Deputy E-Prescribing Pharmacist Job Vacancy in South Tyneside, England, UK

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder will hold a senior clinical and technical role within the Swansea Bay UHB HEPMA team and will support the implementation of HEPMA and its configuration in line with user requirements assured and ratified by a number of clinical working groups.

The post holder will also support a wide range of healthcare staff during a period of significant change and provide advice regarding pharmaceutical issues to both clinicians and managers to ensure patient safety is paramount.

A key requirement of the role will be to support and coordinate the research, development and evaluation of HEPMA to inform the all-Wales e-prescribing project.

Throughout implementations, the Deputy E-Prescribing Pharmacist will manage the system on a day-to-day basis, supported by E-Prescribing Facilitators by undertaking and overseeing system configuration including prescribable items, drug administration routes, drug protocols, user access and role management, and the assurance of reports created by the Digital Intelligence department to meet organisational requirements.

The Deputy E-Prescribing Pharmacist will also support the E-Prescribing Pharmacist in enabling full benefits realisation. This will involve supporting the change in user processes to maximise patient safety and efficiencies that are expected to be derived from the implementation of HEPMA.

Management

• Support the management, development and delivery of training relating to all aspects of HEPMA and other medicines-related technical solutions.
• Manage interruptions, variations and problems as and when they arise.
• Contribute to the critical decision-making process with clinical teams in respect of the HEPMA system configuration.
• Ensure a system for incident/issue reporting/recording is maintained during and the implementation phase(s) to enable the project to report on change impact.
• Provide managerial support to the wider HEPMA team alongside, and in the absence of the E-Prescribing Pharmacist.
• Deputise for the E-Prescribing Pharmacist when required

Clinical

• Oversee the transcription of paper medication administration charts on to the HEPMA solution prior to a locations go live, ensuring a safe and effective process.
• Propose enhancements to patient care by determining how the HEPMA system functionality can improve services and care provided; particularly around information on medications and the clinical checking of prescribed medication.
• Support the E-Prescribing Pharmacist in ensuring good clinical governance through the configuration and management of the HEPMA solution by facilitating a number of clinical assurance groups medical, nursing, pharmacy, surgical, clinical ratification, and any other groups required.
• Actively participate in the investigation of any incidents involving HEPMA such that root causes may be established to ensure mitigations can be put in place to reduce the likelihood of future incidents.

Professional

• Maintain own training in Good Clinical Practice (GCP) in order to fulfil requirements for providing pharmacy input to HEPMA system configuration and developments.
• Take responsibility for planning and managing own delegated workload, with a focus on delivery against agreed deadlines.
• Respond to national advice and guidance from bodies such as the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
• Support the E-Prescribing Pharmacist in ensuring compliance of the HEPMA system to medicines legislation.
• Identify own personal development needs and provide evidence of continual professional development in order to meet the General Pharmaceutical Council requirements for revalidation.
• Actively participate in the Swansea Bay UHB personal appraisal and development review process.

Service Delivery

• Manage, plan, develop and implement delegated workstreams/aspects of the HEPMA project within agreed timescales, adjusting where necessary.
• Participate in the formulation of project plans and the organisation of complex implementation packages.
• Investigate incidents and project issues relating to HEPMA to ensure learning from these events is incorporated into future delivery plans.
• Contribute to the clinical governance process to reducing medication errors by:
  • Analysing, comparing and interpreting complex information such as administration patterns of high-risk drugs to identify any issues.
  • Responding to national advice and guideline such as NPSA guidance of problematic drugs and NICE guidelines.
• Review existing policies, protocols and procedures to identify those that require review specifically as a result of the introduction of HEPMA.
• Develop and implement procedures for new ways of working to ensure efficientpractice, patient safety and improvements in the patients journey.

Leadership

• Support the E-Prescribing Pharmacist in leading the implementation and rollout of HEPMA involving the management of medicines in hospital in line with local and national objectives, protocols, guidelines and research evidence ensuring compliance with professional standards at all times.
• Provide leadership to pharmacy, nursing and medical staff, actively promoting the benefits of HEPMA.

Communication

• Demonstrate a high level of competency in the use of presentation aids and communication skills in the delivery of training to small and large groups of staff from a variety of professional backgrounds.
• Responsible for supporting the E-Prescribing Pharmacist in the execution of an effective communication strategy regarding the HEPMA project.
• To ensure effective communication between the project implementation team and project stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.
• Maintain relationships with the software supplier, IT departments and wards in relation to all aspects of the deployment and management of the HEPMA system.
• To support the communication of any scheduled downtime to the end users and other system managers as necessary.
• To convey information from experiences and complex clinical situations to the multi-disciplinary implementation team, contributing in all meetings and maintaining open communication.

