Principal Pharmacist Medicines Information & Safety

NHS; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 70,000

Job description

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Department: Pharmacy

Hours: 37.5 per week, all MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working

Are you a pharmacist passionate about ensuring medication safety and providing top-tier medicine information? Do you have a keen eye for detail and a commitment to improving patient care? Do you have experience in running high-quality, patient-centered pharmacy services?

If so, we want you to join us...

We are looking for a Principal Pharmacist for Medicine Information and Medication Safety to join our dynamic team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in the delivery of exceptional pharmaceutical care, as part of a newly restructured department dedicated to patient safety and clinical excellence.

We are specifically looking for someone with extensive experience in hospital pharmacy or medicine information, at a Band 7 or 8a level, with a strong understanding of medication safety practices and the latest strategies for investigating medicine information enquiries. You will be responsible for leading a team focused on managing medication advice and safety, delivering accurate, evidence-based medicine information to the multidisciplinary team.

If you would like to discuss the role further or find out more about what makes this opportunity so special, please don't hesitate to get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you!

Interview date: W/C 14th April 2025

Main duties of the job

• To be professionally and managerially responsible for the development and delivery of the Medicines Information service for Milton Keynes University Hospital (MKUH) NHS Foundation Trust.
• To support the Medicines Safety team in the planning, development, and implementation of the Medicines Safety initiatives across the Trust.
• To support the Formulary & Interface Pharmacist in the delivery of their portfolio.
• To participate in the provision of Pharmacy services across the organisation.

About us

83% of this staff group report that their immediate manager shows a positive interest in their health and well-being, cares about their concerns and provides adequate support. (NHS Staff Survey 2023)

You can expect a warm welcome at Milton Keynes University Hospital, our staff are friendly and welcoming. We listen to each other and work together to embed our Trust's values and behaviours. At MKUH we appreciate our staff and reward them with an outstanding benefits package including:

• Free on-site parking
• Free tea and coffee
• Great flexible working opportunities
• Discounted gym membership
• Lease car scheme
• Generous annual leave and pension scheme
• Extensive staff health and well-being programme

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital; we conduct research and teaching on site to improve the care of our patients. The hospital is undergoing significant investment, and we are proud to be rated good by the CQC. Visit our website to catch up on our latest news.

Job responsibilities

Trust Responsibilities

• To ensure that appropriate levels of service are provided, in the areas you are responsible for, in accordance with statutory requirements and professional standards.
• To be part of the Pharmacy team and work with staff within the Pharmacy Department and across the Trust, to enable the objectives of the Trust to be achieved.
• To deliver, manage, evaluate, and develop the Medicines Information service for MKUH in accordance with relevant standards and guidance.
• To deliver and oversee the Medicines Information service across the Trust, in accordance with its changing needs and developments.

Medicines Safety Responsibilities

• To support the Medication Safety Officer in the development, implementation, and evaluation of medicines safety initiatives across the organisation in line with relevant guidance.
• To support the Medicines Safety team to plan, develop and co-ordinate the implementation and maintenance of Medicines Safety initiatives across the Trust, in accordance with its changing needs and developments.

Clinical Practice Role

• To practice in compliance with the General Pharmaceutical Council code of professional conduct within scope of practice, being responsible and accountable for own decisions, actions, and omissions.
• To demonstrate a critical understanding of broadened level of responsibility and autonomy and within the limits of own competence and professional scope of practice, including when working with complexity, risk, uncertainty, and incomplete information.

Leadership and Management

• Identify and lead on negotiations with BLMK ICS and the Trust on obtaining appropriate pharmacy resources for interface and formulary services.
• To ensure that formulary and interface procedures are adhered to at all times and that any trends of concerns are addressed and escalated when appropriate.

Education

• To critically assess and address own learning needs, negotiating a personal development plan that reflects the breadth of ongoing professional development across the four pillars of advanced clinical practice.
• To engage in self-directed learning, critically reflecting to maximise clinical skills and knowledge, as well as own potential to lead and develop both care and services.

