Senior Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist

The ICB Medicines Optimisation Team are looking to recruit an 8A pharmacist to cover maternity leave on a secondment or fixed term basis for 12 months.

As the post holder you will be part of an experienced team of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who work at system, place and neighbourhood level primarily supporting antimicrobial stewardship across the Integrated Care System.

The post is suitable for pharmacists from any healthcare background who meet the personal specification and has the right level of experience.

A large part of the role can be undertaken remotely, although there will be the requirement to travel to our office base, vaccination centres and GP practices within the Leicester and Leicestershire Area occasionally on a weekly basis.

Applicants wishing to work less than the advertised 0.8wte working hours are encouraged to apply (minimum 15 hours per week).

The appointment is to undertake key priorities relating to antimicrobial stewardship to ensure the effective use of antimicrobial medicines. Main duties will consist of:
1. Update LLR primary care guidelines.
2. Review clinical pathways for treatment of infections.
2. Develop/ update the patient leaflets information where appropriate.
3. Develop templates and searches where appropriate for GP prescribing systems.
4. Update tools and resources to promote Formulary adherence such as Optimise Rx and the LLR Microguide App.
5. Attend relevant forums such as LLR Antimicrobial Working Party, LLR Area Prescribing Committee etc. for approval or to provide assurance.
6. Raise awareness/promote/ educate clinicians through established communication channels and educational forums.
7. Act as an antimicrobial champion to promote antimicrobial stewardship.
8. Monitor and report antimicrobial prescribing data.
9. Support with implementing key initiatives and priorities relating to AMR.

Integrated Care Boards are at the heart of a new way of working for the NHS, bringing together providers of NHS services with local authorities and other local partners to plan, co-ordinate and arrange health services as part of what is to be known as an Integrated care System. They are part of a fundamental shift in the way the health and care system is organised - away from competition and organisational autonomy and towards collaboration, with health and care organisations working together to better integrate services, improve population health and reduce health inequalities.

Core Duties and Responsibilities (Key Result Areas)

• Contribute to the development of and delivery of the LLR ICB's operational plan for Medicines Optimisation to individual GP practices, Primary Care.

Networks and Federations and commissioned services.

• Contribute to the development of and delivery of the LLR ICB's operational plan for Medicines Optimisation aspects of other ICB work streams, pathways and design groups.


• Deputise when appropriate for senior pharmacists and the Head of Medicines Optimisation.


• Provide specialised medicines and therapeutic advice to inform practices on priorities and actions, and the treatment of patients.


• Develop policies and implement processes to ensure medicines are handled safely and risk and quality standards are achieved at locality and practice levels.

Deliver medicines education and training (legal, policy and therapeutics) to localities/practices to increase safe and evidence-based prescribing.

• Deliver key prescribing messages, metrics and data to primary care.


• Supervise / coach other team members involved in delivering the operational plan.

Respond to Freedom of Information requests and complaints and keep under review the framework and in accordance with the legislation.
Be professionally accountable and responsible for all actions and decisions, as a registered pharmacist in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Planning & Organising

• To deputise when appropriate for the Head of Medicines Optimisation and Senior Medicine Optimisation Pharmacists.


• Lead key corporate initiatives, working with teams across the ICB, to facilitate the changes required.


• Provide high quality strategic and operational policy advice.


• Keep up to date with policy developments across health and care, being

mindful of the impact of policy development on others, including patients and the public.

• Proactively identify opportunities for improvement and prioritise them across the team.


• Contribute to strategic planning of projects, identifying interdependencies across projects and potential impacts on the wider organisation and building in contingency and adjustment where necessary.


• Support delivery of the medicine optimisation aspects the LLR ICB's strategy and operational plan at GP practice, Primary Care Network and Federation level and other commissioned services.


• Contribute to short, medium, and long-term business plans, with a focus on achieving quality outcomes.


• Lead by example in order to embed behaviours that consistently represent the ICB's values, and to ensure that all staff members live up to these.


• Monitor delivery against plans and key milestones.

Service Improvement

• Continuously find ways to improve team systems and structures.


• Regularly review procedures and /or systems to identify improvements and simplify processes and decision making.


• Support the identification of best practice and continuous improvement.


• Ensure projects, services and initiatives are delivered on time, in a cost-effective manner and to quality standards, adjusting plans as required.


• Ensure the team has suitable information and administrative systems and processes in place to meet the objectives of the directorate.


• Produce both internal and external timely reports highlighting progress, risks and issues.


• Act as champion for patients and involve patients and public in policy

development. Act as an antimicrobial guardian and support antimicrobial
stewardship across LLR

• Develop and implement processes to ensure medicines are handled safely and risk and quality standards are achieved at locality and practice levels.


• Deliver medicines education and training (legal, policy and therapeutics) to localities/practices to increase safe and evidence-based prescribing.


• Lead delivery of therapeutic education and information to support evidence based prescribing.


• Maintain and improve proactive prescribing information sources e.g.

intra/internet sites and bulletins/newsletters to inform safe and cost effective use of medicines.
Analysis & Judgment

• Undertake quantitative and qualitative analysis of highly complex data which may come from a range of sources.


• Use data to support monitoring, development and improvement of business cases, projects, and reports.


• Interpret highly complex data and present options appraisals to support intelligent decision making.


• Take decisions on complex issues where there may be a number of courses of action available.


• Ensure that the team operates efficiently and effectively, advising on and progressing significant work streams and leading on specific projects.


• Operate intelligently in a highly political and sensitive environment.


• Develop innovative and workable solutions to a variety of complex problems.


• Provide high quality specialised medicines and therapeutic advice to inform practices on priorities and actions, and the treatment of patients.


• Analyse and evaluate highly complex medicines information and clinical trial data from various sources, presenting clear summaries to GPs and other prescribers to increase safe and evidence based prescribing.


Communication

• Develop and maintain constructive relationships with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders.


• Provide and receive highly complex information about initiatives, contracts and services through a variety of mediums, including reports, briefing papers, workshops and meetings.


• Build relationships and influence across the Directorate and with other key stakeholders, both internal and external.


• Able to motivate and influence staff and stakeholders to engage, and as

needed, complete actions related to the successful delivery of the project, initiative, contract or service.

Financial Management

• Budget holder for a service, department or project.


• Monitor and manage prescribing budgets effectively, acting in accordance with organisational financial policies and procedures and implement actions to support them to stay within any imposed financial limits.


• Constantly strive for value for money, ensuring financial balance is achieved.


• Provide financial updates and reports as required.


• Support, develop and implement schemes and actions plans for Primary Care Networks, Federations and GP practices to deliver efficiency targets.


People Management

• Manage staff, including recruitment, supporting staff development, appraisals, and where necessary managing employee relations issues.


• Co-ordinate and professionally oversee the daily work of other ICB team members to ensure that procedures are safe and efficient.


• Contribute to system wide pharmacy workforce and framework initiatives including acting as a pre-registration tutor.


• Lead by example in order to embed behaviours that consistently represent the ICB's values, and to ensure that all staff members live up to these.


Research & Development

• Co-ordinate research and development initiatives, delegating as appropriate.


• Plan, develop and evaluate methods and processes for gathering, analysing, interpreting and presenting data and information to ensure delivery of national and local medicines optimisation policies, guidance and best practice.


Policy & Service Development

• Responsible for developing and proposing changes to policies, guidelines and service level agreements which may impact the service processes to meet the requirements and standards of medicines and Controlled Drug legislation, national policy and best practice including medicine traffic light decisions, shared care arrangements, commissioned changes in other system providers prescribing processes and performance.


• Responsible for implementation of policies within own area.


• Support analysis of specific policy and directorate issues, drawing on multiple sources of information, mindful of the potential impact of policy developments on other portfolios.


• Provide highly specialist, pharmaceutical medicines input into service re-design and improvement.


• Lead implementation of changes to the LLR prescribing Formulary and LMSG across Federations and practices.


• To implement plans to ensure CDs are handled lawfully, safely and effectively across individual GP localities and practices.


• To act as an authorised witness for the destruction of controlled drugs on behalf of the Accountable Officer for Controlled Drugs.