Senior Clinical Pharmacist

+ A structured rotation through patient services in both medical and surgical directorates and clinical specialist shadowing through specialists such as critical care and paediatrics.
+ Comprehensive clinical pharmacy experience in a variety of specialities involving ward rotations.
+ Opportunity to undertake a none medical prescribing course.
+ Participation in consultant wards rounds.
+ Involvement in teaching undergraduates and other members of the multidisciplinary team.
+ Established peer support and team working, + To assist the Clinical Pharmacy Services Manager to plan, manage, develop and deliver the pharmaceutical service to medical/surgical patients within the Trust in line with National strategy, in accordance with the changing needs of the NHS, the requirements of the Trust and considering feedback from users of the service.
+ Act as a pharmaceutical resource for the Trust's patients, medical staff, pharmacy staff, nurses, midwives, non-medical prescribers etc.
+ To work closely with pharmacy and other colleagues within local and national networks
+ To work closely with clinical pharmacy colleagues to support the safe use of medicines.
+ To study for a Non-Medical Prescribing (NMP) qualification and attain registered NMP status
+ As a Trust approved Independent Non-medical prescriber, prescribe medication where appropriate in accordance with personal formulary.
+ To assist the department in producing and reviewing guidelines and polices
+ To analyse medicines expenditure across surgical directorates as directed by Clinical Pharmacy Services Manager and to identify prescribing trends and potential prescribing cost saving initiatives.
+ To produce reports of and present such findings at Directorate or Medical Care Group level as required.
+ To be involved in audit of current practice to identify compliance with e.g. antimicrobial prescribing or adherence to Trust guidelines, producing reports of results for presentation at a suitable forum.
+ To critically evaluate and interpret all information obtained from all sources and to apply professional judgement, to provide clinically sound, unbiased, up to date, evaluated information.
+ To apply sound professional judgement to complex legal and ethical issues and dilemmas.
+ Be aware of changes to national policies, guidelines, NICE guidance, and other medicines/health directives and recommend amendments to the formulary and medicines management policies as appropriate.
+ Scan national medical and pharmaceutical news by using recognised medical and pharmaceutical databases and websites to identify current and future developments in the pharmaceutical care of surgical patient
CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
To provide an advanced clinical pharmacy service to specified wards in accordance with professional, departmental and Trust policies. This will include:
+ Taking drug histories 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 CSM 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 and ensure 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 in your speciality and to General Practitioners and other staff where appropriate.
+ Liaise with General Practitioners and other primary care professional to obtain accurate drug histories.
+ Record clinical interventions in line with departmental policy.
+ Report any drug errors you detect to the Chief Pharmacist or their deputy. Ensure that the appropriate error form and prescriber feedback are completed.
+ 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 Primary Care to ensure the effective and efficient use of resources across the primary/secondary care interface and where necessary develop shared care protocols.
+ Provide professional and legal supervision for a minimum of 5 hours per week to the dispensaries. Duties will include:
+ Professional checking of inpatient requisitions and TTO's
+ Ensuring all prescriptions comply with the Medicines Act
+ Ensuring all prescriptions comply Misuse of Drugs Act where appropriate.
+ Final checking of prescriptions for accuracy prior to release
+ Labelling and dispensing of medication as required.
+ Providing advice to patients on how to take their medicines and potential side effects.
+ Advice to Doctors, nurses and other professionals as required.
+ Order, receive and dispense controlled drugs in accordance with the Misuse of Drugs Act
+ To develop competencies in designated speciality and deliver ward based clinical teaching to band 6/7 pharmacists & Trainee pharmacists within the Trust.
+ Supervision of trainee pharmacists and junior pharmacists
+ 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.
+ To assist medical staff in undertaking of such clinical trials as have been approved by the Ethical Committee and to arrange under the direction of senior members of staff of the Pharmacy department the necessary supplies and aspects of clinical trials protocol affecting the pharmaceutical service.
+ 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
+ To undertake a three-monthly ward-controlled drugs checks in line with departmental policy
+ Return unwanted or patients own Controlled drugs from the wards in accordance with the departmental policy and the Misuse of Drugs Act
+ Assist in the delivery of pharmacist teaching of junior doctors.
+ Participate in the training of medical and nursing staff and other paramedical disciplines either within or external to the Trust.
+ Participate in individual performance review and the use of personal development plans including performing appraisals where appropriate.
+ To participate in clinical audit and practice research as instructed by senior pharmacists within the department including 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 and Professional Revalidation as per department policy and national guidelines from the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
+ To assist other pharmacists in ensuring that work carried out in the pharmacy departments at MWL is performed in accordance with the recommendation contained in the Guide to Good Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Practice and its supplements, and the safe systems of work documentation.
+ To comply with Health and Safety at Work legislation, COSHH Regulations, Data Protection Act and other appropriate legislation
+ To participate in a rota which enables the department to provide a full 7-day service.
