Job Description

We are seeking an experienced, enthusiastic, independently motivated pharmacist to join our Community Services Team.



We provide a proactive and collaborative, high quality medicines optimisation service supporting the teams within the community services for example district nursing , sexual health, podiatry, virtual wards, community response services etc. The role also involves working closely with colleagues in health and social care across both the primary and secondary care sectors.



The role will provide a mix of clinical and non-clinical work varying from medicines optimisation across the community services business unit, governance, patient safety/analysis of medication incidents, medicines advice/support, project/audit, patient group directions (PGDs), teaching, supporting non-medical prescribers, and also an opportunity to provide some support into our virtual wards.



We need an experienced pharmacist with a clinical diploma or equivalent clinical pharmacy experience, and a non-medical prescribing qualification would be preferable.



The job role will also integrate into the wider pharmacy team weekends and on-call rotas unless agreed otherwise in writing on appointment.



Please note we reserve the right to close this vacancy prior to the closing date once the required number of suitable applications have been received.



This is a really exciting opportunity to work with a wide range of healthcare professionals based in the services within the community. Working within professional boundaries the post holder will provide expert advice and support on matters pertaining to medicines use and optimisation within the Community Services Business Unit (CSBU). This includes advising on clinical governance issues, formulary, expenditure, patient safety/ medication incidents and to contribute to the development of relevant protocols and patient group directions (PGDs) guidelines within the business unit.



Working with the CSBU teams , targeted project /audit work/patient safety/medication error analysis and recommendations on medicines and prescribing, including support to Non Medical Prescribers (NMPs) within the service, providing clinical governance in areas such as antimicrobial and opioid stewardship are all part of this exciting role. Supporting our extensive District Nursing teams with advice and support on recurrent falls,?complex polypharmacy, swallowing difficulties and those taking high risk medicines. The role also include advice on medicines governance etc as well as supporting clinical leads/delivering medicines related teaching as well as an opportunity to work with our virtual ward team offering exciting developmental opportunities for the post holder in this ever-growing business unit.



We manage three major locality hospitals in, North Shields, Wansbeck and Hexham, plus a number of smaller community hospitals and clinics from Tynemouth to Berwick on Tweed, in addition to our state-of-the-art Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital.



Our Community Services covers an area of more than 2,500 square miles across North Tyneside and Northumberland. Our joined-up care means patients can access specialist services without going into hospital. We provide urgent care when it is need most, keeping patients safe and well at home to help avoid hospital admission where possible.



We also support people with a range of disabilities and long-term conditions to empower them to manage their own care and symptoms at home.



High quality patient care is at the heart of everything we do and we strive to ensure every single patient and service user has an exceptional experience with us.



To provide leadership on matters pertaining to medicines use and optimisation within the CSBU. This includes providing advice on medicines use (risk, clinical governance, research and development, formulary and expenditure) and to contribute to the development of relevant protocols and guidelines, teaching, and clinical support for NMPs. The post holder will be required to deputise at business unit governance or other meetings and present service updates/ reports/development as necessary.



To undertake risk management and clinical governance activities within own assigned areas of responsibility within the business unit and support the Lead Pharmacist and Pharmacy Technician for the Community Services Business Unit. To help control the risk of medication errors by ensuring safe systems of work for the prescribing, dispensing, supply, storage and administration of medicines within the business unit and develop innovative ways to address medication incidents through analysis /project work with the clinical community teams.



There will also be clinical elements to the role including working into virtual wards and potentially home visits depending on experience and development of the post holder as well as the post holder being flexible to meet the demands of the service in line with Trust and national direction.



Given the extensive area of the Community Services within the Trust the post holder must be able to travel, so access to their own car is necessary for this post.