University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
The Lead Pharmacist - Antimicrobial Stewardship at UHCW NHS Trust plays a critical role in delivering the Trust's antimicrobial stewardship strategy. This includes ensuring the safe, effective, and cost-efficient use of antimicrobials while minimising resistance risks. The role involves close collaboration with the Trust Clinical Lead for Antimicrobial Stewardship, microbiologists, infectious disease consultants, and the Infection Prevention and Control team to drive antimicrobial stewardship initiatives.
The postholder, in collaboration with the Trust AMS lead, will oversee the development and implementation of antimicrobial policies, oversee audits to monitor prescribing practices, and provide specialist advice on complex antimicrobial cases. They will also support training and education for multi-disciplinary teams across the Trust, ensuring best practices in antimicrobial prescribing and infection management. Additionally, they will contribute to the development of digital prescribing tools, engage with regional antimicrobial leads, and work with system partners to align antimicrobial stewardship efforts with wider healthcare objectives.
This role requires strong leadership, expert clinical knowledge in antimicrobial therapy, and a commitment to improving patient outcomes through effective antimicrobial stewardship.
Main duties of the job
The Lead Pharmacist - Antimicrobial Stewardship at UHCW NHS Trust is responsible for developing and delivering a robust antimicrobial stewardship strategy across the Trust. This includes leading initiatives to optimise antimicrobial prescribing, enhance infection control measures, and minimise antimicrobial resistance.
The role involves collaborating with key stakeholders, including the Trust Clinical Lead for Antimicrobial Stewardship, microbiologists, infectious disease consultants, and the Infection Prevention and Control team. The postholder will oversee antimicrobial policy development, support clinical audits, and provide expert guidance on complex antimicrobial cases. Additionally, they will contribute to workforce development by leading training initiatives for pharmacy staff and the wider multi-disciplinary team, ensuring best practices in antimicrobial stewardship are embedded across clinical areas.
Working closely with system partners, the Lead Pharmacist will help align antimicrobial stewardship efforts with integrated care system (ICS) priorities. The role also includes supporting digital advancements in prescribing systems and driving research and innovation in antimicrobial stewardship to improve patient outcomes.
Job responsibilities
* In collaboration with the Trust Clinical Lead for antimicrobial and antifungal Stewardship, provide leadership in promoting antimicrobial stewardship and ensuring the safe, effective, and cost-efficient use of antimicrobials throughout the Trust.
* Maximise clinical effectiveness in the use of antimicrobials, balancing cost management with efforts to minimise the emergence of resistance, and continuously assess risks to prudent prescribing practices.
* Collaborate with the senior pharmacy technician to lead service development initiatives aimed at improving patient outcomes from antimicrobial therapy at UHCW.
* Influence best practices in prescribing and administration of antimicrobials and anti-infectives across the Trust, working closely with senior clinical teams and providing highly specialised advice on complex antimicrobial cases.
* Provide pharmaceutical expertise in healthcare-acquired infection reviews (e.g., C. difficile, MRSA) to improve patient safety and enhance infection control measures.
* Lead the development, implementation, and review of antimicrobial guidelines, ensuring compliance with local and national standards, and overseeing changes to guidelines when necessary.
* Maintain an active presence on the wards, collaborating closely with Trust Clinical Lead for antimicrobial and antifungal Stewardship, Consultant Microbiologists, and Infectious Disease Consultants to ensure optimal use of anti-infective drugs in line with Trust policies.
* Represent the pharmacy service at strategic and operational meetings on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) issues, to represent pharmaceutical aspects of infection prevention at a strategic level.
* Develop and deliver an effective antimicrobial stewardship programme, including the annual programme of work.
* Lead antimicrobial audits across UHCW NHS Trust, monitor performance against local and national antibiotic-related CQUINs, and report on antimicrobial use and costs to relevant stakeholders.
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
* See supporting documents
Experience
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Knowledge
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Skills & Abilities
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Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such 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.
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