Lead Pharmacist - Cancer Services

• Act as Specialist Pharmacist Lead for Oncology Services, providing professional leadership and acting as the key pharmacy contact for service developments, supported by the Principal Pharmacist for Cancer Services.

• Provide a comprehensive clinical pharmacy and medicines optimisation service to Oncology and Haematology patients across inpatient wards, day units and outpatient settings.

• Clinically screen and verify SACT prescriptions for adult and paediatric patients, ensuring safe, appropriate and protocol-compliant treatment.

• Lead, develop and evaluate pharmaceutical care for Oncology and Haematology patients across the Trust.

• Provide specialist medicines advice and support to the Cancer Services multidisciplinary team.

• Teach, train and supervise pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and students in Oncology and Haematology practice.

• Line manage allocated pharmacists, including appraisals, sickness management, development and ongoing professional support.

• Ensure staff are appropriately trained and competent, maintaining compliance with legislation, professional standards, Trust policies and local SOPs.

• Undertake clinical and professional checking of dispensed prescriptions, ensuring compliance with the Trust Formulary and High-Cost Drug procedures.

• Support the ongoing development and improvement of Oncology and Haematology pharmacy services.

Main duties of the job

• Provide a specialist clinical pharmacy and medicines management service to Haematology and Oncology patients, including pharmaceutical risk management within ward-based settings.

• Ensure compliance with medicines legislation, Trust Medicines Policy and relevant national and local guidance.

• Contribute to the development and implementation of Cancer Services SOPs and policies, ensuring medicines management systems are safe, robust, evidence-based and quality assured.

• Review and optimise prescribing in accordance with evidence-based practice, national and regional guidance, and clinical governance requirements, including during consultant ward rounds and multidisciplinary team meetings.

• Assess individual pharmaceutical care needs, identify actual and potential medicines-related problems and recommend appropriate treatment interventions.

• Provide evidence-based pharmaceutical advice and recommendations to medical and nursing staff, clearly communicating and supporting any required actions.

About us

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large

acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute

services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a

larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services from

three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester

Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and our

caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred

care. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to

work with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our

everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Being open and honest

Ensuring people feel cared for

Showing respect to everyone

We are committed to developing a culture of continuous improvement by embedding the principles of our Improvement System.

We are proud to have achieved Timewise

accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working

within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

DBS Checks and Costs

Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a

DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check

(at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in Supporting

Information section for more details on DBS checks and costs.

Details

Date posted

30 September 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£57,528 to £64,750 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time,

Flexible working

Reference number

C9365-26-0755

Job locations

Alexandra Hospital

Woodrow Drive

Redditch

Worcestershire

B987UB

United Kingdom

Worcestershire Royal Hospital

Charles Hastings Way

Worcester

Worcestershire

WR5 1DD

United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

Act as

the specialist pharmacist lead for oncology services, serving as the primary

point of contact for oncology-related service developments and providing

professional leadership for the service, with support from the Principal

Pharmacist for Cancer Services

Provide a clinical pharmacy service

to the Oncology and Haematology working alongside the cancer services team

delivering and extensive medicines management service to patients in ward

and day unit areas.

Clinically screening SACT for

adult, paediatric patient for day unit, outpatient

Undertake

teaching and supervision of less experienced pharmacists, technicians, and

students providing Cancer for haematology and oncology patients.

Line managing pharmacists as

allocated including managing sickness, appraisals, general support and

development

To ensure that all staff are

appropriately trained, ensuring compliance to all legal and best practice

standards and local SOP's.

Provide the clinical professional

check on prescriptions dispensed within the dispensary, ensuring that the

Trust high cost drug procedure and Trust Formulary is adhered t

Lead, develop, evaluate and deliver pharmaceutical

care to patients managed by the Haematology and Oncology within the Trust.

Use

specialist knowledge to advise consultants, medical, nursing and pharmacy staff

on all pharmaceutical aspects of care in these areas

Recommend,

substantiate and communicate best therapeutic options for patients routinely

and via attendance at MDT to implement changes in prescribing practice to

ensure evidence-based medicine is followed as appropriate and following

commissioning avenue

I Introduce measures to keep the directorate drug

expenditure within agreed budgets including pro-active involvement at

directorate board level to achieve this.

Key Duties

The

post holder will

Provide

a specialist clinical pharmacy and medicines management service to patients and

undertake pharmaceutical risk management for haematology and oncology patient

in a ward-based setting.

Ensure

compliance with medicines legislation, the Trust Medicines Policy, and

medicines related national and local guidelines.

Contribute

to the development and implementation of appropriate cancer services SOPs and

associated policies to ensure that the haematology/oncology medicines

management systems are safe, robust, guided by national directives, standards,

guidelines, and the post-holders own specialist knowledge, and are quality

assured.

Evaluate

prescribing practices and amend according to evidence-based practice,

national/regional directives and clinical governance targets on a daily basis,

during consultant ward-rounds, and at multidisciplinary team meetings

including:

Analysing patients individual

pharmaceutical care needs

Identifying actual and potential

iatrogenic admissions for medical staff

Recommending best treatment

Substantiate

pharmaceutical recommendations and advice to medical and nursing staff and

communicate effectively any necessary actions to medical and nursing staff.

Construct

pharmaceutical care plans for patients, assess and monitor clinical progress

and outcome with regard to their medication and actively intervene to ensure

that patients receive optimal care with minimal side effects.

Provide

specialist advice to healthcare professionals on all pharmaceutical issues

arising within the post holders specialist clinical area.

Be

responsible for the therapeutic blood monitoring of identified drugs within the

post-holders clinical area including:

Initial patient assessment and

initiation of appropriate loading or starting doses

Interpretation of blood level results

and subsequent adjustment of the patients dose of medicine and amendment of

the patients prescription in order to optimise the beneficial results of

therapy whilst minimising any potential toxicity.

Ensuring

individual patients entered into clinical trials are treated according to the

trial protocol, that their medicines are prepared as specified in the protocol,

that any randomisation codes are allocate appropriately, and that all records

are maintained correctly and stored suitably.

Substantiating clinical pharmacy

recommendations at the highest level and against challenge from Consultants,

where necessary, and effectively communicate any required actions to other

medical and nursing staff.

Providing specialist clinical advice to

other health care professionals on all pharmaceutical issues arising within the

specialist area of cancer services. This will include the extrapolation of

clinical and complex medicines information where data may be lacking and

analysing, interpreting and comparing differing opinion or facts to determine

the best prescribing strategy for an individual patient or patient group.

Assisting with the delivery of the WAHT

pharmacy cancer services to achieve Trust and departmental medicines management

targets including

Managing

the accurate and timely dispensing and supply of medicines to cancer patients.

Adherence

to NHS England standard operating procedures in relation to drugs supply

through the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) and other commissioning arrangements.

Adherence

to the Trust Formulary, unlicensed medicines policy and high-cost drug

procedures.

Assisting

with the creation of clinical guidelines relating to all areas of medicines use

within the cancer services.

Assisting

in the delivery of key pharmacy modernisation initiatives within cancer

services and assisting in the assessment of the impact of such service

development initiatives on medical and nursing staff within the post-holders

area and the WAHT pharmacy department as a whole.

Medication

History Taking, Provision of Patient Information and Counselling

Ensure that information and patient counselling

systems are implemented within their specialist area according to patient need

to ensure that patients obtain the most benefit from their medicines.

Set standards and manage the counselling of

patients on their medicines within the Haematology directorate to improve

concordance and knowledge of their therapy

Ensure all newly admitted patients are interviewed

to construct an accurate medication history and assess compliance/concordance

issues.

Review the medication history against the admission

details and prescription chart

Pro-actively identify to medical staff any

potential or actual medicines-related hospital admissions or associated issues

and outline any required action to resolve identified discrepancies

Assess patients discharge medicines information

requirements as early as possible in the admission stay to be able to prepare

information on medicines for patients based on individual need.

Complete Patient Need Assessments to assess

patients information requirements and suitability for delegation of

counselling to a junior pharmacist or lead medicines management technician.

Counsel patients with highly complex needs such

as a physical disability which may affect information requirements (sight or

hearing), language difficulties, those with life-threatening or terminal

diagnoses and highly distressed patients.

