JOB PURPOSE To lead, deliver, develop and evaluate highly specialised clinical pharmacy services to a clinical speciality within the Trust. JOB DIMENSIONS Leads the highly specialised clinical pharmacy service to patients and the multidisciplinary team within a given clinical speciality. Ensures medicines are used appropriately, safely, and cost-effectively in accordance with Trust policy, standard operating procedures and medicine legislation. The post holder is expected to determine how the outcomes are best achieved in specific circumstances. Manage other pharmacists providing specialised clinical pharmacy service within own clinical speciality depending on size of area. Works directly and regularly with consultants, senior nursing staff and managers within the clinical speciality. Monitors and interprets expenditure on medicines within own clinical speciality. Provides the Directorate with regular reports to assist in the safe use of medicines, the management of the drug budget and clinical governance issues. The report also includes risk management such as the recording of significant clinical interventions and near misses. Supervise, along with other members of their multidisciplinary team, the development and implementation of treatment protocols, and guidelines for use of drugs within the clinical area. Responsible for training pharmacists, and other health care professionals, on aspects of drug use within the clinical area. Provides minimum of at least one 4 hour session of service cover in the dispensary or aseptic dispensary each week. Participates in evening, weekend and bank holiday rota and where appropriate, out of hours services. To act as the Responsible Pharmacist in line with local procedures. PRINCIPAL DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY Clinical Lead the highly specialised clinical pharmacy service to patients and the multidisciplinary team within a given clinical speciality. Supports the Trust's Prescribing Standards and challenges practice where prescribers have not adhered to the Medicines Code. Demonstrate the ability to provide safe, clinically effective and cost-effective use of medicines in accordance with Trust policy, standard operating procedures and medicine legislation. This will include individual prescription review to optimise therapy, advising on dosage and side effects and on safe administration of medicines. The post holder is expected to determine how the outcomes are best achieve in specific circumstances. Pharmacists who are registered as prescribers will, with the agreement of the clinical director of the speciality, prescribe within their level of competence, to support patient care. Plan, manage, monitor and review individual patient care plans. Participate in consultant ward rounds and multi-disciplinary team meetings. Manage difficult and ambiguous problems, often when information is limited. Undertake risk management, including investigating clinical incidents in the clinical area and ensuring compliance with medicine legislation. The post holder will be expected to identify, where necessary, areas that require service changes and develop a strategy to carry out the change through consultation with senior colleagues within and outside the pharmacy. Manage the introduction of new drugs, including unlicensed drugs, into the clinical speciality. Manage the clinical pharmacist input into clinical trials. Develop and update policies for the safe, effective and economic use of medicines through discussion with medical and nursing staff. Communication with Primary Care about medicines policies or guidelines specific for their area of practice. Management Monitor and interpret expenditure on medicines within own clinical speciality. Provide the Directorate with regular reports to assist in the management of the drug budget a. Attend the monthly Clinical Speciality Management meetings to advise on medicine use and financial implications - Horizon scan for new drugs and advise the clinical speciality meetings on the financial implications b. Co-ordinate Medicines Use Savings Projects c. Review prescribing data from out-patient clinics Contribution to financial initiatives Write or respond to business cases for service development to secure additional funding. Responsible for day to day supervision / management of specialist clinical pharmacists in clinical speciality (some staff) Research and Education Occasionally participates in research and development within clinical speciality Undertakes own research/audit within clinical speciality Supervise, teach, and assess junior pharmacy staff completing training modules within the clinical area. This input varies, mostly based on the experience of the post holder, and will typically include: - Acting as a trainer to pre-registration and junior pharmacists in their area of specialist practice - Being a named tutor for a pre-registration and/or diploma pharmacist - Lecturing on clinical issues relevant to the specialty, as part of the pre-registration training program, the clinical diploma, and any other in service training. The post holder is also expected to participate in the training of other clinical professionals within their specialist area as requested. Develop the role of a specialist pharmacist through national links. Other Provide a service commitment, typically a four hour session to a specific area within the pharmacy department e.g. dispensary, aseptics or medicines information Perform other duties as directed by manager Participate in the weekend service and where contracted, the emergency duty service Specific Information for this role: General To be embedded within the childrens and young peoples cancer pharmacy team. Work closely with consultants and the wider oncology clinic team for the provision of pharmaceutical services to children with cancer. To have a detailed understanding of treatment protocols and clinical trials used to treat childhood cancer and to keep up to date with protocol/guideline changes and the introduction of new treatments. To have an understanding and follow all national standards associated with chemotherapy prescribing and verification. To successfully complete and hold the BOPA passport for chemotherapy verification. Responsible for the day-to-day supervision/management of specialist clinical pharmacists in childrens and young peoples cancer services. Be a member of the Paediatric Oncology Pharmacist group (POP) Ideally be an independent prescriber To provide support to the team leader pharmacist childrens cancer services in the organisation and development of oncology/haematology services, consider policy and service changes required and contribute to the forward/business planning of these clinical services. To support the paediatric pharmacy team where necessary. Clinical Trials To work closely with the pharmacy and children's cancer clinical trials teams. To review, setup and deliver pharmacy aspects of clinical trials. To train pharmacy and nursing staff regarding pharmaceutical aspects of trials. Inpatient care and oncology clinics To contribute specialist advice and actively participate in multidisciplinary team meetings, and departmental meetings. To communicate highly complex medicine related information to prescribers, clinicians, patients/ carers, and colleagues external to the Trust (e.g., POSCU pharmacists, commissioners). Effective and active antimicrobial stewardship. To review patients SACT treatment during each admission and ensure patients receive appropriate SACT treatment and counselling on discharge. To provide pharmacist support to oncology and haematology clinics and inpatient wards. To co-ordinate SACT prescribing and administration for patients with medical staff and advanced nurse practitioners. Attend chemotherapy planning meetings. To ensure that off-label and unlicensed medicines are used safely and effectively within oncology/haematology treatment. Undertake independent non-medical prescribing as dictated by the needs of the service. SACT To verify SACT prescriptions including clinical monitoring. To ensure that SACT is prescribed and administered in accordance with Childrens Cancer Leukaemia Group, clinical trial protocols and in house approved regimens. To critically review medical literature and evidence and use this information to compile clinical guidelines/procedures for drug use in childrens cancer patients. To review national and international cancer treatment protocols and set up on the chemotherapy electronic prescribing system, paediatric chemocare Assist consultant colleagues with Blueteq applications, Cancer Drugs Fund, and Individual Funding Requests. Assist in the completion of dug and therapeutic applications including chairmans action requests and compassionate use schemes. Training and education Provide training and education to pharmacists, trainee pharmacists, and other clinical staff groups; promote upskilling. Participate in continued professional development and attend oncology conferences and study days. Support the Paediatric Pharmacy training programme for Trainee pharmacists. Evaluating Medicines use Audit treatment guidelines and new therapies Financial reporting to the team leader pharmacist childrens cancer services on medicines usage and expenditure. Regular input into waste reduction / sustainability schemes.