Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Roles and responsibilities

Women and Children

·         Provide a clinical ward pharmacy service to W&C division wards, which includes neonates, paediatrics and obstetrics.

·         Provide day-to-day support to the Sunshine & Paediatric Short Stay Unit (PSSU).

·         Support the W&C divisional pharmacist in the development, implementation and review of medicine related guidelines, policies and procedures, and Patient Group Directions within the speciality.

·         Undertake audits and quality improvement projects within the division.

·         Support with the development and implementation of shared-care guidelines to promote seamless care for patients.

·         Support with the development and review of new drug applications.

·         Gain an insight on the drug’s budget and drug expenditure within the division.

·         Support the integration of clinical pharmacy services within the MDT and within strategic decision making.

·         Undertake medicines reviews to reduce inappropriate polypharmacy and adverse effects and to improve adherence and patients’ understanding of medicines.

·         Review and analyse medication errors and complete incident reports as necessary.

·         Work closely with Medicines Management Technicians (MMTs) and supervise junior pharmacy staff.

 

General Clinical Practice

·         Be responsible and accountable for the clinical pharmacy service provided.

o   Review prescriptions for accuracy and legality and identify actual or potential problems.

o   Ensure the effective supply of medicines suitable for use as an inpatient and appropriately labelled for discharge if applicable.

o   Ensure the effective outcomes of treatment with medicines.

o   Monitor patients for potential and actual adverse effects of their medicines.

o   Take steps to ensure patients understand the purpose of their medicines and deal with any practical issues that may prevent the optimal use of their medicines.

o   Support the planning of patient discharge with respect to medication, including the transcription of requests for dispensing.

o   Demonstrate professional accountability to patients.

·         Liaise and work closely with the senior clinical pharmacy team to develop clinical pharmacy services to the division including ward pharmacy and medicines management.

·         Aim to provide safe, clinically effective and cost-efficient use of drugs in the patients as allocated.

·         Make appropriate referrals where necessary; ensure the clear and effective communication of patients’ pharmaceutical needs to other pharmacists and health care professionals both within the trust and in other health care environments.

·         Demonstrate and apply general pharmaceutical knowledge, and where applicable, specialist clinical pharmacy knowledge in core areas in order to plan, manage, monitor and review therapeutic programmes for patients allocated, thereby ensuring the quality of patient care.

• Participate in ward rounds to integrate into the multidisciplinary team and raise the pharmacy profile via contributions at consultant level.

·         Demonstrate appropriate clinical reasoning and judgement.

·         Work across traditional boundaries, including the transcription of discharge medication.

·         Be readily available and keen to answer any general medicine related pharmaceutical queries from patients, pharmacists and other members of staff within pharmacy as well as from other health care professionals including medical staff.

·         Proactively provide advice and information on any pharmaceutical issues within the division to pharmacy staff and other healthcare professionals as needed.

·         Demonstrate awareness and commitment to the Trust’s Clinical Governance Agenda.

·         Support the maintenance and development of the Medicines Management Initiatives including use of patients own medicines and self-medication.

 

Leadership

·         Act as a role model for junior pharmacists and trainee pharmacists in the rotation.

·         Promote best practice e.g. evidence-based practice through prescription monitoring.

·         Implement and/or follow agreed clinical governance initiatives such as incident/error reporting and investigation.

·         Develop clinical pharmacy services in line with local and national objectives and contribute to pharmacy research initiatives being undertaken within the department.

·         Be involved in the process of recruitment and selection of staff.

 

Management of Service

·         Ensure national and local agendas are delivered.

·         Follow and conform to relevant standards of care.

·         Identify and manage risks in relation to medicines use according to policy/protocol.

·         Delegate duties / responsibilities appropriately to junior staff.

·         Evaluate the performance of junior staff against identified criteria using departmental/Trust IPR tools and General Level Competence Framework.

·         Provide evaluated pharmaceutical and financial information in accordance with the needs of the division.

·         Identify changes in prescribing practices that may impact on the drugs budget, thereby providing information on drug usage and expenditure to the division.

·         Deputise for the Lead Divisional Pharmacist – W&C as required and represent pharmacy at divisional meetings.

 

 

Evaluation of Service

·         Monitor clinical pharmacy in order to ensure safe, clinically effective and cost efficient use of drugs in these patients.

·         Document the workload and quality of pharmacy services in line with departmental and corporate objectives.

·         Perform audits of drug usage within the division as part of the multi-disciplinary audit process, based on national and service priorities e.g. NICE, CQUIN, and locally agreed requirements.

·         Undertake assessments/evaluations as required e.g. of unlicensed or new products within the allocated speciality.

 

Research and Service Development

 

·         Demonstrate a critical approach towards pharmacy practice.

·         Integrate research evidence into practice.

·         Develop clinical pathways within the speciality area. 

·         Actively seek to improve the ward and clinical services provided.

·         Assist with the supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate projects.

·         Adopt continuous improvement methodology and support Pharmacy in becoming a continuous improvement department.

 

 

Education and Training

·         Participate in the training and supervision of junior pharmacists, trainee pharmacists and MMTs in providing a clinical pharmacy service.

·         Identify training needs of junior staff in order to undertake their required roles.

·         Develop strategies to meet the training needs of staff.

·         Provide education and training to pharmacy and other staff.

·         Evaluate the training provided.

·         Participate in the clinical training of medical and nursing staff.

·         Identify own training needs and maintain a portfolio of practice.

·         Participate in the Departmental Education and Training Programme and ensure that a written record of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is maintained for review at appraisal.

·         Participate in in-service clinical pharmacy teaching and multi-disciplinary teaching as appropriate.

• Act as a GPhC trainee pharmacist Practice Supervisor/ Educational Supervisor (depending on experience).
• Actively participate in the development of current and future pharmacy workforce.
• Participate in and help co-ordinate pharmacy department clinical meetings and lunch time teaching sessions.

 

 

Other

 

·         Maintain a broad level of pharmacy practice through ensuring a sound base of pharmaceutical knowledge.

·         Ensure all communication, which may be complex, contentious or sensitive, is undertaken in a responsive and inclusive manner, focusing on improvement and ways to move forward. 

·         Ensure all communication is presented appropriately to the different recipients, according to levels of understanding, type of communication being imparted and possible barriers such as language, culture, understanding or physical or mental health conditions.

·         Participate in education and training programmes to develop skills as part of a commitment to continuing education and the concept of lifelong learning.

·         Be aware of, and apply, relevant legislation such as the H & SAWA, COSHH, Medicines Act, GMP etc.

·         At all times practice in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

·         Follow legal, ethical, professional and employers’ codes of conduct.

·         To provide dispensary cover on a rotational basis.

·         Any other duties as reasonably required within the band and overall scope of role.

·         To participate in on-call, weekend/bank holiday and shift working as well as 7 day working when required on a rotational basis. 

·         To participate in Practice Research as required.

 

This job description may be subject to change according to the varying needs of the service. Such changes will be made after discussion between the post holder and his/her manager.

 

All duties must be carried out under supervision or within Trust policy and procedure. You must never undertake any duties that are outside your area of skill or knowledge level. If you are unsure you must seek clarification from a more senior member of staff.