+ To participate in the on call, Saturday, Sunday, Bank Holiday, and emergency duty rotas
+ To maintain the security of the in-patient and out-patient dispensaries especially whilst working alone (for example on call or whilst locking the department)
+ To participate in the department late night and locking up rota and ensure the safe custody of all pharmacy keys in your possession both on and off site.
+ To undertake any other related duties which may be required.
Medicines Optimisation
+ Work closely with the Chief Pharmacist and Pharmacy Leadership Team to develop and implement the Trust's Medicines Optimisation Strategy.
+ Assist in the production of evidence based prescribing guidance. in your speciality
+ To work closely with key Trust and primary care colleagues to organise effective horizon scanning to identify and manage future developments in medicines which will have impact within the Trust and local health economy.
TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES
+ Assist the Clinical Pharmacy Services Manager in the training and education of junior pharmacists, Trainee Pharmacists, undergraduates, and pharmacy technicians
+ Assist senior pharmacists in undertaking education program for nursing staff, junior and senior doctors as part of the Trust education and training program.
Thank you for considering an application to work for Mersey West Lancashire NHS Trust. You are part of an exciting and forward-thinking NHS Trust who are one of the best places to work for in England.
Given sometimes we receive a high volume of applications to work for us, please be aware, that we may close a vacancy earlier than stated should a sufficient number of applications be received from which a shortlist can be confirmed. Therefore, you are advised to apply at your earliest convenience.
The Trust may contact you during the recruitment process for your feedback on your experience. We always aim for continuous improvement in our practice.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
We actively cultivate a professional environment of fairness, equality, dignity, and respect for all individuals. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and value the unique skills, perspective and experience you bring. We are grounded in the belief that diversity enhances our collective strength, fostering innovation and excellence within our workforce. We welcome all applications irrespective of people's race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
As a Disability Confident Leader, we commit to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.
If you are having difficulty completing an online application, or require any disability reasonable adjustments, to the application process, please contact [email protected]
We also commit to offering an interview to all armed forces veterans who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.
The Trust operates anonymous shortlisting where no personal information about you, including your name or personal details are shared with the recruiting manager. No equality information is shared at any time during the recruitment process with the recruiting manager or other people involved in the decision-making process.
The equality monitoring information you provide is used in the following situations: to review our recruitment practices; where a job is limited to a specific person to verify their eligibility to apply; and to offer disability reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Following the recent update on UK immigration policy for those on a Health and Care Visa or Skilled Worker Visa, please click here to check your eligibility before applying for this post as we may be unable to provide sponsorship.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
If this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Please note if applicable, applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment.
If you have not already done so, you are therefore encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service to which a small annual fee of £13 per year applies.
Flexible Working
We actively support flexible working patterns throughout MWL. Changes made to the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook mean that:
· All employees have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment.
· There is no limit on the number of requests they can make.
· Employees have the right to make requests, have them considered, regardless of the reason.
At Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, we will consider requests for flexible working. We would also encourage you to also discuss flexible working options at interview stage.
Working for Team MWL
Staff recognition is especially important to us; as well as performance reviews and appraisals, we recognise staff through Employee of the month. Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.
The Trust is a non-smoking across all our sites. Failure to follow this rule could lead to disciplinary action. For more information, see the Smoke Free NHS website
You must ensure that your application, including personal statements and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
The Trust will not accept applications which are found to be AI generated.
Additional Information
Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trusts Values and Behaviours which are We are KIND, We are OPEN, We are INCLUSIVE, which can be found here.
An applicant guide to help and support you with your application and what to expect during your recruitment journey can be accessed in the supporting documents.
Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team MWL very soon.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and self-motivated Senior Pharmacist to join our outstanding Pharmacy team at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (MWL) to provide pharmaceutical care to both medical and surgical patients.
Ideally you will have completed your clinical diploma qualification or equivalent. If you are working towards your diploma you will commence on the appropriate point of the Band 6 scale and move to the band 7 scale on completion of the diploma.
As MWL is a multi-site trust- there may be a requirement to travel between sites.
You will be expected to be a team player with significant clinical experience, excellent interpersonal skills and attention to detail. You will be encouraged to develop and implement your own ideas within the role and help drive the pharmacy service forward under the guidance of the Clinical Services Manager and Principal Clinical Pharmacists., Previous experience of working within Acute Hospital setting is essential and you will either hold a clinical diploma qualification or be near completion of the course. Candidates currently undertaking the clinical diploma will be commenced on a Band 6 with progression to the Band 7 pay banding dependant on the successful completion of the clinical diploma. Candidates without the clinical diploma will be consider if there is evidence of equivalent previous hospital experience.
You will be expected to be a team player with significant clinical experience, excellent interpersonal skills and attention to detail. You will be encouraged to develop and implement your own ideas within the role and help drive the pharmacy service forward under the guidance of the clinical service manager and principal clinical pharmacists.
The department operates a 7 day service to the medical care group and as part of this role you will be expected to participate in the rostered shift system which is currently 1 in 5. Participation in the late night working and pharmacy on call will also be required.

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites
We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.
Our Services:
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements:
+ Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
+ Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
+ National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme