Band 8a Senior Pharmacist - Private Patients Unit | Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

The post holder will support the Principal Pharmacist to deliver a consistently high-quality clinical pharmacy and medicines management service to patients within the Private Patients Unit (PPU), which includes three ward areas, dialysis unit, outpatients, and a chemotherapy suite. Previous experience of working in a Private Patient service is desirable but not essential as training will be provided. Clinical experience in renal medicine, hepatology, health services for the elderly, haematology and oncology, renal and hepato-biliary and vascular surgery is essential. You will have experience of leading a team in a hospital (NHS or Private) setting. You will be working closely with service leads and colleagues to further develop services and identifying ways to participate in cost-efficiency or income-generating projects. The postholder will also support the delivery of the pricing and costing processes for private patients within the Trust. The Senior Pharmacist for PPU will support the provision and development of the clinical pharmacy service on the Private Patients Unit in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The successful candidate will provide regular input for the management of patients on the unit, participating in the decision-making process and providing expert specialist advice on the effective use of medicines amongst this patient group. The post holder will be required to manage medications used across the service with provision of expert prescribing advice in the specialist area. The postholder will work closely with the Principal Pharmacist to develop safe and effective use of medications on the Private Patient Unit, and will deliver the pricing and costing processes for medications used in private patients within the Trust. Other key duties to the role are listed in the job description. The Pharmacy department is a friendly, progressive and expanding unit dedicated to providing the highest standards of pharmaceutical care and service. Providing a variety of pharmacy services across all three sites, the pharmacy department have recently played a pivotal role in the implementation of electronic prescribing system and have strategic plans for the development of more consultant and independent prescribing pharmacists. The pharmacy team play a key part on providing cost-effective and timely service to patients either throughout their stay as inpatients or through pharmacist-led clinics. The team are well-respected both at ward and clinic level, providing advice to both nursing and medical staff on the use of medicines for this complex set of patients., To provide a high-quality clinical pharmacy service as part of the multidisciplinary team to private patients on the unit, to ensure maximum efficacy, safety, and cost-effective drug use and to demonstrate professional accountability to enhance patient care. The responsibilities will include:

• Regular attendance of consultant ward rounds and multidisciplinary team meetings.
• Demonstration of clinical knowledge in a number of specialties including hepatology, health services for the elderly, haematology and oncology, renal and hepato-biliary and vascular surgery
• Delivery of a high quality, specialist ward-based pharmacy service. This involves: taking medication histories from patients admitted to the wards, clarifying inconsistencies with the patient's GP or Community Pharmacist,
• ensuring appropriate use of patients' own drugs brought from home,
• timely supply of medicines
• review of highly complex medication regimens, clarification of medication changes made during inpatient stay by liaising with the medical team,
• drug interaction and adverse drug reaction monitoring
• medicines optimisation
• To make clinical decisions where limited/conflicting information is available.
• To ensure compliance with local policies including medicines policy, formulary, and microbiology guidelines. To challenge prescribing practices where necessary.
• Promotion of high quality and cost-effective prescribing.
• To be one of the main pharmacy contacts for the Private Patient Unit.
• Development and review of Patient Group Directions
• Development and review of Shared Care guidelines
• Implementation of relevant local and national guidelines within the specialist area
• Assist in the implementation and evaluation of Drug Usage Reviews and clinical audits and implement changes in prescribing practice accordingly.
• To liaise and work with other specialist pharmacists to share the best practice, to strengthen patient focused pharmaceutical care.
• Work with the Principal Pharmacist to ensure set key performance indicators are met
• Work with the private care finance team to ensure appropriate authorisations for treatment are in place for individual patients
• Work with the Principal Pharmacist to help facilitate co-payment and top-up patients.
• Participate in any pharmacy related private care initiatives as appropriate.
· RESPONSIBILITY FOR PATIENTS
• To assist in the planning and organising of a clinical pharmacy service to the Private Patient Unit to patients in our service in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.
• To qualify as an independent prescriber and where appropriate to improve patient care and safety, to continue to develop the role of pharmacist independent prescriber within a designated clinical area.
• To provide clinical screening and dispensing support to the PPU pharmacy team to ensure the accurate and timely dispensing of prescriptions. To assist with the timely screening and checking of discharge prescriptions.
• To provide medicines management reviews for complex patients.
• To deal effectively with situations where medication errors have occurred, including liaising directly with patients and staff concerned.
• Assist in responding to complaints from patients and the public in relation to medicines management issues as required.
• To deliver a high quality and comprehensive medicines counselling service to patients and/or their relatives on all aspects of their pharmaceutical care including specialist and unlicensed drugs. To overcome communication barriers through the use of interpreters or other forms of communication.