Clinical Education Pharmacist

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

KEY DUTIES

Education Provision

• To participate in and lead on the educational strategy around safe medication use within the Trust
• To determine the clinical pharmacology, therapeutics and safe prescribing training requirements for undergraduate medical students aligned to curricula within the Trust and Higher Education Institutions in conjunction with the Clinical Sub- Deans, Head of Clinical Education, Clinical Education Research Lead and other medical education pharmacy leads in the region
• To develop training programmes to ensure that the identified needs of medical students are met, and the requirements of the education providers and other stakeholders are fulfilled
• To determine the safe prescribing education needs of doctors in training in conjunction with the Director of Medical Education, Foundation Programme Lead, Head of Clinical Education, Clinical Education Research Lead and Foundation skills tutor
• To develop training programmes to ensure that the identified needs of doctors in training are met
• To collaborate with other members of the clinical education team to ensure delivery of relevant aspects of the clinical education teaching portfolio, including but not limited to intravenous drug administration, and drug calculation training days.
• To engage other appropriate pharmacists and health professionals as required to support delivery of relevant training curricula.
• To innovate, develop and improve teaching delivery methods based on emerging theory, technology and techniques.
• To act as a mentor or tutor where appropriate.

Operational Management

• Requisition and order all required disposables for relevant training programmes from the pharmacy department.
• To communicate and collaborate with the Clinical Sub- Deans, Head of Clinical Education and Clinical Education Research Lead to identify relevant workforce and capacity needs.
• Work closely with departments across the organisation to negotiate and coordinate support for delivery of relevant training programmes.
• To liaise with the Clinical Pharmacy Services Manager in identifying other pharmacists capable of delivering any relevant training to the standard required by the education providers
• To lead and co-ordinate the delivery of the training syllabus, engaging other appropriate pharmacists and health professionals as required.
• To produce and provide an annual training programme update report to the Clinical Sub-Dean, Director of Medical Education, Head of Clinical Education and Clinical Education Research Lead.
• Lead on the development and evaluation of relevant training programmes.
• To network and collaborate with relevant professional groups who are engaged in similar teaching at other sites on a regional, national or international level to enhance and support the development of future training programmes. 

Business Management

• Support the Head of Clinical Education to prepare relevant business cases to the Trust Board/sub-committees and external funders to support and develop the Trust’s capacity for clinical education.
• To attend meetings on behalf of the Head of Clinical Education and Clinical Education Research Lead when required.

CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• To provide an advanced clinical pharmacy service to a designated ward/directorate in accordance with professional, departmental and Trust policies.

·         This will include:

• Undertaking medicines reconciliation on admission.
• Checking medical notes of each new patient to ascertain presenting complaint, past medical history, working diagnosis and relevant biochemical, haematological and microbiological test results to ensure safe and effective medicines use.
• Ensuring each medicine has an appropriate indication and that each diagnosis has appropriate therapy.
• Ensuring that existing therapy is safe to take with, and has not contributed to, the presenting complaint.
• Ensuring that new treatments are compatible with the patients’ conditions.
• Making recommendations on changes to drug therapy in line with the above.
• Reviewing recommendations in the light of new results and treatment plans.
•  Advising on which medications to continue and which to stop during the peri-operative period, if appropriate.
• Monitoring for adverse drug reactions and submit ‘yellow cards’ to the MHRA where appropriate.
• Advising on therapeutic drug level monitoring for specific drugs where appropriate
• Ensuring compliance with formularies, policies and procedures.
• Educating patients about their drug therapy.
• Developing evidence-based treatment protocols for use within specialities or across the Trust where appropriate.
• Providing advice on the availability of alternative formulations suitable for use in patients who are nil by mouth.
• Providing information on the use of drugs outside their licensed indications.
• Monitoring use of and ensuring adequate stock levels of crucial drugs daily.
• To participate in consultant ward rounds and multidisciplinary meetings where appropriate.
• Provide specialist pharmaceutical information to medical and nursing staff and patients and to General Practitioners and other staff where appropriate.
• Record clinical interventions in line with departmental policy.
• Report any medication errors you identify in line with departmental and organisational policy.
• Participate in the departmental therapeutic drug monitoring service, interpreting drug levels, and providing advice to medical staff on appropriate dosage, including on-call.
• Liaise with appropriate healthcare professionals within local primary care settings to ensure the effective and efficient use of resources across the primary/secondary care interface and where necessary develop shared care protocols.
• For pharmacists who are registered as independent prescribers, they will prescribe within their level of competence to support patient care in line with national frameworks and organisational policy.
• Provide professional and legal supervision to the dispensaries in accordance with the Departmental rota. Duties will include:
• Professional checking of inpatient requisitions and TTO’s.
• Ensuring all prescriptions comply with the Medicines Act.
• Ensuring all prescriptions comply with Misuse of Drugs Act where appropriate.
• Final checking of prescriptions for accuracy prior to release.
• Labelling and dispensing of medications as required.
• Providing advice to patients on how to take their medicines and potential side effects.
• Providing advice to doctors, nurses and other professionals as required.
• Ordering, receiving and dispensing controlled drugs in accordance with the Misuse of Drugs Act.
• Comply with the legal and other requirements related to the purchase, supply, use safe custody and destruction of drugs within pharmacy and other areas of the hospital.
• Supervise trainee pharmacists and band 6/7 pharmacists.
• To assist medical staff in undertaking of any clinical trials that have been approved by the research and development department.
• Assist in the development, implementation and monitoring of the Clinical Pharmacy Standards across the pharmacy department.
• To act as a clinical tutor for pharmacists undertaking the Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy.
• To assist the Clinical Pharmacy Services Manager in the recruitment of staff including participation on interview panels.
• To assist the department in the review of Patient Group Directions (PGDs).
• Return unwanted or patients own Controlled drugs from the wards in accordance with the departmental policy and the Misuse of Drugs Act as required.
• Assist in the delivery of pharmacist teaching of junior doctors and providing prescriber feedback.
• To participate in clinical audit and practice research as instructed by senior pharmacists within the department including the presentation of results where appropriate.
• To assist in the organisation and participate in the weekly clinical meetings and continuing professional development feedback sessions for the pharmacists.
• To attend appropriate training courses for pharmacists and to encourage other staff to undertake further training.
• To participate in Continuing Professional Development as per departmental policy and national guidelines from the General Pharmaceutical Council and Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.
• To comply with Health and Safety at Work legislation, COSSH Regulations, Data Protection Act and other appropriate legislation.
• To participate in a rota which enables the department to provide a full 7-day service including late night, on-call, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday rotas.
• To maintain the security of the department especially whilst working alone (for example on-call or whilst locking the department).
• To ensure the safe custody of all pharmacy keys and swipe cards in your possession both on and off site (for example when on-call).

LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Demonstrate and act as a role model for the Trust’s values in your daily practice including challenging any inappropriate behaviours.  
• Understand the Trust’s key priorities and those of your department and how these translate within your area/team.
• Communicate regularly through meetings with teams and individuals and provide opportunity for two-way feedback.
• Promote equality, diversity and Human Rights in working practices by developing and maintaining positive working relationships, ensuring that colleagues are treated fairly and contributing to developing equality of opportunity and outcomes in working practices.
• Contribute to developing and maintaining equality of opportunity in working practices by complying with legislation and organisational policies. Advise colleagues about equality, diversity and human rights policies and procedures and ensure they are followed.
• Ensure that colleagues are treated fairly. Behave in a non-discriminatory way and challenge the discriminatory behaviour of others. Be supportive of colleagues or service users who wish to raise issues about discriminatory practice or experience