Pharmacy and Medicines Adviser

The ICB strives to be a supportive, caring employer and expects all colleagues to behave in a professional, inclusive and respectful manner and to demonstrate the values which underpin our vision for the population of Herefordshire and Worcestershire:

• Kindness
• Trust
• Honesty
• Fairness
• Respect

Job overview

This role is ideally suited to candidates wishing to move into a commissioning organisation to increase their knowledge and skills and be willing to learn how NHS services are commissioned, structured and quality assured in relation to safe medicines use.

The successful candidate will possess excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to communicate complex concepts clearly and effectively

NHS Herefordshire & Worcestershire ICB recognises the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans, and military families bring to our business and would encourage people from the armed forces community to apply for our vacancies.

Main duties of the job

Develop your skills with a varied portfolio and opportunities to work with colleagues and clinicians across our Herefordshire and Worcestershire (H&W) Integrated Care System to support projects and facilitate delivery of sustained changes in prescribing practice and pathways of care involving medicines.

You will work with a wide variety of healthcare professionals and organisations with the support of a well-established team of colleagues as you develop your understanding of the role and functions of the ICB.

You will be a registered pharmacist with post registration experience, be enthusiastic, adaptable and have good written and verbal communication skills.

Subject to funding there may be the opportunity to undertake postgraduate modules relevant to the role with higher education institutes.

If you're an experienced GPhC registered pharmacist interested in developing your career in clinical commissioning, we'd love to hear from you!

For further information about this role please see the job description or contact Anne Hadley [email protected] or 07702897061

Working for our organisation

Our Team’s core vision is to ensure the population of H&W receive safe, effective and sustainable access to medicines and technologies at the right time, in the right place and within the available resources. We strive to improve and transform services, reduce health inequalities and deliver new ways of working, always keeping the population and patients at the heart of activity.

NHS H&W ICB are responsible health services across two of the largest counties in England with a population of over 800,000 people living within a mix of urban and rural communities. We are a dynamic, forward-looking organisation, offering a vibrant place to work. Providing a supportive and collaborative environment, we work with our staff to help you reach your full potential and develop a rewarding career. We aim to enable our employees to achieve a positive work-life balance through a blend of collaborative workplace attendance and regular home working. Joining our inclusive and innovative team comes with a range of attractive benefits including:

• Employee Assistance programmes
• NHS Pension Scheme
• Generous holiday entitlement, increasing in line with service and opportunity to purchase additional leave.
• Hybrid working arrangements with a mix of office and home working
• Flexible working patterns to support individuals’ work-life balance.

Please note we operate a 3-month probationary period for new appointments

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will support the delivery of a range of workstreams within the Medical Directorate, contributing to the delivery of the ICB core purpose associated with medicines use, pharmacy services and clinical policy which include:

• Improve outcomes in population health and healthcare
• Tackle inequalities in outcomes, experience and access
• Enhance productivity and value for money
• Help the NHS support broader social and economic development

With the aim of enhancing knowledge and skills and allowing career progression, the postholder will be responsible for supporting agreed projects or a portfolio of work for the Medicines, Pharmacy and Clinical Policy Team across the different functions of the team covering:

• Primary and secondary care medicines use and clinical policy
• Medicines quality assurance and safety across all providers
• Integrating community pharmacy services into wider pathways of care and service delivery
• Workforce

Key Working Relationships

Internal:

There is also a requirement for strong working relationships with all members of key committees e.g. Medicines and Prescribing subcommittee

External:

Working relationships include, but are not limited to; PCN Clinical Directors, General Practice teams, PCN and practice pharmacists and technicians, community pharmacy teams, NHS and independent provider trust organisation clinicians and pharmacy teams, local authority public health and adult social care teams, Regional NHSE teams, and other independent organisations.

• Facilitate delivery of agreed projects or a portfolio of work to ensure achievement of desired outcomes across the ICS
• Support the provision of specialist professional medicines expertise to ensure maximum benefit from medicines for Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
• Support delivery of responses to medicines related queries.
• Promote best practice in prescribing by applying a sound and detailed theoretical understanding of therapeutics and evidence-based medicine principles.
• Support clinicians to deliver sustained changes in prescribing practice to ensure high quality, safe, evidence-based and cost-effective medicines use.
• Work with other clinical and professional groups across the ICS to support the development, implementation, and monitoring of local or national clinical pathways, policies and guidance including safety alerts.
• Liaise and collaborate with other healthcare providers (e.g. NHS Trusts, social services, community pharmacies) to provide quality patient care and support resolution of cross-sector pharmaceutical issues.
• Support the development and monitoring of commissioning policies and contract standards where appropriate including specialised medicines and related devices and associated services.
• Communicate and provide sometimes complex and sensitive medicines related information in a clear, understandable and audience-appropriate manner to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including patients and their carers.
• Act as a professional in their own right, being accountable for own professional actions, guided by national protocols and legislation. The post holder is also required to act independently within agreed personal objectives and organisational priorities.
• Support the development and analysis of clinical audit to support assurance in relation to agreed policies and guidelines.
• Use available online systems and resources to extract and manipulate relevant data and information to enable provision of accurate, timely data.
• Analyse prescribing data and information to promote opportunities to reduce unwarranted variation and support delivery of financial sustainability plans.
• Provide prescribing support, information, advice and guidance to promote delivery of agreed System Financial Sustainability plans
• Act in a way that is compliant with Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instruction and strive for value for money and greater efficiency in the use of budgets.
• We actively support career development and subject to funding there may be the opportunity to undertake postgraduate modules relevant to the role with higher education institutes.
• The ICBs Hereford or Worcester office locations can be considered when allocating the successful candidate’s office base (The ability to travel between sites will be required).

Person specification

Experience

• Post registration experience
• Experience of analysis and critical appraisal of data/ information

• Experience of successful management of change

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in pharmacy
• Member of General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

Skills, knowledge and competencies

• Good communication and presentation skills (how well is the application structured/ presented)
• Evidence of being able to organise and complete tasks accurately

** Please Note **

In the event of exceptionally high levels of response, we reserve the right to close the post before the date stated above in order to prevent the number of applications received being unmanageable. You are advised to submit your completed application form as soon as possible to have the best chance of being considered.

Please note that candidates will be shortlisted against the criteria outlined within the Person Specification, therefore to avoid disappointment please ensure you meet the requirements of the role before applying and that you are able to demonstrate these requirements throughout your application form.

The salary range for this post is determined in line with the national Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions of Service. Please note that new entrants to the NHS will normally commence on the first paypoint of the relevant band.