Specialist Pharmacist, Obesity (Endocrinology)

Job overview

This is an exciting new role which has been established to support with delivering the newly established Weight Management Service at King’s College Hospital. The post holder will work with the Principal Pharmacist for Planned Medicine and wider medical obesity team to establish outpatient clinics for initiating patients on pharmacotherapy. The postholder will work closely with the wider MDT to monitor and clinically review patients initiated on pharmacotherapy, and play a key role in independently prescribing their ongoing treatment.

The successful candidate will support with the development of treatment pathways both within the organisation and in collaboration with SEL ICB colleagues, offering an excellent opportunity for networking and sharing experiences. The postholder will also contribute to local audit and key performance indicator monitoring. The role will also involve working with the wider Endocrinology team to support with delivering departmental priorities.

This role will participate in providing seven day services to the pharmacy department in line with departmental policies, with a need to provide senior on-call support (off-site).

Please get in contact with the Principal Pharmacist for Planned Medicine to discuss this role further:

Corrine.byrne@nhs.net

020 3299 9000 ext 37844 (Monday-Thursday)

Main duties of the job

The main responsibilities of the post holder will be to:

• Deputise for the Principal Pharmacist, Planned Medicine
• Act as a specialist role model and an expert in medical management
• Lead and manage the clinical pharmacy services to Obesity (Endocrinology) in conjunction with the Principal Pharmacist
• Participate regularly in outpatient clinics to deliver and promote high quality, cost-effective and patient-focused pharmaceutical care
• Act as a pharmacist independent prescriber to optimise the care of patients
• Ensure a high level of clinical pharmacy input to the care of patients
• Actively participate in multidisciplinary ward rounds, delivering and promoting high quality, cost-effective, patient-focused pharmaceutical care
• Provide patient and carer education and close liaison across the interface
• Promote safe drug use within the specialty
• Develop, implement and audit local guidelines
• Supervise and train pharmacy staff
• Provide education and training of healthcare professionals within and outside the Trust
• Regular financial reporting, drug usage and expenditure forecasting, and drug budget management
• To participate in practice and clinical research and audit
• To work with the Principal Pharmacist to extend the boundaries of professional practice within the Care Group

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership

• To deputise for the Principal Pharmacist for Planned Medicine as necessary.
• To lead clinical pharmacy services for patients treated within the Planned Medicine in conjunction with the Principal Pharmacist.
• To propose and implement policies and procedures designed to improve the pharmacy service to patients in the Trust in conjunction with the Principal Pharmacist in line with national and international consensus guidelines.
• To lead and comment on policy and service changes and plans within the clinical pharmacy service and to contribute to, and participate in, pharmacy service developments in line with departmental and Trust policy.
• To develop, implement, monitor and evaluate evidence-based prescribing guidelines and protocols for use both Trust wide and within Planned Medicine.
• To ensure services provided are in line with local and national policies, guidelines and frameworks.
• To contribute and adhere to clinical pharmacy service standards.
• To proactively support the development of ward and clinical pharmacy services to Planned Medicine to advance the safe, clinically effective and cost-effective use of drugs.
• To attend relevant meetings, including inpatient and outpatient MDTs.
• To attend Care Group meetings attended by senior management and clinical staff, participating in and representing pharmacy views at such meetings.
• To manage specific service initiatives and changes affecting the clinical pharmacy service in the department and across the Trust.

Clinical Responsibilities

• To participate in and contribute to the clinical/ward pharmacy service.
• To act as a specialist practitioner within the field and as an expert pharmacist in Planned Medicine.
• To practice as an independent prescriber, in area of own expertise, and provide direct high quality of care to inpatients and outpatients within scope of practice
• To promote and deliver pharmaceutical care for Planned Medicine patients and more generally for all patients.
• To provide highly specialised and complex evidence-based clinical advice and information using expert knowledge and experience to pharmacy, nursing, medical and other healthcare professionals on the care and treatment of patients, inside and outside of the Trust.
• To actively participate in consultant ward rounds as appropriate.
• To participate in outpatient clinics and assist in the further development of the pharmacist’s role in this area.
• To actively participate regularly in multidisciplinary ward rounds, antibiotic ward rounds and other multidisciplinary meetings as appropriate, delivering and promoting high quality, cost-effective, patient-focused pharmaceutical care.
• To participate in patient education and counselling schemes for all Planned Medicine patients/carers.
• To ensure appropriate and timely supply of medication to patients in conjunction with dispensary staff, including the POD scheme and discharge facilitation for patients.
• To liaise with other pharmacists/healthcare professionals to ensure efficient transfer of clinical and medicines management issues.
• To develop shared care guidelines to support GP prescribing as necessary.
• To support the set up and provision of homecare services, as necessary, in line with Royal College of Pharmacy Homecare Services Professional Standards
• Maintain and further develop specialist information on the use of drugs in clinical conditions relevant to Planned Medicine, ensuring accurate and up to date clinical information is available to all pharmacists performing out-of-hours duties in a format relevant to those pharmacists’ needs.
• To participate in Trust adverse incident reporting scheme.

Financial Management

• To support the Principal Pharmacist in monitoring drug expenditure within the Care Group and provide accurate expenditure information, with appropriate analysis, to the Clinical Director and General manager.
• To identify areas of potential cost-savings within the Care Group, and to implement systems to realise savings and contain prescribing costs.
• Using horizon scanning techniques identify future high-cost medications.
• To support the development and implementation of policies to control drug expenditure and ensure cost-effective prescribing.
• To educate other healthcare professionals on the costs associated with drug therapy and promote evidence-based, cost-effective prescribing within the Care Group.
• To attend Care Group or Specialty financial meetings when required.
• To work across traditional boundaries e.g. primary and secondary care.
• To monitor all FP10 and homecare prescribing costs and feed those to the Trust, NHSE and ICS when required.
• To optimise the use of homecare providers to ensure VAT savings are realised as necessary.

Research and Service Development

• To participate in and co-ordinate relevant practice research or audit projects to investigate and where appropriate improve the quality of service.
• To publish and present the results and outcomes of own research and audits locally, nationally or internationally as appropriate.
• To supervise junior pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and trainee pharmacists undertaking audit projects.

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.