Managerial

Responsibilities

Manage pharmacists as allocated including delivery

of PDR and management of sickness based around trust policies.

Undertake the day to day supervision of

pharmacists, technicians, assistants and students

Develop and maintain good internal communications

within the department.

Ensure that the capability, conduct and performance

of every member of staff within their responsibility are continually assessed

and appropriate action is taken to address shortfalls and resolve issues

Ensure that all Trust policies are complied with,

brought to the attention if all staff and are readily and easily accessible

Planning of day to day work, annual objectives and

negotiation of personal development plans and in-year performance management.

Use the Pharmacy Computer System and MS Word,

Excel, Access, and Powerpoint to produce reports, SOPs, analyses and training

materials for others to support the delivery of the post holders key roles and

responsibilities.

Financial Responsibilities

Produce monthly reports, analyse prescribing trends

and provide guidance and advice on drug expenditure, prescribing patterns and

high cost drug use for the Haematology and oncology specialities at WRH.

Advise and guide Consultants on proposed new

medicines for use within the post-holders clinical area and assist with

compiling new product assessments and evidence-based reviews for submission to

the Area Prescribing Committee for formulary and funding approval

Identify cost containment programmes and introduce

appropriate measures to keep the Haematology and Oncology Directorates drug

expenditure within agreed budgets. Discuss and influence drug expenditure and

its management with key medical staff, directorate managers and Modern Matrons

within the post-holders specialist area.

Service Development and Business Planning

Develop formal links with the Clinical Director,

Business Manager, Modern Matron and Ward managers in relation to the

pharmaceutical needs.

Lead on key pharmacy modernisation initiatives

within the Haematology team, ward and patients, and assess the impact of such

service development initiatives on medical and nursing staff within the

post-holders area and the pharmacy department as a whole.

Contribute to the senior clinical pharmacy team

strategy group in planning and organising the delivery, standard and

modernisation of clinical pharmacy services.

Research and

Clinical Audit

Ensure all pharmaceutical aspects of research in

the post-holders clinical area complies with relevant legislation

Ensure that all clinical trials of medicines in the

post holders area comply with National Guidelines, the Trust medicines policy,

and the Trial Protocols.

Plan, organise and conduct own areas for

practice-based research, including audit and benefits of clinical pharmacist /

independent prescriber role to support departmental development

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

Act as

the specialist pharmacist lead for oncology services, serving as the primary

point of contact for oncology-related service developments and providing

professional leadership for the service, with support from the Principal

Pharmacist for Cancer Services

Provide a clinical pharmacy service

to the Oncology and Haematology working alongside the cancer services team

delivering and extensive medicines management service to patients in ward

and day unit areas.

Clinically screening SACT for

adult, paediatric patient for day unit, outpatient

Undertake

teaching and supervision of less experienced pharmacists, technicians, and

students providing Cancer for haematology and oncology patients.

Line managing pharmacists as

allocated including managing sickness, appraisals, general support and

development

To ensure that all staff are

appropriately trained, ensuring compliance to all legal and best practice

standards and local SOP's.

Provide the clinical professional

check on prescriptions dispensed within the dispensary, ensuring that the

Trust high cost drug procedure and Trust Formulary is adhered t

Lead, develop, evaluate and deliver pharmaceutical

care to patients managed by the Haematology and Oncology within the Trust.

Use

specialist knowledge to advise consultants, medical, nursing and pharmacy staff

on all pharmaceutical aspects of care in these areas

Recommend,

substantiate and communicate best therapeutic options for patients routinely

and via attendance at MDT to implement changes in prescribing practice to

ensure evidence-based medicine is followed as appropriate and following

commissioning avenue

I Introduce measures to keep the directorate drug

expenditure within agreed budgets including pro-active involvement at

directorate board level to achieve this.

Key Duties

The

post holder will

Provide

a specialist clinical pharmacy and medicines management service to patients and

undertake pharmaceutical risk management for haematology and oncology patient

in a ward-based setting.

Ensure

compliance with medicines legislation, the Trust Medicines Policy, and

medicines related national and local guidelines.

Contribute

to the development and implementation of appropriate cancer services SOPs and

associated policies to ensure that the haematology/oncology medicines

management systems are safe, robust, guided by national directives, standards,

guidelines, and the post-holders own specialist knowledge, and are quality

assured.

