Senior EPMA Pharmacist | North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust

The post holder, in conjunction with the chief pharmacy information officer will lead to develop, implement, and optimise the EPMA system across the Trust. The successful candidate will work closely with the clinical information officers for maintaining and developing electronic prescribing and Medicine administration (EPMA) as well as other digital clinical informatics systems within the Trust.
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
To be the Senior Pharmacist in the development of the Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (EPMA) system and other pharmacy systems. To use clinical pharmacy experience and knowledge to contribute to the design of new ways of working with electronic systems and processes to ensure maximum levels of safety and quality. To promote new ways of working and support the resolution of clinical pharmacy risks and issues that could be generated by the transition from the current to the future state; working closely with the project implementation team.

North Mid is part of North Central London integrated care system - consisting of the NHS and Local authority organisations in Camden, Islington, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey. As with other ICS's, we are working increasingly closely with partners and indeed many of our financial and performance objectives are measured at this system level. Whilst all organisations remain as standalone, statutory bodies we have an ICS infrastructure for making shared decisions and agreeing shared approaches.

We are proud of our staff and want to ensure their training allows them to provide excellent clinical care. We are also a training unit for medical students from UCL and St George's University Grenada, and for nursing and midwifery students from Middlesex and City Universities.

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Duties and Responsibilities:
1. To be the Senior Pharmacist in the development of the Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (EPMA) system and other pharmacy systems.

2. To use clinical pharmacy experience and knowledge to contribute to the design of new ways of working with electronic systems and processes to ensure maximum levels of safety and quality.

3. To promote new ways of working and support the resolution of clinical pharmacy risks and issues that could be generated by the transition from the current to the future state; working closely with the project implementation team.

4. To support in developing the electronic formulary held within the EPMA system; including the initial setting up of the electronic formulary and maintaining it after project completion.

5. To assist in developing policies and procedures to ensure safe medication practice with EPMA.

6. To support the Lead Pharmacist and the project team on the development, implementation and on-going management of the EPMA system to ensure delivery of a high level of patient safety and quality of care, efficient use of staff resource and cost effective prescribing.

7. To support the Lead Pharmacist in developing EPMA as a vehicle to effectively capture and communicate prescribing information to patients and healthcare professionals across all sectors.

8. To develop alerts for prescribing and administration of medicines under EPMA in response to serious incidents and patient safety alerts.

9. To liaise with relevant specialist clinical pharmacists to identify how best EPMA services can be utilised to meet patient needs and manage risk.

10. To support Trust and local initiatives to reduce EPMA risks related to medicines use and optimisation.

11. To support the Lead Pharmacist in developing and implementing contingency plans to ensure patient safety and service delivery are maintained during system downtime, or in the event of system failure, and that timely system recovery is facilitated. This will include the development of a management and communication strategy to users during system downtime.

Staff Training

1. To develop and deliver EPMA information training packages to professional groups including nurses, doctors, pharmacy staff and other healthcare professionals involved in the operation of EPMA.

2. To identify the training and development needs of all pharmacy staff.

3. To support pharmacy staff in utilising the full benefits of an EPMA system including demonstrating new initiatives and developments as they arise.

4. To deliver education and training to other healthcare staff as required.

5. To undertake CPD to ensure that knowledge is continually updated in the field of EPMA and pharmacy training and development.

6. To arrange relevant departmental meetings that will enable staff to be brought up to date on current issues and to address staff development needs in relation to EPMA.

Clinical Services & Patient Care

1. To participate in the 'front-line' provision of Pharmacy Services.

2. To act as a clinical role model for other pharmacists within the department and demonstrate the ability to provide a service that ensures the safe, clinically effective and cost efficient use of drugs and the ability to check clinically screened dispensed prescriptions.

3. To liaise with other senior pharmacy staff to ensure the effective provision of EPMA services.

4. To demonstrate an intuitive grasp of situations based on deep tacit understanding.

5. To demonstrate advanced level of clinical reasoning and judgement.

Governance, Information & Data Management
1. To support in the development, implementation and monitoring of the impact of EPMA on patient safety.
1. To participate in the development of appropriate reports from EPMA for management information, patient care and financial remuneration.
1. To regularly design, develop and undertake audits to improve EPMA and to ensure that all legal, professional and service requirements are met.

Workforce
1. To act as a specialist practitioner/role model in the field of EPMA.
1. To participate in teaching for doctors, nurses and pharmacy staff.

Communications and Relationships
1. To communicate with the multidisciplinary healthcare team (doctors, nurses, dieticians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, ward managers, and site practitioners), to intermediate care, general practice support and community pharmacists in the provision of medicine related information and assessment of patients treatment.
1. To work with appropriate staff to support development of services and facilitate the implementation of strategies for education and training of staff throughout the Trust.
1. To demonstrate good communication skills as the role liaises with a wide variety of people within the Trust, including IT staff, project team, multidisciplinary team members and all pharmacy staff.
1. To liaise with external bodies including System C, local CCGs, regional pharmacy services, and necessary pharmacy networks.
1. The post-holder will be required to communicate clearly and sensitively about patient medication issue both internally and externally.
1. To provide training on medication related issues, policies, guidelines and service developments to pharmacy colleagues, nursing and medical staff, ranging from one on one communication to more formal presentations.

General

1. To maintain current professional knowledge and keep abreast of relevant developments.

2. To maintain a Continuing Professional Development portfolio.

3. To develop links with other departments and professionals within the Trust to ensure multidisciplinary working.

4. To participate in the rota for Dispensary Pharmacist cover when needed. This includes:

a. To clinically screen prescriptions in the dispensary to ensure all medication is suitable for the patient [i.e. check allergy status, correct dosage taking into account patient parameters and drug interactions.] In addition, for discharge, check against the original prescription for in-patient drugs for any unintentional changes or omissions. For any prescriptions where there are queries then the Prescriber will be contacted to ensure the patient receives the correct medication.

b. To undertake final accuracy check of dispensed items and place in the correct area for collection and/or delivery.

5. To undertake any other duties as may be reasonably requested by the Chief Pharmacy Information Officer.