Specialist Clinical Pharmacist Antimicrobials / Clinical

We're thrilled to offer two exciting opportunities for a Specialist Clinical Pharmacist in Antimicrobials/Clinical at Northampton General Hospital.
As part of our dynamic pharmacy team, you'll work alongside a multidisciplinary group focussed on antimicrobial stewardship, while also supporting our wider clinical services across various wards and specialties.
In this senior role, you'll deepen your expertise in antimicrobial stewardship, collaborating closely with Consultant Microbiologists, the Sepsis Team, and Infection Prevention Team. Ideally, you'll be an independent prescriber, but if not, we offer support to achieve this qualification, along with a range of other professional development opportunities.
There are two posts, and each is roughly split between antimicrobial stewardship (0.5WTE) and clinical pharmacy services (0.5WTE), making it a diverse and fulfilling role. If you don't meet all the criteria for Band 7, we also offer a Band 6 to Band 7 progression with full training support.
We welcome applications from proactive, innovative pharmacists ready to make a meaningful impact, embodying our pharmacy ethos and championing medicine safety. If you think this could be you - we'd love to hear from you!, The role involves working closely with the Lead Antimicrobial Pharmacist and with the Consultant Microbiologists, Sepsis Team, and Infection Prevention Team to implement the Trust's Antimicrobial Stewardship Plan.
In antimicrobials you will be providing antimicrobial stewardship across the Trust, supporting Root Cause Analysis and Multi-Disciplinary Teams reviews, join ward rounds with microbiology consultants and infection control nurses, such as C. diff and antibiotic rounds. You will also be involved in service and guideline development and reviews.
The role includes motivating and inspiring other pharmacists and healthcare professionals to adopt ownership of responsibility for prudent use of antimicrobials.
As part of your clinical role, you will provide a patient focused Clinical Pharmacy Ward Service and contribute to the delivery of the Trust's Medicines Optimisation Strategy.
The position includes:
Managing (planning, organising, monitoring, controlling, developing staff etc)
Training of pharmacy staff and the wider multidisciplinary team
Service development including Quality Improvement projects, preparation of guidelines, CQUINS
Other duties/functions
For further information, please see the attached trust job description and person specification for a list of duties and responsibilities., To provide information, advice and guidance on the safe, effective and economical use of medicines and to challenge poor practice.
To maintain appropriate standards of service and safety; to enforce guidelines, policies and procedures to ensure standards are met.
To fulfil the requirements of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Good Professional Practice.
To optimise medicines management by reconciling drug histories, performing medication reviews, using patients own medicines, counselling and ensuring continuity of care on discharge.
To detect, record and report adverse drug reactions to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and via Datix as per Trust Policy.
To implement countywide and local prescribing strategies within the Trust.
Facilitate the expansion of the tools within EPMA (when available)
To undertake validation duties in the dispensary.
To supervise, check and, if necessary, undertake the supply of medicines. Technical checking is in place; pharmacists make initial validations and have a professional responsibility to decide on the need for their further involvement in the supply process.
Speciality Clinical Pharmacy Role
Support the development and implementations of antimicrobial guidance, policies and procedures.
To manage the introduction of new antimicrobials into the Trust Formulary in conjunction with the Lead Pharmacist, Antimicrobials.
To work with Divisions, Infection Prevention and Microbiologists to identify the need for and contribute to new and revised antimicrobial protocols, guidelines and patient group directions.
To facilitate implementation of guidelines and their impact.
To support restrictive prescribing policies/mechanisms for certain antibiotics and to monitor their impact.
To deputise for Lead Antimicrobial Pharmacist.
Have a working knowledge of current practice and protocols within antimicrobials and how these relate to national and other guidance.
Support the Lead Antimicrobial Pharmacist to implement the Trust's Antimicrobial Stewardship Plan.
To participate in CQUINs and QIPPs with Antimicrobials.
To monitor pharmacy interventions and Datix reports to identify training and information needs within antimicrobials.
To identify and implement service improvements within Antimicrobials.
To lead and support on the auditing of antimicrobial prescribing.
Support the process for new antimicrobials being integrated into the Trust by Formulary submissions.
Attend clinical pharmacy meetings and education/training schemes relevant to post.
To audit adherence to the Trust's Antibiotic Guidelines for Adults and Antibiotics and participate in National audits on antimicrobial prescribing and antimicrobial stewardship activities as required, using nationally recommended toolkits.
To undertake other relevant audits, related to Clostridium Difficile and MRSA risks, such as IV to oral switch times, total durations of antibiotic treatment, allergy documentation, clinical indication etc., Attend clinical pharmacy meetings and education/training schemes relevant to post.
To take part in formal and informal education of pharmacy staff and other healthcare professionals in antimicrobials as well as the wider pharmacy team.
To supervise aspects of pre-registration training.
To line manage and lead those staff allocated, undertaking appraisals, supervision and identification of training and development of their skills and knowledge.
To assist in the induction of staff into the service; to help identify training and development needs.
To provide information to patients, parents, and carers on admission and at discharge regarding treatment and medication to optimise patient concordance, particularly if there is a need to overcome language or communication barriers.
To maintain up-to-date clinical knowledge in clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice to ensure a broad base of pharmaceutical knowledge, clinical reasoning and judgement.
To take responsibility for own personal CPD by participating in education and training programmes to improve competence and to develop specialist expertise in antimicrobials area.
To obtain/maintain prescribing qualification and support services and ward rounds as appropriate.
To help provide the training for Technicians enhanced patient counselling skills and Medicines Management Technician training.
Other Duties
To undertake duties elsewhere in the locality, if required
To undertake late night duties
To undertake on call duties
To provide a pharmacy service at weekends

Northampton General Hospital is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. All our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered a Group Model with neighbouring Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.
Our Excellence Values
+ Compassion
+ Accountability
+ Respect
+ Integrity
+ Courage
We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone's full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities.
The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals.
We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.
We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.