Evaluate

prescribing practices and amend according to evidence-based practice,

national/regional directives and clinical governance targets on a daily basis,

during consultant ward-rounds, and at multidisciplinary team meetings

including:

Analysing patients individual

pharmaceutical care needs

Identifying actual and potential

iatrogenic admissions for medical staff

Recommending best treatment

Substantiate

pharmaceutical recommendations and advice to medical and nursing staff and

communicate effectively any necessary actions to medical and nursing staff.

Construct

pharmaceutical care plans for patients, assess and monitor clinical progress

and outcome with regard to their medication and actively intervene to ensure

that patients receive optimal care with minimal side effects.

Provide

specialist advice to healthcare professionals on all pharmaceutical issues

arising within the post holders specialist clinical area.

Be

responsible for the therapeutic blood monitoring of identified drugs within the

post-holders clinical area including:

Initial patient assessment and

initiation of appropriate loading or starting doses

Interpretation of blood level results

and subsequent adjustment of the patients dose of medicine and amendment of

the patients prescription in order to optimise the beneficial results of

therapy whilst minimising any potential toxicity.

Ensuring

individual patients entered into clinical trials are treated according to the

trial protocol, that their medicines are prepared as specified in the protocol,

that any randomisation codes are allocate appropriately, and that all records

are maintained correctly and stored suitably.

Substantiating clinical pharmacy

recommendations at the highest level and against challenge from Consultants,

where necessary, and effectively communicate any required actions to other

medical and nursing staff.

Providing specialist clinical advice to

other health care professionals on all pharmaceutical issues arising within the

specialist area of cancer services. This will include the extrapolation of

clinical and complex medicines information where data may be lacking and

analysing, interpreting and comparing differing opinion or facts to determine

the best prescribing strategy for an individual patient or patient group.

Assisting with the delivery of the WAHT

pharmacy cancer services to achieve Trust and departmental medicines management

targets including

Managing

the accurate and timely dispensing and supply of medicines to cancer patients.

Adherence

to NHS England standard operating procedures in relation to drugs supply

through the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) and other commissioning arrangements.

Adherence

to the Trust Formulary, unlicensed medicines policy and high-cost drug

procedures.

Assisting

with the creation of clinical guidelines relating to all areas of medicines use

within the cancer services.

Assisting

in the delivery of key pharmacy modernisation initiatives within cancer

services and assisting in the assessment of the impact of such service

development initiatives on medical and nursing staff within the post-holders

area and the WAHT pharmacy department as a whole.

Medication

History Taking, Provision of Patient Information and Counselling

Ensure that information and patient counselling

systems are implemented within their specialist area according to patient need

to ensure that patients obtain the most benefit from their medicines.

Set standards and manage the counselling of

patients on their medicines within the Haematology directorate to improve

concordance and knowledge of their therapy

Ensure all newly admitted patients are interviewed

to construct an accurate medication history and assess compliance/concordance

issues.

Review the medication history against the admission

details and prescription chart

Pro-actively identify to medical staff any

potential or actual medicines-related hospital admissions or associated issues

and outline any required action to resolve identified discrepancies

Assess patients discharge medicines information

requirements as early as possible in the admission stay to be able to prepare

information on medicines for patients based on individual need.

Complete Patient Need Assessments to assess

patients information requirements and suitability for delegation of

counselling to a junior pharmacist or lead medicines management technician.

Counsel patients with highly complex needs such

as a physical disability which may affect information requirements (sight or

hearing), language difficulties, those with life-threatening or terminal

diagnoses and highly distressed patients.

Managerial

Responsibilities

Manage pharmacists as allocated including delivery

of PDR and management of sickness based around trust policies.

Undertake the day to day supervision of

pharmacists, technicians, assistants and students

Develop and maintain good internal communications

within the department.

Ensure that the capability, conduct and performance

of every member of staff within their responsibility are continually assessed

and appropriate action is taken to address shortfalls and resolve issues

Ensure that all Trust policies are complied with,

brought to the attention if all staff and are readily and easily accessible

Planning of day to day work, annual objectives and

negotiation of personal development plans and in-year performance management.

