Barts Health has an opportunity for a dynamic individual within their state of the art oncology pharmacy department. This post offers an individual the opportunity to develop their clinical skills in the area of Oncology and contribute to the highly motivated and innovative cancer pharmacy clinical team.

This job presents an exciting opportunity for you to further develop your expertise in all aspects of oncology. You will gain clinical and technical experience from working within our well-established team of oncology pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

The position is based at St Bartholomew's Hospital but you will also visit other sites within Barts Health. You will clinically screen all chemotherapy prescriptions, both IV and Oral, for Medical and Haemato-oncology patients including Stem Cell Transplant, provide clinical pharmacy services at ward level and in clinics, complete assigned project and audit work including guideline preparation, new drug submissions, financial reporting and staff training to develop your skills and knowledge.

The aim of this post is to provide patients with outstanding oncology services from pharmacy, through the post holder's in-depth understanding of the Chemotherapy Services Unit (CSU), Clinical Trials and Oncology Clinical services. Pharmacists will be given training to become competent and will undertake developmental activities to enable them to gain skills, knowledge, and experience in a wide variety of Cancer Pharmacy activities.

Main duties of the job

The aim of this post is to provide patients with outstanding oncology services from pharmacy, through the post holder's in-depth understanding of the Chemotherapy Services Unit (CSU), Clinical Trials and Oncology Clinical services. Pharmacists will be given training to become competent and will undertake developmental activities to enable them to gain skills, knowledge and experience in a wide variety of Cancer Pharmacy activities.

About us

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.

The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation. Having lifted ourselves out of special measures, we now have the impetus and breathing space to chart a fresh course in which we are continually striving to improve all our services for patients.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment where staff treat one another with dignity and respect. We aim to create an equitable working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential.

Job description

Job responsibilities

• Participate in, and encourage, an open communication climate, providing feedback to staff on performance and developmental issues.
• Value, seek and acknowledge the contributions of colleagues.
• Continually improve quality.
• Actively promote cost-effective purchasing, distribution, storage/ stock control and appropriate use of medicines in the best interests of patients.
• Assist in planning, formulation and implementation of policies and quality standards.
• Create opportunities for, and participate actively in continuing professional development (CPD) activities.
• Develop links with other hospital staff, as appropriate for service needs.
• Participate in staff appraisal system (minimum of once a year)
• Undertake projects - support the Production Manager in developing systems for service provision, which enhance the efficiency of the service, e.g. improving accuracy and support staff development.

Clinical

• Under the guidance of the Highly Specialist Oncology Pharmacist, to develop and provide clinical pharmacy services as part of the multidisciplinary team. This will include:
  • Producing and updating drug policies and protocols, including IV monographs
  • Ongoing development of the medicines management scheme
  • Consultant ward rounds
  • Verification of oral and parenteral Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) prescriptions.
  • To participate in a link service to the cancer wards and provide support to the ward based dispensary for cancer as required.
  • Provides a clinical pharmacy service to a cancer / palliative care / haematology ward as required. Such activities will include:
  • Care planning
  • Clinical risk management
  • Medication history taking / medicines reconciliation
  • Patient counseling and education
  • Discharge planning
  • Drug policies and protocols
  • Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) and intervention monitoring
  • Assess medicines patients bring in from home as part of the Patients Own Drugs (PODs) scheme
• Ensure seamless care by informing all relevant parties (including those external to the trust) about changes to therapy

• To provide professional and clinical support for the clinical and/or dispensary team by effectively utilising pharmaceutical knowledge to clinically screen, dispense and check oncology prescriptions and counsel patients and their representatives, on the safe and appropriate use of their medicines.
• To participate in a rota to ensure the appropriate screening of oral chemotherapy prescriptions, working closely with the pharmacy team in the dispensary.

