Specialist Clinical Pharmacist Paediatric and Neonatal Services

Job overview

Specialist Clinical Pharmacist Paediatric and Neonatal Services, Band 7

We are looking for enthusiastic, patient-orientated clinical pharmacist to join our supportive clinical pharmacy team within paediatric and neonatal services at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

You will become an integral member of our clinical pharmacy team, ensuring safe and effective prescribing and management of medication. Working at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital the specialist paediatric and neonatal pharmacist is responsible for providing the clinical pharmacy service to Paediatric and Neonatal areas in order to promote safe, rational, effective and economic use of medicines. This includes responsibility for clinically screening standardised neonatal parenteral nutrition and paediatric chemotherapy as part of the local POSCU MDT. The post holder will also act as deputy to the Lead Pharmacist for Women and Children and will also be expected to provide clinical pharmacy cover to the gynaecology ward on a rotational basis.

Please contact the Clinical Pharmacist Lead for more information: mira.vujasin@nhs.net or the current post holder eleanor.mortimer1@nhs.net

Telephone 0300 422 4713

Job description

Provide Clinical Services to Paediatrics and Neonates

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

- Resolve any discrepancies and problems identified

- Provide specialist information and advice to consultants, junior medical staff

- Provide information and advice to nursing staff on a daily basis,

- Educate families/patients as appropriate about their medication

- Communicate with patients, carers, community pharmacists and GP surgeries as necessary

- Liaise with families/patients, GP surgeries and community pharmacists

- Access and interpret clinical information for specific patients (e.g. from Trak Care, EPR, Pharmacy, Chemocare and IPS computer systems

- Participate in Consultant ward rounds as appropriate, providing specialist pharmaceutical advice and information

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

- Report clinical incidents and respond to drug errors

- Ensure patients and parents/carers are appropriately counselled

- Work in an effective team with technicians

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

- Attend weekly specialist MDTs for treatment planning

- Be responsible for clinically screening and ordering neonatal parenteral nutrition

Job responsibilities

Act as the first point of contact between pharmacy and the clinical specialty or directorate.

Responsibilities include:

- To monitor drug expenditure in your area of responsibility and prepare reports as required by the Clinical Pharmacy lead 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 Paediatric and Neonatal services

- 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 Pharmacy Lead

- Participate in Paediatric and Neonatal Risk and Governance forums

- Represent the Trust at regional and national meetings as required

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.

- 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.

- 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 departments 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:

Prescribing

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

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 departments development programme for pharmacy staff through the provision of teaching sessions.

About the organisation

With a team of over 9,000 employees, we are proud to be the largest employer in Gloucestershire and rank among the top 10 largest Trusts in the South West region. By joining our Trust, you will benefit from an excellent package that includes exclusive benefits, flexible working opportunities and the chance to gain valuable experience in one of our innovative hospitals. Both hospitals are located in the city centres with access to shops and cafes.

The pharmacy department has approximately 240 staff. The 2 sites provide dispensary services to inpatients & outpatients, medicines information, procurement services and full clinical service to wards.

Pharmacy is at the forefront of many exciting projects including an award-winning service provided by pharmacist prescribers in orthopaedic pre-admission clinic.

Within the department are specialist clinical teams; the Specialist Mental Health Pharmacy facilitates delivery of Specialist services for Mental Health & Learning Disabilities. The cancer services team provide a pharmacy service at both sites for oncology & haematology and satellite pharmacy.

We are a friendly, inclusive department who nurture and develop our staff at all grades, from a mentoring programme for band 6 pharmacists to the development of pharmacist prescribers.

Within the Pharmacy department at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHSFT, we are committed to supporting the South West Inclusive Pharmacy Practice manifesto (https://pwds.nhs.uk/associates/sw-ipp/ )

Person specification

Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Active registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council GPhC
• United Kingdom recognised Degree in Pharmacy
• Completed and passed 1st year of Post Graduate Clinical Pharmacy Diploma
• Self-motivated, able to use initiative & prioritise workload as well as work as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Excellent communication skills in written application
• Be proficient in IT and applications including Word, Excel, Outlook, Sunrise EPR and EMIS
• Supervise, educate, mentor, support and assess others (MOTs, junior pharmacists, foundation pharmacists, medical students
• Identify and implement measures to improve cost-effective prescribing
• Able to undertake audit of drug use and expenditure and/or quality improvement for clinical pharmacy service development
• Previous experience providing a clinical pharmacy service in a hospital setting or significant clinical pharmacy experience as a qualified pharmacist
• Previous experience providing a clinical pharmacy service in a paediatric and neonatal setting
• Work within a multi-disciplinary team and participate in Consultant Ward Rounds
• Adaptable to the changing needs of the service including flexible working patterns (e.g. weekend working and working at both sites)
• Reliable, polite and approachable
• Awareness of professional and personal limitations, and willing to seek advice and support where necessary
• Excellent interpersonal skills. Able to challenge inappropriate prescribing and influence prescribing decisions of all healthcare professionals including senior medical colleagues
• Able to effectively and appropriately escalate concerns to reduce risk & promote safety

Desirable

• Completed or willingness to complete Post Graduate certificate in Non-Medical Prescribing
• Work within a multi-disciplinary team and participate in Consultant Ward Rounds

Supporting documents

• 318-26-T0645 Job Description & Person Specification.pdf (PDF, 240 KB)