Band 6 Specialist Pharmacy Technician - Gastroenterology

at  Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

Band 6 - Senior Pharmacy Technician (Gatroenterology) 6 month FTC
The main role of this post is to assist the Principal Pharmacist - Gastroenterology and Nutrition in the delivery and development of an efficient comprehensive technical pharmacy service to the gastroenterology directorate, in line with CQC standards. The post holder will be expected to demonstrate comprehensive medicines optimisation skills, including medicines reconciliation, timely supply of medicines, patient counselling, management of high-cost medicines and ensuring the safe and efficient supply of medicines for discharge.
This post will have a particular focus on assisting the specialist pharmacists in the management of high-cost drugs in both the in-and-out-patient setting. As well as providing a consistently highly-specialist pharmaceutical service for patients seen within the gastroenterology service and contributing to the safe and efficient monitoring of complex, high risk medications in both the inpatient and outpatient setting.
The successful candidate(s) will work to alongside the Principal Pharmacist – Gastroenterology & Nutrition (and the rest of the gastroenterology pharmacy team) to support in the provision of a professional and high-quality pharmaceutic service within gastroenterology.

4. RESPONSIBILITY FOR FINANCIAL AND PHYSICAL RESOURCES

The post-holder will be expected to ensure the cost-effective use of medicines within the Trust in line with local procedures, policies, and initiatives including:

• To assist in the production of monthly drug expenditure reports for evaluation by financial and operational leads for gastroenterology and specifically high-cost drugs used within IBD
• To accurately input information into the JAC computer system to ensure drugs are costed to the correct consultant /specialty cost centers
• To assist with the procurement of medicines within gastroenterology and deal with shortages promptly, through seeking alternative treatment options where appropriate/necessary
• To lead on identifying and evaluating drug wastage within gastroenterology and implement workable cost-saving solutions and overseeing any unused drug returns according to the local returns policy
• Assist the Principal Pharmacist in monitoring of the high-cost drugs within gastroenterology (specifically IBD), including those prescribed in outpatients, ensuring adherence to available commissioning pathways e.g. NCL IBD pathways
• To participate in any pharmacy and gastroenterology cost efficiency programs
• Communicate and support saving plans through monthly reporting or audit, with the specialist pharmacists as required
• To manage drug shortages and drug recalls within gastroenterology in conjunction with the principal pharmacist and/or their deputy.
• To be responsible for regular controlled drug checks, stock audit checks and medicine management checks on relevant wards.

SSee Job description for full range of duties.
This vacancy has been advertised in accordance with the new NHS pay rate which will take effect from autumn 2024. Please note if your employment starts before the 24/25 pay scales are implemented you will be paid under the 23/24 pay scales and any backpay will be adjusted accordingly. Further information can be found at https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/pay-scales-202425

KEY DUTIES OF THE ROLE INCLUDE:

• Provision of a comprehensive technical pharmacy service for gastroenterology service
• Promotion of highly-effective and cost-effective medicines provision to include management of high-cost drugs within gastroenterology
• Provision of medicines advice to other healthcare professionals and patients
• Partake in audits, service improvement, high-cost drug applications/processing of applications and financial report monitoring
  Our trust has around 10,000 staff serving 1.6 million patients. It comprises Barnet, Chase Farm and Royal Free Hospitals and more than 30 services in the community. Our mission is to deliver world class care and expertise in our clinical services, underpinned by world class teaching and research and we continue to measure our progress against our five governing objectives: excellent outcomes, excellent patient and staff experience, excellent value for taxpayers’ money, being safe, meeting our external duties, and building a strong organisation.
  The Trust takes pride as one of the major specialist centres for infectious diseases, liver and renal transplants, breast and plastic surgery, myeloma, and neuroendocrine tumours. Working in one of the main speciality centres brings exciting opportunities to see a range of patients at different levels of complexities. Everyone is welcome at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. We’re proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME, gender equality, staff carers and people with disabilities and lived experiences to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.
  The Pharmacy department is a friendly, progressive, and expanding unit dedicated to providing the highest standards of pharmaceutical care and service in this internationally renowned teaching hospital. Quality improvement and cost-effective, safe use of medicines is at the forefront of everything we do.

1. CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

In conjunction with the other members of the gastroenterology pharmacy team, the post holder will be expected to provide a full and comprehensive pharmacy service to inpatients and outpatients under the gastroenterology services. They should ensure maximum efficiency, safety and economic drug use through adherence to local policies and to demonstrate professional accountability to enhance patient care.

• Ensuring essential information relating to medicines on the Electronic Patient Record (EPR) are completed e.g. allergy information
• Liaising with the ward pharmacists to ensure all prescriptions are clinically optimised, raising awareness of prescription changes and reconciliation concerns
• To deliver and maintain an efficient ward-based service to ensure the accurate and timely supply of medicines. This service will include:

o Accurate medicines reconciliation
o Interpretation of medical notes where necessary
o Assessment of patients’ own drugs

o Identify and refer pharmaceutical issues to the pharmacist.

