Advanced Specialist Pharmacist - Major Trauma & Orthopaedics

at  University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Are you an enthusiastic, motivated and dynamic clinical pharmacist looking to work within the Major Trauma Centre for the Devon, Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and surrounding parts of the West Country, offering tertiary services across a number of different surgical and medical specialties?
Would you like to oversee the clinical pharmacy service to our new Major Trauma Ward established, to cohort patients in one clinical unit and further improve trauma care?
Would you like to work towards credentialing for a consultant post alongside utilising your skills as a non-medical prescriber across the Surgery Care Group?
Do you want to be part of an innovative Pharmacy Department that have had an ambitious 5-year strategy and workforce plan approved by the Trust Board?
If so, we would love to hear from you!
Depending on the stage of your career, further study will be encouraged and supported. Practice research is also encouraged in this role.
From September 2024, the highly-ranked University of Bath MPharm degree will be available to study at the University of Plymouth. There will be opportunities for pharmacist colleagues to participate in these educational activities, with the potential for more formal roles with the University of Bath in the future.
This post holder will be responsible for the provision of a high-quality patient focused clinical pharmacy service for patients within Major Trauma and Trauma & Orthopaedic service lines.
Develop a clinical interest within a chosen area of clinical practice to support clinical service to specific group of patients within the Major Trauma and Trauma & Orthopaedic service lines.
Act as team leader for the ward-based pharmacy team and as team member of for the Surgery Pharmacy
Undertake teaching and clinical supervision of pharmacy staff and other healthcare employees.
Provide specialist clinical pharmacy services and advice to the clinical specialities, demonstrating a high level of clinical effectiveness.
Work closely with care group lead pharmacist & associate chief pharmacist for clinical services on the strategic development of clinical pharmacy services and establish clearly defined roles for pharmacist non-medical prescribers within these areas.
Develop and manage the delivery of pharmacy services to ensure efficient use of resources and systems including monitoring drug expenditure, delivery of financial savings.
Develop and build increased pharmacist presence into outpatients clinical areas, where appropriat
Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and ‘At Risk’ status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.
University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP) NHS is the largest hospital on the Southwest Peninsula providing comprehensive secondary and tertiary care to a population of around 2,000,000 people who can access our specialist services including cardiothoracic surgery, kidney transplantation, neurosurgery, and the regional Trauma Centre. Our specialist cancer treatments include bone marrow transplant, sarcoma surgery and
hepatobiliary and pancreatic cancer surgery (not exhaustive). We work closely with our community partners in delivering comprehensive health and social care.
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust was designated a Major Trauma Centre in April 2012 and is committed to the further development of acute rehabilitation services for patients after major trauma and also those within the acute care pathway. The major trauma centre last year had 1,230 new patients.
The Clinical Pharmacy team are considered an integral member of the multidisciplinary team supporting these services, joining a team of clinicians, nurse specialists and other allied healthcare professionals.

There has been development of strong sub-specialty services, producing excellent clinical results with a growing reputation at both a local and national level. The team are fully engaged in the work required to transform the delivery of care for all our patients with the aim of providing a rapid and responsive, high-quality service with the needs of the patient at the centre.

• Responsible to the Associate Chief Pharmacist Clinical Services for strategic planning and delivery of clinical pharmacy services focusing specifically on the Major Trauma and Trauma & Orthopaedic service lines.
• Support the Chief Pharmacist / Deputy Chief Pharmacist / Associate Chief Pharmacist and Care Group Lead Pharmacist in developing, monitoring and reporting on drug expenditure and medicines budget and the delivery of financial savings as part of the pharmacy CIP.
• Development, implementation and update of clinical pharmacy policy in conjunction with senior pharmacists within the clinical pharmacy team and Major Trauma and Trauma & Orthopaedics and in the wider surgery care group.
• Work as a member of the Clinical Pharmacy Team, Major Trauma and Trauma & Orthopaedics Service Lines and wider UHP Pharmacy Team.
• Monitor, review and report on medicines related incidents within Major Trauma and Trauma & Orthopaedics Service Lines.
• Provide highly specialist clinical pharmacy care to patients in the surgical areas and related units.
• To manage, lead and co-ordinate the clinical pharmacy team including junior pharmacists and technicians in the provision of a safe, effective and efficient clinical pharmacy service in accordance with local and national standards and strategy and to ensure all members of the pharmacy team are trained and competent for their roles.
• To act as a role model as a clinical pharmacist and team leader, to pharmacists, technicians, ATOs and all other members of the multidisciplinary team.
• To be a lead and role model in the field of Major Trauma and Trauma & Orthopaedics locally, regionally, and nationally.
• To practice as an independent prescriber.
• To work towards advanced clinical practice.
• To engage with Quality Improvement and practice research.
• To write and review policies and procedures relevant to pharmacy practice in Major Trauma and Trauma & Orthopaedics.
• Monitor and evaluate medicines related protocols and guidelines in Major Trauma and Trauma & Orthopaedics.
• Ensure an appropriate level of clinical pharmacy service is provided to the Major Trauma and Trauma & Orthopaedics areas.
• Propose policy or service changes which improve services and may have multidisciplinary and resource implications
• Configure and implement inductions for pharmacists in Major Trauma and Trauma & Orthopaedics, the wider Surgery areas and the pharmacy department with support from the Associate Chief Pharmacist Clinical Services and Lead Pharmacists.
• Assist in the development and implementation of PGD’s and non-medical prescribing initiatives, when appropriate.
• Ensure that expertise within your area is seen as a resource within and outside the Trust and form working partnerships with other health and social care service providers.
• Recommendation of appropriate therapy for individual patients where evidence is not available, controversial evidence exists or other professionals may challenge advice
• Contribute to the organisations wider antimicrobial surveillance programme, implementing local programmes ensuring appropriate antimicrobial prescribing
• Attendance at Consultant/GP white board/MDT meetings/ward rounds to actively facilitate and provide advice on treatment, including highly complex patients.
• Promote compliance by prescribers and other healthcare staff with local/national policies and the South and West Devon Formulary.
• Application of highly complex knowledge of the evidence base behind drug therapies used.
• Manage day to day medicines queries, including face to face consultations with patients identified to have compliance or other problems in medicine administration.
• Refer patients to other community services where appropriate.
• Liaise with all levels of healthcare staff, patients and carers in all areas of work.
• Analysis, interpretation and monitoring of clinical data including but not limited to: drug levels, U&E’s, blood counts and microbiological sensitivities to guide diagnosis and drug therapy.
• Assess clinical requirements of patients as a clinical pharmacist and an independent prescriber through interpretation of clinical data and examination. If required request appropriate tests and examinations for patients directly under your care.
• Contribute to pharmaceutical initiatives that help with the seamless transfer of patients between different healthcare settings.
• Provide education and training to all healthcare professionals including medical students.
• Pharmacists are expected to work largely unsupervised and to act on their own professional judgement.
• Clinical supervision from another health professional can be arranged and is to be encouraged.
• Clinical roles are supported by policies and guidelines within which the pharmacist is allowed to exercise professional discretion / interpretation.
• Participate in any wider departmental rotas where needed.

Please refer the Job description for details