Lead Pharmacist - Antimicrobials

St. Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; Sefton; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

St. Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking a highly motivated pharmacist to lead antimicrobial management within our hospital pharmacy teams.

The post holder will work with antimicrobial consultants to optimise therapy, support OPAT management, and develop policies across Mersey and West Lancashire regions. The role includes prescribing and monitoring antimicrobial therapy, cross-site duties, and contributing to cost-effective antibiotic use.

Qualifications

• Masters degree in Pharmacy or equivalent.
• GPhC registration is mandatory.
• Mandatory CPD/Revalidation requirements.
• Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy held or pursued.
• Accredited tutor for postgraduate clinical diploma.
• Accredited Independent prescriber or working towards.

Responsibilities

• Provide a clinical pharmacy service to a ward with antimicrobial focus.
• Take drug histories on admission and create care plans.
• Review medications for safety, effectiveness, and cost.
• Develop antimicrobial guidelines and protocols with microbiology.
• Lead training for pharmacists and technicians.
• Line manage foundation pharmacists and trainees.
• Participate in audits, CPD, and departmental meetings.
• Contribute to regional antimicrobial pharmacy forums.

Skills

Excellent verbal and written comms

Change management

Clinical pharmacy knowledge

Time management and organisation

Self-motivation and leadership

Teamwork and collaboration

Teaching junior pharmacists

CPD/Revalidation commitment

Patient-centred care

Approachability and flexibility

Interdepartmental liaison

Computing literacy

Budget management awareness

Education

Masters degree in Pharmacy or equivalent

GPhC registration

CPD/Revalidation requirements

Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy

Accredited tutor for PG clinical diploma

Accredited Independent non-medical prescriber or pursue

Job description

After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third-party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through the NHS Jobs website, and furthermore, as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website. By applying for this post you are agreeing to "name of trust" transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Job overview

An amazing opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated and dynamic pharmacist to join the Pharmacy teams to support us in our antimicrobial management. The postholder will take over this well-established role in proactive management of patients who require antimicrobial treatment. They will be expected to work alongside our antimicrobial consultants and specialists in day-to day management of patients including prescribing and monitoring antimicrobial therapy.

The postholder will have significant input into outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT) management and MWL policies and guidelines concerning antimicrobials, antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention and control.

The postholder will benefit from expert support from our newly created consultant pharmacist in antimicrobials.

The successful applicant will be based at Southport District General Hospital but cross-site working will be required on occasion throughout Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals.

The JD & PS are currently under AfC review and are subject to change.

Main duties of the job

The successful post holder will have significant experience of hospital clinical pharmacy and antimicrobials and they will be an excellent team player with ability to communicate effectively across teams. They will also be dynamic and innovative to develop and implement their own ideas to continually improve the service.

With the Consultant Microbiologists, the post holder will support and implement quality-driven Antimicrobial Clinical Pharmacy Services to the Trust. This will ensure anti-microbial therapies are used in a safe, effective, patient-centred, timely, economic and efficient manner. The post holder will promote appropriate and cost-effective antibiotic prescribing and expenditure control across the Trust in collaboration with the Consultant Microbiologists. This includes drug usage analysis, identification of budget pressures arising from new products, co-ordination of projects and audits and the development of protocols.

The post holder will provide a clinical pharmacy service to a ward and a clinical speciality role in anti-microbials across all directorates.

The post holder will assist the Deputy Chief Pharmacist - clinical services in providing clinical training and supervision of other departmental staff.

Working for our organisation

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.

Our Services

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements

• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical and Professional Responsibilities

1. Provide a Clinical Pharmacy Service to a designated ward and develop a specialist practice base in anti-microbials. This will include:
   • Taking drug histories on admission
   • Screening of patients on admission for pharmaceutical care issues and formulation of care plans where pharmaceutical care issues are identified
   • Review medication to ensure safe and effective use
   • Review and update of care plans depending on response, results of investigations and adverse effects
   • Therapeutic drug monitoring for specific drugs
   • Educate patients about their drug therapy
   • Facilitate implementation of local and national guidelines
2. To work with the Deputy Chief Pharmacist - clinical services and other senior members of staff to develop Pharmacy Services as appropriate
3. Attend Consultant Medical Microbiologist clinical ward rounds and clinical and multidisciplinary meetings relevant to anti-microbials.
4. Undertaking and supervising audit and research projects in anti-microbials to ensure the cost-effective use of anti-microbials throughout the Trust. This will involve liaison with Consultant Microbiologists, Senior Clinicians and Pharmacists.
5. To assist the Deputy Chief Pharmacist - clinical services with information regarding intervention monitoring by regularly recording clinical interventions and activities.
6. Representing the Department and the Trust in regional and other clinical pharmacy forums and meetings, particularly with respect to anti-microbials. This includes the North West Regional Antibiotics Pharmacist Group.
7. In liaison with the lead Pharmacy technicians in procurement/computer services, provide and interpret monthly drug-use information for anti-microbials and prioritise areas for action to contain unexplained spending. Liaise with Finance, Clinical Directors, Consultant Microbiologists and Clinical Service Managers to address any financial concerns.
8. Develop evidence-based treatment protocols, guidelines and care pathways with Microbiology for anti-microbials. Produce updated Trust Antibiotic Guidelines on an annual basis after consideration of local antibiotic sensitivities and evidence-based medicine in collaboration with Consultant Microbiologists, Senior Clinicians and Pharmacists.
9. Responsible for drug administration protocols for anti-microbials.
10. Provide evaluated information for the Drugs & Therapeutics Group on anti-microbials, as requested, to facilitate decision making with respect to the inclusion of new anti-microbials products in the Formulary.
11. Provide specialist pharmaceutical information to medical, nursing staff and patients in anti-microbials and to General Practitioners and other staff within the Trust where appropriate.

Administrative Responsibilities

1. Documentation of patient Medicines Reconciliation as per Trust Policy.
2. Review of ward/department expenditure as allocated.
3. Record regularly clinical interventions and activities in line with departmental policy.

Teaching and Training Responsibilities

1. Provide clinical training for other Pharmacists, Trainee Pharmacists, Undergraduate Students and Technicians especially in anti-microbials.
2. Provide technical and clinical support to other Pharmacists as appropriate within their area of practice.
3. Responsible for the personal development of Foundation Pharmacists and Trainee Pharmacists as appropriate. Undertake individual developmental review sessions for designated Foundation Pharmacists. Mentor Foundation Pharmacists and trainee Pharmacists regarding Continuing Professional Development (CPD)/Revalidation.
4. To actively participate and contribute to in-house clinical meetings.
5. Training of staff from other disciplines e.g. medical, nursing staff, paramedics on drug issues.
6. Participate in CPD/Revalidation as per Department Policy and National Guidelines from The Royal College of Pharmacy. Maintain portfolio of evidence of CPD.
7. Undertake mandatory training in risk management, manual handling and resuscitation skills.
8. Undertake mandatory training in infection control and comply with all Trust infection control policies relevant to the post, particularly with regard to the hand hygiene policy.

Audit/Research

1. To participate in clinical audit and practice research within the department.

Managerial

1. Line manage designate foundation pharmacist.
2. Supervise Foundation Pharmacists, trainee pharmacists and undergraduate students.
3. Act as tutor for pharmacists undertaking a post-graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy.

Other

1. Provide professional and legal clinical supervision in the dispensary as allocated.
2. Liaise with senior management to ensure agreed safe systems of work are followed that comply with current recommendations or instructions that may be issued from time to time by the Department of Health and Medicines Inspectorate
3. Participate as necessary in the provision of emergency services outside normal working hours, weekend roster and Pharmacy late-night roster

Person specification

Our Values

• We are Kind
• We are Open
• We are Inclusive

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Masters degree in Pharmacy or equivalent
• Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• Fulfilment of mandatory Continuous Professional Development/Revalidation requirements
• Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy
• Accredited tutor for post graduate clinical diploma
• Accredited Independent non-medical prescriber or currently working towards accreditation

Desirable criteria

• Membership of the Royal College of Pharmacy

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience as qualified pharmacist in acute Hospital Pharmacy
• Good all-round knowledge of Clinical Pharmacy

Desirable criteria

• Experience in anti-microbial therapy
• Line Management Experience
• Previous Pharmacy Teaching Experience
• Published pharmaceutical research in a peer-reviewed journal

Skills

Essential criteria

• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Ability to affect and manage change
• Clinical knowledge of the pharmaceutical care of patients
• Good time management, decision making and organisational skills
• Self-motivated and able to motivate/ inspire others
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
• Ability to teach junior pharmacists the delivery of pharmaceutical care within speciality
• Demonstrable commitment to continuing professional development/ education
• Committed to patient care
• Approachable and flexible
• Supportive to other members of Pharmacy and multidisciplinary teams
• Computer literate
• Financial awareness regarding the management of drug budgets

Other

Essential criteria

• Financial awareness regarding the management of drug budgets
• Some standing, walking sitting
• Use of VDU equipment
• Able to work under pressure, remains calm and objective
• Analysis of prescriptions. Interruptions for advice
• Frequent concentration, work pattern unpredictable Concentration for reviewing prescriptions, calculations, statistics; may be interrupted by urgent requests for advice
• Analysis and formulation of procedures and guidelines
• Ability to rationalise complex issues
• Complex dosage advice
• Exposure to upsetting situations, high level of resilience to deal with distressing and/or challenging situations
• Distressed patients with complex diseases
• Professional appearance and hygiene awareness
• Cross site travel and cover
• Weekend, Late night, on call and Bank Holiday Working

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

We actively cultivate a professional environment of fairness, equality, dignity, and respect for all individuals. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and value the unique skills, perspective and experience you bring. We are grounded in the belief that diversity enhances our collective strength, fostering innovation and excellence within our workforce. We welcome all applications irrespective of people's race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we commit to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.