Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Provision of Clinical Services/Clinical Responsibilities

Collecting, interpreting and documenting details of medication taken at home (the medication history).

Confirming details of the medication history with the patient, carer(s), GP Receptionist, the GP (occasionally), and by reviewing the patient’s own drugs from home if available, working alongside the Medicines Management Pharmacy Technicians.

Confirming and documenting important factors affecting the patient’s ability to manage their medicines at home (e.g. sight, hearing, manual dexterity, and use of a compliance aid).

Resolving any discrepancies and problems identified as a prescriber, to complete medicines reconciliation.

Review prescriptions to ensure they are legal, safe, cost-effective, clinically necessary and appropriate, accurate, and complete.

Undertake Medicines Optimisation

Arrange for drugs to be supplied to patients, ward(s) or department(s).

Provide information and advice to nursing staff on a daily basis, about drugs, doses, administration and potential side-effects.

Provide information and advice to junior medical staff on a daily basis, and to Consultants as and when needed, including suggestions for initiating and modifying treatment.

Educate patients as appropriate about changes to their medication, and how to take specific medicines (e.g. warfarin, inhaler devices).

Access and interpret clinical information for specific patients (e.g. e-PMA system (Sunrise Clinical Manager), Patient Administration system (TrakCare), Pharmacy computer system (EMIS) as well as case notes and Summary Care Record (SCR)), and use it to individualise and monitor treatment.

Document relevant clinical and pharmaceutical information during in-patient stay which may be used to prepare discharge prescription and/or communicated to patient, carer(s) or GP.

Review discharge prescriptions written by medical staff, using professional judgement to make a final decision about content and appropriateness of discharge prescriptions when a suitable prescriber cannot be contacted.

Participate in Consultant ward rounds as appropriate, providing pharmaceutical advice and information to medical staff, nursing staff, and patients as part of a multi-professional team.

Undertake risk management and ensure compliance with legislation and relevant national policies and guidelines, along with local policies and procedures including the Trust Formulary.

Work in an effective team with technicians involved in Trust Medicines Management scheme on designated wards.

Usually work unsupervised, although the post-holder can seek advice from a range of colleagues as and when required.

Act as link between pharmacy and designated clinical speciality or directorate.

Responsibilities include:

To monitor drug expenditure in your area of responsibility and prepare reports as required by the Clinical Pharmacy leads on drug usage and expenditure within a clinical area.

Collect relevant data to monitor and develop the clinical pharmacy service including:

clinical intervention monitoring

clinical pharmacy performance indicators/quality issues (e.g. missed doses and cost savings)

multidisciplinary audit

Monitor prescribing in order to make suggestions to clinicians for ensuring rational and cost-effective prescribing within the clinical area

Develop, implement, monitor and revise policies and procedures relating to drug use within designated area of responsibility

Represent the service, and occasionally the department, as part of multi-professional teams, and at meetings within the designated area of responsibility whilst acting as deputy for the Clinical Pharmacist Leads for Medicine/Surgery.

General Duties

Maintain safe systems of work at all times, being responsible for the quality and accuracy of all work undertaken.

Be one of the escalation points for dispensary queries.

Promote positive and effective communication within the Pharmacy Department.

Maintain sensitivity to the needs of patients, staff and other users of the service.

Contribute to the ongoing operational provision of the pharmacy service, as per department rotas, to meet the needs of the service.

Maintain sensitivity to the various problems and needs of patients, staff and other users of the service ensuring that services are safe and meet their needs.

Carry out any other reasonable duty at the request of the Associate Pharmacy Director(s) as part of service provision and ensuring a safe and efficient Pharmacy and medicines optimisation service.

Checking the dispensing performed by other pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and assistants.

Contribute to the provision of 7 day working.

Based on the needs of the service and at the discretion of the Associate Pharmacy Director(s), the post-holder may be required to work at either the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital or Cheltenham General Hospital sites.

Other duties within Pharmacy Department          

The post-holder will work in the dispensary, as the sole Pharmacist on some occasions per week.  Duties include:

Clinical Validation of in-patient prescription charts, out-patient and discharge prescriptions for legality, safety and suitability of medication.  Resolving issues with the prescriber as necessary

Maintaining the workflow of the department and problem-solving when required

 Checking the dispensing performed by other pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and assistants 

Participate in the department’s development programme for pharmacy staff through the provision of teaching sessions.

Support clinical placements for undergraduate pharmacy students and participate in the programme through support during their dispensary experience

 Participation in the Emergency Duty Service and 7-day working

The post-holder will provide emergency out of hours cover for the pharmacy department (On Call).  The provision of on call could be on either the Gloucestershire Royal or Cheltenham General site based on the needs of the service and as decided by the Associate Pharmacy Directors. The on-call service entails:

Being the first point of contact for the pharmacy department out of hours in the event of a major incident, and for information, advice and supply of any items required.

Being able to evaluate the appropriateness of requests made to the post holder and to be able to prioritise the response to that request.

Opening up the pharmacy department at unsociable hours to provide medication or advice that is needed urgently.

Being able to clearly elicit information and communicate responses to all grades of staff including consultants and senior managers.

Being able to refer to other specialist pharmacy colleagues if the post-holder requires assistance.

Participation in 7 day working systems as these evolve

Participation in the dispensary late night rota including responsibility for locking up the department at the end of the working day

Prescribing

If post holder holds a Certificate in Professional Studies/Postgraduate Certificate in Non-Medical Prescribing they must practise within the boundaries of local strategy, professional guidance and the law.

Prescribe medicines for agreed patients within their competency as a dependent (e.g. supplementary) prescriber in line with current legislation, local policies and within their own level of experience and competence

Prescribe medicines in their competency as an independent prescriber in line with current legislation, local policies and within their own level of experience and competence

Professional Development, Education and Training

Participate in the departmental clinical pharmacy induction and development programme through;

Involvement in the devising of training and development programmes.

Teaching sessions and tutorials to Foundation pharmacy graduates and band 6 pharmacists within the department.

Clinical supervisor for junior pharmacists rotating through area of clinical responsibility, including carrying out monthly assessed accompanied ward visits.

Act as a clinical diploma tutor for junior pharmacists

Participate in the department’s development programme for pharmacy staff through the provision of teaching sessions.

Conduct formal and in-formal teaching sessions for medical students, pre-registration nurses, registered nurses and medical staff on;

Therapeutics within area of clinical responsibility.

The area of prescribing and administering medicines and appropriate trust policies.

Support clinical placements for undergraduate pharmacy students and participate in the programme through;

Supervision of ward-based activities

Tutorials

Assessment of student’s participation and work produced during placement, and the provision of formal feedback to the university as required.