Specialist Pharmacist – Antimicrobial StewardshipinManchesterinManchesterPUBLISHED MON 28 OCT 2024

We currently have an opportunity for highly motivated, enthusiastic specialist clinical pharmacist (band 8a) to join our team. The post holder will be part of the wider clinical pharmacy team providing pharmacy services to patients across all disease groups and be responsible for leading and further developing the Antimicrobial Stewardship strategy and initiatives within the Trust. The postholder will work in collaboration with the infection control team and consultant microbiologists in addition to the different multidisciplinary teams across the Trust.

The post holder will be accountable for the delivery of specialist clinical pharmacy services relating to Antimicrobial Stewardship National and Local guidance, supporting education and training to all healthcare professionals to ensure effective use of antimicrobials. The postholder will have an integral role within the MDT team and contribute to service delivery, new initiatives and development / review of drug protocols including new NICE initiatives.

The Pharmacy Department actively supports several collaborative projects alongside several research partners and has strong links with the University of Manchester. Several members of our staff have undertaken post graduate training, research and other secondment opportunities and we are keen to support further opportunities.

If you are enthusiastic and keen to make a positive contribution to the care of cancer patients, we would like to hear from you.

To act as pharmacy lead for the antimicrobial stewardship strategy and key performance improvement indicators across the Trust

To assist in the development, delivery, and evaluation of clinical pharmacy services to the Trust for antimicrobial stewardship initiatives.

To deliver and evaluate clinical pharmacy services to a designated cancer disease group.

To develop and maintain highly specialist knowledge in medicines used within the Trust especially in relation to the designated cancer disease group.

To take the lead role in pharmacy teaching/training programmes for Antimicrobial Stewardship initiatives as well as support clinical audit in conjunction with the Principal Pharmacist for clinical services

Although the pharmacy service is based at The Christie Hospital main site, postholders may be required to work at any location across the Greater Manchester and Cheshire Cancer Network. The Trust has a flexible working policy and, subject to service commitments, it may also be possible to support an element of working from home.

About us

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• To act as the pharmacy lead for antimicrobial stewardship strategy across the Trust.
• To take a lead role in the production, implementation, management and review of trust antimicrobial policy and strategy, guidelines, and practices as appropriate. To establish performance indicators against which practice may be monitored.
• To work closely with the Infection Control team and consultant microbiologists to manage antimicrobials usage effectively throughout the Trust as part of Antimicrobial Stewardship.
• To liaise directly with clinical directors, consultants, senior pharmacists, senior nurses and other key staff to promote and manage antimicrobials effectively.
• To manage the design, production, distribution and interpretation of antimicrobial usage reports for clinical directors, consultants and other key stakeholders.
• Provide expert advice on pharmaceutical matters relating to antimicrobial prescribing and use.
• To lead and undertake a programme of audits which demonstrate safe and cost-effective prescribing of antimicrobials, compliance with Trust policies, and other national guidelines.
• To attend and make active contributions to Infection Control Meetings, sepsis steering group and other associated meetings across the Trust.
• To actively contribute to the regional and national antimicrobial stewardship initiatives and the implementation of guidelines into the Trust. To review and update the clinical and prescribing guidance as appropriate.
• To monitor and interpret published evidence and computer reports of drug usage, regarding antimicrobials across the trust and to use this data to report to the lead clinicians and Director of Pharmacy.
• To implement agreed policies aimed at improving patient outcomes and containing drug expenditure.
• To coordinate pharmacist participation in the attendance at regular antimicrobial ward rounds
• Develop, organise and deliver education and training to medical and other clinical staff to support effective antibiotic prescribing.
• Propose, develop and present business plans for new antimicrobials and other measures to ensure optimal antibiotics treatment of the Trusts patients.
• To attend and contribute to regional and National antimicrobial stewardship meetings.
• To be an active member of the Hospital Root Cause Analysis panel with responsibility for antimicrobial stewardship.
• To strategically co-ordinate and evaluate a comprehensive clinical pharmacy service to the Clinical Networked services in accordance with the priorities set by the Principal Pharmacist in Clinical Services in order to ensure safe, clinically effective, and cost-efficient use of medicines including antimicrobials in patients.
• To provide specialist clinical pharmacy services to a designated cancer disease group in accordance with all departmental, Trust and national standards, procedures, and policies.
• To qualify as an independent prescriber and prescribe to appropriate patients in agreement with the relevant Consultants.
• To develop and maintain drug protocols and treatment guidelines both within the clinical pharmacy service, 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 support the further development of the Electronic Prescribing process across the Trust.
• To support prescribing at the individual patient level, contributing to the optimisation of patients drug therapy with due consideration to risk/benefit issues.
• To provide pharmaceutical care, contributing to the multi-professional team through ward pharmacy services and attendance on appropriate clinicians ward rounds and meetings.
• 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 Trusts Clinical Governance Plan
• In conjunction with the 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 proactively develop clinical pharmacy services within the Trust in line with local and national objectives.
• 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 identify and report any systemic or preventable errors associated with medicines within the Clinical Networked Services and facilitate learning.
• To liaise with the Director of Pharmacy, and the lead consultants, to forecast drug expenditure.
• Gain an understanding of the principle and practice of the Trust's budgeting system and support the management of drug expenditure by clinicians and senior managers.
• Represent the pharmacy service at appropriate clinical unit and divisional meetings on request.
• To provide evaluated pharmaceutical information to the Drugs and Therapeutic Committee as requested
• To identify or forecast any changes in prescribing practices that may potentially impact on the drugs budget (drug forecasting)
• To identify resources required and produce and implement business plans for all proposed developments of the pharmacy clinical services.

Education and training role

• To assist and participate in the development, implementation and management of training initiatives and competency frameworks within the clinical pharmacy service, in conjunction with the Principal Pharmacist for Clinical services and the Lead Technician for Education and Training.
• To contribute to the development of assessment methods and competency frameworks to validate learning for specialist oncology pharmacists and to participate in the monitoring, audit, and review of the training programmes with regard to antimicrobials.
• To ensure ward pharmacists training needs are identified and met within the Trust.
• To act as a hospital-based tutor to pharmacists undertaking post graduate diploma / equivalent qualification as required
• To participate in the clinical training of pharmacists and Foundation year pharmacists and clinical technicians with regards to antibiotic stewardship initiatives

General Duties

• To act as a mentor / role model to junior pharmacists and undertake regular appraisals.
• To participate in clinical audit or practice research as required
• To participate in research opportunities internal or external to the Trust in collaboration with disease group or university faculties
• To actively participate in the clinical pharmacy ward service rota to all patients within the Trust as required
• To represent pharmacy and act as a link person at relevant meetings and conferences.
• To be responsible for the clinical screening/review of chemotherapy prescriptions for designated patient groups, including clinical trial prescriptions and to clinically screen/ review in-patient and outpatient prescriptions.
• To check and supply medication to and for patients, including clinical trials and to counsel patients or medical or nursing staff on their correct use.
• To participate in prescription clinical screening and final product checking rotas.
• 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 contribute to the revision of the Trusts drug formulary.
• To identify own training needs.
• Maintain a CPD portfolio.
• To participate in all department rotas, weekend working service and Bank Holiday working and on-call as requested.
• To undertake any other duties consistent with the nature of the post as requested by the Pharmacy Managers and the Trust.