Specialist Breast Cancer Pharmacist

Job overview

We currently have an opportunity for highly motivated, enthusiastic specialist clinical pharmacist (band 8a) to join our team. The post holder will be part of the wider clinical pharmacy team providing pharmacy services to patients across all disease groups but will work predominantly within the breast cancer disease group supervising Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapies for patients with breast cancer. The post holder(s) will be accountable for the delivery of specialist clinical pharmacy services, supporting the cancer disease group in conjunction with other specialist breast cancer pharmacists and have an active role in the outpatient clinic setting with regards to prescribing.  The Pharmacy Department actively supports a number of collaborative projects alongside several research partners and has strong links with the University of Manchester.  Several members of our staff have undertaken post graduate training, research and other secondment opportunities and we are keen to support further opportunities.

If you are enthusiastic and keen to make a positive contribution to the care of cancer patients, we would like to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

To deliver and evaluate clinical pharmacy services to breast cancer patients. To supervise and prescribe Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapies and supportive treatments for patients being treated for breast cancer. To develop and maintain highly specialist knowledge in medicines used within the Trust especially in relation to the designated cancer disease group.  To promote the safe, efficient and cost effective use of medicine resources to the designated cancer disease group by the provision of education and training, procedures, policies and guidelines, and medicine usage information. To contribute to the wider clinical pharmacy service for patients being treated across all disease groups.  Although the pharmacy service is based at The Christie Hospital main site, postholders may be required to work at any location across the Greater Manchester and Cheshire Cancer Network. The Trust has a flexible working policy and, subject to service commitments, it may also be possible to support an element of working from home.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To provide specialist clinical pharmacy services to a designated cancer disease group in accordance with all departmental, Trust and national standards, procedures and policies. To be responsible for the direct delivery and development of an out-patient clinical practice, or within the day case setting within the Trust or at Trust peripheral locations. To work closely with and provide pharmaceutical advice to medical staff, other members of the multi-disciplinary team and patients. •    To work as an independent prescriber within the designated disease group working alongside the relevant consultant team. •    To develop contributions to pharmacist led clinic streams e.g oral SACT delivery models, if appropriate to the designated disease group in line with service improvements. •    To audit and evaluate pharmacist led clinic streams / pharmacist prescribing within the designated disease group as appropriate for service evaluation and improvement.   •    To develop and maintain drug protocols and treatment guidelines both within the clinical pharmacy service and the designated cancer disease group. Reviewing evidence-based guidelines and protocols in conjunction with fellow healthcare professionals, in order to advance the safe, clinical effective and cost-efficient use of medicines for patients. •    To contribute to clinical pharmacy services including ward-based services within the Trust.  •    To produce shared care protocols where appropriate and to attend meetings with primary care representatives, where relevant. •    To attend and contribute to meetings relevant to the designated disease group as appropriate. •    To liaise with the Director of Pharmacy, and the lead designated cancer disease group consultants, to forecast drug expenditure and to identify or any changes in prescribing practices that may potentially impact on the drugs budget (drug forecasting). •    Gain an understanding of the principle and practice of the Trust's budgeting system and support the management of drug expenditure by clinicians and senior managers . •    Represent the pharmacy service at appropriate clinical unit and divisional meetings on request. •    To monitor and interpret published evidence and computer reports of drug usage, to use this data to report to the lead clinicians and Director of Pharmacy, implementing agreed policies aimed at improving patient outcomes and containing drug expenditure. •    To provide evaluated pharmaceutical information to the Drugs and Therapeutic Committee as requested. •    To support prescribing at the individual patient level, contributing to the optimisation of patients’ drug therapy with due consideration to risk/benefit issues. •    To provide pharmaceutical care, contributing to the multi-professional team through ward pharmacy services and attendance on appropriate clinician’s ward rounds and meetings. •    Facilitate effective communication about relevant pharmacy issues to clinicians and senior managers and the identification of opportunities for development of pharmacy services to match identified services and care needs. •    To demonstrate awareness and commitment to the Trust’s Clinical Governance Plan. •    In conjunction with the Principal Pharmacist in Clinical Services, to establish processes for the setting of standards of care, identifying the risks involved and implement changes that need to occur to achieve these. •    To undertake clinical audit and practice research as part of the multi-disciplinary audit process within the designated disease group and clinical pharmacy service. •    To participate in research opportunities internal or external to the Trust in collaboration with disease group or university faculties.  •    To identify and report any systemic or preventable errors associated with medicines within the Network Services division and facilitate learning.

General Duties •    To assist and participate in the development, implementation and management of training initiatives and competency frameworks within the clinical pharmacy service. •    Together with colleagues to be involved in the maintenance of cost-effective and efficient pharmacy services and to participate in their regular review and development. •    To participate in clinical audit or practice research as required.  •    To represent pharmacy and act as a link person at relevant meetings and conferences . •    To provide education and training to pharmacy, medical and nursing staff. •    To act as a mentor / role model to junior pharmacists and undertake regular appraisals.  •    To participate in the clinical training of pharmacists and foundation year pharmacists. •    To actively participate in the clinical pharmacy ward service rota to all patients within the Trust as required. •    To be responsible for the clinical screening/review of SACT prescriptions for designated patient groups, including clinical trial prescriptions and to clinically screen/ review in-patient and outpatient prescriptions. •    To check and supply medication to and for patients, including clinical trials and to counsel patients or medical or nursing staff on their correct use. •    To participate in prescription clinical screening. •    To give advice on the storage, administration and therapeutic use of drugs to patients, medical / nursing staff and other colleagues. To provide written information as necessary.  •    To follow local, Trust and National guidelines for safe medicines practice. •    To identify own training needs. •    Maintain a CPD portfolio. •    To participate in weekend and Bank Holiday rotas and additional out of hours duties as required to meet the needs of the service. •    To undertake any other duties consistent with the nature of the post as requested by the Pharmacy Managers and the Trust.