Advanced Specialist Rheumatology Pharmacist - maternity cover

at  Stockport NHS Foundation Trust

The post holder will support the Rheumatology Pharmacy team on a fixed term basis and will be responsible for providing a safe, efficient and cost effective clinical pharmacy service to rheumatology patients. Working with the already established 8a Rheumatology Pharmacists to provide a patient focused service including medication counselling clinics, infusion clinics and a telephone advice line. Additionally, following appropriate training, the post holder will be required to prescribe and aid in the management of homecare and outpatient prescriptions including high cost and cytotoxic drugs. The post holder will work within the rheumatology team providing medicines information service and will ensure effective clinical governance through the management of prescribing pathways and guidelines. They will also facilitate audit and be responsible for ensuring cost effectiveness particularly in relation to high cost drug prescribing. The post holder will support medical trainees within the department, in addition to the Specialist Rheumatology Pharmacy Technician team. They will also be a point of contact for primary care for medication related queries. The post holder will often work independently, managing their own time and workload as a non-medical prescriber.
The main place of work will be based at Stepping Hill Hospital.
1) To be responsible as an advanced specialist for providing safe, efficient and cost-effective clinical pharmacy services to rheumatology patients
2) To development the provision of this service specifically relating to the increased delivery of patient education in line with the British Society for Rheumatology Guidelines
3) To manage and facilitate medication counselling clinics
4) To facilitate audit, research and development within the area of rheumatology specifically in the development of a enhance pharmacy service
5) To provide training and support to medical and nursing staff within the hospital and in the wider community on medicine related issues
6) To work as a non-medical independent prescriber within the trust
7) To assess and prescribe for patients in outpatient clinics
8) Manage medication helpline and medicines information for rheumatology team
9) Liaise with chief pharmacist to ensure cost effective prescribing of high cost drugs
10) Manage prescribing for high cost drugs in rheumatology
11) Ensure safe provision of DMARDs and other non-high cost drugs for patients
12) Manage rheumatology SOPs and guidelines specific to medicines
13) Provide supervision and guidance for rheumatology specialist pharmacy technicians
We hold a unique position in the Stockport community as the provider of healthcare and we are one of its largest employers.
We believe that the best organisations are those that reflect the communities they serve. We are therefore seeking to improve the diversity of our workforce to make it truly representative of our local population.
We actively encourage applications irrespective of race, age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage & civil partnership, or pregnancy or maternity. Recognising those communities that are underrepresented within our workforce, we would particularly welcome applications from you.
If you require support with your application please contact a member of the recruitment team, who can discuss alternative application methods.
We recognise that flexible working is important. We take requests for flexible working seriously, consider any request we receive and try to work with you, so we can explore if your request may fit with the needs of the service.

• Taking drug histories as part of the medication consultation
• Review of medication to ensure its safe and effective use
• Review of medication in line with interpretation of appropriate results of investigations and patient response to therapy
• Therapeutic drug monitoring as appropriate
• Patient education about their medicines specific to their requirements in either individual, group or telephone consultations
• Providing advice on drug interactions, adverse drug reactions, drug administration and formulation
• Participation in consultant clinics, offering medication advice as necessary
• Development of evidence based treatment protocols for use within individual departments and for use within the local CCGs
• Documenting clinical information in patient notes
• Facilitate the implementation of local and national guidelines and audit compliance
• Influencing prescribers, encourage formulary compliance where appropriate
• Demonstrating professional accountability to patients
• Identifying & reporting adverse reactions to the prescriber and where necessary via the Yellow Card Scheme
• To prescribe and monitor medicines for patients within own area of competency and ensure robust mechanisms for second checking of procedures including implementation of Specialist Rheumatology Second Checking of Prescription protocol. Specific prescribing responsibilities include