Lead Pharmacist – Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD)
Band 8a

Job Summary
The post holder will lead, deliver, evaluate and be responsible for clinical pharmacy services to Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) patients, including leading on ensuring medicines use is as safe as possible (in the context of co-morbidities and polypharmacy), participate in multidisciplinary ward rounds/team meeting and clinics, undertake prescribing within an agreed patient specific management plan, and advise and lead the team on cost effective choice.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Participate in the provision of a comprehensive clinical pharmacy service to both ILD inpatients and outpatients, including medicines reconciliation, prescription chart review, and monitoring for adverse effects, drug interactions, response to treatment and patient counselling.
• Provide effective patient counselling at initiation of treatment to explain the treatment regime and provide written information to the patient and General Practitioner.
• Ensure on-going dispensing of treatments and any blood tests that are associated with the treatment are conducted and available for review.
• Be an Independent Pharmacist Prescriber within the specialist area of ILD and independently review ILD patients, including telephone follow up.
• Identify, assess and address any adherence problems patients may have with their medicines, involving community pharmacy support where appropriate.
• Actively promote the principles contained in the Northern Ireland Standards for Clinical Pharmacy and the Northern Ireland Medicines Optimisation Framework.
• Member of the Trust ILD team and participate in multidisciplinary ward rounds and multidisciplinary meetings.
• Demonstrate and be able to apply expert clinical pharmacy knowledge in medicines used within ILD.
• Follow legal, ethical, professional and Trust codes of conduct.
• Lead on the development of prescribing protocols and guidelines within this specialist area (both internally and at Regional and National level).
• Demonstrate awareness and commitment to the Trust's Clinical Governance and Quality Improvement strategy.
• Liaise with other pharmacists to ensure efficient transfer of pharmaceutical care including medicines optimisation within the Trust and externally to and from other UK Trusts.
• Collaborate with other ILD/respiratory pharmacists in the region.
• Develop the role of the specialist pharmacist through links with national bodies e.g. UKCPA.
• Ensure the maintenance of appropriate documentation and records.

Leadership

• Responsible for the delivery of pharmaceutical services to ILD patients in line with Trust and national standards.
• Provide pharmaceutical review of ILD patients both outpatients and inpatients as necessary.
• Motivate and inspire others within the speciality, pharmacy department and the wider field of pharmacy.
• Proactively develop clinical pharmacy services for ILD patients in line with local, regional and national objectives.
• Promote medicines optimisation and pharmaceutical care within the ILD service.
• Work collaboratively with senior pharmacy, medical and nursing staff, the multiprofessional team and Trust management.
• Work collaboratively with the pharmacy specialist medicines team.
• Contribute to strategic groups affecting the direction of ILD pharmaceuticals at a local, regional or national level.
• Represent pharmacy at relevant meetings and conferences.
• Attend ILD multidisciplinary team meetings and ward rounds in both Craigavon and Daisy Hill Hospital.
• Contribute pharmaceutical expertise to the ILD patient virtual clinic.
• Improve the care provided to patients with ILD by facilitating multidisciplinary review of patients.
• Promote the reporting of medication related incidents by the respiratory team.
• Contribute to the investigation of medicine related incidents, agreement and implementation of action plans.
• Participate in the investigation of SAIs (serious adverse incidents) involving ILD patients in primary and secondary care.

Education and Training

• Educate patients and their carers on their treatment and assess their understanding of therapy.
• Provide appropriate training and education to Healthcare Professionals about medicines management in ILD.
• Participate in the development of local formularies and written procedures and protocols.
• Maintain a policy and procedures manual covering the pharmacy aspects of the ILD service, including administrative, clinical, technical and training information and Standard Operating Procedures.
• Ensure that all Trust staff are aware of the ILD medicines management pathways and the procedures and SOPs that operate within it.
• Attend local and national education, training and development courses and keep up to date with the latest developments in hospital pharmacy and therapeutics.
• Undertake any agreed programme of education and training to assist in the effective delivery of the responsibilities and duties expected of the post.
• Contribute to and help deliver the training programme for pre-registration pharmacist trainees, Foundation Programme Pharmacists, and pharmacists undertaking the Advanced Pharmacy Practice and MSc courses.
• Participate in pharmacist education sessions.
• Contribute to the training of undergraduate pharmacy students on placement in the Trust.
• Maintain professional competence through engaging in at least the minimum amount of continuing professional education required by the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland.

Research and Development

• Initiate structured ongoing audits and evaluations of the ILD service, including regular surveys of patient experience.
• Plan and organise audit and evaluation of the benefits of the ILD service to patients and service users employing robust methodologies.
• Undertake and publish pharmacy practice research.
• Actively pursue audit research and development within the division and the department. Publicise the results of such work through presentations and publications.
• Supervise others undertaking research and audit.
• Establish research partnerships with other Trusts regionally and nationally and the Medicines Optimisation and Innovation Centre.
• Establish research partners with Higher Education Institutes as required.

