Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Duties and Responsibilities
•    To lead, develop and manage the specialist breast cancer pharmacy service within the Trust, ensuring alignment with departmental, Trust, and national standards.
•    To provide highly specialist clinical pharmacy advice to other clinicians in multidisciplinary team meetings, outpatient clinics and on an ad hoc basis regarding the management of inpatients undergoing treatment for breast cancer including the management of clinical uncertainty by critically appraising the evidence-base and applying it to novel situations and reaching appropriate decisions in complex, challenging or sensitive environments where there are competing priorities and/or an absence of reliable evidence and in situations where other professionals may challenge the advice given.
•    To act as an independent prescriber for appropriate breast cancer patients, managing own caseload and undertaking pharmacist-led clinics. This will include the management of patients with complex pharmaceutical care issues and distressed patients in emotive circumstances. 
•    To record personally generated information in the patient’s Electronic Case Notes and Electronic Prescribing systems. 
•    To support patient-centred care by providing expert medicines advice, promoting adherence, and facilitating shared decision-making including verbal and written communication of highly complex drug or medicine related information to patients and relatives or carers including patients who may have language difficulties, physical or mental disabilities.
•    To identify service improvement opportunities to meet the changing requirements of both the patient population and the Trust and take a pro-active role in the development and implementation of these initiatives both within the Trust and with external agencies across the network where applicable e.g.: Greater Manchester Breast pathway board, NorthWest Genomics Laboratory Hub.

•    To drive innovation in the treatment of patients with breast cancer, including pharmacist-led clinics, supportive care interventions, and digital prescribing systems (EPMA).
•    To establish a series of performance measures (discussed and agreed with the Consultant breast cancer pharmacist, and Service Manager & the Director of Pharmacy) against which the success of the post will be measured and reviewed on an ongoing basis.

•    To lead and take responsibility for specific projects involving business planning for service expansion, workforce models, delivery of Trust and NHS strategy in shaping the breast cancer services across the organisation which may impact across or within departments, services or agencies external to the organization and collaborate with key stakeholders.

•    To work collaboratively with other organisations across the network to encourage and support the implementation of creative and innovative service models to improve healthcare inequality and drive efficiencies across the system.

•    To identify opportunities to reduce health inequalities and improve access to optimal breast cancer treatments across the network.
•    To develop, implement, and maintain treatment protocols, prescribing guidelines, standard operating procedures and patient information in collaboration with the consultant pharmacist, clinicians and nursing teams.
•    To collaborate in the development and monitoring of breast cancer-specific homecare, self-administration, and pathway optimisation initiatives and monitor expenditure across these areas.
•    To be responsible for proactive reporting, investigating and reviewing trends in medication incidents in collaboration with the Medicines Safety Officer. Including risk assessment and leading on the implementation of actions with the wider multidisciplinary team to reduce likelihood of future harm and share learning through relevant governance committees.

•    To maintain assurance that high-cost, high-risk medicines are used appropriately with robust governance processes.
•    To act as a national opinion leader through involvement in guideline development, advisory boards, and specialist forums.
•    To represent the Trust in regional and national projects to advance breast cancer pharmaceutical services.
•    To deputise for the Breast Cancer Consultant Pharmacist at local, regional, and national level meetings (e.g. GM Cancer Breast Pathway Board).
•    To continuously deliver and evaluate clinical pharmacy services and lead on service improvements to optimise breast cancer medication use and contribute to service/system efficiencies.

•    To provide specialist teaching, supervision, and mentorship to pharmacy staff, medical staff, nurses, allied health professionals and students.
•    To develop educational resources for both staff and patients and contribute to local and national training programmes in breast cancer and oncology pharmacy.
•    To initiate, plan, organise, lead and participate in research, clinical audits, quality improvement projects, and service evaluation and disseminate findings through publications, conferences, and professional networks.
•    To monitor and forecast breast cancer drug expenditure in collaboration with pharmacy leadership and consultant teams 
•    To ensure safe, effective, and cost-efficient use of medicines for patients with breast cancer, including horizon scanning and implementation of commissioning decisions. 
•    To analyse prescribing trends and implement cost-saving initiatives while maintaining patient safety and outcomes including the generation of reports from Electronic Prescribing Systems where required.
•    To provide expert advice on procurement, named-patient requests, and management of drug shortages.
•    To provide direct line management and professional leadership for specialist breast cancer pharmacists and pharmacy technicians within the oncology clinical pharmacy team.
•    To undertake appraisals, supervision, training, and performance management of staff.
•    To ensure service continuity and clinical excellence through effective workforce planning and mentoring.
•    To act as a role model and mentor for junior pharmacists and clinical pharmacy technicians including clinical verification training and clinical diplomas. 
•    To identify and develop career pathways for advanced practice, including support for pharmacists and other healthcare professionals undertaking the independent prescribing qualification.
•    To actively participate in the clinical pharmacy ward service rota to all patients within the Trust as required

•    To be responsible for the clinical screening/review of SACT prescriptions for designated patient groups, to clinically screen/ review in-patient and outpatient prescriptions.

•    To participate in weekend and Bank Holiday rotas and additional out of hours duties as required to meet the needs of the service.

•    To maintain CPD and professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
•    To adhere to Trust and national medicines legislation, guidelines, and safety standards, including intrathecal chemotherapy policies.
•    To make sustainable choices around medicines where appropriate to reduce carbon footprint of the Trust and help the NHS supply chain achieve the net zero target

•    Undertake any other duties consistent with the grade and scope of the role, as required by senior staff.