Job Description

Responsible for implementing the EPMA component of the Trust EPR system including building and configuring the system to support safe clinical practice inline with established pathways at RJAH 2. Provide leadership and professional judgement to clinicians and nursing staff on how the EPMA system can be best adapted to deliver safe prescribing and administration framework within the EPMA system. 3. Provide leadership and direction on digital innovation with all aspects of medicines management within Pharmacy, across RJAH and the ICS where appropriate.



4. Ensure there is robust training in place for the EPMA system and all Pharmacy and medicines related digital systems. 5. Ongoing development of reporting tools to optimise outcomes from the EPMA system.



6. Oversight and maintenance of the Trust EPMA system and all Trust systems relating to prescribing, administration and storage of medicines. 7. Oversight and maintenance of all Pharmacy digital systems.



8. Directing and line managing the Pharmacy team assigned to EPMA 9. Ensure that all EPMA developments meet the broader needs of the pharmacy department and covers aspects of clinical governance, accountability and patient safety relating to prescribing and administration of medicines and all digital systems related to medicines management both in pharmacy, the Trust and ICS. 10.



Be an active member of the Pharmacy senior leadership team. Duties and Responsibilities Digital Pharmacy Duties Maintain and develop the medicines optimisation elements of the EPR applying the knowledge, skills and training of a highly specialist clinical pharmacist. Accountable to the Chief Pharmacist for the safety of the electronic prescribing and administration system in the Trust. Ensure that patient safety and service delivery are maintained in the event of failure of the electronic prescribing system and expedite system recovery.



Design and provide reports to users utilising the information held in the Electronic Data Repository (EDR) which is populated by information transferred from the Electronic Prescribing System. Responsible for designing and delivering a training programme for pharmacy staff in the use of the electronic patient record system. Responsible for identifying, evaluating and participating in all digital projects that impact on medicines management processes and ensure that they are safe and effective. Manage and develop staff in the Digital Pharmacy team and other pharmacy staff to ensure that digital systems are achieving the outcomes and objectives required of each system.



Lead on the initiation, participation in and undertaking of practice research and audit related to Digital Pharmacy issues. Be the lead for the pharmacy department in the development of electronic medicines management systems; providing specialist advice and maintaining a current understanding of market and product developments. Electronic Prescribing System Development and Maintenance Develop, implement and maintain the Trust-wide electronic prescribing and medication administration system applying the knowledge, skills and training of a highly specialist pharmacist. Take responsibility for the accuracy, suitability and safety of prescribing, administration and pharmacy -related pathways within the electronic patient record.



Work with the other clinical analysts and technical staff to maintain and develop the prescribing elements of the Electronic Patient Record. Acquire and apply the technical skills necessary to build the prescribing pathways in agreement with clinicians. This requires prolonged periods of concentration when coding and testing pathways. Maintain the pharmacy and prescribing-related pathways within the electronic patient record.

This includes:

Addition of new drugs to system. Deletion of discontinued drugs. Updating doses and formulations depending on product changes. Updating clinical decision support in response to changes in treatment guidelines.



Updating and modifying Order Sets. Testing and validating all enhancements and modifications to the electronic prescribing system to minimise the risk of medication errors that would compromise patient safety. Facilitate, contribute to, and participate in the analysis of requirements, design, creation and implementation of changes to the electronic prescribing system. Develop new functionality for the electronic prescribing system and clinical decision support.



Explore new ways of working by analysing workflow processes and designing technical solutions to better utilise staff time and reduce medication errors. Consult with relevant stakeholders when developing or maintaining the electronic prescribing system. Involves working with Consultants and their teams, senior pharmacists, nursing staff and other health professionals to ensure any changes bring benefits to patients as well as to system users. Manage users expectations related to what the system can achieve and communicate effectively with senior and junior users who may have challenging views, using negotiating and persuasion skills where necessary.



Maintain an auditable system of documentation of changes and enhancements to the electronic prescribing system. Communicate any changes in the prescribing and administration pathways to all affected stakeholders, namely consultants and their teams, nursing staff, pharmacy staff, other health professionals and informatics staff where appropriate. Co-ordinate, strategically plan and deliver when needed specialist training and teaching sessions to all users of the EPMA system, checking understanding and adapting training methods where necessary. Establish and maintain relationships with the external software suppliers and internal IM&T department in order to communicate issues and risks as they are foreseen and/or arise.



Support staff who are distressed or who challenge the changes to service as a result of EPMA. Convey information from experiences and complex clinical situations to the multi-disciplinary implementation team, contributing in relevant meetings and maintaining open communication.