Pharmacy Data Analyst

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1.    Information service

·         To be a lead contact in addressing both the Pharmacy teams’ analytical and reporting requirements, advising on complex analysis requirements and reporting structures to Pharmacy management teams.

·         To gain a working knowledge of the Trust and its services specifically around their interaction with the Pharmacy team and drug expenditure, utilising your existent or acquired understanding of operational business to advise on information requirements, statutory reporting and new measurements where appropriate.

·         To play a pivotal role, with the direction of the Senior Analyst, in the development of new ways of presenting and visualising data to increase accessibility and immediacy to Pharmacy Teams, Finance and Contracts/Business Intelligence Colleagues within the Trust.

·         Through your own knowledge of SQL, to accurately script and report on the aforementioned datasets, specifically from the EPIC Willow Pharmacy Module.

·         To share your knowledge and develop the Drug Expenditure teams’ and the Data and Technology teams’ own knowledge of activity datasets, informatics, SQL scripting (MSSQL) and data interrogation.

·         To provide timely and accurate reporting to enable the Pharmacy team’s performance management framework to be implemented, using central and local data sources as required.

·         To scrutinize data and proactively report on changes in trends or patterns, particularly focusing on defined key performance indicators specifically relating to Drug Expenditure and the Operational running of  the Department. 

·         To collate, monitor, manage and produce timely and accurate dashboards and reports to support the Pharmacy team’s Cost Improvement Program (CIP) and Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) targets.

·         Assist with adhoc requests from staff who work in the Pharmacy Department

2.    Corporate role

·         To be a senior member of the department in supporting and advising both the team and non-technical staff outside of the department on complex and routine ad-hoc reporting on Pharmacy data. Leading on key areas of reporting, both internal and external (statutory)

·         To work with key service staff to develop knowledge of regular Trust information systems and their use by operational and clinical teams.

·         To manage your own workload of reporting requirements to agreed timetables and plan core corporate tasks with colleagues and, through managing and supporting the workloads of the Drug Expenditure and Data Performance Teams, ensure delivery of collaborative or work stream-related projects.

·         To ensure the Department meets its regular reporting responsibilities such as high cost drug submission to commissioners.

·         To work with the team in facilitating the expansion of the Pharmacy Team’s use of clinical, benchmarking and performance data; and to be a pro-active user of benchmarking systems to inform current performance and future target-setting.

·         To work together with other senior members of the department and the Pharmacy Information Systems Team to increase the volume of information sources the department has direct access to.

·         To support the Associate Chief Pharmacist - Clinical Data Lead, Data and Information Manager and Senior Analyst and Principal Pharmacist for Data and Technology, in implementing relevant information related policies and data set changes and communicate issues to the wider analytical team and relevant staff within the Trust.

·         Review Trust wide drug expenditure data and liaise with clinical pharmacy colleagues to identify potential cost reduction opportunities as well as reviewing CMU contracts for potential savings opportunities.

·         Being part of the team, and sometimes acting as lead, in fulfilling the Pharmacy team’s responsibility to provide information in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act and internal Information Governance.

3.    Liaison role

·         To challenge both Pharmacy staff and Management teams in the development and interpretation of performance indicators in support of performance management.

·         To provide commentary and detailed information where required for Pharmacy staff and management teams to increase understanding of performance indicators and how they can be used efficiently to manage the department performance.

·         To advise on information and data analyses required to improve data recording processes, where data quality issues are preventing staff from monitoring and actioning due to poor data quality.

·         To advise Management teams and Pharmacists on internal and external benchmarking information in the identification of targets and standards to monitor and support improvement of performance.

·         To work with managers and management staff to identify new information reporting needs and further develop one's technical skills to add value.

·         To appropriately characterise, formally define, and deliver on current and emerging reporting requirements.

4.    Other responsibilities

·         To become competent in fulfilling the department’s regular reporting responsibilities, through reporting development software such as SSRS, Power BI & Power Pivot.

·         To ensure production of regular reports to external bodies such as NHS England/Model Hospital and ICBs; and ensuring policy such as NICE guidance from those external bodies is adhered to.

·         To provide detailed and accurate activity modelling to enable budget setting around drug forecasting and CIP and QIPP planning.

·         To attend, where required, operational and clinical performance management meetings.

·         Database administration duties involve maintaining and loading information to the pharmacy data warehouse. This contains all information around drug procurement and drug dispensing to patients and wards from EPIC data sources such as the general ledge feed, high-cost drugs billing feed or EPIC Caboodle tables.

·         To encourage staff to fulfil their potential by identifying opportunities for them to technically upskill and develop analytical skills to forward the interests of the Pharmacy department.

·         To take an active role in team meetings to contribute to the planning and development of the Drug Expenditure Program and the Data Performance Team.

·         Ensure data quality through necessary data validation practices