Specialist Clinical Pharmacist - Senior Adult Oncology

Job summary

We currently have an opportunity for highly motivated, enthusiastic specialist clinical pharmacist (band 8a) to join our team. The post holder will be integrated in the multidisciplinary Senior Adult Oncology Service and will act as a specialised resource in pharmacy and cancer for complex senior adult patients with frailty, within and beyond the Christie Hospital.

The team will work collaboratively to embed frailty screening and comprehensive geriatric assessment into cancer care pathways for older adults undergoing cancer treatment. The key aims for this team are to support and optimise patients with complex needs during anti-cancer treatments, as well as aiding cancer treatment decisions in complex older patients. The team will be responsible for delivering specialist interventions and support with the management of multiple comorbidities, reducing polypharmacy and aiding the delivery of personalised pre/re-habilitation plans.

The postholder will be integrated in the multidisciplinary Senior Adult Oncology service and be expected to provide mainly outpatient specialist care for those patients referred to the service, but also inpatient support on the main adult oncology wards for selected complex cases. The postholder will also attend a regular Senior Adult Oncology MDT meeting and will be supported by the wider team, liaising as required with other Christie teams and with other health care providers within Greater Manchester.

Main duties of the job

• Take a lead role in the production, implementation, management and review strategy, guidelines, and practices in relation to medication use as appropriate. To establish performance indicators against which practice may be monitored, with collaboration of other MDT practitioners.
• Further develop, provide and coordinate a comprehensive pharmaceutical management and its associated clinical pathway in order to ensure safe, clinically effective and cost-efficient strategies for older patients with frailty planning to start or undergoing anti-cancer treatment in accordance with all departmental, Trust and national standards, procedures, and policies.
• Work with the Senior Adult Oncology multidisciplinary team, particularly the medical and nursing staff, providing early and pro-active Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) to selected cancer patients with frailty.
• Act as an expert resource on the pharmacological care of older adults with frailty undergoing cancer treatments in addition to an awareness of SACT treatment protocols and pathways used with the Trust.
• The postholder will actively participate in quality improvement and service evaluation in order to demonstrate the benefits to the patient and the outcomes of the service. The role is also expected to actively engage and participate in research as these patients are often under-represented in research.
• Postholders may be required to work at any location across the Greater Manchester and Cheshire Cancer Network.

About us

The Christie is one of Europe's leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.

We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years.

This is a unique opportunity to work with us and contribute to the challenging and rewarding specialty of oncology pharmacy.

Date posted: 09 April 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 8a

Salary: £53,755 to £60,504 a year per annum

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 413-94442-CNS-AK

Job locations: Pharmacy Clinical - E00920, Manchester, M20 4BX

Job description Job responsibilities

Senior Adult Oncology

• To act as the pharmacy lead for senior adult oncology initiatives and strategy across the Trust.
• To take a lead role in the production, implementation, management and review strategy, guidelines, and practices in relation to medication use as appropriate. To establish performance indicators against which practice may be monitored, with collaboration of other MDT practitioners.
• To further develop, provide and coordinate a comprehensive pharmaceutical management and its associated clinical pathway in order to ensure safe, clinically effective and cost-efficient strategies for older patients with frailty planning to start or undergoing anti-cancer treatment in accordance with all departmental, Trust and national standards, procedures, and policies.
• Work with the Senior Adult Oncology multidisciplinary team, particularly the medical and nursing staff, providing early and pro-active Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) to selected cancer patients with frailty.
• Act as an expert resource on the pharmacological care of older adults with frailty undergoing cancer treatments in addition to an awareness of SACT treatment protocols and pathways used with the Trust.
• Communicate, collaborate, and advise the Senior Adult Oncology team and all other health care professionals on the appropriate evidence-based pharmacological care plan, ensuring a well-coordinated care plan.
• Provision of highly specialist pharmaceutical expertise and clinical advice to optimise individual patient care through participation in the multidisciplinary team meetings, consultant ward rounds and outpatient clinics.
• To be responsible for direct delivery of individualised care programmes, involving medication review with pharmacological therapy simplification, focusing on those with polypharmacy and/or potentially inappropriate medications.
• To work closely with and provide pharmaceutical advice to medical staff, other members of the multi-disciplinary team and patients.
• Support prescribing and work as an independent prescriber contributing to the optimisation of patients drug therapy with due consideration to risk/benefit issues.
• Use advanced communication skills and provide expert advice to patients, relatives, carers, as well as all relevant health care professionals, promoting the understanding of the care plan aims and to ensure a consistent approach.
• Collaborate with the different supportive oncology teams and specialised oncology teams at The Christie.
• Liaise between specialist and local community health and social care teams, as required, to ensure necessary levels of collaboration and efficient transfer of care across organizational boundaries.
• Contribute to the multi-professional team primarily through outpatient clinics and MDTs, but occasionally by supporting selected inpatients.
• Take an active role in shaping the Senior Adult Oncology model of care and proactively develop the pharmacy expert pathway.
• Adhere to the use of quality improvement and research methodology for the development and implementation of the Senior Adult Oncology model of care.
• Maintain high standards of data documentation (accurate, comprehensive, and up to date) of all the required clinical and operational data, in line with national standards the trust policy, providing the necessary KPIs and outcomes data.
• Contribute to the service evaluation and regular auditing process, promoting evidence-based strategies and clinical care of excellence for service improvement.
• Monitor the pharmacological care provided and the impact of interventions, such as, prescribing trends and drugs expenditure, identifying opportunities for improvement both within the Senior Adult Oncology team and the wider Trust.
• Participate in all aspects of clinical governance, including the evaluation of new drugs for this complex sub-group of patients, and the development and maintenance of SOPs, protocols, policies, and standards to ensure they remain in line with evidence-based practice in conjunction with fellow healthcare professionals, in order to advance the safe, clinically effective and cost-efficient use of medicines for patients.
• Actively contribute to research in this field, providing evidence regarding the impact of pharmacological care and the use of CGA on patient and clinical outcomes.
• Active participation and contribution to external national and international geriatric associations and working groups: e.g. BOPA Geriatric Oncology Specialist Advisory group and SIOG.
• Prepare papers and abstracts for submission in professional journals and relevant conferences, including presentation at conferences to promote the senior adult oncology agenda.
• Participate in the education of student placements and identify training needs within this field, providing training and education to other healthcare professionals.

Clinical pharmacy service

• Support the clinical screening/review of prescriptions, both outpatients and in-patients including the safe and effective screening / review of prescriptions for chemotherapy regimens, clinical trials, and treatment strategies in use at the Christie including full awareness of the intrathecal chemotherapy policy. Following local, Trust and National guidelines for safe medicines practice.
• To attend and contribute to meetings relevant to the designated disease group as appropriate.
• To liaise with the Director of Pharmacy, and the lead designated cancer disease group consultants, to forecast drug expenditure and to identify or any changes in prescribing practices that may potentially impact on the drugs budget (drug forecasting)
• Gain an understanding of the principle and practice of the Trust's budgeting system and support the management of drug expenditure by clinicians and senior managers.
• Represent the pharmacy service at appropriate clinical unit and divisional meetings on request.
• To monitor and interpret published evidence and computer reports of drug usage, to use this data to report to the lead clinicians and Director of Pharmacy, implementing agreed policies aimed at improving patient outcomes and containing drug expenditure.
• To provide evaluated pharmaceutical information to the Drugs and Therapeutic Committee as requested.
• To support the development of the Electronic Prescribing process across the Trust.
• To provide pharmaceutical care, contributing to the multi-professional team through ward pharmacy services and attendance on appropriate clinicians ward rounds and meetings.
• Facilitate effective communication about relevant pharmacy issues to clinicians and senior managers and the identification of opportunities for development of pharmacy services to match identified services and care needs.
• To demonstrate awareness and commitment to the Trusts Clinical Governance Plan.
• In conjunction with the Principal Pharmacist in Clinical Services, to establish processes for the setting of standards of care, identifying the risks involved and implement changes that need to occur to achieve these.
• To undertake clinical audit and practice research as part of the multi-disciplinary audit process within the designated disease group and clinical pharmacy service.
• To participate in research opportunities internal or external to the Trust in collaboration with disease group or university faculties.
• To identify and report any systemic or preventable errors associated with medicines within the Network Services division and facilitate learning.
• To assist and participate in the development, implementation and management of training initiatives and competency frameworks within the clinical pharmacy service.
• Together with colleagues to be involved in the maintenance of cost-effective and efficient pharmacy services and to participate in their regular review and development.
• To represent pharmacy and act as a link person at relevant meetings and conferences.
• To provide education and training to pharmacy, medical and nursing staff.
• To act as a mentor / role model to junior pharmacists and undertake regular appraisals.
• To participate in the clinical training of pharmacists and Foundation year pharmacists.
• To actively participate in the clinical pharmacy ward service rota to all patients within the Trust as required.
• To check and supply medication to and for patients, including clinical trials and to counsel patients or medical or nursing staff on their correct use as required.
• To participate in prescription clinical screening and final product checking rotas if required.
• To give advice on the storage, administration, and therapeutic use of drugs to patients, medical / nursing staff, and other colleagues. To provide written information as necessary.
• To follow local, Trust and National guidelines for safe medicines practice.
• To contribute to the revision of the Trusts drug formulary.
• Identify own training and personal development needs, demonstrating a commitment to continuous personal and professional development (CPD) and maintain competency and to ensure best practice, meeting the professional requirements of the General Pharmaceutical Council. To participate in mandatory training in line with the trust and departmental requirements.
• To participate in weekend and Bank Holiday rotas and additional out of hours duties as required to meet the needs of the service.
• To undertake any other duties consistent with the nature of the post as requested by the Pharmacy Managers and the Trust.

Person Specification

Qualifications Essential

• Vocational Masters Degree or equivalent in Pharmacy
• Membership of General Pharmaceutical Council
• Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent.
• Evidence of post registration CPD or relevant Specialist Qualification in cancer or geriatrics
• Independent prescribing qualification

Desirable

• To have or currently working towards a MSc/Masters qualification

Experience Essential

• Post registration NHS hospital experience.
• Oncology Pharmacy experience
• Previous experience with management of frail patients
• Experience in delivering a clinical pharmacy service to wards.
• Clinical audit or research experience
• Screening/ reviewing prescriptions including oral chemotherapy.
• Experience of multidisciplinary team working

Desirable

• Audit work.
• Experience of budget management & directorate support
• Experience of delivering education & training to undergraduate & post graduate pharmacy and to multi-disciplinary staff

Skills Essential

• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Ability to work alone without direct supervision when required.
• Good time management and organisational skills, ability to prioritise effectively & meet deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills (written & verbal)
• Ability to initiate and implement change.
• Ability to work under pressure whilst maintaining attention to detail & accuracy.

Desirable

• Project implementation.

Knowledge Essential

• NHS Plan, Cancer plan, NICE, funding arrangements
• Knowledge of the importance of comprehensive geriatric assessments to evaluate and address the needs of older individuals with cancer in line with international guidelines.
• Knowledge of key concepts to optimise the pharmacological management of older patients with cancer, including medication review and simplification, de-prescribing, and adherence monitoring

Desirable

• BOPA Geriatric Oncology Specialist Advisory group
• SIOG.

Values Essential

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours.
• Adaptable to change: flexible to meet the needs of the role.
• Professional, act as a role model
• Good leadership qualities: able to take responsibility & delegate effectively.

Other Essential

• On call duties.
• Flexible working hours if required.
• Bank holiday working

Desirable

• Driving licence.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name: The Christie NHS FT

Address: Pharmacy Clinical - E00920, Manchester, M20 4BX

Employer's website: https://www.christie.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)