Management and Service Evaluation

• Prepare relevant workload, financial and quality reports for the pharmacy ILD service.
• Regularly analyse expenditure on the pharmaceutical products used in the ILD service and identify current and future cost pressures for discussion and action.
• Contribute to the development of business cases for both new drugs and services through effective horizon scanning and up to date knowledge of therapies.
• Provide on a regular basis, statistical information relative to activity levels and meet targets and objectives agreed with the Clinical Pharmacy Services Manager.
• Be responsible for the continual review of pharmaceutical service provision to the ILD service and develop a clear vision of pharmacy services to these patients. Where necessary plan and implement changes to ensure that future service development needs are met.
• Monitor key performance indicators for medicines usage within the ILD service to demonstrate that all legal, professional and quality standards are met and to demonstrate quality improvement.
• Support, as required, new medicines applications to be submitted to the Trust Drugs and Therapeutic Committee and also any Individual Funding Requests (IFRs) from within this specialist area.
• Support the risk assessment of unlicensed medicines used within ILD.
• Ensure broader risk management issues, such as Health and Safety at Work, COSHH, Safe use of equipment, Infection Control and Product Liability are addressed within the ILD service.
• Assist the Clinical Services Manager to recruit, develop and motivate staff to maximise performance and delivery of service objectives and priorities.
• Participate in the pharmacist supervision of the pharmacy dispensaries as required.
• Assist in the management of purchasing and stock control within the department.
• Manage the performance of the junior pharmacists through the Trust Personal Performance and Development Review process.
• Act as a role model and demonstrate the ability to provide safe, clinically effective and cost-efficient use of medicines for junior pharmacists.
• Participate in the recruitment and selection of new staff as required.
• Participate in weekend, extended hours and bank holiday rotas in accordance with local requirements.
• Participate in the out-of-hours emergency on-call arrangements if required and able to reach the hospital within 45 minutes.
• Work shifts including Saturdays and Sundays as required.
• Ensure that work practices and the working environment conform to the requirements of current legislation and professional recommendations.
• Undertake other duties as may be assigned from time to time.
• Ensure provision of the above services in accordance with published standards and local policies.
• Ensure safe systems of working and compliance with written procedures.
• Ensure that the output and quality of the service is maintained in relation to short and longer term objectives.
• Motivate staff in pursuance of key objectives.
• Review individually, at least annually, the performance of immediately subordinate staff, provide guidance on personal development requirements, advise on and initiate further training, and take action as necessary in disciplinary matters in accordance with Trust procedures.
• Maintain staff relationships and morale amongst the staff reporting to them.
• Review the organisation plan and establishment level of the service for which they are responsible to ensure consistency with achieving objectives, and recommend change where appropriate.
• Delegate appropriate responsibility and authority to staff within their control consistent with effective decision making, while retaining overall responsibility and accountability for results.
• Participate, as required, in the selection and appointment of staff reporting to them in accordance with Trust procedures.

Human Resource Management Responsibilities

• Establish and promote a supportive, fair and open culture that encourages and enables all parts of the team to have clearly aligned goals and objectives, to meet the required performance standards and to achieve continuous improvement in the services they deliver.
• Ensure access to skills and personal development through appropriate training and support.
• Promote a culture of openness and honesty to enable shared learning.
• Encourage and empower others in their team to achieve their goals and reach their full potential through regular supportive conversation and shared decision making.
• Adhere to and promote Trust policy and procedure in all staffing matters, participating as appropriate in a way which underpins Trust values.

Raising Concerns Responsibilities

• Promote and support effective team working, fostering a culture of openness and transparency.
• Ensure that all concerns raised are taken seriously and acted upon in accordance with the Trust's 'Your Right to Raise a Concern (Whistleblowing)' policy and the professional code of conduct, where applicable.
• In the event of a concern being raised, ensure it is managed correctly under the Trust's 'Your Right to Raise a Concern (Whistleblowing)' policy and that feedback and learning are communicated at individual, team and organisational level.

Personal and Public Involvement Responsibilities (PPI)

• Promote and support the implementation of the Trust's PPI Strategy and ensure all staff are aware of their responsibilities as appropriate to their job role.
• Involve patients, clients, carers and the wider community where relevant, in developing, planning, delivering and evaluating services in a meaningful and effective way, as part of the Trust's ongoing commitment to Personal Public Involvement (PPI) and Co-Production.

General Requirements

• Assist the organisation in fulfilling its statutory duties under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and the Disability Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, and support compliance with Human Rights Legislation.
• Ensure the Trust's policy on equality of opportunity is promoted through own actions and those of any staff for whom they have responsibility.
• Co-operate fully with the Trust's Health and Safety arrangements, reporting accidents, incidents and equipment defects, and maintaining a clean, uncluttered and safe environment.
• Adhere at all times to all Trust policies and codes of conduct, including the Smoke Free policy, IT Security Policy and Code of Conduct, and standards of attendance, appearance and behaviour.
• Contribute to ensuring the highest standards of environmental cleanliness within the designated area of work.
• Co-operate fully with Trust policies and procedures relating to infection prevention and control.
• Take responsibility to minimise the Trust's environmental impact wherever possible.
• Comply with records management obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
• Take responsibility for own ongoing learning and development to maximise potential and meet the demands of the post.
• Represent the Trust's commitment to providing the highest possible standard of service by treating all contacts in a pleasant, courteous and respectful manner.

Personnel Specification
Hours: 0.75 WTE, temporary for 9 months.
Essential qualifications include MPharm or equivalent, registration with the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (or eligible to register), registration as an Independent Prescriber, and completed or actively undertaking a relevant Post Graduate Masters or equivalent. Essential experience includes 3 years in hospital, 2 of which at Band 7 or above, and 2 years post-registration experience as a clinical pharmacist. A current full UK driving licence and access to a car on appointment are essential, subject to disability waiver provisions.

The Trust is an equal opportunities employer. Enhanced Disclosure Check through AccessNI may be required. Successful applicants may be required to attend a Health Assessment and are able to request Flexible Working from the first day of employment.