Ambulance Service Pharmacist in Letchworth

Working as part of the Medicines Management Team, you will support the Trust Pharmacist, providing strategic input and supporting the wider medicines agenda. You will also lead the medicines safety agenda and be responsible for supporting medicines safety, including monitoring systems and provision of information to support a reduction in avoidable harm resulting from inappropriate medicines use across the Trust. The post holder will support the Trust Pharmacist to ensure medicines governance and improve the quality of patient care. They will embrace innovative ways of working and provide a consistently high-quality service in line with corporate objectives and national policy. The post holder will use specialist knowledge and skills to lead on the delivery of medication safety across the Trust and act as the Trust Medicines Safety Officer (MSO) and deputise for the Trust Pharmacist when required. They will be responsible for developing reports relating to the safe management of medicines in the Trust and undertaking research and audit to support innovative practice and sustain robust medicines management systems and processes.

We are looking for an experienced, highly motivated pharmacist to be the Deputy Trust Pharmacist and Medicines Safety Officer (MSO).

Key Responsibilities of the Role

• As the deputy to the Trust Pharmacist, you will be required to provide leadership and to champion change in the organisation.
• The post holder will act as the Trust MSO, responsible for leading the Medication Safety agenda, including monitoring systems and provision of information to support a reduction in avoidable harm resulting from inappropriate medicines use across the Trust.
• Provide strategic pharmaceutical and corporate leadership and advice to the Trust on medicines and medicines safety.
• To ensure, along with the Trust Pharmacist, that the Trust is compliant with the legal and statutory requirements in relation to all matters that pertain to medicines governance and management.
• Lead on continuous quality improvements in clinical practice, the quality of care provided and the reduction of clinical risk.
• Implement and lead change to deliver the Trust's Clinical Strategy whilst ensuring that robust clinical governance systems are in place.
• To work collaboratively across the Trust to support a culture which embeds Clinical Quality and Governance and monitors its effectiveness.
• Provide professional leadership for members of the Medicines Management Team.

Communications and Stakeholder Engagement

• Perform the professional role of a registered pharmacist which includes advice, supervision, co-operation, problem solving, and training and support of colleagues.
• Respond to medicines related queries from Trust staff.
• To liaise with other MSOs, within the ambulance sector and the Eastern region to share, adapt and adopt good practice.
• To ensure effective communication throughout the Trust of any medication safety issues as necessary.
• To produce regular Trust wide alerts and bulletins highlighting current safety issues and key information to improve practice.
• To present medication-safety related themes to staff groups, committees and at Board level; with the expectation to be challenged and provide evidence and information to inform decision making.

Strategic Leadership and Service Development

• The post holder will be required to provide expert and specialist knowledge in relation to medicinal products and their use as well as assist in the development of new clinical protocols and treatment options including the development of patient group directions (PGDs).
• Develop guidelines, policies and procedures for medicines use within the Trust as required.
• Develop systems to ensure medicinal products are stored appropriately and securely on all Trust premises and vehicles, complying with national, statutory and local requirements.
• Assist and deputise for the Trust Pharmacist on all matters relating to medicine management and governance within the Trust and at external meetings when required.
• Attend and actively contribute to meetings and working groups as required.
• To facilitate the implementation of local and national guidance, including JRCALC, NICE and Quality Standards where appropriate.
• Manage clinical incidents involving medicines and explore ways of minimising risk of future re-occurrence.
• Promote a supportive, fair and open culture that encourages and enables reporting of, and learning from, medicines safety incidents.
• Promote the vision, values and goals of the organisation.
• Line manage, and support other line managers to achieve corporate goals.
• Spearhead the medication safety agenda for the Trust.
• To develop and implement strategies for improving medication safety issues across the Trust.
• To design systems and processes alongside clinical colleagues to mitigate the risks of medicines safety incidents occurring.
• To contribute to improving the reporting of adverse drug events and medication incidents within the Trust in conjunction with other healthcare professionals.
• To ensure appropriate investigation of medication incidents, some of which will be complex and sensitive in content.
• To develop and deliver action plans to mitigate future risks.
• To contribute to the national medication error reporting databases.
• To audit and monitor the use of Patient Group directions.
• To lead on the dissemination and management of local and national medication related safety alerts.
• To be responsible for the co-ordination of the collection of audit data for the purpose of ensuring that medicines use across EEAST are safe, clinically effective and cost efficient.
• To demonstrate expert clinical and pharmaceutical knowledge required to produce clinical and technological documentation in an accurate, concise and timely manner.
• To support compliance with Care Quality Commission (CQC) requirements on safe management of all medicines, including medical gas.
• Develop governance frameworks and audit systems to ensure that all legal, professional and service requirements are met relating to medicines safety.
• Provide assurance on medicines safety and governance to the Medicines Management Group and Trust Board.
• Provide clinical and technical leadership in transforming safe use of medicines within the Trust.
• Support the development and implementation of the Trust and Medicines Management strategic plans, ensuring that medicines safety is included.

Analytical, Judgemental and Decision Making

• Implement changes to medicines that result from MHRA alerts, product withdrawal and other local and national guidance.
• To participate and support in clinical, departmental and national audits, measure adherence to local and national guidelines and provide relevant feedback.
• To initiate or contribute to relevant practice research or audit projects and to publish the results of such work, as appropriate.
• To participate in and support other medicines management related research and audit programmes within the Trust as required.
• To maintain and further develop specialist information on the use of medicines in clinical conditions relevant to ambulance and pre-hospital care.
• To publish and present the results and outcomes of own research and audits locally, nationally or internationally as appropriate.
• To analyze and interpret complex data from a range of sources such as medicines incidents, prescribing data, patient complaints, consider options and make recommendations for improvement/change.
• Assist the Trust pharmacist in the preparation of reports to the Medicine Management Group and operational line managers and lead clinicians, summarising clinical and medicine activities and medicines utilisation trends within the locality and across the Trust.
• To develop and implement strategies for improving medication safety issues across EEAST.
• Review and develop systems and processes for monitoring prescribing, procurement, storage dispensing, distribution and administration of medicines which reduce the risk of medication errors.
• Work with the IM and T team to find IT solutions to minimise medication errors.
• To contribute to improving the reporting of adverse drug events and medication incidents.
• To ensure appropriate investigation of medication incidents and patient complaints involving medication.
• To carry out audit and risk assessments of medicines systems and medicines use including prescribing and PGDs.
• Surveillance and interrogation of relevant medicines management information to identify trends and variations in activity, reporting accordingly and advising actions where appropriate.
• To ensure effective communication on medicines safety at all levels across the trust and regionally/nationally.

Clinical Education

• To work with the learning and development leads in the Trust to ensure medicines related education and training of all clinical staff and non-clinical staff using medicines is developed and delivered in line with national and local requirements.
• Complete regular CPD to ensure that knowledge is continually updated.
• To deliver teaching sessions both in house and externally to paramedics, medical and nursing staff and other health care professionals as required.

Staff Management Responsibility

• To act as a role model for other members of the Medicines Management Team.
• To directly line manage some members of the team and to deputise for other line managers where requested.