Senior Pharmacist - Cancer Services

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in Nottingham is seeking a dedicated Clinical Pharmacist to join their Cancer team. In this role, you will manage pharmacy duties, provide clinical support, and contribute to patient care by ensuring effective medication practices. The position requires a strong clinical knowledge base, along with skills in teaching and supervision. Candidates must possess a relevant pharmacy qualification and registration with the GPhC. This full-time position includes participation in the 7-day shifted rota.

Qualifications

• Must have broad post-registration hospital clinical pharmacy experience.
• Teaching/supervision skills are essential.
• Good written and verbal communication ability is required.

Responsibilities

• Manage pharmacy activities within the Cancer team.
• Ensure safe medication practices and oversee junior staff.
• Participate actively in the 7-day shifted rota.

Skills

Clinical knowledge

Teaching and supervision

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Empathy with patients

Education

MPharm/BPharm

Registered with GPhC

Diploma/MSc in clinical pharmacy

Job description

Job Summary

To partake in clinical pharmacy duties, ensuring core clinical pharmacy activities are undertaken in the Cancer team.

Leadership, management and Divisional/Specialty support roles.

To line manage and support more junior pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in the Pharmacy Cancer team.

To take full part in the 7 day shifted rota and bank holidays duties.

The post holder will be predominantly based at the Nottingham City Hospital Campus.

Key Job Responsibilities

Core Clinical Pharmacy Activities

To work in accordance with relevant pharmacy and Trust policies and procedures relating to the management of medicines.

To ensure safe, rational and effective prescribing by undertaking medication reconciliation, assessing suitability of prescribed medication (including chemotherapy and associated medicines), enabling use of patient's own medicines and patient self‑administration, counselling (to optimise medicines use), and ensuring continuity of patient care at transitions of care.

Providing medicines for individual patients during their stay in hospital, at discharge and during day case and out‑patient visits.

Interpreting and requesting clinical tests to monitor and make recommendations to improve effectiveness and safety of drug therapy.

Proactively liaising with other members of the multidisciplinary team (medical staff, nurses, microbiologists, physiotherapists, dietitians etc) in order to ensure safe and effective use of medicines.

Actively making recommendations about medicines to improve patient outcomes and to encourage adherence to hospital formulary and national guidelines.

Providing advice and guidance in relation to the prescribing of unlicensed and clinical trial medicines under the direction of the senior pharmacist for clinical trials.

To professionally screen prescriptions for Systemic Anticancer Therapy in accordance with local and national guidelines.

To support the Pharmacy Production Services when required, predominantly in a checking role.

Other Responsibilities

To contribute to, facilitate or conduct clinical audits according to the Pharmacy audit plan.

To participate in research, communicate results and, if suitable, register for a further degree.

To act as lead pharmacist for a specified area within the cancer pharmacy team.

To undertake and document continuing professional development.

To contribute to the teaching and training of undergraduate, postgraduate students and other healthcare professionals.

To undertake any other duties that may reasonably be required as agreed by senior staff.

Leadership, Management and Divisional/Specialty Support Roles

Support the Divisional Lead and specialist clinical pharmacists in delivering clinical pharmacy and medicines management services to the assigned clinical specialties.

Liaise and work alongside relevant pharmacy colleagues and directorate staff and managers in ensuring continuity and development of clinical pharmacy services within the specialty.

Maintain contact with and actively participate in regional and national specialty groups, and also identify best practice and incorporate it into NUH practice.

Support the Divisional Lead and Assistant Head of Pharmacy (Clinical Services Lead) in delivering the ‘best possible clinical pharmacy service’.

Support the Assistant Clinical Services Lead and Assistant Head of Pharmacy (Clinical Services Lead) by developing KPIs that clearly demonstrate the contribution made by the pharmacy team.

Report all KPIs (delivered by the clinical pharmacy service) at regular intervals, as directed by the Assistant Head of Pharmacy - clinical services lead e.g. activity data, contributions, service development contributions etc.

Deputise for the relevant specialist clinical pharmacist(s) in the cluster in relation to issues linked to the cluster e.g. attending relevant specialty meetings.

Support the respective specialist clinical pharmacist(s) in the submission of business cases to secure funding for service developments/new pharmacy posts within the specialty.

Assist specialist clinical pharmacists in monitoring drug usage, prescribing patterns and expenditure in order to support the service in achieving a balanced drugs budget and planning for new drug developments.

To contribute to the multidisciplinary identification, review, ratification and implementation of policies, treatment guidelines (including NICE guidance) in the specialty.

Act as a role model.

Undertake and support relevant project work within the department.

Assist in the recruitment of new staff.

Line Management Responsibilities

Direct, mentor and support the more junior pharmacists and other members of the team in the cluster.

Support and encourage more junior pharmacists in accomplishing their objectives.

Take a significant role in education and training of staff (rotational and diploma pharmacists, technicians, pre‑registration pharmacists, pharmacy students) that are linked to the specialties.

Shift and On‑Call Duties

Take full part in the 7 day shifted rota and bank holidays duties.

This post holder will be required to provide clinical cover on weekends (half‑day both weekend days) approximately once every two months – this may vary with staffing levels. For each weekend worked, a full‑day will be recompensed in either the week before or after the weekend cover. There will also be a requirement to be part of the senior pharmacist on‑call rota as well as participating in rostered flexible shift working including evening, weekend and bank holiday arrangements over a 7 day period, in line with service requirements.

Person Specification

Training & Qualifications

• MPharm/BPharm
• Registered with GPhC
• Diploma/MSc in clinical pharmacy or other appropriate post graduate qualification/experience

Essential Criteria – Experience & Skills

• Wide/broad post registration hospital clinical pharmacy experience
• Experience of teaching/supervision
• Broad Clinical Knowledge base
• Good interpersonal, negotiating and presentation skills, both written and verbal skills
• Empathy with patients, relatives and pharmacy customers
• Able to assess and minimise the risk in medication process
• Evidence of critical evaluation of clinical information with application to practice
• Organised, able to prioritise own work and assist others to prioritise

Desirable Criteria – Experience & Skills

• Independent prescriber
• Member of RPS
• Validated with BOPA SACT passport
• Evidence of project work completed
• Experience of caring for people with cancer
• Experience of screening chemotherapy
• Teaching experience
• Evidence of management

EEO Statement

We particularly welcome applications from people who identify as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, or Disabled, as we are striving to be better represented at NUH.

Disability Confidence

All applicants who have declared a disability and who meet the essential criteria for the post will be shortlisted.

Additional Information

Contact: [e-mail]