Specialist Pharmacist Cancer & Technical Services

Job overview

To provide a high quality, evidence-based clinical pharmacy service for cancer services and parenteral nutrition.

• To work as part of the technical services team ensuring the provision of a responsive, high quality, safe and effective service to the customers of the unit.
• To be named on the Trust register of pharmacists accredited to clinically screen chemotherapy prescriptions.
• To be named on the Trust intrathecal register for the clinical verification and final check & release of intrathecal chemotherapy.
• To promote the safe, rational and cost effective use of medicines across the care group.

Main duties of the job

To provide, as part of a team, an excellent service comprising elements of:

• Cancer & Technical Services
• Clinical Services & Patient Care
• Governance, Information and Data Management
• Staff Management & Training
• Research & Development
• Communication and Relationships

For detail, see below

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Cancer & Technical Services

2. Check and release unlicensed specials / ready to administer products (e.g. parenteral nutrition).

• To be an Authorised Pharmacist for the final check and release of products prepared in the aseptic unit, ensuring that all facilities, equipment, activities, procedures and documentation meet the requirements of current legislation and best practice.
• To contribute to the preparation of documentation in accordance with the requirements of Good Manufacturing Practice.
• Apply the principles of Good Clinical Practice in the professional supervision and release of IMPs for clinical trials.
• Be trained to work as part of the multidisciplinary adult nutrition team for prescribing, monitoring and the clinical management of patients on parenteral nutrition
• To clinically screen and validate chemotherapy prescriptions.
• Use established treatment guidelines and policies to contribute to the clinical care of cancer patients treated as outpatients, day cases or inpatients within the Trust.
• Liaise with the chemotherapy day unit to ensure that the service meets the needs of the patients within the capacity of the unit.

Clinical Services & Patient Care

• To perform patients medication reconciliation, screen prescriptions and provide advice on the management of medicines to healthcare professionals and patients.
• To influence prescribers appropriately to promote good prescribing practice and medicines management to enhance the quality of patient care.
• To provide advice and recommendations to other healthcare staff on matters related to the use of medicines.
• To participate in Consultant or Specialist Nurse-led ward rounds when required
• To demonstrate expert clinical and pharmaceutical knowledge required to produce clinical and technological documentation in an accurate, concise and timely manner.
• To interpret a range of facts or situations, which require analysis or comparison of a range of options.
• Actively maintain communication with members of the Clinical Pharmacy team and other pharmaceutical services to ensure accurate and timely provision of patient’s medication.
• To contribute to planning the pharmaceutical aspects of discharge and counsel patients appropriately.
• To demonstrate clinical reasoning and judgment
• To demonstrate professional accountability to all patients.
• Emergency duty commitment: To provide on a rotational basis an out of hours emergency pharmacy service. Responsibilities include:
• Ensuring the security of the pharmacy department out of hours by opening and locking up
• Provision of pharmaceutical advice to medical and nursing staff
• Supply of urgently needed medication
• Participation in the Trust’s major incident scheme
• To participate in late duty / Weekend rotas & Bank Holiday rotas as required by the Chief Pharmacist

Governance, Information and Data Management

• To contribute to the reporting of adverse drug events and medication incidents within the Trust
• To promote effective prescribing in the Trust following formulary and NICE guidance
• To promote the adherence to Trust policies, guidelines and protocols
• To demonstrate awareness and commitment to the Trust’s Clinical Governance Agenda

Staff Management & Training

• To participate in training and development activities as are considered appropriate by the Lead Pharmacist in order to keep up to date with advances in service
• To identify own training needs, and actively seek opportunities to meet these, internal and external.
• To provide training on medication related issues, policies, guidelines and service developments to pharmacy colleagues, nursing and medical staff, ranging from one on one communication to more formal presentations. To undertake CPD to ensure that knowledge is continually updated

Research & Development

• To participate in research/clinical audit to improve and develop pharmaceutical services

Communication and Relationships

• To work effectively as a member of Pharmacy Team
• To demonstrate good communication skills as the role liaises with a wide variety of people within the Trust. This will include multidisciplinary team members and all Pharmacy staff.
• The post-holder will be required to communicate clearly and sensitively about patient issues both internally and externally.
• To act as a role model for pharmacy staff

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.