Job summary

NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board (ICB) is looking for a highly motivated and experienced Clinical Pharmacist to work within the Medicines Management Team. They will support the Senior Pharmaceutical Advisor in driving forward the ICB’s Medicines Optimisation Strategy and provide high quality, evidence-based prescribing advice and medicines optimisation support.

NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are responsible for the planning, commissioning and monitoring of health and care services from a range of providers, to support local people.

You will have excellent communication skills and will have the ability to work independently as well as part of a team.

Applicants must be on the General Pharmaceutical Council’s Pharmacist Register.

You will be appointed to NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB. You will be based in Halesfield 6, Telford. You will, however, be required to work across the whole of the beautiful and extensive rural area covered by Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICS therefore you must have the ability to meet the travel needs of the post.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will support the Senior Pharmaceutical Advisor to ensure that work streams and programmes are developed and carried out effectively; this will include assisting with planning and supporting/delivering key clinical projects across the integrated care system, with a particular focus on providing support for prescribing specialist medicines in secondary and tertiary care, to support the delivery of evidence-based cost-effective prescribing and medicines management.

The post holder will support delivery of ICB enhanced services with a focus on improving the safe and appropriate use of medicines, and the managed entry of new classes of medicines to maximise their innovative potential for health gain (improved treatment outcomes).

They will work closely with all members of the Medicines Management Team to develop strong relationships with provider colleagues across the Integrated Care Systems, as well as the senior management team for the ICB, working closely with colleagues to ensure medicines management is properly embedded in service transformation plans.

About us

The NHS is the biggest employer in Europe. It’s a world-renowned institution and an exciting place to work, full of challenges and opportunities. You will be a member of a large, friendly Medicines Management team.

The ICB recognises the need for its workforce to represent the diversity of the population it serves and seeks to create an environment where diversity is celebrated and inclusivity matters. We are also keen to break down any barriers into the NHS, and would encourage applications from under-represented groups, including those from BME communities and disability groups.

In addition to a competitive salary you will also benefit from access to the generous NHS Pension Scheme as well as plenty of NHS exclusive discounts too.

Date posted

17 March 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£48,526 to £54,619 a year .

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

942-ICB-5133541

Job locations

NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin

Halesfield 6

Telford

TF7 4BF

Job description

Job responsibilities

  • The post holder must be well organised and a confident and effective communicator, with a sound clinical knowledge base and an established track record of delivering evidence-based, cost-effective changes to prescribing practice.
  • In order to undertake the role, the Clinical Pharmacist will need to be proficient in the use of Microsoft based tools, have the ability to work under pressure and possess excellent written and verbal communication, analytical and interpersonal skills.
  • To support the management of the spend on high-cost medicines – support and deliver strategic financial plan which will include funding for excluded high-cost medicines.
  • To support the review of the ICB formulary by supporting engagement of specialist clinicians, working closely with colleagues who take a lead role in that therapy area.
  • To implement prescribing/medicines optimisation strategy across the ICB.
  • To support clinical governance relating to medicines, across all providers in the Integrated Care System.
  • To support engagement of pharmacy colleagues and other stakeholders in all sectors, in Quality Improvement Initiatives linked to Medicines Safety Improvement Programme.
  • To analyse and interpret complex prescribing and financial data including tracking high cost medicines spend.
  • To provide evidence-based prescribing information to all prescribers including the critical appraisal of clinical trials.
  • To develop and write any required audit, policies and procedures, related to medicines optimisation
  • Educating and updating a range of health care professionals in provider services and in interface roles, on medicines optimisation and prescribing.
  • To promote effective shared care and support development and implementation of shared care protocols.
  • To provide support across the ICS to manage introduction of new high-cost medicines in secondary care and establish shared care pathways to support the transfer of prescribing responsibility to primary care.
  • To support the managers and clinical and executive directors, responsible for the implementation of a referral management service for practices within the ICB (Referral Assessment Service RAS) where patients are referred for prescribing of high-cost medicines.
  • To support the uptake of integrated records to manage medicines reconciliation at discharge and link to the Discharge Medicines Service.
  • To promote audit, clinical governance, pathway development and adherence to guidelines and lead the introduction of high-cost medicine trackers.
  • To support the proactive pharmaceutical care for high-risk medicines, by overseeing the introduction of safer systems for the transfer of prescribing to primary care.
  • To support to evaluate the value for money of new drugs, monitoring the performance of financial management and accounting systems for high-cost medicines.
  • To constantly strive for value for money and greater efficiency in the use of these budgets and to ensure that they operate in recurrent financial balance year on year.
  • To support the values of the ICB including patient and public involvement, healthy living and reduction of health inequalities in all strategy and service redesign work.
  • To supervise and/or mentor primary care support technicians and less experienced primary care pharmacists as appropriate.
  • To work as directed by the Senior Pharmaceutical Advisor dependent on the type and pieces of work being undertaken at the time. Most of the work will be to support colleagues to develop more appropriate systems, for managing the clinical and financial risk of high-cost medicines in order to deliver optimal value for money.
  • As this role will require working for a lot of people at different times, some creativity will be required to manage all demands. The pharmacist will also be encouraged to be solutions orientated, in support of the overall agenda.
  • To develop relationships with local provider trust clinicians and pharmacy staff to ensure a health economy approach to medicines use.
  • To work with other health and social care professionals across all interfaces (primary care, secondary care, intermediate care, social care settings) with the aim of ensuring a seamless approach to medicines management and primary care support.
  • To develop educational programmes for peers, other health care professionals within their lead clinical area.
  • To work with communications and engagement teams to promote key messages to patients and the public.

