Senior Clinical Pharmacist - Health Informatics

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Clinical Pharmacist to join our Health Informatics team. We are seeking a highly motivated individual with a strong interest in digital health systems to lead the optimisation and development of the Trust's electronic prescribing and medication administration system, ensuring that the highest standards of patient care and safety are embedded throughout.

This position is based at either Darlington Memorial Hospital or the University of North Durham, with the opportunity for hybrid working available. We also welcome requests for flexible working arrangements.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will lead the implementation and provide ongoing support to pharmacy informatics projects, including the electronic prescribing and medicines administration system. The post holder will oversee the integration of pharmacy clinical IT systems that promote the safe use of medicines across the Trust.

As part of this role, the post holder will provide comprehensive training and support to a wide number of healthcare professionals and continuously monitor system performance. Effective collaboration with key stakeholders, including clinical staff and the Trust's IT team, will be vital at ensuring that digital systems improve and develop over time.

Job responsibilities

The successful candidate will:

• Lead on the implementation and ongoing support of pharmacy informatics projects, including electronic prescribing and medicines administration (ePMA) within the Trust.
• Be responsible for ensuring pharmacy clinical IT systems support the safe and effective use of medicines within the Trust.
• Support Trust-wide informatics projects that impact on or involve integration with pharmacy systems.
• Provide and support the delivery and development of pharmacy and medicine management services within the Trust.
• Maintain and develop a portfolio of personal clinical activity within the Trust at a level commensurate with an advanced pharmacist.
• Provide expert advice on electronic prescribing and medicines administration to all members of the directorate, the Trust, and the wider health economy.
• Provide expert advice relating to the use of Define (Rxinfo) system for monitoring and benchmarking drug usage data.
• Employ models of practice that recognise the needs of patients and carers whilst maintaining practice that is embedded in the principles of risk minimisation and patient safety.
• Monitor the practice of other healthcare providers, including medical staff, to ensure that prescribing and medicines use is safe and effective for patients.
• Support medicines procurement and formulary processes within the Trust and be the lead pharmacist for pharmacy-based IT systems.

Person Specification

Special Skills & Knowledge

• Good understanding of current pharmacy/NHS issues.
• Ability to apply theoretical knowledge to ward-based situations.
• Demonstrable clinical skills.
• Demonstrable leadership and management skills.
• Good oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to demonstrate an area of expertise within a field of pharmacy practice.

Experience

• Prescribing systems, safe medication practice, and knowledge of clinical IT systems.
• Sufficient experience to be able to develop a drug catalogue suitable for use across a wide spectrum of clinical areas.
• Able to work as an autonomous practitioner in all areas of pharmacy practice.
• Experience of developing good multidisciplinary working relationships.
• Experience of providing directorate pharmacist services, e.g., drug cost reports, drug usage reviews, specialist drug information, etc.
• Experience in audit and service development.

Special Requirements

• Able to build good relationships with colleagues.
• Team player.
• Able to prioritise own workload.
• Able to travel across Trust sites to meet the requirements of the post.

Statutory Registration

• Registered as a Practicing Pharmacist with the GPhC.
• Membership of RPS or a relevant Clinical Pharmacy Organisation appropriate to the subject area.

Qualifications

• Masters Degree in Pharmacy or equivalent.
• Relevant post-graduate clinical qualification (to at least diploma level).
• Evidence of CPD and education.
• Training/qualification in project management (e.g., PRINCE2).
• Qualified Pharmacist Prescriber or working towards the qualification.

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.