Lead Pharmacist - Cancer Services (Oncology)

The Methodist Church in Britain; Hawkesley, Birmingham; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Job summary

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking a Lead Pharmacist to join cancer services and lead oncology pharmacy. You will work with the Principal Pharmacist to screen SACT, optimise medicines on wards, and supervise pharmacists, technicians and students.

You will oversee budget control, clinical trial oversight and ensure compliance with Trust policies and SOPs, while leading therapeutic drug monitoring and trial patient care.

Qualifications

• Diploma in clinical pharmacy or equivalent postgraduate clinical specialist training required.
• Registered pharmacist with GPhC; independent prescribing or working towards this; CPD compliant.

Responsibilities

• Screen and verify SACT prescriptions for adults and paediatric patients.
• Provide medicines optimisation for oncology/haematology patients on wards, day units, and outpatients.
• Lead, develop and evaluate pharmaceutical care for oncology/haematology across the trust.

Skills

Chemotherapy knowledge

Team supervision

Teaching and training

Clinical governance

Education

Vocational degree in pharmacy

Diploma in clinical pharmacy/postgraduate clinical specialist training

Tools

Electronic prescribing system

Trust Formulary

Job description

This Lead Pharmacist post sits in cancer services at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, working alongside the Principal Pharmacist to lead oncology pharmacy. Core work is screening SACT for adult and paediatric patients, optimising medicines on wards, day units and outpatients, and checking dispensed prescriptions. It stands out for line managing pharmacists and supervising technicians and students, alongside budget control and clinical trial oversight. A diploma in clinical pharmacy and GPhC registration are required.

What the job involves

• Clinically screen and verify SACT prescriptions for adult and paediatric patients
• Provide clinical pharmacy and medicines optimisation to oncology and haematology patients on wards, in day units and in outpatients
• Review and optimise prescribing during consultant ward rounds and MDT meetings
• Give specialist medicines advice to medical, nursing and MDT staff, substantiating recommendations
• Line manage pharmacists, including appraisals, sickness management and development
• Teach, train and supervise pharmacists, technicians and students
• Ensure staff are trained and competent, complying with legislation, professional standards, Trust policies and local SOPs
• Carry out clinical checking of dispensed prescriptions against the Trust Formulary and high-cost drug procedures
• Lead, develop and evaluate pharmaceutical care for oncology and haematology patients across the Trust
• Take responsibility for therapeutic drug monitoring, including loading doses, dose adjustment and prescription changes
• Ensure trial patients are treated to protocol, with medicines prepared, randomisation codes allocated and records kept correctly
• Introduce measures to keep directorate drug expenditure within budget, including monthly prescribing reports

What’s required

Qualifications

• Vocational degree in pharmacy
• Diploma in clinical pharmacy or equivalent postgraduate clinical specialist training

Registration & licences

• Registered pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Registered with the GPhC as an independent prescriber, or working towards this
• Meeting the GPhC standard for continuing professional development

Experience

• Current post-diploma experience delivering specialist clinical services to a medical speciality or directorate
• Experience delivering a clinical pharmacy service to patients receiving SACT

• Experience delivering chemotherapy services, inpatient and outpatient
• Experience working in a licensed or unlicensed aseptic unit
• Experience working with an electronic prescribing system

Skills & knowledge

• Knowledge of chemotherapy drugs and regimens in current use
• Skills for teaching and supervising junior pharmacists and technical staff
• Ability to supervise a team of pharmacists and technical staff
• Ability to interpret national guidelines, Trust policies and clinical governance requirements for the specialist area
• Ability to analyse highly complex situations and compare a range of options
• Ability to communicate medicines information where there are barriers to understanding

Nice to have

• Experience as a practising independent prescriber in haematology or oncology
• Masters or equivalent in Advanced Clinical Practice
• RPS core advanced portfolio

What’s offered

• Flexible working, as a Timewise-accredited flex positive employer