Specialist Cancer Pharmacist

Job overview

Are you looking to join a forward-thinking, dynamic cancer pharmacy team? At Oxford, you’ll be part of one of the largest specialist pharmacy services in the country, working alongside 2 Consultant Pharmacists, Highly Advanced and Advanced Cancer Pharmacists, and the very first Advanced Cancer Pharmacy Technicians in the UK.

This is a unique opportunity to collaborate with nationally and internationally recognised experts in cancer and palliative care. You’ll help deliver cutting-edge treatments, including ATMPs, CAR-T, HSCT, while also contributing to services at 1 of only 5 bone and soft tissue specialist centres in England.

Our pharmacist prescribers work closely with consultants and the wider MDT to review and prescribe SACTs, ensuring patients receive the highest standard of care.

At OUH, as a major clinical trials centre, we are actively involved in both early and late phase research. We believe every pharmacist role should be research-active, and support your pursuit of opportunities, including the chance to work towards a PhD.

We are happy to hear from B6 pharmacists who are soon to complete their clinical pharmacy diplomas or MSc degrees.

We are proud to provide comprehensive services for patients in Oxfordshire and beyond. With oncology, clinical haematology, BMT unit, palliative care services, private unit, and close links with Cancer Research UK, our centre offers an unrivalled environment for learning, collaboration, and making a real difference for patients.

Main duties of the job

Key roles include:

• Delivery of high-quality pharmaceutical care to adult cancer in-patients, day-case, and out-patients.
• Participation in pharmacy services to the Day Treatment Unit to optimise patients’ understanding towards medications and reduce medicines wastage.
• Clinically screening and checking of systemic anticancer treatments (SACTs), SACT clinical trial treatments and supportive medication prescriptions.
• Participating in multidisciplinary meeting and ward rounds
• Pharmacist led oral anti-cancer treatment education clinics
• Pharmacist non-medical prescribing in multidisciplinary clinics and day treatment unit
• Aseptic experience within Pharmacy’s Clinical Trials Aseptic Services Unit (CTASU)
• Participating in the day to day running of the CTASU and developing knowledge in quality control and quality assurance.
• Involvement in cancer early and late phase clinical trials
• Active participation in Thames Valley Cancer Alliance groups

The post holder will participate in the band 7 cancer pharmacist rotation which currently includes rotations through:

• Oncology Ward (OWLs)
• Clinical Haematology Ward (CHW)
• Day Treatment Unit (Oncology & Haematology)
• Oncology and Haematology SACT clinical screening
• Early phase/Late phase research & SACT clinical trials screening
• Brodey Chemotherapy Day Unit, Horton Hospital, Banbury
• Clinical Trials Aseptic Unit
• Palliative Care

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To provide a ward-based clinical pharmacy service according to Trust agreed standards including:
• Confirmation of the patient’s medication history
• Medicines reconciliation and clinical screening
• Advise on dosage, side-effects, cautions and monitoring required
• Advise on administration of medicines
• Appropriate and clear endorsing of prescriptions to ensure safe practice
• Monitor the effect and appropriateness of medication
• Education of patients on their medication
• Involvement in discharge planning and provision of discharge medication
• To provide clinical pharmacy cover to other ward areas within the team on a reciprocal basis.
• To ensure medicines are used appropriately, safely and cost-effectively in accordance with Trust policies, standard operating procedures and medicines legislation.
• To monitor medicine use within the ward area. This includes recording of significant clinical interventions and risk management including:
• Participation in investigating clinical incidents
• Recording significant clinical incidents/near misses
• Ensuring compliance with medicines legislation and local policies
• To use available information to influence prescribers and ensure the most cost-effective choice of therapy.
• To participate in ward rounds, clinical meetings or out-patient clinics as appropriate in order to provide pharmaceutical advice to prescribers and other healthcare professionals.
• To liaise with external agencies to ensure safe, timely and appropriate supply to patients e.g. Baxter, Homecare companies etc, where appropriate.
• To participate in ward-based clinical audits and the development and implementation of treatment protocols and guidelines for use of medicines within the clinical area.
• To tutor and supervise rotational pharmacists undertaking the clinical diploma, following formal accreditation as a tutor by Cardiff University, or other university and to tutor other pharmacists and pre-registration students in the clinical area.
• To act as a role model and mentor for clinical pharmacy.
• To develop personal practice research in accordance with the Trust and pharmacy strategy.
• To contribute to local, national and international specialist interest groups and conferences/meetings.
• To become a non-medical prescriber as appropriate.
• To work as a non-medical prescriber in the oncology & haematology directorate to prescribe medications safely and effectively in line with their scope of practice for patients requiring therapeutic medications and treatments, utilising local or organisational guidelines, national guidelines, and adhering to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and GPhC Prescribing Standards after the approval from the Trust’s respective Non-Medical Prescribing Lead.
• To provide teaching for the pharmacy and directorate teams as required.
• To act as knowledge base/resource for the specialist area and to keep up to date with current trends and research in the specialist area.
• Together with the rest of the members of the clinical pharmacy team to support the strategic developments of the service e.g. electronic prescribing, improved discharge processes, accredited technician checking etc.
• To actively contribute to the planning and efficient co-ordination of clinical pharmacy initiatives including discharge planning, prescribing protocols, pharmacists on consultant ward rounds etc.
• To contribute to and implement the clinical governance plans of the clinical area and the pharmacy clinical governance plans.

Please See JD/PS attached to see more.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.