Directorate

• To assist the Highly Specialist Oncology Pharmacist in controlling drug expenditure by preparing and presenting evaluated financial reports, analysing directorate expenditure and preparing evaluations for formulary additions for presentation to the Trust and Cancer Drugs & Therapeutics Committees
• Assist with the maintenance of with the e-prescribing system
• Facilitate the tracking of funding approvals for cancer treatments
• Produce expenditure reports on prior approval applications as required
• Work with the pharmacy commissioning team to ensure where patient access schemes (PAS) to cancer drugs exist, the patients are tracked and claims are made to the company and the cancer drug budget is reimbursed.
• To identify the need for, develop and provide, teaching sessions to various groups when required e.g. to pharmacy team members, cancer ward nurses, doctors and other members of the MDT. Specifically co-ordinate a rolling teaching programme for cancer ward nurses with content to include pharmacy processes, services provided, TTA /pre-pack training etc
• To identify areas of prescribing requiring drug therapy reviews or audit and to initiate, or participate in, appropriate research work and development of an appropriate response as directed by Highly Specialist Oncology Pharmacist
• To initiate, conduct and participate in audits.
• Supervise the day to day management of the cancer services medicine management pharmacy technicians (MMPTs)
• To promote high quality, cost effective prescribing and provide appropriate specialist information concerning medicines to the multidisciplinary team, patients and carers. This may include the development of prescribing guidelines, proformas, Patients Group Directions (PGDs) or other supporting documentation for a defined group of patients.
• To support Quality Assurance activities through the initiation, updating and rewriting of internal procedures and protocols where applicable. An example of this would include participation in preparation & reviews of IV specialist list, cytotoxic and drug monographs on a regular basis for cancer services.
• To assist in the oncology induction and training of new members of staff with a clinical or dispensary commitment, including new senior staff and those who work at weekends.
• Undertake acute problem solving and trouble-shooting as required by the Highly Specialist Oncology Pharmacist. To collaborate with all team members in identifying medication and other care risk issues and identify strategies to manage or minimise potential harm.
• To ensure that medicines are dispensed safely, efficiently and comply with the appropriate national and local standards.

• To identify areas where service delivery can be improved develop and implement changes as appropriate
• To identify and implement any opportunities to improve cost efficiency within the cancer drug budget.
• To deputise for senior colleagues in times of absence.
• Organise, chair and minute team meetings and feedback to relevant staff as directed by the Highly Specialist Oncology Pharmacist
• To be an effective and reliable member of the oncology clinical team, supporting and promoting good team working.
• Undertake final checking and release of both injectable and non-injectable products including intrathecal products, as required.
• Whilst within production areas, work within operational parameters, agreed standard operating procedures and systems of work at all times thus ensuring a high level of GMP and patient safety is maintained.
• Ensure that all products are safely formulated and released for use in accordance with the departments quality systems.
• Report all problems, unusual occurrences and deviations to Senior Staff
• Under the guidance of the Highly Specialist Oncology Pharmacists, develop and provide clinical oncology services to the oncology clinics. This will include:
• Oral chemotherapy screening and checking
• Counselling of patients on oral chemotherapy
• Provide professional oncology support to the dispensaries where required
• Provide information and advice to other members of the MDT on the clinical and pharmaceutical aspects of drug therapy relating to the specialist areas.
• Ensure training systems are in place to provide comprehensive training of pharmacists for screening and final checking of oral chemotherapy
• Facilitate the training of pharmacists in relation to cancer and SACT.
• To ensure that the homecare schemes are managed safely, efficiently and that all data is recorded appropriately
• To identify areas where service delivery can be improved and develop and implement changes as appropriate

• Clinical Trials
• To work with the Specialist Clinical Pharmacist and Senior Pharmacy Technician for clinical trials to ensure that all oncology trials are managed in accordance with Good Clinical Practice. This includes:
  • Checking and reviewing trial specific procedures including standard operating procedures
  • Provide pharmaceutical input into clinical trials.
  • Liaise closely with nurses, research nurses and doctors
  • Training of all personnel on trial specific procedures and clinical trial legislation, ensuring training is recorded appropriately

• Ensure that all staff understand trial related procedures and that they can dispense trials safely and correctly in accordance with the requirements of GCP and other relevant legislation
• Taking part in trial related audit, both internally and with external commercial trial companies and ensuring any outcomes are actioned
• Taking part in the self-inspection audit process for clinical trials, identifying which areas will be inspected and appropriate timelines. Ensure any outstanding actions are implemented in a timely fashion

Projects

• Undertake project activities to learn new skills and gain knowledge, including:
  • Risk assessment
  • Audit (technical/service/management)
  • Develop staff management skill
  • Develop and write a new SOP
  • Developing a training/education resource
• Undertake and participate in training and developing the team, acting as a role model for pharmacy staff e.g. band 6 pharmacists, trainee pharmacists, undergraduate pharmacy students and pharmacy technicians training programmes and teaching sessions for post-graduate certificate/ diploma pharmacists, other pharmacy team members, medical and nursing staff.
• Maintain an active programme of self-development, utilising the advanced and consultant level competency framework to identify areas requiring further development or experience including working toward independent prescriber status
• Be professionally responsible for the direct clinical and pharmaceutical duties they undertake, with the section managers being responsible for the overall service for that given area.

Other duties

• Participate in chemotherapy, ward and dispensary services and other departmental duties as required.
• Be able to take part in the Saturday, Sunday, late duty and bank holiday rotas.
• Participation on the back up on call rota.
• The post holder might be required to work across the Trust at any time throughout the duration of their contract, which may entail travel and working at a different hospital.
• This job description is not intended to be exhaustive, and it is likely that duties may be altered from time to time in the light of changing circumstances and after consultation with the post holder

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• MPharm or equivalent
• Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.
  
  259-5637119SBH