Job Description

We are delighted to offer the chance for a pharmacist to join our team as Specialist Pharmacist Practitioner in Adult Oncology, for a period of maternity cover. This role will join an existing team of pharmacist practitioners, embedded within the Oncology MDT in the clinic setting, as an integral part of the Oncology service.



You will join the MDT in a specific tumour site, working directly with clinicians and clinical nurse specialists to develop your specialist skills and knowledge, working independently as a practitioner in your specialist area, responsible for your own caseload of patients.



You will support the specialties to ensure the safe and appropriate use of anticancer medicines in-line with national and regional guidelines e.g. by writing treatment protocols for new anticancer medicines and regimens, monitoring medicines expenditure, and inputting on medicines incident reports.



You can expect structured personal development and the opportunity to contribute to the training and supervision of junior pharmacists, including supervising those undergoing their prescribing qualification. You will be fully supported by senior members of the Cancer and other Pharmacy teams.



This post offers you the opportunity to work as part of an established and friendly team in one of the UK's largest and busiest acute NHS teaching hospital Trusts.



Please familiarise yourself with the full job description and person specification documents attached to this advert.



Provide a specialist level patient-facing clinical service to a defined caseload of patients



Review patients in an outpatient clinic setting



Prescribe systemic anticancer therapies (SACT) and supportive treatments



Initiate, evaluate and modify a range of interventions



Improve standards of care for patients



Promote safe and evidenced-based practice



To be a Trust-wide source of information on matters relating to SACT and the wider speciality; including providing support to

advanced practitioners and non-medical prescribers of SACT

This may include:

Attending and actively participating in speciality ward rounds, board rounds, clinics and multidisciplinary team meetings, as appropriate



Providing specialist advice and guidance on all issues relating to prescribing and therapeutics of medicines and chemotherapy for the

specialty ensuring they are in line with national and local guidelines



Critically evaluate published literature and a variety of medicines related information to inform practice and patient care decisions



To provide opinion and advice and be a source of referral for chemotherapy issues



To act as an independent prescriber in a specialist practice area



The post holder will be based at City campus of NUH and may be required to carry out clinics at our satellite oncology service at Kingsmill Hospital



With over 19,000 staff we are one of the biggest employers in the city with a central role in supporting the health and wellbeing of our local population. We play a leading role in research, education and innovation.



Come and join our wonderful team at NUH. We are big believers in diversity and welcome new ideas to help develop our team in order to deliver world class healthcare to the vast patient populations we serve. With endless personal development opportunities available, at NUH we will endeavour to turn your job into a career.



Please see the and Personal Specification for full details of the role.



JOB SUMMARY



1) To partake in specialised clinical pharmacy duties ensuring core clinical pharmacy activities are undertaken



2) To provide a specialist level patient-facing clinical service to a defined caseload of patients



3) To develop the provision of advanced clinical practice - promoting safe and evidenced-based practice and contributing to improved clinical outcomes and services to patients



4) To line manage and support more junior pharmacists in the listed specialties



5) To take full part in the 7 day shifted rota and bank holidays duties



The post holder will be based at City campus of Nottingham University Hospitals but may be required to carry out clinics at the satellite oncology service at Kingsmill Hospital, Mansfield



KEY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES



To partake in specialised clinical pharmacy duties ensuring core clinical pharmacy activities are undertaken



Specialised clinical pharmacy activities



To provide clinical input (at specialist level) to the Oncology Department



To work alongside the medical and Advanced Practitioner team in prescribing for people being cared for in the Oncology Department



Provide highly complex advice and guidance requiring analysis, interpretation and comparison of options on all issues relating to prescribing and therapeutics within Oncology



Maintain a working knowledge relating to prescribing and therapeutics for all services in the Cancer cluster



To support oncology activity flow, through providing prescribing support to outpatient and daycase areas



To form a key component of the Oncology MDT



Core clinical pharmacy activities



To work in accordance with relevant pharmacy and Trust policies and procedures relating to medicines management



To ensure safe rational and effective prescribing



Providing medicines for individual patients during their stay in hospital, at discharge and also for out-patient visits where appropriate



To work as an independent prescriber alongside the medical team, contributing to medicines optimisation



Requesting and in terpreting clinical tests to monitor and make recommendations to improve effectiveness of drug therapy



Pro-actively liaising with other members of the MDT in order to ensure safe use of medicines



Making recommendations about medicines to improve patient outcomes and to encourage adherence to hospital formulary and national guidelines



Providing advice and guidance in relation to unlicensed medicines use and clinical trial medicines under the direction of the senior pharmacist for clinical trials



Ensuring the efficient, safe and timely supply of medicines for individual patients during their stay in hospital, and when discharged, improving the patient experience in relation to the medication aspects of hospital discharge



To provide a specialist level patient-facing clinical service to a defined caseload of patients



To manage a caseload of patients as part of the Oncology Clinical Team within one or more defined specialist areas:



To review those patients in an outpatient clinic setting



To continue SACT treatment for cancer and initiate supportive treatments, as appropriate



Initiate, evaluate and modify a range of interventions, including prescribing of medicines

Advanced Professional Practice:

Improve standards of care for patients.



