Job summary

Relocation expenses, in accordance with trust policy, are available for this position up to a maximum value of £4,000.

We are looking for enthusiastic patient-orientated clinical pharmacists to join our supportive clinical pharmacy team at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

We have a progressive rotational programme, enabling pharmacists undertaking the Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy to smoothly transition from the band 6 pharmacist role and establish themselves as clinical pharmacists with initial, shorter rotations (4-months). As clinical pharmacists develop and gain more experience, advanced rotations follow (6- or 12-months) with the additional responsibility of a designated speciality. All clinical pharmacists are provided the opportunity to undertake, and supported through, a non-medical prescribing qualification.

You will become an integral member of our clinical pharmacy team, ensuring safe and effective prescribing and management of medication. Working across both our hospitals, Gloucestershire Royal and Cheltenham General, you will be able to rotate through a wide-variety of clinical specialities, taking in to consideration your areas of interest.

To discuss the role further, or to arrange an informal visit, please contact Clinical Pharmacist Leads: David Richards (), Elisabeth Willis, () Carys Hoskins, ( or Liz Beechey (

Main duties of the job

- Provide clinical pharmacy service as part of a rotation to one or more specific clinical areas in order to promote safe, rational, effective and economic use of medicines.

- To act as deputy to the Clinical Pharmacist Leads for Medicine/Surgery

- Provide expert pharmaceutical advice to a clinical area(s) and provide clinical pharmacy cover to other areas as required

- Participation in the weekend pharmacy service rota as we move towards 7-day working.

- Undertake teaching and clinical supervision of pharmacists, foundation pharmacists, Medicines Optimisation Technicians and undergraduate pharmacy students.

- Undertake audits and service improvement projects within clinical pharmacy.

- Impact upon pay and non-pay budgets:The post-holder is expected to exert a downward influence upon drug expenditure within the trust and demonstrate actual cost savings on individual wards by improving the efficiency of the prescribing and dispensing process.

- Some day-to-day supervision of band 6 Pharmacists covering wards (1-2 staff) and Medicines Optimisation technicians (1-2 staff)

About us

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is the largest employer in the county and with over 8,000 staff, we are one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK. We offer a generous annual leave allowance, discounts for local shops, restaurants and services, access to our health and well-being hub, access to our two on-site nurseries, flexible working options, discounted public transport, reward and recognition schemes, exercise and activity classes and membership to our popular hospital choir. 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; the onsite aseptic and manufacturing services are centralised at CGH.

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.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Provision of Clinical Pharmacy Service to clinical area of responsibility.

- 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 patients own drugs from home if available, working alongside the Medicines Management Pharmacy Technicians.

- Confirming and documenting important factors affecting the patients ability to manage their medicines at home ( 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 ( warfarin, inhaler devices).

- Access and interpret clinical information for specific patients ( 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 ( 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.

Working in other areas within Pharmacy Department

The post-holder may be required to work in the dispensary, manufacturing unit or medicines information. They would be working at a supervisory level, acting as deputies for managers when covering annual leave. They would be in sole charge of the section for a proportion of this time.

Provide a clinical pharmacy service to other clinical areas when required to cover for colleagues. During Surgical ward cover, post holder may be involved in monitoring TPN. This is likely to be on a rotational basis.

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.

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 students participation and work produced during placement, and the provision of formal feedback to the university as required.

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 ( 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

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

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Active registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council GPhC United Kingdom recognised Degree in Pharmacy Completed and passed first year of Post Graduate Clinical Pharmacy Diploma

Desirable

Completed Post Graduate certificate in Non-Medical Prescribing

Experience

Desirable

Previous experience providing a clinical pharmacy service in a hospital setting Work within a multi-disciplinary team and participate in Consultant Ward Rounds

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

Self-motivated, able to use initiative & prioritise workload as well as work as part of a multi-disciplinary team Excellent communication skills, both oral and written. Able to communicate effectively with a wide range of other healthcare professionals and with patients 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 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) Undertake audit of drug use and expenditure and/or clinical pharmacy practice

Qualities

Essential

Adaptable to the changing needs of the service including flexible working patterns ( weekend working and working at both sites) Awareness of professional and personal limitations, and willing to seek advice and support where necessary