Deputy Superintendent Pharmacist

Pharmacy@QEHB Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary company of University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB), which was established in 2011.

We provide a pharmacy service to UHB patients having  both Outpatient and Discharge Pharmacies at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital  (QEHB) and Heartlands Hospital (BHH) , all of which have automation equipment installed. In addition we have a Homecare Delivery Pharmacy based in Kings Norton.

We are seeking to recruit an innovative and forward-thinking pharmacist, to take on the role of Deputy Superintendent Pharmacist to lead our team of 45 staff primarily at the QEHB and Homecare sites. The pharmacies are a unique hybrid of community and hospital pharmacy working and an opportunity to improve patient experience at the interface of care settings. The Deputy Superintendent Pharmacist will work alongside the multidisciplinary hospital team to deliver excellent care for UHB patients.

It is essential that applicants have extensive experience as a qualified pharmacist and in management at a senior level within pharmacy, preferably including an Independent Pharmacy. The successful candidate will be required to demonstrate a high level of expertise in leading and developing a team of pharmacists and dispensing staff, and a record of achieving the highest professional standards.

This is a unique opportunity to work in a highly regarded and modern pharmacy service delivering the best in care in one of the leading NHS Foundation Trusts in the UK.

We offer an excellent environment within which to develop your clinical, leadership and management skills. Some of the benefits of joining our team:

• Annual leave - 25 days, plus bank holidays.
• Excellent learning and development opportunities
• Generous sick pay following qualifying period
• Annual retention bonus
• Nest Penson auto-enrolment
• Access to exclusive benefits for you and your family including NHS discounts at various retailers, restaurants and leisure facilities.

Key objectives:

• To ensure the safe, efficient and effective delivery of all aspects of the out-patient and discharge pharmacy services in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, in accordance with national and local standards.
• To have delegated accountability for ordering and management of all medicines within Pharmacy@QEHB Ltd.
• To provide leadership to and act as a role model for the staff of Pharmacy@QEHB Ltd.
• To provide efficient management and administration of the business.
• To ensure the delivery of a high quality and timely outpatient and discharge service for patients.
• To develop an effective working relationships with prescribers.

Job Responsibilities

1. Staff management, training and development

• To manage and develop all pharmacy staff and ensure effective performance management.
• To provide professional leadership and advice to all pharmacists and pharmacy staff working for the company.
• To ensure the pharmacy service provided is patient focused.
• To provide clinical and professional leadership and supervision of the pharmacy team, with appropriate record keeping.
• To ensure all pharmacy staff have appropriate opportunities and support for training and development and are acting in accordance with the Code of Ethics and requirements of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
• To develop and conduct appraisals, as requested by the Superintendent Pharmacist, resulting in the formulation of appropriate training plans and development for all members of the pharmacy staff team.
• To ensure effective and efficient working processes are developed and managed, following all current SOPs and developing new SOPs where appropriate.
• To ensure that all disciplinary matters are fairly, promptly and professionally handled including appropriate record keeping.

2. Operational Management

• To ensure that all activity undertaken is consistent with maintaining registration of the premises with GPhC.
• To ensure the Medicines (Pharmacies) (Responsible Pharmacist) Regulations 2008 are adhered to at all times and ensure that the ‘Pharmacy Record’ is maintained at all times.
• To ensure delivery of timely, effective and efficient clinical and technical pharmacy services in accordance with the pharmacy business plan and within available resources.
• To ensure adequate and up-to-date Standard Operating Procedures are in place as required by GPhC.
• To clearly communicate and document arrangements which are to apply during the absence of the responsible pharmacist from the premises.
• To ensure prescription records are legally compliant, in accordance with GPhC guidance.
• To agree, monitor and ensure the service meets key performance indicators for all aspects of the out-patient and discharge pharmacy services.
• To ensure the optimal deployment and use of pharmacy staff within budgetary constraints.
• To ensure an effective document process is in place for all pharmacy policies and procedures.
• To work with the Superintendent and prescribers, as agreed via KPIs to enhance and develop the out-patient and discharge pharmacy service that patients receive.
• To ensure that medicines are stored in appropriate conditions and that appropriate monitoring and record keeping support this.
• Ensure that the patient information leaflets, posters etc are all kept up to date and present a professional image.
• To ensure the premises are maintained to a high professional standard at all times.

3. Management of Controlled Drugs

• To ensure that the principles outlined in the DH publication ‘The Safer Management of Controlled Drugs’ (CDs) are adhered to all times.
• To ensure the safe and appropriate management of CDs in the pharmacy. (Day-to-day management of CDs may be delegated to a suitably-trained, competent registered pharmacy technician or pharmacist.) However, legal responsibility for CDs will remain with the post holder.
• To ensure standard operating procedures (SOPs) covering each of the aspects of the safe management of CDs such as ordering, receipt, record-keeping are developed and maintained.
• To ensure the controlled drug register is maintained and the balance is reconciled against the stock of every CD via a regular stock audit as agreed with the UHBFT Accountable Officer.
• Any discrepancy in the actual versus recorded balance of any CD discovered during an audit or the dispensing procedure will be investigated and resolved without delay. The post-holder will ensure that systems are in place to ensure that the discrepancy is reported to the UHBFT Accountable Officer within one working day.
• To develop and maintain systems jointly with the UHBFT Accountable Officer to ensure appropriate prescribing of controlled drugs.

