Principal Pharmacist

King's College Hospital; Orpington; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare institution in the United Kingdom is seeking a Clinical Pharmacy Lead to manage and evaluate pharmacy services within Surgery care groups. The role involves providing specialist clinical input, developing pharmacy policies, and ensuring cost-effective medication use. Ideal candidates will have extensive clinical pharmacy experience and a strong background in pharmaceutical management. Competitive compensation and professional development opportunities offered.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in clinical pharmacy practice.
• Proven ability to manage and lead pharmacy teams.
• Experience with financial management and budgeting in healthcare.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage clinical pharmacy services for Surgery care groups.
• Provide expert pharmaceutical advice to medical and nursing staff.
• Ensure the safe and effective use of medications.

Skills

Advanced clinical knowledge

Pharmaceutical management

Financial analysis

Effective communication

Independent prescribing

Education

PharmD or equivalent qualification

Job description

The post holder leads, delivers, develops, manages and evaluates the clinical pharmacy services to the Care Groups - Surgery including Orthopaedics, Theatres, Anaesthetics and Endoscopy. The focus of the post is on ensuring the provision of high quality, safe, comprehensive (clinical, supply, financial and operational) pharmaceutical services to the care groups, in accordance with the priorities set by the post holder, Deputy and Associate Chief Pharmacists, Clinical Services, General Manager and Clinical Director(s). The post holder provides a specialist level clinical commitment to the care groups.

Key Responsibilities

• Acting as a specialist role model and as an expert in the clinical field and demonstrating an advanced level of knowledge
• Ensuring the safe, efficacious and cost-effective use of drugs within the Care Groups
• Ensuring a high level of clinical input across the Care Groups
• Development and implementation of guidelines and policies for the use of drugs
• Regular financial reporting, drug usage and expenditure forecasting
• Developing the pharmacy service to the Care Groups
• Teaching and training within the Trust and externally
• Initiating and coordinating research and development activity within the specialist areas
• Identifying a vision for the delivery of pharmaceutical services to the Care Groups
• Identifying and promoting best practice
• To lead clinical pharmacy services for patients treated within the Care Groups in accordance with the priorities set by the post holder, Associate/Deputy Chief Pharmacist, Clinical Services, General Manager and Clinical Director(s) to ensure safe, clinically effective and cost-efficient use of drugs in these patients
• To develop clinical pharmacy services for patients in the Care Groups in accordance with objectives set by the post holder and Consultant Pharmacist to advance the safe, clinically effective and cost-efficient use of drugs in these patients.
• To identify a vision for the delivery of pharmaceutical services to the Care Groups.
• To deliver this vision within the boundaries of national and local priorities.
• To identify a vision to support the development of independent pharmacist prescribing practice following changes to the initial education and training standards of Pharmacists alongside the Associate/Deputy Chief Pharmacist, Clinical Services.
• To deliver the clinical governance agenda in relation to drug use in the Care Groups.

Clinical Responsibilities

• To be responsible for the provision of highly specialised pharmacy services (clinical, dispensing and supply) to patients within the Care Groups.
• To provide highly specialised evidence-based clinical advice and information (doses, interaction, adverse effects, drug availability, complex dose calculations) to nursing and medical staff (within the Trust and externally) on the management of individual patients, in accordance with legislation.
• To act as a pharmacist independent prescriber to optimise the care of patients.
• To participate in consultant ward rounds.
• To demonstrate expert clinical knowledge.
• To manage and make appropriate referrals.
• To provide direct high quality of care to outpatients in clinic(s) within specialist area, as required.
• To follow legal ethical professional and employer's codes of conduct.

Financial Management

• To work with the Deputy Chief Pharmacist, Clinical Services to develop appropriate business cases for the development of clinical pharmacy services to the Care Groups.
• To monitor drug expenditure within the Care Groups and provide accurate expenditure information, with appropriate analysis, to the Care Groups, in line with departmental policies.
• To contribute to the budget setting process within the Care Groups as appropriate, and support appropriate drug income generation for the Care Groups.
• To attend Care Group financial meetings to provide highly complex advice and information on the Care Group's drugs budget, drug expenditure and cost-control measures.
• To forecast the cost impact of new drugs on the Care Group's drugs budget and manage their introduction into clinical practice using horizon scanning techniques.

People Management / Performance

• Lead, coach and manage the performance in line with good people management practices. Ensuring excellence is recognised and underperformance is addressed.
• Participate in regular performance appraisal meetings and ensure staff have a clear set of objectives and development plans.
• Ensure staff are compliant with all statutory, mandatory training together with any professional training requirements.
• Manage staff absences including sickness in line with Trust policy ensuring the appropriate return to work meetings occur, e-roster is updated and productivity is at keep to the highest possible level.
• Identify and fill any vacancies that arise in line with the Trust’s recruitment policy and process.
• Identify talent and support the internal talent management process in order attract and retain and succession plan for our people.

Research and Service Development

• To demonstrate a critical approach towards pharmacy practice in the Care Groups.
• To evaluate pharmacy practice in the Care Groups, and more broadly as it relates to prescribing practice.
• To integrate research and audit evidence into practice.
• To identify gaps in the evidence-base and where possible develop strategies to bridge the gap.
• To initiate, coordinate and develop research and audit programmes within own specialist area.
• To undertake own research and audit and participate in other research and audit programmes in the Trust and at regional level, as required.
• To guide and support others undertaking research.