Senior Pharmacist, Critical Care

Job overview

An exciting and rare opportunity has arisen for an exceptional clinical pharmacist to join our large and friendly pharmacy team at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. The successful pharmacist will join our other highly valued Senior Pharmacist and play a vital role in providing a specialised clinical service to patients across Critical Care.

The post holder will lead the provision of a comprehensive, high-quality clinical pharmacy service across Critical Care, including, but not limited to, General Critical Care unit (30 bedded), Cardiothoracic Critical Care unit (16 bedded), and the Critical Care Outreach team. At UHCW the Critical Care footprint aligns closely to the Cardiothoracic department, the post holder will therefore work closely with the cardiology pharmacy team.

The role will provide strategic, clinical and operational leadership to ensure safe, effective and value-based use of medicines across these areas. Working closely with Lead Pharmacists, senior clinicians, nurses, and service managers, the post holder will develop, implement, and monitor policies, guidelines, and governance processes relating to the use of medicines in Critical Care.

Successful applicants will be required to provide an immunisation and vaccination report, from either their current UK occupational health provider or their UK GP.

Main duties of the job

• Provide specialist clinical pharmacy service by participating in MDT ward rounds and practice as Independent Prescriber optimising medication.
• Be responsible for all aspects of medicines management and optimisation within their areas.
• Operational leadership of the critical care pharmacy service including day to day running, governance and risk management, and having financial oversight.
• Provide education and training to the Critical Care department and provide supervision and professional development for the rotational pharmacists

The role includes direct patient-facing responsibilities, independent prescribing (or progression towards it), complex medicines optimisation decisions, multidisciplinary working, financial stewardship of high-cost drug budgets, and leadership of quality improvement projects aligned with UHCWi.

Please be advised that interviews for this post are due to take place.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Provide effective clinical and medicines optimisation service to patients admitted and discharged through Critical Care. This includes leading on all aspects of prescribing, administration and governance within the specified specialitie
• Liaise with Pharmacy Managers/Team Leaders, Senior Clinicians and Senior Nurse Managers in Critical Care services, to co-ordinate and ensure all services from pharmacy provide the best in seamless pharmaceutical care for these patients, innovating service change when necessary to achieve this
• Attend daily consultant-led multi-professional ward rounds to actively facilitate and provide highly complex medication review and guide doctors in appropriate therapy choice for patients and avoidance of medication errors where advice may regularly be challenged.
• Attend weekly therapy- led long term ward rounds focussing on progressive rehabilitation and multidisciplinary goal setting.
• To prescribe medicines in their capacity of an Independent Prescriber in line with current legislation, local policies and within their own level of experience and competence.
• Ensuring that wards and duties are clinically and operationally covered, while taking into account the needs of the service and the requirements of the team members allocated to
• Critical Care, Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery department, ensuring that patients are seen by the most appropriate pharmacist and that the best level of service is provided in terms available resource and capacity. This will include the preparation of rotas and responding to annual leave and sick leave.
• Being actively involved and representing pharmacy at the West Midlands Adult Critical Care Network Pharmacist Group and at national/regional multidisciplinary specialist interest groups relevant to Critical Care, e.g., UKCPA Critical Care Pharmacy Group.
• Act as the point of liaison for any service developments that involves medicines or pharmacy services in Critical Care.
• To support the development, implementation and adherence to local and national guidelines/policies to ensure cost-effective and safe prescribing within the specialities.
• To support the division in managing their drugs budget, provide information on trends in drug expenditure in relation to the drug budget. This also includes horizon scanning and supporting new drug evaluations through the Trust Drugs and Therapeutics Committee.
• To identify and manage the risks associated with medication use at UHCW NHS Trust
• Investigation of complaints and clinical incidents under the direction of the Pharmacy Governance and Safety Team and the wider multidisciplinary team. To support the investigation of medication related incidents and formulation/delivery of action plans across the Trust to address any problems identified within Critical Care.
• To act as a mentor and role model as an expert clinical pharmacist; manager and leader.
• To support and contribute to the clinical governance agenda(s) of the Critical Care.
• Support with the provision of parenteral nutrition to critical care patients when required.
• To assist the specialty in formulary related issues including the preparation of new drug request forms, for submission to the Drugs and Therapeutic Committee. To advise the pharmacy procurement lead of proposed changes in prescribing, to ensure that stock reflects usage, and that competitive purchase prices are achieved.

For further details of the role please see the attached job description.