4. Medicines management

• To be responsible for safe and secure medicines practice. This includes medicines selection, procurement, storage, preparation, dispensing, supply and patient education.
• To support adherence of prescribing practice to the hospital formulary as advised by the Medicines Management Advisory Group (MMAG) at UHBFT.
• To support implementation of systems for the monitoring and review of medicines expenditure by directorates within out-patients.
• To ensure compliance with local and national standards of practice and legislation through audit processes, including external audits and quality initiatives.
• To ensure that a suitable quality management system is maintained which meets the approval of the CQC.

5. Financial

• To ensure all pharmacy transactions, including ordering and receipt of medicines and collection of pharmacy related income complies with standing financial instructions and national guidance and legislation.
• To have delegated authority for the purchase, receipt and storage of all medicines used by the company.
• To ensure pharmacy stock-holding levels are appropriate, monitored, handled safely and securely and an annual stock take is performed.
• To ensure the provision of timely and accurate information on medicines and pharmacy costs and activities, especially in relation to medicines excluded from Payment by Results.
• To develop professional working relationships with suppliers where relevant to promote relevant commercial benefit.

6. Communication

• To ensure all communication by the post-holder and staff (verbally, electronically, by letter etc.) with patients, relatives, carers, prescribers, pharmacy board members, pharmacists, staff, other health care professionals is of a high standard
• To attend regular meeting with the Superintendent followed by staff meetings providing and obtaining feedback.
• Participate actively in any professional development opportunities within UHBFT.
• To maintain and update accurate pharmacy records relating to clinical matters, computer systems, and staff discipline etc.

7. Confidentiality

• To respect and maintain the privacy of all information given to and/or held within the pharmacy, in particular patient confidentiality.
• To deal professionally and appropriately with all requests for information covered by the data protection act.
• To ensure that all pharmacy staff are trained to identify and deal with confidentiality issues professionally.
• To maintain the confidentiality of all information relating to the pharmacy business except for the provision of appropriate information to formally authorised persons within UHBFT.

8. Equality & Diversity

The post holder will support the equality and diversity rights of patients, carers and colleagues to always include:

• Acting in a way that recognises the importance of people’s rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practise procedures and policies and current legislation
• Respecting the privacy, dignity and needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
• behaving in a manner which is welcoming and attuned to individuals, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings, priorities and rights

9. Quality & Safety

• To ensure all aspects of pharmacy service meet national and Trust standards, and, where this not the case it is identified on the appropriate risk register with recommended actions to resolve the issue.
• To ensure an annual audit and performance management programme for Pharmacy services is agreed and implemented, in accordance with company policy.
• To promote and maintain your own and others’ health safety and security
• To develop and maintain an appropriate Health & safety policy for the pharmacy and promote it including by personal example.
• To use and monitor security systems provided, and review and report upon their adequacy.
• To identify the risks in pharmacy activities and promote safe ways of working.
• To ensure that all staff are trained in H&S both at induction and annually thereafter.
• To maintain the pharmacy working environment free from potential hazards
• To report potential risks identified and recommend corrective action

10. Personal & Professional development

• To maintain and document own Continuing Professional Development in accordance with the requirements of the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• To identify own learning needs, and devise a plan for meeting them.
• To maintain records of own learning needs and professional development activities.
• To participate in and contribute towards an annual individual appraisal, with the dual goals of enhancing performance and developing a personal development plan.
• To take responsibility for own development, learning and performance sharing and demonstrating such skills and activities with team members to encourage their performance in similar developmental work.
• To take any opportunities presented for self-development such as for example the supervision of Pre-Registration graduates.

11. Governance

• To ensure full and timely implementation of the requirements of Patient Safety Alerts and Rapid Response Reports, or equivalent, within the resources available and to ensure evidence of ongoing monitoring of such.
• To ensure that the Pharmacy Record in maintained for at least five years. (In the case of a record in electronic form, the day on which it is created and in the case of a written record, the last day to which the record relates).
• To ensure that procedures are reviewed at least once every two years or following an incident, or event, which indicates the pharmacy is not running safely and effectively.
• To perform clinical and organisational audits in key activity areas as appropriate and to ensure that learning from such audits is transferred into subsequent improvements
• To manage specific projects as requested
• To assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
• To work effectively with individuals in other agencies to best meet patient’s needs
• To effectively manage your own time, workload and resources

12. Other Information

• This job description should be regarded only as a guide to the duties required and is not definitive or restrictive in any way. It may be reviewed in the light of changing circumstances following consultation with the post holder. The job description does not form part of the contract of employment.
• From time to time, the job holder may be asked by the Board to carry out additional tasks not reflected in this version of the job description, as may be required for the maintenance of the best interests of patients and fellow health care professionals. Any such tasks that are not temporary shall be included within future versions of this job description.
• The post holder is responsible for ensuring that all duties and responsibilities of this post are carried out in compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, Statutory Regulations and relevant Policies and Procedures. This will be supported by the provision of training and specialist advice where required.
• This Post is subject to appraisal, which is a two way process. Individual’s continuous Professional Development needs will be identified and supported.

RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HEALTH & SAFETY
The post holder is responsible for ensuring that all duties and responsibilities of this post are carried out in compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, Statutory Regulations and Trust Policies and Procedures. This will be supported by the provision of training and specialist advice where required.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham

Mindelsohn Way,

Edgbaston,

Birmingham B15 2WB