Research

• To critically engage in research activity, adhering to good research practice guidance, so that evidence-based strategies are developed and applied to enhance quality, safety, productivity, and value for money.
• To evaluate and audit own and others clinical practice, selecting and applying valid, reliable methods, then acting on the findings.

Departmental Responsibilities

• To contribute to the provision of all routine day to day pharmacy services in accordance with departmental and Trust requirements.
• To be part of the team providing End of Day, Weekend, Bank Holiday and On Call services.

Professional Responsibilities

• To ensure appropriate levels of service are provided in accordance with statutory requirements and the General Pharmaceutical Council and Royal Pharmaceutical Society professional standards.
• To respect confidentiality of information relating to patients and management and to ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act.

As the Principal Pharmacist, you will collaborate with prescribers, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to optimise medication use and reduce the risks of medication errors. Your passion for improving patient outcomes will be key in fostering a culture of safety, continuous learning, and improvement.

In return, you will be part of a supportive and collaborative pharmacy team. You'll have access to ongoing professional development opportunities to enhance your skills and make a tangible impact on the quality of care we deliver. This is a fantastic opportunity to shape and lead a critical service in a modern, well-equipped setting, while contributing to a high standard of medication advice and safety.

Please refer to the job description for further details

We believe success lies in the diversity of our employees and are committed to promoting equality, encouraging diversity and embracing inclusion. We welcome applications from everyone interested in working for us.

MKUH is committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and as such we offer a range of flexible working practices.

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

MKUH uses identification scanning technology to confirm the authenticity of documents; all prospective employees of MKUH will have their original documents verified using this technology.

By applying for this role, you accept if successful, that information from your application will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system. Your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which aims at saving you time and improving efficiencies within the NHS when your employment transfers.

Upon commencing employment with the Trust, all employees (except Medical & Dental Staff on national terms and conditions) are subject to a probationary period lasting a period of six months with an option to extend for a further six months to a total of 12 months.

Person Specification

Qualifications and knowledge

• MPharm (or equivalent)
• Registered with the GPhC
• Evidence of CPD in line with GPhC requirements
• Postgrad Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy
• Membership of the RPS
• Attended the UKMi National training course.
• Member of / Working on membership of the RPS Faculty
• Master's degree in relevant subject

Experience

• Proven experience as a clinical pharmacist within a hospital-based setting.
• Experience in Medicines Information
• Experience in working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide patient care
• Experience of audit work.
• Experience as a mentor, tutor, and trainer
• Experience of supervising and developing staff as well as giving feedback.
• Awareness of current national standards, guidelines, and service delivery issues
• Experience of providing patient information and education.
• Ability to demonstrate an understanding of the key stakeholders the post is likely to be supporting and how they will be expected to support them.
• Experience of undertaking evaluations or reviews of medicines use
• Experience of managing drug expenditure and a knowledge of budget mechanisms
• Experience of Service Development and Change Management

Skills

• Ability to manage time effectively and work to deadlines.
• Ability to prioritise complex workload and work accurately under pressure.
• Ability to plan, prioritise and organise self and others.
• Ability to motivate and act as a role model.
• Excellent inter-personal skills, with the ability to liaise with colleagues and patients.
• Good presentation skills and report writing.
• Good problem-solving skills.
• Excellent teamwork skills.
• Innovative thinking
• Identifies and manages risk.
• Demonstrates good clinical knowledge, clinical reasoning and judgement; manages difficult and ambiguous problems.
• Evaluates the quality of own work and can evaluate service quality.
• IT literacy including word processing, email, and use of internet; knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages
• Experience of own research & audit.

Personal and People Development

• Identifies own training needs, actively seeks training opportunities and maintains a portfolio of practice
• Evidence of CPD in line with GPhC requirements
• Member of / Working on membership of the RPS Faculty
• Experience of supervising and developing colleagues.

Communication

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to influence others
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Positive and enthusiastic approach

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust