Specialist Pharmacist, Obesity (Endocrinology)

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Main Duties and Responsibilities

 Leadership

• To deputise for the Principal Pharmacist for Planned Medicine as necessary.

• To lead clinical pharmacy services for patients treated within the Planned Medicine in conjunction with the Principal Pharmacist.

• To propose and implement policies and procedures designed to improve the pharmacy service to patients in the Trust in conjunction with the Principal Pharmacist in line with national and international consensus guidelines.

• To lead and comment on policy and service changes and plans within the clinical pharmacy service and to contribute to, and participate in, pharmacy service developments in line with departmental and Trust policy.

• To develop, implement, monitor and evaluate evidence-based prescribing guidelines and protocols for use both Trust wide and within Planned Medicine.

• To ensure services provided are in line with local and national policies, guidelines and frameworks. • To contribute and adhere to clinical pharmacy service standards.

• To proactively support the development of ward and clinical pharmacy services to Planned Medicine to advance the safe, clinically effective and cost-effective use of drugs.

• To attend relevant meetings, including inpatient and outpatient MDTs.

• To attend Care Group meetings attended by senior management and clinical staff, participating in and representing pharmacy views at such meetings.

• To manage specific service initiatives and changes affecting the clinical pharmacy service in the department and across the Trust.

Clinical Responsibilities

· To participate in and contribute to the clinical/ward pharmacy service.

· To act as a specialist practitioner within the field and as an expert pharmacist in Planned Medicine.

· To practice as an independent prescriber, in area of own expertise, and provide direct high quality of care to inpatients and outpatients within scope of practice

· To promote and deliver pharmaceutical care for Planned Medicine patients and more generally for all patients.

· To provide highly specialised and complex evidence-based clinical advice and information using expert knowledge and experience to pharmacy, nursing, medical and other healthcare professionals on the care and treatment of patients, inside and outside of the Trust.

· To actively participate in consultant ward rounds as appropriate.

· To participate in outpatient clinics and assist in the further development of the pharmacist’s role in this area.

· To actively participate regularly in multidisciplinary ward rounds, antibiotic ward rounds and other multidisciplinary meetings as appropriate, delivering and promoting high quality, cost-effective, patient-focused pharmaceutical care.

· To participate in patient education and counselling schemes for all Planned Medicine patients/carers.

· To ensure appropriate and timely supply of medication to patients in conjunction with dispensary staff, including the POD scheme and discharge facilitation for patients.

· To liaise with other pharmacists/healthcare professionals to ensure efficient transfer of clinical and medicines management issues.

· To develop shared care guidelines to support GP prescribing as necessary.

· To support the set up and provision of homecare services, as necessary, in line with Royal College of Pharmacy Homecare Services Professional Standards

· Maintain and further develop specialist information on the use of drugs in clinical conditions relevant to Planned Medicine, ensuring accurate and up to date clinical information is available to all pharmacists performing out-of-hours duties in a format relevant to those pharmacists’ needs.

· To participate in Trust adverse incident reporting scheme.

Financial Management

· To support the Principal Pharmacist in monitoring drug expenditure within the Care Group and provide accurate expenditure information, with appropriate analysis, to the Clinical Director and General manager.

· To identify areas of potential cost-savings within the Care Group, and to implement systems to realise savings and contain prescribing costs.

· Using horizon scanning techniques identify future high-cost medications.

· To support the development and implementation of policies to control drug expenditure and ensure cost-effective prescribing.

· To educate other healthcare professionals on the costs associated with drug therapy and promote evidence-based, cost-effective prescribing within the Care Group.

· To attend Care Group or Specialty financial meetings when required. · To work across traditional boundaries e.g. primary and secondary care.

· To monitor all FP10 and homecare prescribing costs and feed those to the Trust, NHSE and ICS when required.

· To optimise the use of homecare providers to ensure VAT savings are realised as necessary.

Research and Service Development

· To participate in and co-ordinate relevant practice research or audit projects to investigate and where appropriate improve the quality of service.

· To publish and present the results and outcomes of own research and audits locally, nationally or internationally as appropriate.

· To supervise junior pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and trainee pharmacists undertaking audit projects.