Use the Pharmacy Computer System and MS Word,

Excel, Access, and Powerpoint to produce reports, SOPs, analyses and training

materials for others to support the delivery of the post holders key roles and

responsibilities.

Financial Responsibilities

Produce monthly reports, analyse prescribing trends

and provide guidance and advice on drug expenditure, prescribing patterns and

high cost drug use for the Haematology and oncology specialities at WRH.

Advise and guide Consultants on proposed new

medicines for use within the post-holders clinical area and assist with

compiling new product assessments and evidence-based reviews for submission to

the Area Prescribing Committee for formulary and funding approval

Identify cost containment programmes and introduce

appropriate measures to keep the Haematology and Oncology Directorates drug

expenditure within agreed budgets. Discuss and influence drug expenditure and

its management with key medical staff, directorate managers and Modern Matrons

within the post-holders specialist area.

Service Development and Business Planning

Develop formal links with the Clinical Director,

Business Manager, Modern Matron and Ward managers in relation to the

pharmaceutical needs.

Lead on key pharmacy modernisation initiatives

within the Haematology team, ward and patients, and assess the impact of such

service development initiatives on medical and nursing staff within the

post-holders area and the pharmacy department as a whole.

Contribute to the senior clinical pharmacy team

strategy group in planning and organising the delivery, standard and

modernisation of clinical pharmacy services.

Research and

Clinical Audit

Ensure all pharmaceutical aspects of research in

the post-holders clinical area complies with relevant legislation

Ensure that all clinical trials of medicines in the

post holders area comply with National Guidelines, the Trust medicines policy,

and the Trial Protocols.

Plan, organise and conduct own areas for

practice-based research, including audit and benefits of clinical pharmacist /

independent prescriber role to support departmental development

Person Specification

Additional information

Essential

• Skilled at preparing and implementing pharmaceutical care plans to best meet patient needs within the ward multidisciplinary team.
• Skilled at using reference sources, journals, the internet and on-line information sources to prepare evaluated medicines information for consultants and other health-care professionals.
• Skills for providing relevant specialist pharmacy services (e.g. clinical pharmacy, medicines information, sterile dispensing).
• Able to interpret national guidelines within specialist area(s), and Trust policies, procedures and guidelines related to specialist area(s) including clinical governance and risk management.
• Skills for teaching and supervising junior pharmacists and technical staff
• Skills for utilising resources cost-effectively and highlighting where improvements could be made.
• Knowledge about chemotherapy drugs and regimens in current use.
• Knowledge about the technical aspects underpinning the working of an aseptic unit.
• Knowledge on clinical issues relating to the treatment of Haematology and oncology in-patients
• Able to supervise a team of pharmacists and technical staff
• Capable of analysing highly complex facts or situations, which require the analysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of options
• Able to work with initiative and innovation.
• Able to set priorities, meet deadlines and manage time effectively.
• A good team worker and a role model for pharmacists and technicians.
• Able to communicate information about medicines when there are barriers to understanding.
• Able to empathise with patients, carers, visitors and staff.

Experience

Essential

• Current post diploma experience in delivering specialist clinical services to a medical speciality or directorate
• Experience of delivering a clinical pharmacy service to patients requiring SACT
• Experience of working in a licensed or un-licensed aseptic unit.
• Experience of working with an electronic prescribing system
• Experience of delivering chemotherapy services (inpatient and outpatient) Experience of successfully supervising and contributing to the training of pharmacists, technicians, nurses and doctors

Desirable

• Experience as a practicing Independent prescriber in Haematology or oncology

Qualifications

Essential

• Professional knowledge acquired through a vocational degree in pharmacy
• Currently Registered as a pharmacist in UK: Member of the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Significant Postgraduate clinical specialist knowledge acquired through diploma level training i.e. Hold a Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent.
• Currently meeting the GPhC standard for continuing professional development.
• Have qualified and be registered with the GPhC as an Independent Prescriber or working towards.

