Specialist Renal Pharmacist

Job summary
The pharmacy department at Bristol NHS Foundation Trust has an exciting opportunity for a dedicated and passionate pharmacist join the Renal and Transplant pharmacy team. The adult renal unit at Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is the largest renal transplant centre in the South West and provides renal replacement therapies across seven satellite haemodialysis units.

This post will give the successful candidate an excellent opportunity to work within the highly integrated multi-professional renal team. The successful candidate will assist in the provision of highly specialist pharmaceutical care across both inpatient and outpatient services, and work to support the medicines optimisation agenda in both primary and secondary care.

The post holder will be supported to attain their non-medical prescribing qualification if not yet undertaken.

The successful postholder will work closely with a collaborative and engaged multi-professional team to deliver outstanding services. They will have a close and supportive network around them.

Main duties of the job

• To support the Renal and Transplant pharmacy team in maintaining and developing the pharmaceutical service to the specialty.
• Provide a high-level clinical service to Renal and Transplant patients
• Work in close collaboration with the ward team to ensure patient flow and timely discharge
• To assist the highly specialist pharmacists in the delivery of an agreed standard of pharmaceutical care to identified outpatients to ensure the safe and cost-effective use of medicines. This will include the provision of advice to patients, medical and other clinical staff on medicines related issues, and support in the administration of appropriate medicines management systems, including homecare and liaising with healthcare professionals within primary care. This may include advice on highly complex medicines and chronic disease states.
• To assist the highly specialist pharmacists in the management of the renal medicines expenditure via regular analysis and medication use audits to identify and manage CIP savings.
• Actively participate in audit, research and development with the speciality and the pharmacy department. Where appropriate publicise the results of such work through presentations and publications.
• To provide education and training to other healthcare staff as appropriate.

About us
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Job responsibilities
Finance, service development, governance

• In conjunction with the highly specialist renal & transplant pharmacists provide and develop a specialist pharmaceutical service to the Renal & Transplant specialty within the Trust.
• Attend speciality meetings and meetings with Specialty and Divisional management teams as required and produce reports on activity as directed.
• Advise on strategies to ensure cost-effective use of resources and be involved with achieving CIP targets. Provide feedback regarding this to prescribers.
• Support achieving general pharmacy and appropriate specialist CQUIN targets.
• To support the highly specialist renal & transplant pharmacists to help progress the pharmacoeconomics element of the service.
• Record and investigate incidents in line with Trust procedures.
• Record clinical Pharmacy activity in line with departmental procedures.
• Audit and risk manage selected areas of practice to promote continuous quality improvement as required by the Division, Pharmacy department or the Trust.

Clinical

• Clinically screen prescriptions to ensure the safe, efficient, evidence-based and rational use of medicines in line with the Trust Formulary and departmental policies so that risks to patients are minimised.
• Challenge inappropriate prescribing and escalate as appropriate.
• Support and promote antimicrobial stewardship
• Be the named pharmacy contact for the clinical screening of homecare prescriptions for renal & transplant outpatients.
• Ensure that an accurate medication history and a full medicines reconciliation (in line with Trust policy) is completed for all patients seen as part of a clinical pharmacy service to allocated inpatient ward(s).
• Provide advice and information to patients/carers to ensure compliance with complex treatment regimens including immune suppression and renal replacement therapies
• To lead on medication reviews to patients undergoing renal replacement therapy at satellite units
• Provide accurate medicines information to other healthcare professionals and patients.
• Provide support and implement the self-medication policy for patients able to manage their medications in this manner.
• Deliver effective management of patient's medication to ensure timely and seamless discharge of patients. Communicate effectively with healthcare colleagues in Primary care when necessary, as part of this process.
• Maintain medicines management systems in conjunction with patients/carers, ward staff and pharmacy staff.
• Provide professional supervision to Patients Services on a sessional basis including being the responsible pharmacist when required.

Education & Training

• Contribute to the training of pharmacy undergraduates, medical students, pre-registration pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and medical and nursing staff as appropriate.
• Train other pharmacists to provide cover to the renal & transplant service when needed.
• Support the development and training of trainee pharmacists as needed.
• Keep up to date with developments in pharmacy to maintain a high level of professional knowledge and competence. Attend study days and courses as necessary for the development of the service and the individual.
• Maintain a record of CPD in line with GPhC requirements.

Leadership & Management

• Represent specialist pharmaceutical interests in multidisciplinary meetings within the Trust and in the wider local health economy, sharing knowledge and experience with other neurosciences pharmacists at a local and national level.
• Act as a role model for less experienced pharmacists and promote best practice.
• Supervise medicines management technicians and/or other dedicated pharmacy staff.
• Responsible for conducting appraisals, one to one meetings and sickness absence interviews for staff under your line management.

Other

• Provide professional supervision to Patients Services on a sessional basis including being the responsible pharmacist when required.
• Participate in the pharmacy weekend, bank holiday and late duty service.
• Participate in the pharmacy emergency duty on-call rota if required.

Person Specification
Essential

• Professional knowledge acquired though vocational Masters degree in Pharmacy (4 years) or equivalent.
• Successful completion of 1 year as a trainee pharmacist
• Current Registration with General Pharmaceutical Council
• Postgraduate Clinical Pharmacy Diploma or other recognised postgraduate qualification to a similar standard or due to complete imminently
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
• Qualification as an independent prescriber or willingness to undertake this on appointment
• Suitable hospital pharmacy experience
• Previous experience at Band 6 hospital pharmacist
• Experience of audit and quality systems
• Can demonstrate the relevant level of knowledge, skills and abilities required of a Band 6 Pharmacist.
• Proactive approach to the application of specialist pharmaceutical knowledge in order to enhance patient care
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with pharmacy staff, hospital staff and patients/carers.
• Able to manage time and prioritise effectively
• Knowledge of specialist area
• Knowledge of medicines optimisation issues affecting primary care, including NICE, local Formularies, local guidance development, patient group directions and legal frameworks relating to medicines.
• Ability to demonstrate an understanding of finance systems and management of this effectively
• Ability to review, process and present complex information in a clear and concise manner in a variety of formats
• Computer literate
• Adaptable and flexible approach to work
• Methodical and tidy worker
• Able to work under own initiative and as part of a team
• Excellent interpersonal skills

Desirable

• Postgraduate Clinical Pharmacy Diploma or other recognised postgraduate qualification to a similar standard
• Hospital pharmacy experience relevant to the specialist area
• Evidence of leadership
• Teaching / tutorial and clinical supervisory skills

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.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).