Lead Pharmacist for Transformation and Medicines Safety

Job overview

Great things are happening in our Hospital Pharmacy Services across Liverpool.

We are looking for an exceptional leader to transform our medicines safety and governance work programme at Liverpool Women’s Hospital. Acting as the Trust Medicines’ Safety Officer this role is  suited to a dynamic, enthusiastic and forward thinking pharmacist with a passion for patient safety who wants to extend their experience at a senior management level in a progressive environment.

Working as part of our Senior Leadership Team the successful candidate must have an inquiring mind, be solution focussed and have strong interpersonal skills with the desire to network and collaborate and the ability to inspire multi-professional teams.

If you regard patient safety as the professions raison d’être and you have a proven track record of managing change to improve patient safety, call us for an informal chat on 0151 702 4168. Alternatively email Pippa Roberts on [email protected]

Banding is subject to Agenda for Change.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will, working with the Chief Pharmacist, Deputy, and the Pharmacy Senior Leadership Team, lead the Pharmacy & Medicines Safety Improvement Programme (PMSIP) collaborating with the wider multidisciplinary team within LWH and with its partner organisations.

They will align the PMSIP with other Trust safety improvement and transformation work as required to ensure dependencies are considered.

They will lead on the strategic development of the Trust-wide medication governance agenda and identify initiatives to minimise risk from medication safety issues which have the potential to cause patient harm.

They will be the designated Medicines Safety Officer for the Trust. The role will support the Chief Pharmacist, Site Pharmacy Lead, Medical Director, and Director of Nursing in undertaking their overall corporate responsibility for Medicines Management.

They will identify potential collaborative opportunities for hospital pharmacy services within the Trust and across the Liverpool Health economy.

They will evaluate Pharmacy Services across LWH and its partner organisations under the direction of the Chief Pharmacist.

They will provide expert pharmaceutical advice to a named specialty and practice clinical on a sessional basis.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Responsibilities/ Duties:

General Medicines Safety

Work with the Pharmacy Leadership Team and PMSIP Programme Board to evaluate medicines governance and safety work and advise on their viability both in terms of quality, safety, financials and deliverability.

Work with the Pharmacy Leadership Team to produce, influence, implement and continually review the Trust-wide strategy in relation to medicines safety. This will involve working across with multiple Directorates within the Trust and proactively communicate the vision and delivery of medicines safety plans within the Trust.

Initiate, review and contribute to discussions on proposed changes to policies and/or current practices within medicines management and pharmacy services (MMPS) across Trust and work with others to implement proposed changes to policies and current practices.

Critically evaluate the contents of reports and policy documents and implement the results as necessary.

Undertake risk management assessments and ensure compliance with medicines legislation and quality assurance legislation including local policies.  Ensure any risks associated with medicines use and pharmacy services are minimised and documented on the Trust Risk Register.

Actively encourage and support a culture of safety with respect to medicines management throughout the organisation.

Actively promote and publicise medicines safety within the Trust to increase awareness of, and the benefits from, proactive reporting and learning and encourage increased reporting of incidents and near-misses and offer/sign-post support and reflection for staff involved in errors. Work with the multidisciplinary teams to ensure appropriate review of relevant incidents to ensure lessons are learned.

Record, analyse, advise and act on data and statistics, entered either manually or by electronic means.

Analyse medicines safety information and produce an annual workplan.

Ensure all data presented is in a logical and easy to understand format so it can be assessed easily by other staff members.

Lead on the safe and secure handling and storage of medicinal products as required and to comply with MHRA and CQC regulations.

Attend meetings and present information to appropriate audiences which can be highly complex or contentious and to influence others on service issues and environments.  The information may be challenged by others.

Develop national and local networks for medicines assurance, attending regional and national groups as required. Align the Trust with local and national medication safety initiatives as an active member of the National Medication Safety Network. Use appropriate opportunities to share and learn from other organisations and utilise examples of best practice seen in other organisations to influence Trust performance.

Communicate directly with the Chief Pharmacists and other Senior Pharmacy Managers about all issues related to PMSIP.