Desirable

• Undertaken a Masters or equivalent in Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP)
• Undertaken the RPS core advanced portfolio

Person Specification

Additional information

Essential

• Skilled at preparing and implementing pharmaceutical care plans to best meet patient needs within the ward multidisciplinary team.
• Skilled at using reference sources, journals, the internet and on-line information sources to prepare evaluated medicines information for consultants and other health-care professionals.
• Skills for providing relevant specialist pharmacy services (e.g. clinical pharmacy, medicines information, sterile dispensing).
• Able to interpret national guidelines within specialist area(s), and Trust policies, procedures and guidelines related to specialist area(s) including clinical governance and risk management.
• Skills for teaching and supervising junior pharmacists and technical staff
• Skills for utilising resources cost-effectively and highlighting where improvements could be made.
• Knowledge about chemotherapy drugs and regimens in current use.
• Knowledge about the technical aspects underpinning the working of an aseptic unit.
• Knowledge on clinical issues relating to the treatment of Haematology and oncology in-patients
• Able to supervise a team of pharmacists and technical staff
• Capable of analysing highly complex facts or situations, which require the analysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of options
• Able to work with initiative and innovation.
• Able to set priorities, meet deadlines and manage time effectively.
• A good team worker and a role model for pharmacists and technicians.
• Able to communicate information about medicines when there are barriers to understanding.
• Able to empathise with patients, carers, visitors and staff.

Experience

Essential

• Current post diploma experience in delivering specialist clinical services to a medical speciality or directorate
• Experience of delivering a clinical pharmacy service to patients requiring SACT
• Experience of working in a licensed or un-licensed aseptic unit.
• Experience of working with an electronic prescribing system
• Experience of delivering chemotherapy services (inpatient and outpatient) Experience of successfully supervising and contributing to the training of pharmacists, technicians, nurses and doctors

Desirable

• Experience as a practicing Independent prescriber in Haematology or oncology

Qualifications

Essential

• Professional knowledge acquired through a vocational degree in pharmacy
• Currently Registered as a pharmacist in UK: Member of the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Significant Postgraduate clinical specialist knowledge acquired through diploma level training i.e. Hold a Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent.
• Currently meeting the GPhC standard for continuing professional development.
• Have qualified and be registered with the GPhC as an Independent Prescriber or working towards.

Desirable

• Undertaken a Masters or equivalent in Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP)
• Undertaken the RPS core advanced portfolio

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

NHS Careers website .

Additional information

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

NHS Careers website .

Employer details

Employer name

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Address

Alexandra Hospital

Woodrow Drive

Redditch

Worcestershire

B987UB

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Address

Alexandra Hospital

Woodrow Drive

Redditch

Worcestershire

B987UB

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

Act as

the specialist pharmacist lead for oncology services, serving as the primary

point of contact for oncology-related service developments and providing

professional leadership for the service, with support from the Principal

Pharmacist for Cancer Services

Provide a clinical pharmacy service

to the Oncology and Haematology working alongside the cancer services team

delivering and extensive medicines management service to patients in ward

and day unit areas.

Clinically screening SACT for

adult, paediatric patient for day unit, outpatient

Undertake

teaching and supervision of less experienced pharmacists, technicians, and

students providing Cancer for haematology and oncology patients.

Line managing pharmacists as

allocated including managing sickness, appraisals, general support and

development

To ensure that all staff are

appropriately trained, ensuring compliance to all legal and best practice

standards and local SOP's.

Provide the clinical professional

check on prescriptions dispensed within the dispensary, ensuring that the

Trust high cost drug procedure and Trust Formulary is adhered t

Lead, develop, evaluate and deliver pharmaceutical

care to patients managed by the Haematology and Oncology within the Trust.

Use

specialist knowledge to advise consultants, medical, nursing and pharmacy staff

on all pharmaceutical aspects of care in these areas

Recommend,

substantiate and communicate best therapeutic options for patients routinely

and via attendance at MDT to implement changes in prescribing practice to

ensure evidence-based medicine is followed as appropriate and following

commissioning avenue

I Introduce measures to keep the directorate drug

expenditure within agreed budgets including pro-active involvement at

directorate board level to achieve this.

Key Duties

The

post holder will

Provide

a specialist clinical pharmacy and medicines management service to patients and

undertake pharmaceutical risk management for haematology and oncology patient

in a ward-based setting.

Ensure

compliance with medicines legislation, the Trust Medicines Policy, and

medicines related national and local guidelines.

