Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1.      Clinical Practice

• Be responsible and accountable for the clinical pharmacy service provided to patients.

·         Liaise with Associate Chief Pharmacist to provide and develop clinical pharmacy services to the Directorate 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.

·         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 and across the interface.

·         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.

2.     Leadership

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

·         Identify and promote best (evidence based) practice with the aim of improving patient experience and outcomes.

·         Ensure the delivery of the Trust clinical governance agenda in relation to EIC Division.

·         Motivate and inspire others (within pharmacy and throughout the Trust) to improve care and create a pleasant working environment.

·         Demonstrate innovation and improvement within the field of pharmacy practice.

·         Work collaboratively with healthcare staff, managers, academics, improvers and patients to deliver the service development agenda for medicine in accordance with agreed objectives.

·         Contribute to the development of clinical pharmacy services in line with local and national objectives.

·         Contribute to pharmacy research initiatives being undertaken within the department.

·         Represent Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Foundation Trust at appropriate external meetings in order to network and share learning at a local and national level.

3.     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 local and National tools and General Level Competence Framework.

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

·         To provide clinical pharmacy services for patients admitted to medicine wards, acute medical wards, Ambulatory Care and Emergency Department in accordance with the priorities set by Associate Chief Pharmacist.

·         Monitor drug expenditure within the directorate and to participate in the negotiations of contracts as appropriate with the aim of saving agreed targets savings each year.

·         Identify changes in prescribing practices that may impact on the drugs budget, including new prescribing practices (horizon scanning).

·         Provide advice on the cost effective use of medicines within the directorate including the implementation of prescribing guidelines in this area.

·         Oversee the provision of medicines to patients at home using home care delivery companies.

·         Review drug related incidences that occur within the directorate and implement actions to reduce re-occurrence. This involves compiling monthly reports and attendance and feedback at Divisional Quality Board.

·         Liaise closely with Lead Medicines Management Pharmacy Technician to roll out medicines management services to the directorate.

·         Represent Pharmacy/Directorate on Trust committees or groups where appropriate.

·         Provide advice on the implementation and maintenance of Patient Group Directions used in the directorate.

·         To act as a Mental Health Link Pharmacist for the directorate to support patient care and individuals as required.

·         Be responsible for recruitment and retention of staff for the pharmacy medicine team.

·         Review all resident handovers and deal with all issues relevant to the directorate, providing feedback and training where necessary.

·         Be responsible for leading Discharge Medicines Service for the pharmacy department. Evaluating and reporting of referral rates at the Discharge Medicines Service (DMS) Implementation Group.

4.     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.

·         Evaluate the quality of pharmacy services to ensure they are recognised as leading the field in line with corporate objectives and the clinical governance agenda.

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

·         Supervise and undertake clinical audit as part of the multi-disciplinary audit process.

5.     Research and Service Development

·         Manage agreed improvement work streams to deliver medicines optimisation improvements within pharmacy and the wider medicine directorate.

·         Demonstrate a critical approach towards pharmacy practice within the Medicine Directorate.

·         Undertake own practice research and disseminate findings.

·         Integrate research evidence into practice.

·         Develop clinical pathways within speciality area. 

·         As the Quality Improvement lead be responsible for presenting at the Divisional Quality Improvement Group and provide leadership and support to QI projects within the department.

·         Support JPB diploma students doing QI/Service improvement modules.

·         Actively seek to improve the ward and clinical services provided using Quality Improvement Methodology.

·         Assist with the supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate projects.

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

6.     Education and Training

·         Participate in the training and supervision of junior pharmacists, trainee pharmacists and pharmacy undergraduates in providing and improving the clinical pharmacy service to medical patients.

·         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 ward 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.

·         Actively participate in the development of current and future pharmacy workforce.

·         Act as a GPhC trainee pharmacist Practice Supervisor/ Educational Supervisor as required.

7.     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.