Deputy Chief Pharmacist - Medicines Optimisation

Job description

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Deputy Chief Pharmacist for Medicines Optimisation is a senior leadership position within the Pharmacy team, providing strategic leadership across medicines optimisation, medicines governance, assurance, quality and patient safety. The post holder will work closely with the Chief Pharmacist and Associate Chief Pharmacist to develop and deliver the Trust's medicines optimisation strategy whilst ensuring compliance with professional, statutory and regulatory requirements.

The role is responsible for providing senior oversight and assurance for a broad range of medicines governance functions, including controlled drugs, medicines safety, procurement, homecare services, unlicensed medicines, Patient Group Directions, medicines-related policies and medical gases. The post holder will provide expert advice on medicines legislation and governance and act as a recognised source of professional expertise across the Trust.

The successful candidate will lead the development and implementation of medicines optimisation and governance strategies, ensuring effective systems are in place to support safe, effective and cost-efficient use of medicines. They will monitor performance, identify opportunities for improvement and provide assurance regarding medicines-related risks across the organisation. They will deliver medicines-related cost-improvement programmes (CIP) for the trust.

The post holder will provide leadership for key governance and assurance structures, supporting the delivery of medicines safety priorities, quality improvement programmes and organisational objectives. They will work collaboratively with clinical, operational and corporate teams to ensure medicines governance considerations are embedded within wider Trust initiatives, including digital transformation, innovation and service redesign.

A key aspect of the role will be influencing and engaging at senior levels both within and outside the organisation, representing pharmacy at Trust, system and regional forums and building effective partnerships across organisational boundaries. The post holder will contribute to strategic planning, service development and transformation programmes while fostering a culture of continual improvement, patient safety and professional excellence.

The successful candidate will join the organisation during a period of significant opportunity and change, including continued digital transformation, evolving medicines optimisation models, workforce innovation and major service developments. They will play a central role in ensuring that medicines governance, quality and assurance arrangements remain robust, innovative and responsive to future healthcare needs.

Person specification

Communication

Essential criteria

• Ability to work on own and as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Able to communicate well both one to one and to a group of people (public speaking), including communication of sensitive or contentious information that may be challenged
• Good negotiating skills.
• Excellent written communication skills.
• Training, coaching and mentoring skills.
• Leadership
• Multidisciplinary team working
• Proven ability to motivate staff
• Evidence of team building and leadership skills

Desirable criteria

• Teaching
• Research

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Masters Degree in Pharmacy or equivalent
• Registered with GPhC
• Post-graduate qualification relevant to hospital pharmacy practice

Desirable criteria

• Leadership/ management qualification relevant to the NHS

Experience

Essential criteria

• Wide ranging recent clinical pharmacy experience
• Recent experience of operational and strategic planning
• Experience of successfully supporting a clinical management group or equivalent
• Audit work and report writing.
• Significant senior experience within the hospital pharmacy environment.
• Significant and recent (within the last 5 years) in a leadership role within hospital pharmacy
• Project and Financial Management
• Human Resource Management
• Interpretation of data
• Strategic planning.
• Process redesign
• Experience of leading change management processes.
• Introduction of major change and evidence of setting up work studies and audits to support bids and service change
• Experience in data analysis and the development of options appraisals with a "value for money" approach

Desirable criteria

• Significant recent experience as either a Deputy Chief Pharmacist or Principal Pharmacist
• Experience within both clinical and technical areas of pharmacy practice

Planning and Organization

Essential criteria

• Effective prioritisation and time management
• Ability to forecast and innovate, including long term service planning

EDI

Essential criteria

• Able to demonstrate a commitment to and understanding of the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect appropriate to their individual needs.
• All staff are expected to engage in compassionate and inclusive leadership in the provision of high-quality care and interactions with others

Others

Essential criteria

• A clear understanding of standards of probity and business conduct.
• Team management skills and experience.
• Adaptable and flexible.
• Proven ability to influence and negotiate with relevant senior clinicians, managers, key stakeholders.
• Organisational awareness.
• Able to asses & manipulate a broad range of complex information quickly & accurately including e.g., clinical, finance, activity, performance data.
• Able to make effective judgements based on limited information
• Able to engage staff both within, & outside of, pharmacy.
• Able to provide strategic leadership to senior clinical teams.
• Highly effective interpersonal & communication skills, both written & oral.

Additional Information

Please submit your application form without delay to avoid disappointment; we will close vacancies prior to the publishing closing date if we receive a sufficient number of completed application forms.

Please check the email account (including your junk mail) that you supplied as part of your application on a regular basis following the closing date and throughout the recruitment process, as this is how we will communicate with you.

UHL is an equal opportunities employer. We aim to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds who match our job criteria.

Applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria for the job will be interviewed if you indicate you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme. If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process please make the recruitment services team aware as soon as possible.

UHL is committed to helping colleagues balance the demands of both their work and personal needs through flexible working arrangements wherever reasonably practicable and subject to service needs.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

Please note if you are successful in obtaining this position and the post involves regulated activity you will be required to undertake a Disclosure & Barring Service check.

The Trust will pay for the check initially and the money will then be deducted from your salary over a three month period commencing on your first month's payment.

The current price of a check is £38 for an enhanced and £18 for a standard check.

COVID 19 Risk Assessment

Due to the current Covid pandemic we have introduced a staff risk assessment into our pre-employment process. This now forms part of the mandatory pre-employment checks that will be carried out if you receive a conditional offer.

The risk assessment is intended to ensure you are able to safely perform your duties in any of our work areas, and if you have been identified as being particularly vulnerable to coronavirus. Our main aim is to reduce risk and to ensure the safety of all new starters to the Trust as well as current staff, patients and visitors.

If it is identified that you are within a vulnerable category, we will endeavor to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate this through discussions with both Occupational Health and your recruiting manager.

Covid Vaccination Status

Covid-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself, family, colleagues and our patients/service users from the Covid-19 virus. We therefore continue to encourage our current and potential colleagues to get vaccinated.

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust holds the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of everything it does and all that it stands for. We are committed to developing a workforce that is representative of the community we serve. We welcome applications from the diverse community of Leicester, Leicester and Rutland, to help deliver healthcare services that meets the needs of our diverse communities.

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