Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To support the development of optimum pharmaceutical care to patients within the Trust and wider Health Community as partly of a multidisciplinary team within the area of speciality.
• To lead, develop and deliver training for pre-registration and qualified pharmacists and medicines management technicians within the area of speciality.
• To line manage other pharmacy staff as required.
• To lead the education and training to all other health-care staff in accordance with national and local recommendations.
• To deliver a highly specialised level of clinical input using advanced theoretical and practical knowledge in area of Specialty, also demonstrating high level of knowledge in other areas so as to take relevant co-morbidities into account when making treatment decisions commensurate with the grade, including attendance on ward rounds.
• To demonstrate professional autonomy, involving highly complex facts or situations, which require analysis and interpretation of data, leading to the implementation of a treatment and management strategy.
• To initiate, organise and manage initiatives to promote prudent and cost effective prescribing within the speciality.
• To report on financial expenditure within Speciality, suggesting areas in which cost savings may be made and evaluating changes in expenditure resulting from policy changes.
• To provide guidance and input into CMG prescribing action plans and monitor progress where relevant to the speciality, adjusting the plans as necessary.
• To provide expert advice and support the submission of new medicine requests to the UHL Therapeutic Advisory Service (TAS), as necessary and to advise and support initiatives relating to Specialty for the Leicestershire Medicines Strategy Group.
• To provide specialist advice to patients, medical and other clinical staff on any drug element of specialist guidelines and to multidisciplinary care teams, to optimise quality of patient care.
• To develop shared guidelines / care agreements for medicines within the area of speciality to reduce risks associated with transition between secondary and primary care.
• To provide highly specialised medication related advice. This will include individualised advice on medication dosing, drug choice, administration, drug level monitoring and dose adjustment, the use of unlicensed medicines, the use of medicines outside the terms
  of their product licence and advice on the safety and storage of  medications.
• To support medicines optimisation within the area of Speciality, to include review of medicines-related errors and formulation of strategies to reduce these errors throughout the Trust, developing strategies to promote safe medicines use and supporting patient education.
• To work with the wider Health Community and multidisciplinary team to develop and improve medicines-related aspects of patient care pathways to reduce admission and readmission to hospital in area of speciality.
• Collate data and produce reports on drug use within the specialty and prescribing audits as required by the service.
• Assist in the production of Patient Group Directions (PGDs), with appropriate medical/nursing staff. Ensure PGDs are regularly reviewed, and provide PGD training for CMGs as required.
• Actively pursue audit, research and development within the area of speciality and the Pharmacy Department. Publicise the results of such work through presentations and publications.
• Prescribe and review medication for therapeutic effectiveness, appropriate to patient needs and in accordance with evidence-based practice and national and practice protocols, and within scope of practice.
• Work with patients in order to support compliance with and adherence to prescribed treatments.
• Provide information and advice on prescribed or over-the-counter medication on medication regimens, side-effects and interactions.
• To undertake other such duties as required commensurate with the post including dispensary duties, evening and weekend working and on call-when required.