Specialist Pharmacist - Neurosciences

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced, enthusiastic and motivated specialist clinical pharmacist to join the Neurosciences Clinical Pharmacy Team at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (KCH). Joining a dedicated team of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, the post holder will work to ensure the continued provision and development of comprehensive clinical pharmacy services and pharmaceutical care to patients and clinicians within the Neurosciences Division. We are looking for a team player with strong clinical experience as a registered hospital pharmacist, excellent interpersonal skills, a keen desire to learn, and a meticulous attention to detail.

The Neurosciences Division at KCH is an internationally recognised specialist tertiary centre offering secondary and tertiary care to patients across South East London, South East England and beyond for the many facets of Neurology and Neurosurgery. Sub-specialties include Movement Disorders, Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy and Neuro-Oncology.

Main duties of the job:

• The post holder will work as part of a dedicated pharmacy team to lead, provide and develop specialist clinical pharmacy services to Neurosciences.
• The post holder will also support the Principal Pharmacist for Neurosciences in managing the team.
• The post holder will liaise between wards, departments and pharmacy to ensure that pharmacy services are tailored to meet the Care Group’s needs wherever possible.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities:

• Deputise for the Principal Pharmacist, Neurosciences.
• Act as a specialist role model and an expert in the medical management within Neurosciences.
• Lead and manage clinical pharmacy services in Neurosciences in conjunction with the Principal Pharmacist.
• Participate regularly in outpatient clinics to deliver and promote high quality, cost-effective and patient-focused pharmaceutical care.
• Act as a pharmacist independent prescriber to optimise the care of patients within Neurosciences.
• Ensure a high level of clinical pharmacy input to the care of patients within Neurosciences.
• Providing interface and discharge liaison and support.
• Actively participate in multidisciplinary ward rounds, delivering and promoting high quality, cost effective, patient-focused pharmaceutical care.
• Provide patient and carer education and close liaison across the interface.
• Promote safe drug use within the Neurosciences specialities.
• Development, implementation and audit of local guidelines.
• Supervise and train pharmacy staff at ward level.
• Provide education and training of healthcare professionals within and outside the Trust.
• Regular financial reporting, drug usage and expenditure forecasting, and drug budget management.
• To participate in practice and clinical research and audit.
• To work with the Principal Pharmacist to extend the boundaries of professional practice within the Care Group.

Person specification:

• Registered Pharmacist (Significant competency assessed and examined professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council).
• Postgraduate Diploma in Pharmacy Practice or equivalent qualification / experience.
• Member of the RPS faculty.
• Specialist clinical knowledge and skills relevant to area of practice.
• Knowledge of regulations and legislation relevant to area of practice.
• Experience of practice research or audit.
• Experience of delivering training and education at postgraduate level.
• Demonstration of advanced practice using evidence mapped to the RPS Advanced Practice Framework.

Skills and Competencies:

• Be able to provide highly complex information on medicines use, clinical pharmacy and financial issues to all levels of healthcare professionals (up to and including senior consultants/professor level).
• Be able to impart knowledge on medicines use to other healthcare professionals.
• Be able to analyse and interpret complex clinical information where there are a range of facts requiring analysis and where a range of options need to be compared.
• Be able to use available evidence to make sound judgments in relation to patient-or drug-specific issues.
• Be able to concentrate on highly complex matters (drug use evaluations, drug query answering, clinical prescription review, checking of dispensed prescriptions) despite frequent interruptions.
• Ability to work well under pressure by prioritising and managing time effectively.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.