Contribute

to the development and implementation of appropriate cancer services SOPs and

associated policies to ensure that the haematology/oncology medicines

management systems are safe, robust, guided by national directives, standards,

guidelines, and the post-holders own specialist knowledge, and are quality

assured.

Evaluate

prescribing practices and amend according to evidence-based practice,

national/regional directives and clinical governance targets on a daily basis,

during consultant ward-rounds, and at multidisciplinary team meetings

including:

Analysing patients individual

pharmaceutical care needs

Identifying actual and potential

iatrogenic admissions for medical staff

Recommending best treatment

Substantiate

pharmaceutical recommendations and advice to medical and nursing staff and

communicate effectively any necessary actions to medical and nursing staff.

Construct

pharmaceutical care plans for patients, assess and monitor clinical progress

and outcome with regard to their medication and actively intervene to ensure

that patients receive optimal care with minimal side effects.

Provide

specialist advice to healthcare professionals on all pharmaceutical issues

arising within the post holders specialist clinical area.

Be

responsible for the therapeutic blood monitoring of identified drugs within the

post-holders clinical area including:

Initial patient assessment and

initiation of appropriate loading or starting doses

Interpretation of blood level results

and subsequent adjustment of the patients dose of medicine and amendment of

the patients prescription in order to optimise the beneficial results of

therapy whilst minimising any potential toxicity.

Ensuring

individual patients entered into clinical trials are treated according to the

trial protocol, that their medicines are prepared as specified in the protocol,

that any randomisation codes are allocate appropriately, and that all records

are maintained correctly and stored suitably.

Substantiating clinical pharmacy

recommendations at the highest level and against challenge from Consultants,

where necessary, and effectively communicate any required actions to other

medical and nursing staff.

Providing specialist clinical advice to

other health care professionals on all pharmaceutical issues arising within the

specialist area of cancer services. This will include the extrapolation of

clinical and complex medicines information where data may be lacking and

analysing, interpreting and comparing differing opinion or facts to determine

the best prescribing strategy for an individual patient or patient group.

Assisting with the delivery of the WAHT

pharmacy cancer services to achieve Trust and departmental medicines management

targets including

Managing

the accurate and timely dispensing and supply of medicines to cancer patients.

Adherence

to NHS England standard operating procedures in relation to drugs supply

through the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) and other commissioning arrangements.

Adherence

to the Trust Formulary, unlicensed medicines policy and high-cost drug

procedures.

Assisting

with the creation of clinical guidelines relating to all areas of medicines use

within the cancer services.

Assisting

in the delivery of key pharmacy modernisation initiatives within cancer

services and assisting in the assessment of the impact of such service

development initiatives on medical and nursing staff within the post-holders

area and the WAHT pharmacy department as a whole.

Medication

History Taking, Provision of Patient Information and Counselling

Ensure that information and patient counselling

systems are implemented within their specialist area according to patient need

to ensure that patients obtain the most benefit from their medicines.

Set standards and manage the counselling of

patients on their medicines within the Haematology directorate to improve

concordance and knowledge of their therapy

Ensure all newly admitted patients are interviewed

to construct an accurate medication history and assess compliance/concordance

issues.

Review the medication history against the admission

details and prescription chart

Pro-actively identify to medical staff any

potential or actual medicines-related hospital admissions or associated issues

and outline any required action to resolve identified discrepancies

Assess patients discharge medicines information

requirements as early as possible in the admission stay to be able to prepare

information on medicines for patients based on individual need.

Complete Patient Need Assessments to assess

patients information requirements and suitability for delegation of

counselling to a junior pharmacist or lead medicines management technician.

Counsel patients with highly complex needs such

as a physical disability which may affect information requirements (sight or

hearing), language difficulties, those with life-threatening or terminal

diagnoses and highly distressed patients.

Managerial

Responsibilities

Manage pharmacists as allocated including delivery

of PDR and management of sickness based around trust policies.

Undertake the day to day supervision of

pharmacists, technicians, assistants and students

Develop and maintain good internal communications

within the department.

