Principal Pharmacist – Digital Services

NHS; Cardiff; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS seeks a Digital Medicines Management Lead to oversee the e-medicines program at Velindre University NHS Trust. The ideal candidate will be an experienced pharmacist skilled in digital solutions to ensure safe patient care and effective medicines management, combining clinical commitment with strategic leadership.

Qualifications

• Registered Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• M Pharm or equivalent, with CPD demonstrated.
• Specialist knowledge of e-medicines management systems ideally.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning and implementation of an e-medicines management programme.
• Provide specialised input into e-medicines systems development.
• Develop governance arrangements and manage digital medicine projects.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Presentation skills

Leadership

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Communication

Education

M Pharm (or equivalent)

Diploma/MSc in Clinical Pharmacy (or equivalent)

Registered as a Pharmacist

Job description

VCC has utilised e-prescribing for delivery of its SACT (chemotherapy) services since 2004 and is about to embark on a new project to implement an Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (EPMA) system for general medicines (non-oncology) as part of a pan Wales programme of work. As the medicines management digital lead you will be integral to establishing and delivering this programme alongside maintaining oversight and leadership for all VCC's e-medicines management solutions.

You will be an experienced pharmacist with a strong interest in how digital solutions can help provide safe patient care. Whilst experience in cancer services is an advantage, we are most interested in your specialist knowledge of e-medicines management systems. We will ask you to maintain a clinical commitment in order to ensure that you maintain your clinical skills and have a good understanding of the end user perspective.

As a member of the Pharmacy Senior Management Team, you will strategically lead on the Digital medicines agenda, working alongside medical and nursing peers and the wider digital team as appropriate.

We are looking for an enthusiastic clinical pharmacist with experience in the management of e-medicines management systems to take on this varied and interesting role. You will be based at the cancer centre and have the flexibility to work in a hybrid manner in the hospital or at home according to work commitments.

Main duties of the job

Be the professional lead responsible for the planning, implementation and ongoing development of a VCS wide e-medicines management improvement programme to assure the safe, clinical and cost effective use of medicines .

Support the Chief Pharmacist in developing, in an innovative way, the overall strategy for the digital medicines agenda at VCS in a manner that reflects Trust and NHS Wales strategy and priorities.

Provide highly specialised technical input into the development of e-medicines management systems considering the needs of VCS. Be the lead medicines management representative for digital medicines issues.

Develop systems to ensure the medicines management aspects of EPMA and other digital systems are maintained and developed in the longer-term.

Be responsible for developing, establishing and ensuring that governance arrangements for medicines management aspects of digital solutions are robust. To lead on digital medicine management project(s) across VCS.

Represent VCS at local and national groups in relation to e-medicines management digital solutions

Optimise the structure, lead and manage staff to deliver the e-medicines management solutions, this would include work on initial configuration, roll out and then ongoing update and maintenance of the system.

As a member of pharmacy's senior management team, contribute to the overall organisation, administration, management, and leadership of the pharmacy service as directed by the Chief Pharmacist.

About us

Here at Velindre University NHS Trust we are extremely proud of the specialist services we provide across the whole of Wales in ourcutting-edge Velindre Cancer Centre and ouraward-winning Welsh Blood Service, as well as the expertise of our corporate functions that bring the two divisions together. We are also fortunate to host the NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership and Health Technology Wales and have developed strong partnership working with these expert services.

Formed in 1999, the Trust has a dedicated workforce that continuously strives to apply the key principles of value based healthcare through a wide array of roles. We play a vital role in the communities we support and have ambitious plans for the future to continue to improve the services we deliver. We strive to maintain our core values in everything we do by being; accountable, bold, caring and dynamic, and ensuring the best possible care for our patients and donors.

If you want to work for an organisation that prides itself on making a real difference and offers exciting career opportunities then Velindre University NHS Trust is the place for you.

Visit our website to find out more https://velindre.nhs.wales/

Job responsibilities

You will be able to find a full Job Description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click Apply now to view in Trac.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Knowledge

• Registered as a Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• M Pharm (or equivalent)
• Demonstrates CPD
• Diploma/MSc in Clinical Pharmacy (or equivalent)
• Member of relevant national specialist pharmacist group
• Member RPS
• Prince2 (or equivalent)

Skills and Attributes

• Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills, both verbal and written
• Empathy with patients and relatives
• Confident and assertive; able to defend opinions in a constructive manner when challenged
• Proven ability to influence and negotiate with relevant senior clinicians, managers and stakeholders
• Experience of writing compelling business cases or board reports
• Experience of assessing and minimising risk associated with service provision and within medication processes
• Ability to work alone and make decisions within agreed parameters ; and appropriate referral / escalation as necessary
• Experience in making judgements involving highly complex facts, which require analysis, interpretation and options appraisal e.g. implementation of a new decision support tool.
• Ability to maintain and monitor database of medicines and activity related information e.g. medicines expenditure
• Able to critically analyse complex information and evidence and to communicate the findings clearly in simple terms.
• Evidence of incorporating innovative and 'best practice' into current practice
• Ability to speak Welsh

Other

• Exhibits behaviours in line with Trust Values
• Flexible approach to work

Experience

• Extensive post registration hospital experience
• Specialist knowledge of e-medicines management systems, eg e-prescribing
• Experience of excellent leadership and management skills
• Experience of line management, including effective performance management, recruitment and allocation of staff
• Experience of leading and delivering operational and IT pharmacy service/projects
• Experience in undertaking, supervising and reporting/presenting audit / research work at local (Trust) level
• Experience of multidisciplinary and team working at Pharmacy, Trust level
• Effective liaison with relevant Trust level committees / groups
• Experience of training and education of both pharmacy staff and other health professionals
• Good understanding of healthcare policy and agenda around technology e.g. robotics and e-prescribing
• Experience in project management (including department-wide roles) and evidence of completed outcomes
• Recent Oncology and/or haematology experience

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.