Specialist Pharmacist Clinical Trials, Children’s and Women’s Health

Job content

This post offers a unique opportunity for a pharmacist to combine an interest in clinical trials with the provision of a specialist clinical pharmacy service within the women’s and children’s’ pharmacy team. You will be part of our innovative and well established Clinical Trials team and work closely with the Trust’s Research and Development team. The post holder will be involved in the initiation of all clinical trials with a pharmaceutical component and will work alongside other clinical specialists and our Technical Services Department.

The paediatric clinical pharmacy team is well respected and an integral part of the inpatient multidisciplinary child health service. The neonatal ward comprises a 20 bedded level 2 unit and two paediatric wards provide oncology and haematology services, with surgical and medical admissions. Both units work closely with the tertiary neonatal and paediatric services based in Bristol and Plymouth for the South West.

This is a fulltime post of 37.5 hours per week, however flexible working and job-share will be considered.

This post is a shared post between clinical trials and clinical pharmacy, providing services to the Women and Children Directorate at the Royal Cornwall Hospital. The post holder will support and be directed by the Directorate Pharmacist for Women and Children and the Lead Pharmacist for Clinical Trials. As well as clinical duties within the women’s and children speciality the pharmacist will have input into all aspects of clinical trials covering the co-ordination and administration of the pharmaceutical aspects of both pharmaceutical company and local clinical trials.

The Trust has teaching hospital status as part of the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD) and University of Exeter Medical School. It is continually developing its clinical services and is committed to maximising the range of specialist care that can be offered locally. Allied to this is a growing reputation for research and innovation.

The Royal Cornwall hospital pharmacy department is a forward thinking and friendly team with full deployment of electronic prescribing and administration in the inpatient and outpatient setting and fully automated dispensing. We provide an innovative clinical pharmacy service, combining technology and clinical pharmacy expertise. We are a recognised national leader for innovation in fields such as antimicrobial resistance and the adoption of Scan4Safety standards, as was recognised in the 2019 HSJ Patient Safety Awards.

Sustainability is integral to the Trust achieving the NHS Net Zero target. All staff are therefore actively encouraged and supported to implement new ways of working within their field of expertise.

Clinically check, dispense and final check clinical trials prescriptions as necessary.

Review new trial protocols for clinical, pharmaceutical and legal appropriateness considering capacity of the clinical trials service.

Attend initiation meetings for new clinical trials.

Write dispensary procedures for new clinical trials

Maintain Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training status

Train Band 6 rotational pharmacists in the clinical trials area

To train and support the Clinical Trials Technicians and Assistants

Work with the Research and Development team within the Trust to ensure work is carried out to Medicines Healthcare Regulatory Authority (MHRA) standards and Clinical Trials regulations.

To monitor clinical trials activity and capacity.

To liaise with specialist pharmacists regarding clinical trials in their clinical areas.

To liaise closely with the multidisciplinary teams looking after Oncology and Haematology patients.

To liaise with Technical Services regarding clinical trials with an arm requiring sterile preparation.

To deputise for the Senior Pharmacist for Clinical Trials, ensuring continuing of service and advice in their absence.

Dispensary

Provide professional advice, prescription clinical screening and final accuracy checking within the dispensary.

To act as the Responsible Pharmacist in the dispensary according to the dispensary rota.

Medicines Optimisation in Women’s and Children

Providing a clinical pharmacy service including medicines reconciliation and medicines optimisation to inpatients.

Regular audit cycles to be completed, to drive service improvement in medicines management across the Trust.

Providing appropriate information to the GPs and community pharmacists on discharge regarding patients’ ongoing care.

Ensuring through clinical screening that high quality prescribing is provided on admission and through to discharge of paediatric and women’s health patients

Ensuring safe, clinically effective and cost-effective use of drugs within the specialties.

Actively providing medicines information and medication counselling to staff and patients

To deputise for the lead pharmacist ensuring continuity of service and advice in their absence.

Initiating and promoting drug-related policies and procedures

Assisting in the development of paediatric and women’s health clinical pharmacy services in line with local and national objectives.

Ensuring that local and national agendas and guidelines relating to pharmacy are delivered

Demonstrating an awareness of and commitment to Trust values and the pharmacy vision for the future

Assisting the Directorate Pharmacist Women and Children in the provision of information and advice on trends in drug usage

Assisting the Directorate Pharmacist Women and Children in identifying changes in practice that may impact on the drug budget and helping provide horizon scanning information, at local level.

Ensuring good and efficient working relationships between wards and departments and the pharmacy supply services

Ensuring statutory ward drug stock checks are carried out and advising on security and safe storage of medicines as necessary.

Participating in governance, clinical audit and research activities within paediatrics and women’s health.

Preparing and delivering lectures to groups of healthcare staff

Mentoring, education, and supervision of junior staff working within the speciality

Providing clinical advice and support to the dispensary on a planned, sessional basis

Identifying own training needs and addressing these where possible.

Completing the independent prescribing qualification and using this in practice as determined by service need.

Maintaining CPD records in specialist and general areas.

Maintain a portfolio to support professional reaccreditation of role that is suitable for submission for formal assessment.