To develop and provide advanced clinical practice - promoting safe and evidenced-based practice and contributing to improved clinical outcomes and services to patients within the oncology department.



To be a Trust-wide source of information on matters relating to chemotherapy and the wider speciality; including providing support to advanced practitioners and non-medical prescribers of chemotherapy

This will include:

Attending and actively participating in speciality ward rounds, board rounds, clinics and multidisciplinary team meetings, as appropriate.



Providing specialist advice and guidance on all issues relating to prescribing and therapeutics of medicines and chemotherapy for the specialty ensuring they are in line with national and local guidelines.



Critically evaluate published literature and a variety of medicines related information, including: clinical trials data, medicines usage and expenditure reports, national policy, and clinical intervention reports, to inform practice and patient care decisions.



To provide opinion and advice and be a source of referral for chemotherapy issues for members of the multidisciplinary team within Trust and externally.



To act as an independent prescriber in a specialist practice area, as appropriate for the service



Practice as an independent prescriber, provide dose adjustment, advice and prescriptions for SACT medication with a narrow therapeutic range requiring therapeutic effect monitoring, including recording relevant biochemistry results in relevant patient medical records. Recording action plans, and adjusting doses to account for biochemical or haematological dysfunction and other toxicities.



Other



To contribute to, facilitate or conduct clinical audits which are part of the Oncology or Pharmacy audit plan



To participate in research, communicate results and if suitable, register for a further degree



To undertake and document continuing professional development



To contribute to the teaching and training of undergraduate, postgraduate students and other healthcare professionals



To undertake any other duties that may reasonably be required as agreed by senior staff



Leadership, management and directorate/service support roles



Contribute to the delivery of clinical pharmacy and medicines management services to the Oncology Department, with a particular focus on one or more defined sub-specialties, under the auspices of the Advanced Pharmacy Practitioner/Team Leader - Oncology and in liaison with other Specialist Clinical Pharmacists.



Liaise and work alongside relevant pharmacy colleagues and specialty staff and managers in ensuring continuity and development of clinical pharmacy services within the Oncology Department, with a particular responsibility for discharge, flow and inpatient services.



Maintain appropriate contact with and actively participate in regional and national specialty groups, advising these groups as appropriate, and in also identifying best practice and incorporating it into NUH practice

Support the directorate lead pharmacist:

to deliver the 'best possible clinical pharmacy service'



by developing KPIs that clearly demonstrate the contribution the post holder, rotational pharmacists and other support staff make to the care of patients within the Oncology Department



by reporting KPIs (delivered by the clinical pharmacy service) at regular intervals, as directed by the Assistant Head of Pharmacy - Clinical Services Lead e.g. activity data, contributions, service development contributions etc.



by representing pharmacy in relation to issues linked to the Oncology Department



Contribute to the submission of business cases to secure funding for service developments/new pharmacy posts within the Oncology Department



Attending relevant specialty meetings including governance meetings as appropriate: this will require effective communication of messages to and from such forums and ensuring necessary actions are enacted



Work with the lead oncology pharmacists to develop, implement and audit prescribing guidelines and drug protocols for the specialty. This includes risk assessments for new drug therapies and related protocols and supporting clinicians in the preparation of new product evaluations for own clinical area for the Drugs and Therapeutics Committee



Monitoring drug usage, prescribing patterns and expenditure in order to support the service in achieving a balanced drugs budget and planning for new drug development



Act as a role model



Requirement to undertake and support relevant project work



Assist in the recruitment of new staff



To line manage and support more junior pharmacists and Medicines Management Technicians in the Cancer cluster



Direct contact point to provide support to the more junior pharmacists and other members of the team in the cluster



Ensure objectives for junior and senior rotational pharmacists who are assigned to this specialty are always up-to-date / current



Ensure that these pharmacists are making progress with objectives that have been set - 'clearing the path' where there are barriers to achieving these



Ensure effective performance management of pharmacy staff working in own specialty and other junior pharmacy staff, including 1:1s, diploma assessments and conducting appraisals using the Trust appraisal process



Ensure completion of all relevant documentation relating to performance management and objectives/PDPs of these pharmacists within the agreed time frames



Education and training of staff (rotational and diploma pharmacists, technicians, pre-registration pharmacists, pharmacy students) that are linked to the specialty



Act as a designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) for pharmacists undergoing their prescribing qualification



To take full part in the 7 day shifted rota and bank holidays duties



This post-holder will be required to provide clinical cover on weekends - this may vary with staffing levels. For each weekend worked equivalent time will be given back during the week. There will also be a requirement to be part of the senior pharmacist on-call rota as well as participating in rostered flexible shift working including evening, weekend and bank holiday arrangements over a 7 day period, in line with service requirements.



Please refer to the job description and person specification attached to the advert for the full details of the vacancy



This job description is not exhaustive. It is intended to give an outline of what is expected and is subject to annual review as part of appraisal scheme by the manager