Job summary
Join our dedicated team as a Specialist Paediatric Pharmacist.
This role is crucial to ensuring the safe and effective use of medications for our youngest patients. Responsibilities include specialist clinical review of prescriptions, medication counselling, and collaborating with healthcare professionals to develop and implement treatment plans tailored to each child's unique needs.
Your expertise will help manage, optimise and monitor drug therapies, support clinical trials, and educate patients and their families on safe and effective medication use.
You will also contribute to policy development, adherence to regulatory standards and national resources, Medicines for Children.
Ideally you will have some training or experience in paediatrics. Strong communication, problem-solving skills, and a compassionate approach to patient care are essential.
The successful candidate will have support from our experienced and nationally recognised consultant pharmacist for children's services.
Main duties of the job
Working closely with the pharmacy, nursing, medical and management teams, you will lead on improving how patient's medicines are optimised within the women's and children's division.
o Reviewing patients with acute and complex needs as part of the multi-disciplinary ward round;
o Developing, implementing and monitoring prescribing guidelines;
o Financial monitoring of drug expenditure;
oSupporting the training and education of pharmacists, Medicines Management Technicians (MMTs) and other healthcare staff;
o Promoting the medicines optimisation and medicines safety agenda;
o Participating in other clinical activities such as clinical audit and practice research;
o Collaborating with other system organisations, including Wirral PCNs, CAMHS, community pharmacy and WCHC.
The successful candidate will be a self-motivated, organised person with excellent communication and interpersonal skills and can work effectively under pressure, both alone and as part of a team then we want you to join our team.
About us
We are a large department, employing 95 pharmacists and 47 MMTs that deliver services to the acute hospital and primary care network (PCN). High quality, proactive input is expected by our clinicians, nursing staff and patients; as such over half of our pharmacists are independent prescribers, actively using this qualification to prescribe for patients on wards, clinics and in the PCN.
We are a highly innovative department; recently winning, or shortlisted for national awards within surgery, antimicrobial stewardship and PCN. Therefore, the successful applicant is expected to develop this role to meet the needs of patients across Wirral.
This exciting post presents excellent opportunities to optimise all of your current expertise and to further develop leadership and specialist skills working within an established, respected and integrated surgical team.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attached Job Description for further information about the Highly Specialist Pharmacist position available at WUTH.
Person Specification
Qualifications, Specific Experience & Training
Essential
1. Vocational Masters Degree in Pharmacy or equivalent
2. Member of the General Pharmaceutical Council
3. Diploma or MSc in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent experiential learning
4. Extensive experience as a qualified pharmacist working within a range of clinical areas
5. Experience in delivering education and training of other staff
Desirable
6. Independent Prescribing qualification and registration as an Independent Prescriber
7. Other post graduate qualifications ie MSc
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
8. Good all round clinical knowledge and practical skills in other areas
9. Excellent written communication skills
10. Ability to interpret and relay complex and sensitive information
11. Computer literacy
12. Up to date knowledge of current NHS policies, processes and structures
Personal Attributes
Essential
13. Methodical with good attention to detail
Other Requirements
Essential
14. Current UK driving license
Qualifications, Specific Experience & Training
Essential
15. Experience of developing evidence based clinical guidelines or preparing written work for review at drug and therapeutics committee
16. Undertaken a lead role in audit
17. Evidence of post graduate learning or continual CPD
Desirable
18. Published pharmaceutical research in a peer reviewed journal
19. Line management experience
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
20. Excellent communication and negotiation skills with other professionals, patients and carers
21. Excellent verbal communication skills
22. Good interpersonal skills, able to work with all grades of staff
23. Good organisational and time management skills with the ability to prioritise own workload
24. Ability to work to deadlines and meet set targets
25. Integrate research evidence in everyday practice
26. Commitment to and demonstration of Continuing Professional Development
27. Able to provide constructive feedback and process suggestions
Desirable
28. Financial awareness regarding the management of drug budgets
Personal Attributes
Essential
29. Enthusiasm for the role
30. Ability to motivate self and others
31. Good leadership skills
32. Able to work alone and as a team member
33. Able to use initiative
34. Able to deal with and resolve conflict and disagreement
35. Able to deal with sensitive issues
36. Able to deal with constant interruptions, multiple pressures and at times aggression
37. Conscientious and reliable
Other Requirements
Essential
38. Ability to work weekends, evenings, bank holidays and on call to meet the needs of departmental service delivery