• To support nursing staff in reducing the number of missed doses
• To counsel in-patients on their discharge medication. This will involve the interpretation and communication of medical jargon in layman’s terms and the use of visual and written aids to ensure patient understanding of their medication. Empathy and sensitivity will be required to do this effectively
• To counsel patients and/or carers with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who are initiated on advanced therapies (e.g. biologics/small molecules) as an inpatient, with the aim of promoting their understanding of and compliance with their medication. This will involve taking steps to ensure patients and/or carers fully understand the purpose and use of their medicines, as well as dealing with any practical issues that may prevent the optimal use of their medicines
• Promotion of high-quality cost-effective prescribing

o Manage commissioning processes (e.g. Blueteq) for high-cost drugs in conjunction with the IBD team to ensure funding approval for biologic/small molecules in line with local and national guidelines
o Support and lead the switching of biosimilar biologics in line with MHRA and local guidance, including patient consent, patient monitoring, stock management and collaboration with high-cost drugs team
o Ensuring the hospital formulary is adhered to and offer advice and solutions when non-formulary drugs are prescribed
o Ensuring adherence to the Trust’s antimicrobial policy

o Prescribing in line with available local and national guidelines within gastroenterology e.g. NCL IBD pathways

• To communicate effectively with the multidisciplinary healthcare team on a range of medicine-related issues e.g. stock shortages and formulary updates
• To remain current as an accredited checking pharmacy technician (ACPT) and ensure minimum 8 hours a month of checking is conducted in line with the requirements of the accreditor
• Provision of a comprehensive pharmaceutical advice and information to other health care professionals.
• Actively participate in the IBD MDT, including advising commissioning and pathway adherence
• Devise, set up, deliver and evaluate systems to facilitate medicines management, drug monitoring and medicines optimisation
• Review of weekly TCI lists for IBD patients attending the same day infusion unit (PITU) for biologic therapies, ensuring both clinical appropriateness and commissioning are in line with the NCL IBD pathways. Liasing with the gastroenterology pharmacy team, IBD specialist clinical team and PITU pharmacy/admin team where necessary to resolve any identified issues
• Monitoring and review of bloods results for complex medications (e.g. azathioprine and infliximab) with appropriate referral to the specialist team when required, in both the inpatient and outpatient setting
• To undertake the 3 monthly Controlled Drugs audit and resolve any discrepancies with the ward manger/nurse in charge and communicating any issues to the Principal Pharmacist
• To undertake the monthly medicines management CQC audit, resolving any issues and liaising with the ward manager and the gastroenterology pharmacy team. This will include looking at ways on how to improve medicines management and liaising with the multidisciplinary ward team
• Be accountable for own professional actions and demonstrate professional accountability to patients

The post-holder must maintain their clinical responsibilities to ensure a patient focused approach including:

• To accurately prepare and check prescriptions in a timely manner to expedite the TTA discharge process.
• To liaise with primary care healthcare professionals to ensure continuity of care for patients on discharge.
• To lead technical support and facilitate the smooth running of the near patient/ one stop dispensing for patients admitted on the wards.
• To manage and co-ordinate responses to drug alerts, shortages and recalls
• To support the provision of patient focused activities whereby patients are provided with timely, accurate and understandable information about their medicines during their hospital stay, taking into account the patients’ needs e.g patients initiated on biologic or small molecule therapies
• To act as an Accredited Checking Technician (ACT)
• To ensure that an adequate range and amount of stock for gastroenterology patients is kept in the inpatient and outpatient Pharmacy’s, taking into account changes in prescribing practice, pathways and drugs newly approved on the hospital formular

The post-holder will support and contribute to any initiatives both within the pharmacy and the Trust aimed at reviewing and developing policies and services. Responsibilities include:

• Producing and implementing strategies to improve and develop the gastroenterology service, requiring a high level of initiative
• Service development of the clinical pharmacy technician role, to include consideration for a technician-led drug monitoring and counselling clinics within gastroenterology
• To undertake and co-ordinate audit projects and publish or present these findings; including current service provisions within gastroenterology and within pharmacy and to assist other members of the pharmacy team in audit projects
• In conjunction with the Principal Pharmacist, to develop, implement and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) relating to technical elements of the gastroenterology service and to contribute to other policies for gastroenterology
• To assist in implementing UK-wide medicines management and prescribing recommendations e.g. NICE
• To ensure that all activities, procedures, and documentation within gastroenterology meet the requirements of current legislation, including CQC requirements
• To assist with identifying the risks of medicines within gastroenterology and to devise and implement strategies to reduce the risk
• To support the implementation of Trust pharmacy strategies by participating in Trust and divisional initiatives to develop clinical pharmacy practice
• To share learning from incidents (reported on the Trust DATIX system) in conjunction with the Principal Pharmacis