Education and Training/Staff Management

• Co-ordinate, plan and deliver training sessions to Health Board staff.
• Present at training sessions and seminars to clinical teams including pharmacy staff, undergraduate medical students, junior doctors and nursing staff.
• Evaluate and adapt training methods where necessary.
• Provide motivation, reassurance and positive influencing skills to staff to ensure agreement and co-operation in change management.
• Alongside the E-Prescribing Pharmacist, manage and supervise the project implementation team.

Information Resources

• Support the configuration of the drug file prescribing parameters and medication protocols on the HEPMA system, ensuring accuracy and patient safety.
• Using pharmaceutical knowledge and IT skills, optimise the HEPMA system to ensure accuracy of prescribing, medicines administration and data capture.
• To support the testing and implementation of HEPMA solution upgrades including liaising with the IT Department and system supplier, to ensure all software functions have been tested before going live.
• Review standard operating procedures in relation to E-Prescribing and medicines management.
• Work closely with the Digital Infrastructure and network teams for the ongoing maintenance of the HEPMA solution.
• Consider and manage implications arising from changes to the HEPMA configuration which may impact pharmacy operations given the underlying pharmacy and medicines management application underpins HEPMA.
• To be familiar with business continuity plans to ensure patient safety and service delivery are maintained during planned downtime or in the event of system failure.
• As one of the systems administrators, maintain user accounts and system rights to ensure appropriate access.
• Assist in ensuring that patient safety and service delivery are maintained in the event of failure of the HEPMA system and facilitate system recovery including validating and re-entering prescribing and administration data onto the system and maintaining legal documentation.
• To manage any risks and issues associated with the HEPMA system to ensure successful implementation.

Finance

• In partnership with the E-Prescribing Pharmacist and the Health Boards formulary pharmacist, ensure that the HEPMA system accurately reflects the Health Boards drug formulary restrictions.
• Take responsibility for IT equipment issued to the post holder laptop computer and handheld internal telephone.

Research and Development

• To configure and regularly test the HEPMA system to ensure safe and effective use.
• To support ongoing research and complex audits to evaluate the implementation and benefits realisation of the HEPMA system.
• To draw upon experience, knowledge and specialist pharmacy training to lead on the resolution of risks and issues arising from the use of a HEPMA system.
• To encourage and work with staff to contribute to ideas that will enhance patient safety and accept feedback from all system users.
• To support the E-Prescribing Pharmacist in proposing future developments and process changes to improve prescribing and medication administration practice, and to help prevent medication errors.
• Develop own knowledge of research, attending appropriate up-date and education programmes where necessary.

Effort & Environmental Factors

• The post holder will be required to work in various settings across the organisation including hospital clinical areas wards, theatres, assessment units etc. in addition to sessions of office/home working.
• The post holder will be required to travel between Swansea Bay UHB sites when necessary.
• There may be a very infrequent requirement to travel to sites outside Swansea Bay UHB, however meetings will be conducted virtually wherever possible.
• The post holder will be required to participate in the electronic prescribing on call rota.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• B. Pharm / M. Pharm / BSc (Pharmacy) or equivalent
• Postgraduate diploma or working towards
• Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Improving Quality Together (IQT) Bronze
• Knowledge of the benefits of clinical information systems
• Knowledge of medicines administration processes and medicines management issues

Desirable

• Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
• IT qualification
• NMP qualification
• Improving Quality Together (IQT) Silver

Experience

Essential

• Post-registration hospital pharmacy experience
• Experience of using clinical information systems
• Experience of delivering training
• Experience of practice application of medicines administration policy and procedure in complex regimes
• Experience of prioritising own workload
• Experience of troubleshooting/problem solving

Desirable

• Experience of working in an acute hospital
• Formulary management
• Experience of supervising other staff and/or setting deadlines

Aptitude and Abilities

Essential

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent organisational skills
• Ability to work to deadlines
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Ability to understand different learning styles and attitudes towards change in the workplace
• Computer literate
• Ability to remain calm under pressure
• Awareness of the need to escalate an issue when appropriate

Desirable

• Ability to implement change
• Prior experience of using an electronic prescribing and medicines administration solution

Values

Essential

• Knowledge and appreciation of the Swansea Bay UHB values and behaviours

Others

Essential

• Ability to travel within the Health Board area
• Able to work hours flexibly with prior arrangement during implementation periods

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).