Ensure that the capability, conduct and performance

of every member of staff within their responsibility are continually assessed

and appropriate action is taken to address shortfalls and resolve issues

Ensure that all Trust policies are complied with,

brought to the attention if all staff and are readily and easily accessible

Planning of day to day work, annual objectives and

negotiation of personal development plans and in-year performance management.

Use the Pharmacy Computer System and MS Word,

Excel, Access, and Powerpoint to produce reports, SOPs, analyses and training

materials for others to support the delivery of the post holders key roles and

responsibilities.

Financial Responsibilities

Produce monthly reports, analyse prescribing trends

and provide guidance and advice on drug expenditure, prescribing patterns and

high cost drug use for the Haematology and oncology specialities at WRH.

Advise and guide Consultants on proposed new

medicines for use within the post-holders clinical area and assist with

compiling new product assessments and evidence-based reviews for submission to

the Area Prescribing Committee for formulary and funding approval

Identify cost containment programmes and introduce

appropriate measures to keep the Haematology and Oncology Directorates drug

expenditure within agreed budgets. Discuss and influence drug expenditure and

its management with key medical staff, directorate managers and Modern Matrons

within the post-holders specialist area.

Service Development and Business Planning

Develop formal links with the Clinical Director,

Business Manager, Modern Matron and Ward managers in relation to the

pharmaceutical needs.

Lead on key pharmacy modernisation initiatives

within the Haematology team, ward and patients, and assess the impact of such

service development initiatives on medical and nursing staff within the

post-holders area and the pharmacy department as a whole.

Contribute to the senior clinical pharmacy team

strategy group in planning and organising the delivery, standard and

modernisation of clinical pharmacy services.

Research and

Clinical Audit

Ensure all pharmaceutical aspects of research in

the post-holders clinical area complies with relevant legislation

Ensure that all clinical trials of medicines in the

post holders area comply with National Guidelines, the Trust medicines policy,

and the Trial Protocols.

Plan, organise and conduct own areas for

practice-based research, including audit and benefits of clinical pharmacist /

independent prescriber role to support departmental development

Additional information

Essential

• Skilled at preparing and implementing pharmaceutical care plans to best meet patient needs within the ward multidisciplinary team.
• Skilled at using reference sources, journals, the internet and on-line information sources to prepare evaluated medicines information for consultants and other health-care professionals.
• Skills for providing relevant specialist pharmacy services (e.g. clinical pharmacy, medicines information, sterile dispensing).
• Able to interpret national guidelines within specialist area(s), and Trust policies, procedures and guidelines related to specialist area(s) including clinical governance and risk management.
• Skills for teaching and supervising junior pharmacists and technical staff
• Skills for utilising resources cost-effectively and highlighting where improvements could be made.
• Knowledge about chemotherapy drugs and regimens in current use.
• Knowledge about the technical aspects underpinning the working of an aseptic unit.
• Knowledge on clinical issues relating to the treatment of Haematology and oncology in-patients
• Able to supervise a team of pharmacists and technical staff
• Capable of analysing highly complex facts or situations, which require the analysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of options
• Able to work with initiative and innovation.
• Able to set priorities, meet deadlines and manage time effectively.
• A good team worker and a role model for pharmacists and technicians.
• Able to communicate information about medicines when there are barriers to understanding.
• Able to empathise with patients, carers, visitors and staff.

Experience

Essential

• Current post diploma experience in delivering specialist clinical services to a medical speciality or directorate
• Experience of delivering a clinical pharmacy service to patients requiring SACT
• Experience of working in a licensed or un-licensed aseptic unit.
• Experience of working with an electronic prescribing system
• Experience of delivering chemotherapy services (inpatient and outpatient) Experience of successfully supervising and contributing to the training of pharmacists, technicians, nurses and doctors

Desirable

• Experience as a practicing Independent prescriber in Haematology or oncology

Qualifications

Essential

• Professional knowledge acquired through a vocational degree in pharmacy
• Currently Registered as a pharmacist in UK: Member of the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Significant Postgraduate clinical specialist knowledge acquired through diploma level training i.e. Hold a Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent.
• Currently meeting the GPhC standard for continuing professional development.
• Have qualified and be registered with the GPhC as an Independent Prescriber or working towards.

Desirable

• Undertaken a Masters or equivalent in Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP)
• Undertaken the RPS core advanced portfolio