Specialist Clinical Pharmacist - Clinical Haematology

Job overview

We are one of the largest oncology Trusts in the UK with an international reputation for clinical excellence, research and development. As part of a collaborative venture between The Christie NHS Trust and MCHFT to develop clinical haematology services, the Christie is pleased to be able to offer an exciting opportunity for a specialist clinical pharmacist to join the clinical haematology team This is a unique opportunity to work with us at a new peripheral centre based on the Mid Cheshire Hospitals site and contribute to the challenging and rewarding specialty of haemato-oncology pharmacy, delivering advanced clinical care to patients with haematological cancers and general haematological conditions.

We are integral members of the MDT, and we are expanding our roles in existing services such out-patient clinics and peripheral site services, which the post-holder will develop alongside the Lead Pharmacists. The successful candidate will be highly motivated, innovative and driven to improve patient care and experience alongside the other healthcare professionals within the Christie at Leighton service.

The postholder must possess an independent prescribing qualification to assist in the MDT outpatient clinics. They will play a key role in the future development of outpatient services within the highly regarded haematology MDT, implementing new initiatives in collaboration with the Lead Haematology Pharmacist and Lead Pharmacist for Clinical Services.

Main duties of the job

To provide a highly specialist clinical pharmacy services to outpatients within the Christie Haematology @ Leighton Service and develop a good working partnership with internal and external stakeholders to ensure a high quality SACT service is provided to patients.

The specialist pharmacist will work across the clinical haematology outpatient service at Leighton Hospital alongside a team of clinical haematology consultants, advanced nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialists.

Pharmacist independent prescribing responsibilities support this practice. The specialist clinical pharmacist is expected to contribute to planning, education, research, and participate in clinical audit within own area of practice.

To deliver and evaluate clinical pharmacy services to both malignant and non-malignant haematology patients in conjunction with the Lead Haematology Pharmacist and Clinical Haematology service manager.

To support the multidisciplinary team in the safe, efficient and cost-effective use of medicine resources to the designated cancer disease group by the provision of education and training, procedures, policies and guidelines, and medicine usage information

Although the outpatient service is based at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust site , postholders may be required to work at any location across the Greater Manchester and Cheshire Cancer Network.

Working for our organisation

The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.

We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years.

We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.

This is a unique opportunity to work with us and contribute to the challenging and rewarding specialty of haemato-oncology pharmacy.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To provide a highly specialist clinical pharmacy services to outpatients within the Christie Haematology @ Leighton Service and develop a good working partnership with internal and external stakeholders to ensure a high quality SACT service is provided to patients.
• To provide specialist clinical pharmacy services to haematology patients with both malignant and non-malignant conditions in accordance with all departmental, Trust national and international standards, procedures and policies.
• To be responsible for the delivery and development of an out-patient clinical practice,
• Provides expert professional advice to patients/clients, carers, and staff, working in partnerships with patients, families, and other professionals to formulate robust care pathways that are ethically sound and in the interest of the patients.
• To be an independent prescriber and prescribe to appropriate patients in agreement with the relevant consultants.
• Maintain and develop expertise and competence within the field of clinical haematology to enable collaboration with other practitioners and medical staff, and to facilitate the management of patients.
• To consent patients for treatment and procedures as per hospital policy if deemed appropriate within scope of competency and practice.
• Communicate complex, sensitive, or contentious information to patients and carers. This may include results of scans; management options and discusses details of prognosis including palliative care if deemed appropriate within scope of competency and practice.
• Educate patients and their carers on issues surrounding health promotion and illness prevention. Promote and facilitate changes to lifestyle where appropriate.
• To work closely with and provide pharmaceutical advice to medical staff, other members of the multi-disciplinary team and patients.
• To contribute to the development, of and maintenance of the peripheral site pharmacy provision on the Christie Haematology @ Leighton Service unit in conjunction with The Mid Cheshire NHS trust pharmacy services and the Christie Trust NHS and third-party providers responsible for supplying supportive care medication and SACT including clinical trial medications, where appropriate.
• To work with the peripheral site clinical trials pharmacist, where appropriate on development of site initiation on existing trials and other trial related activities, as required
• To provide a highly specialised clinical pharmacy service. Ensure patient centered care and that the use of medicines is optimised. This will include:
• Taking drug histories on admission/ completion of medicines reconciliation
• Review of medication to ensure its safe and effective use
• Review of medication in line with interpretation of appropriate results of investigations
• Therapeutic drug monitoring as appropriate
• Patient education about their medicines
• Participation in Multidisciplinary team meetings
• Development of evidence-based treatment protocols for use within individual departments or Trust wide
• Facilitate the implementation of local and national guidelines
• Influencing prescribers, encourage formulary compliance where appropriate.
• Demonstrating professional accountability to patients
• To conduct appropriate drug use reviews within oncology as determined by the Medicines Management Group or individual departments.
• To assist consultants within the Christie Haematology @ Leighton Service in the preparation of new drug requests/ unlicensed drug applications for submission to the drug and therapeutics committee
• To monitor the Christie Haematology @ Leighton drug expenditure regarding haematology services assessing any financial pressures. Identify changes in prescribing practice that may impact on the setting of the drugs budget, including new prescribing practice (horizon scanning) and report to Director of pharmacy, Lead Haematology pharmacists and Clinical Haematology Service Manager
• To attend relevant MDT meetings, relevant specialist pharmacy groups and contribute to meetings relevant to the designated disease group as appropriate.
• To communicate with general practitioners and community pharmacists regarding the supply of unusual or non-standard medicines.
• To participate in service evaluation and future initiatives, audit, record clinical interventions and activity data.
• Contributes to the education program to all health care professionals in informal and formal settings relating to haematology practice. This will be training and education locally, nationally, and internationally (e.g., presenting at meetings, study days, conferences).
• Acts as a role model, educator, supervisor, coach, and mentor, seeking to instil and develop the confidence of others
• To undertake clinical audit and practice research as part of the multi-disciplinary audit process within the designated disease group and clinical pharmacy service.
• To support, develop and maintain drug protocols, treatment guidelines and standard operating procedures both within the clinical pharmacy service and the haematology unit. Reviewing evidence-based guidelines and protocols in conjunction with fellow healthcare professionals, in order to advance the safe, clinical effective and cost- efficient use of medicines for patients.
• To be aware of the processes surrounding the maintenance of local and national databases surrounding medication use related to the haematology service including immunoglobulins.
• To ensure compliance with the Trust patient safety schemes.
• To ensure appropriate use of antibiotics and antifungal agents and contribute to relevant audits as required.
• Represent the haematology service at appropriate clinical unit and divisional meetings including peripheral site MDT group meetings on request.
• To monitor and interpret published evidence and computer reports of drug usage, to use this data to report to the lead clinicians and Director of Pharmacy, implementing agreed policies aimed at improving patient outcomes and containing drug expenditure.
• To support the Electronic Prescribing process across the Trust.
• To support the designated cancer disease group through the development and implementation of electronic prescribing for outpatients.
• To support prescribing at the individual patient level, contributing to the optimisation of patients’ drug therapy with due consideration to risk/benefit issues.
• Facilitate effective communication about relevant pharmacy issues to clinicians and senior managers and the identification of opportunities for development of pharmacy services to match identified services and care needs.
• To demonstrate awareness and commitment to the Trust’s Clinical Governance Plan.
• In conjunction with the Lead Haematology Pharmacist and Principal Pharmacist in Clinical Services, to establish processes for the setting of standards of care, identifying the risks involved and implement changes that need to occur to achieve these.
• To identify and report any systemic or preventable errors associated with medicines within the Cancer Centre Services Division and facilitate learning.