Job description

Job responsibilities

  • The post holder must be well organised and a confident and effective communicator, with a sound clinical knowledge base and an established track record of delivering evidence-based, cost-effective changes to prescribing practice.
  • In order to undertake the role, the Clinical Pharmacist will need to be proficient in the use of Microsoft based tools, have the ability to work under pressure and possess excellent written and verbal communication, analytical and interpersonal skills.
  • To support the management of the spend on high-cost medicines – support and deliver strategic financial plan which will include funding for excluded high-cost medicines.
  • To support the review of the ICB formulary by supporting engagement of specialist clinicians, working closely with colleagues who take a lead role in that therapy area.
  • To implement prescribing/medicines optimisation strategy across the ICB.
  • To support clinical governance relating to medicines, across all providers in the Integrated Care System.
  • To support engagement of pharmacy colleagues and other stakeholders in all sectors, in Quality Improvement Initiatives linked to Medicines Safety Improvement Programme.
  • To analyse and interpret complex prescribing and financial data including tracking high cost medicines spend.
  • To provide evidence-based prescribing information to all prescribers including the critical appraisal of clinical trials.
  • To develop and write any required audit, policies and procedures, related to medicines optimisation
  • Educating and updating a range of health care professionals in provider services and in interface roles, on medicines optimisation and prescribing.
  • To promote effective shared care and support development and implementation of shared care protocols.
  • To provide support across the ICS to manage introduction of new high-cost medicines in secondary care and establish shared care pathways to support the transfer of prescribing responsibility to primary care.
  • To support the managers and clinical and executive directors, responsible for the implementation of a referral management service for practices within the ICB (Referral Assessment Service RAS) where patients are referred for prescribing of high-cost medicines.
  • To support the uptake of integrated records to manage medicines reconciliation at discharge and link to the Discharge Medicines Service.
  • To promote audit, clinical governance, pathway development and adherence to guidelines and lead the introduction of high-cost medicine trackers.
  • To support the proactive pharmaceutical care for high-risk medicines, by overseeing the introduction of safer systems for the transfer of prescribing to primary care.
  • To support to evaluate the value for money of new drugs, monitoring the performance of financial management and accounting systems for high-cost medicines.
  • To constantly strive for value for money and greater efficiency in the use of these budgets and to ensure that they operate in recurrent financial balance year on year.
  • To support the values of the ICB including patient and public involvement, healthy living and reduction of health inequalities in all strategy and service redesign work.
  • To supervise and/or mentor primary care support technicians and less experienced primary care pharmacists as appropriate.
  • To work as directed by the Senior Pharmaceutical Advisor dependent on the type and pieces of work being undertaken at the time. Most of the work will be to support colleagues to develop more appropriate systems, for managing the clinical and financial risk of high-cost medicines in order to deliver optimal value for money.
  • As this role will require working for a lot of people at different times, some creativity will be required to manage all demands. The pharmacist will also be encouraged to be solutions orientated, in support of the overall agenda.
  • To develop relationships with local provider trust clinicians and pharmacy staff to ensure a health economy approach to medicines use.
  • To work with other health and social care professionals across all interfaces (primary care, secondary care, intermediate care, social care settings) with the aim of ensuring a seamless approach to medicines management and primary care support.
  • To develop educational programmes for peers, other health care professionals within their lead clinical area.
  • To work with communications and engagement teams to promote key messages to patients and the public.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Must have an understanding of the background to and aims of current healthcare policy in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, appreciate the implications of this on engagement.
  • Should have an appreciation of the relationship between the Department of Health, the NHS Commissioning Board and individual provider and commissioning organisations.

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in specialist area.
  • Extensive knowledge of specialist areas, acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training plus further specialist knowledge or experience to master’s level equivalent
  • Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development.

Skills & Knowledge

Essential

  • Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive and contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups.
  • Able to work effectively with people at a senior level within the ICB both managerial and clinical and in external agencies.
  • Very strong analytical skills and ability to exercise excellent judgment, often under pressure of time or in other challenging circumstances.
  • Able to take complex information from multiple sources and translate it into key strategies.
  • Able to review published evidence according to principles of critical appraisal.
  • Strong delivery skills, including experience of leading major projects and programme/project management techniques.
  • Experienced in use of practice IT systems
  • Working knowledge of financial processes

Personal Qualities

Essential

  • Ability to make decisions autonomously when required, on difficult issues.
  • Adaptability, flexibility and ability to cope with uncertainty and change.
  • Able to manage self effectively under pressure, delivery of multiple deadlines in complex environment.
  • Highly developed interpersonal skills.
  • Commitment to continuing professional development.
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Must have an understanding of the background to and aims of current healthcare policy in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, appreciate the implications of this on engagement.
  • Should have an appreciation of the relationship between the Department of Health, the NHS Commissioning Board and individual provider and commissioning organisations.

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in specialist area.
  • Extensive knowledge of specialist areas, acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training plus further specialist knowledge or experience to master’s level equivalent
  • Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development.

Skills & Knowledge

Essential

  • Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive and contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups.
  • Able to work effectively with people at a senior level within the ICB both managerial and clinical and in external agencies.
  • Very strong analytical skills and ability to exercise excellent judgment, often under pressure of time or in other challenging circumstances.
  • Able to take complex information from multiple sources and translate it into key strategies.
  • Able to review published evidence according to principles of critical appraisal.
  • Strong delivery skills, including experience of leading major projects and programme/project management techniques.
  • Experienced in use of practice IT systems
  • Working knowledge of financial processes

Personal Qualities

Essential

  • Ability to make decisions autonomously when required, on difficult issues.
  • Adaptability, flexibility and ability to cope with uncertainty and change.
  • Able to manage self effectively under pressure, delivery of multiple deadlines in complex environment.
  • Highly developed interpersonal skills.
  • Commitment to continuing professional development.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab) .

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab) .

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab) .

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab) .

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).