Ensure any action required from audits including written and verbal communication with Pharmacy Regulators (e.g. MHRA, CQC and QCNW) is carried out providing a written report as confirmation.  The information is of a complex and confidential nature.

Plan and negotiate medicines safety agreements with internal and external suppliers for the Trust Pharmacy Services.

Pharmacy and Medicines Safety Programme

Manage and be responsible for all aspects of the PMSIP projects in scope including assurance.

Proactively enable the development of the PMSIP projects for the Trust that is in line with local and national objectives and policies.

Ensure all PMSIP are in line with the Trust’s Strategic Plan.

Identify potential external Pharmacy partners that the Trust may work with to improve the efficacy of medicines use across the Trust and its partners.

Motivate staff or to seek co-operation over medicines safety issues on some occasions.  Resolution of a disagreement between staff may also be required.

Hold and attend regular meetings with the multidisciplinary team across the Trust and with partners in primary secondary and tertiary care to discuss improvement plans.

Proactively communicate any developments regarding PMSIP across the Trust in line with local and national objectives.

Be responsible for the administration of the Pharmacy and Medicines Improvement and Transformation programme and all Programme documentation including project initiation documents and highlight reports.

Be a member of the Pharmacy Senior Leadership Team and assist the Chief Pharmacist in the development, implementation and delivery of the strategic Pharmacy plan.

Plan own workload and decide on priorities for own work area, balancing other patient related and professional demands and co-ordinate the workload of the project as required, prioritising service requirements and making necessary adjustments to project plans as required.

Prepare regular reports on the progress of the PMSIP.

Clinical Practice

Provide clinical pharmacy service on a sessional basis.

Analyse prescriptions and highly complex patient information in order to provide advice on medicines and dosage as required.

Communicate drug related information to NHS staff. The information is regularly of a highly complex and confidential nature.

Liaise with medical, nursing, pharmacy and other relevant staff to ensure optimal pharmaceutical care, offering professional advice as required.

Communicate drug or medicine related information to patients and carers, tailoring the information to the patients’ specific needs.  The patients may have language difficulties, physical or mental disabilities.

Communicate effectively with patients, relatives or staff, often distressed or irritated, in the investigation and resolution of drug misadventures and complaints.

Education, Training & Development

Develop training materials for multidisciplinary teams relating to PMSIP.

Maintain own continuing professional development (CPD) by keeping abreast of any new trends and developments and incorporate them as necessary into your work.

Develop own knowledge and skills in specialised areas.

Audit and Research

Lead PMSIP audits and manage and co-ordinate the response in an effective manner.

Publish audit and research undertaken as part of the programmes of work.

Participate in and provide professional advice on all aspects of medicines assurance.

Be responsible for the development, co-ordination and implementation of a programme of continual audit and improvement within Pharmacy and Medicines Services.

HR Management

Manage staff within portfolio ensuring all have a meaningful appraisal and develop in order that they reach their potential.

Deploy the full range of HR procedures if required sickness absence, performance, disciplinary as required.

Finance

Identify and monitor any potential cost savings from the PMSIP Work Stream.

Critically evaluate and interpret highly complex medicines related and financial information, following departmental procedures, and to produce concise reports if required.

Act as an authorised signatory within Pharmacy Department in line with Standing Financial Instructions.

Act upon expenditure reports for the PMSIP.

Actively monitor drugs and other products or service usage within the Trust and identify potential cost pressures as identified.

Other

Provide professional and legal clinical supervision and act as the designated Responsible Pharmacist in the dispensary as allocated.

Participate in the on call, Saturday, Sunday, Bank Holiday and emergency duty rotas. The core pharmacy hours are between 8.30am and 5pm Monday to Friday and Saturday and Sunday 10am to 12pm. These are subject to change to meet the needs of our patients.

Deputise for the Deputy Chief Pharmacist at relevant Committee and other meetings when necessary.

Comply with the legal and other requirements related to the purchase, supply, use, safe custody and destruction of medicines within the Pharmacy Department  and in all other clinical areas of the hospital, reporting any areas of concern to the Chief Pharmacist or Deputy Chief Pharmacist.