• To assist and participate in the development, implementation and management of training initiatives and competency frameworks
• Together with colleagues to be involved in the maintenance of cost-effective and efficient pharmacy services and to participate in their regular review and development.
• To represent pharmacy and act as a link person at relevant meetings and conferences.
• To provide education and training to pharmacy, medical and nursing staff
• To participate in the clinical training of pharmacists and foundation year trainee pharmacists if required.
• To be responsible for the clinical screening/review of SACT prescriptions for designated patient groups, including clinical trial prescriptions and to clinically screen/ review in-patient and outpatient prescriptions.
• To give advice on the storage, administration and therapeutic use of drugs to patients, medical / nursing staff and other colleagues. To provide written information as necessary.
• To follow local, Trust and National guidelines for safe medicines practice.
• To identify own training needs and maintain a CPD portfolio.
• To undertake any other duties consistent with the nature of the post as requested by the Pharmacy Managers and the Trust.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Vocational Masters Degree or equivalent in Pharmacy
• Membership of General Pharmaceutical Council
• Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent.
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Independent prescribing qualification

• Advanced communication skills

Experience

• Relevant post registration hospital pharmacy experience within oncology and/or haemato-oncology
• Financial awareness and drug budgets
• Providing medicines information and advice
• Screening/ reviewing prescriptions including oral chemotherapy.
• Training or teaching pharmacy/nursing/medical staff
• Experience of multidisciplinary team working

• Audit or research work.

Skills

• Teaching and presentation skills and have excellent interpersonal and communication skills for conveying complex concepts.
• Ability to coach, motivate and inspire
• Networking amongst internal and external professional/organisation
• Able to work efficiently and use own initiative and have good time management
• Work within and always promote the Trusts values and behaviours

• Project implementation.

Knowledge

• Evidence of a sound clinical knowledge base in clinical hematology and haemato oncology.
• Knowledge of clinical governance

Values

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours

Other

• Quality clinical governance and risk assessment abilities
• Patient and customer focus
• Continuous Improvement

• Demonstrates clinical governance

The closing date for this post may be extended if there are insufficient applicants or brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants.

In support of these commitments, we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities for this post. Appointment will be only on merit.

We are committed to creating a balanced and diverse workforce. As such we welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Together we will foster inclusion and tackle inequity and health inequalities in cancer care.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy

All positions within the Christie are subject to the receipt of satisfactory written references, medical clearance and evidence of your Right to Work in the UK. Some roles will require a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. Please note if you are successfully appointed to a post with this Trust, you will be required to pay for your own DBS Disclosure.

Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.

If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, I regret that on this occasion your application will have been unsuccessful.

The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and will form part of the recruitment process. In the event that you are successful following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer.

Overseas candidates wishing to apply for this position and who would require immigration sponsorship, may wish to self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the post on the UKVI website.

You should be aware the Trust operates a No Smoking Policy and therefore employees are not permitted to smoke at work.