Job Description

Post:Joint Formulary Pharmacist

Grade:Band 8a

WTE:1

Responsible to:Head of Medicines Management

Accountable to:Head of Medicines Management

Purpose of the job

This post is based in the Medicines Management team who provide an effective and professional medicines management service to the City and Hackney catchment area.

Context

The main function will be working majoritively in an interface role (c60%), leading on the maintenance and entry of new drugs and of the Joint Formulary, working with stakeholders fromNHS City & Hackney CCG and Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (HUHFT).

The remaining function of this role (c40%) will be to support the CCG’s Medicines Management Team with assurance management of medicines related requirements of the CCG contracts with Providers and the general medicines optimisation agenda.

Key Result Areas

Interface; Formulary Management (c60%)

  • Manage the entry of new drugs across Homerton University Hospital (HUHFT) and the CCG through:
  • the co-ordination of new drug requests from applicants in the secondary and primary care setting,
  • co-ordination of robust critical appraisals of new drug evaluations and dissemination of Joint Prescribing & Medicines Management Group (JPG) decisions, and
  • facilitating implementation of robust formulary processes.
  • Act as secretary of the JPG.
  • Co-ordinate pro-active horizon scanning as part of Formulary planning.
  • Co-ordinate the development of JPG policies and procedures.
  • Support implementation of JPG policies and decisions across City & Hackney CCG and Homerton Hospitals.
  • Act as the lead Interface pharmacist, and raise any gaps in transfer of medicines related information to the Joint Prescribing Group.
  • Support the development and implementation of clinical guidelines and pathways.
  • Lead in the development, update and maintenance of the Joint Formulary, including its electronic formats.
  • Ensure that the hospital trust and local CCG fulfil their obligations for incorporation of NICE recommendations within the local formulary, in line with the DoH’s Innovation Health and Wealth requirements.
  • Leads on the borough’s agenda in improvement in prescribing for patients across the Interface.
  • Monitors the activities of the Joint Formulary group and provide reports as and when required.
  • Promotes safe, efficacious and cost effective use of drugs in the local health economy, in conjunction with clinicians, nursing and pharmacy staff.
  • Contributes to local and regional committees and Networks where formulary and clinical pathway discussions take place.
  • Supports the effective implementation of national guidelines and safety alerts e.g. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Medicines and Health Regulatory Authority (MHRA)and other patient safety alerts.
  • Coordinates audit and practise research projects to review and optimise the workings of the JPG.

CCG; Primary Care Medicine Management and Medicine Contract Management (c40%)

  • Acts as link pharmacist to the City & Hackney CCG’s Integrated Care Board.
  • Works with contracts teamcolleagues, to ensure tight management and processes for all medicines aspects of acute contracts.
  • Implements the process for approval of expenditure (Service level and monitoring- SLAM - and invoices) on PbR excluded drugs, by analyses of complex high cost drug data and appropriate challenges.
  • Validates high cost drug invoices and / or charges and feeds back to the respective contract managers.
  • Partakes in the review of individual funding requests (IFRs) through critical appraisal of clinical evidence provided by applicants, and presents at IFR panel.
  • Supports clinical audit of medicines use by audit development; ensuring audit selections are targeted to promote clinical excellence.
  • Provides high quality expert medicines advice to healthcare professionals, and if required, to local residents in City & Hackney.
  • Supports the medicines information functions of the medicines management team including response to Freedom of Information Requests.
  • Identifies medicines management service developments to meet the strategic plans of the CCG.
  • Participates in the programme of development and update of guidelines, policies and other tools to implement alerts, formulary decisions and prescribing standards.
  • Reviews prescribing patterns across the CCG and discusses recommendations with prescribing leads.
  • Partakes in the annualprogramme of prescribing visits to general practices in City & Hackney.
  • Identifies initiatives to support local practices in attempts to minimise waste of medicines.
  • Supports the CCG with its work on prescribing improvement programmes medicines optimisation and the QiPP agenda.
  • Assists GPs and practice teams in implementing national and local policies and guidance relating to prescribing, and in development of practice based policies, procedures and guidelines relating to prescribing.
  • Supports the investigations of medicines related critical incidents and complaints and facilitate systems to implement best practice.
  • Participates in the maintenance and development of policies, procedures and standards in liaison with the other members of the medicines management team.
  • Partakes in CCG wide meetings, as appropriate, including patient and public engagement forums.
  • Participates in education and training of local health care professionals.
  • Support training and development of new or existing medicines management team members.
  • Undertakes any other reasonable duties as may be assigned from time to time by the Lead Medicines Management Pharmacist.

- End of Job Description –

Person Specification

Joint Formulary Pharmacist

Band 8a

ESSENTIAL / DESIRABLE
EDUCATION
Masters of Pharmacy degree (or equivalent).
Current registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
Post graduate qualification in clinical pharmacy or equivalent experience gained through direct clinical pharmacy practice.
Evidence of undertaking CPD as required by GPhC.
SKILLS
Demonstrates diverse clinical knowledge and extensive critical appraisal skills.
Ability to evaluate and critically appraise medical literature.
Ability to be assertive when communicating to colleagues and stakeholders.
Ability to command situations and be seen as credible by professional colleagues[DR1].
Ability to work effectively with senior medical and healthcare stakeholders.
Evidence of working successfully with Directorate teams[DR2].
Ability to provide and manage highly complex, sensitive or contentious information; negotiate with senior stakeholders and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups.
[DR3]
Good verbal and written communication skills, and ability to write reports.
Effective negotiation skills and ability to persuade others on difficult issues.
Good organisational and time management skills.
Good analytical and evaluation skills.
Good problem solving skills.
Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult issues
[DR4]
Ability to identify training needs.
[DR5]
Ability to demonstrate enthusiasm and commitment to the development of clinical services.
Ability to prioritise own work effectively and be able to direct activities of others.
Ability to meet tight deadlines [DR6]
[DR7]
Computer skills proficient in Microsoft Office.
KNOWLEDGE
Five years’ post qualification, of which three have been in a UK acute Hospital trust[DR8].
[DR9]
Multidisciplinary team work.
How to influencing change within a clinical setting.
Experience of dealing with patients and the public.
Experience of identifying and interpreting national policy.
Using recognised medical search engines and national / regional sources of information to assist service provision.
Drug usage review, audits and drug evaluations.
Writing and implementing guidelines relating to prescribing/ medicines management/ disease management.
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
Used to working in a busy environment.
Adaptable, flexible and ability to cope with uncertainty and change.
Willing to engage with and learn from peers, other professionals and colleagues in the desire to provide or support the most appropriate interventions
Self- assured and confident in own judgement and inspires confidence in colleagues.
Effective organiser, influencer and networker.
[DR10]
[DR11]
Enthusiasm for and commitment to the development of medicines management services.
Demonstrated capability to plan over short, medium and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly.

[DR1]Delete: how would you assess this by their application or interview?

[DR2]As above

[DR3]Covered in the above?

[DR4]Generic

[DR5]Covered with good analytical skills?

[DR6]Covered with good time management skills?

[DR7]Covered Good verbal and written communication skills, and ability to write reports.

[DR8]Can you quantify the years’ experience? If not, then use it as a recruitment bench mark, not an essential criteria

[DR9]Covered: Ability to work effectively with senior medical staff and healthcare stakeholders?

[DR10]Wouldn’t advise having that in the personal spec.

[DR11]Covered above