills
• Ability to influence prescribers and health system managers
• Report writing
• Ability to work as part of a team and work flexibly to provide support to other departments and teams as and when necessary
• Demonstrate commitment to role model behaviours and actions that support equality, diversity, belonging and inclusion
• Adaptability, flexibility and ability to cope with uncertainty and change
• Demonstrates commitment to NHS and organisational values and behaviours

Desirable

• Project planning
• Negotiation skills
• Coaching skills

Qualifications

Essential

• Masters degree or equivalent in Pharmacy
• Postgraduate level qualification in Pharmacy (diploma) or appraisal of medical literature or relevant short courses and experience providing equivalent knowledge
• Registered pharmacist (General Pharmaceutical Council)
• Mandatory continuing professional development to maintain fitness to practice

Experience

Essential

• Good knowledge of therapeutics
• Knowledge of medical literature databases and how to search them effectively to find published evidence
• Knowledge of how to critically appraise literature on medicines
• Experience of committees/ working groups
• Of consistently delivering agreed work on schedule

Desirable

• Of negotiating with consultants and GPs
• Knowledge of the role ICBs and ICS
• Of operating systems to ensure that an organisation does not pay for another organisation or individual liabilities, where the liabilities are high cost medicines

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).