Job summary
- Main area
- Pharmacy
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Fixed term: 6 months (from start date)
- Hours
- Part time
- Job share
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 086-6875106
- Employer
- NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Haylock House
- Town
- Kettering
- Salary
- 拢53,755 - 拢60,504 pa pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 07/01/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Advanced Pharmacist, Area Prescribing and Formulary
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Our vision for the future of Northamptonshire鈥檚 health and care services is for a positive lifetime of health, wellbeing and care in our community.
Our mission in working together, the reason we do what we do, is to empower positive futures. Wherever we work and whatever our role we all want people in Northamptonshire to be able to choose well, stay well, live well.
Each day our values will help to guide our decisions and what is most important to us:
- Our patients and our local population come first
- We work together in an open and accountable way
- We trust, challenge and support each other
- We do what we say we will do.
Job overview
As our Advanced Pharmacist, Area Prescribing and Formulary you will:
- 听Contribute to high quality and cost-effective prescribing across Northamptonshire.
- Use professional expertise to facilitate optimal use of resources in relation to medicines across all care settings.
- Support the Area Prescribing Committee with new medicines submissions and reviews.
- Develop and maintain a single medicines formulary across Northamptonshire.
- Implement local medicines policy and contribute to service development.
- Support the effective use of high-cost medicines in secondary care.
Main duties of the job
As an Advanced Pharmacist, Area Prescribing and Formulary, you will play a crucial role in developing and maintaining a systemwide medicines formulary, contributing to the delivery of high-quality patient care and effective management of prescribing practice. This position requires advanced clinical skills, strategic thinking, and collaboration with various healthcare professionals to optimise medication management and improve patient outcomes. Working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, you will focus on optimising medicines use through policies, guidelines and protocols and robust formulary management.
Working for our organisation
The Integrated Care Board (ICB) is a statutory body responsible for local NHS services, functions, performance, and budgets. The ICB works with local providers of NHS services, such as hospitals and GP practices, to agree a joint plan which says how the NHS will contribute to the local integrated care strategy.
Our priorities are:
- improving outcomes in population health and health care.
- tackling inequalities in outcomes, experience, and access.
- enhancing productivity and value for money.
- helping the NHS to support broader social and economic development.
The Medicines Optimisation Team are a collaborative ICB team, based at Haylock House in Kettering, but working in a hybrid way. We contribute to services across the health economy and through delivery of the Integrated Care Northamptonshire (ICN) 10-year strategy, support people in Northamptonshire to live their best lives, with a focus on getting the most from the use of medicines. You will play a key part in ensuring best value from medicines across the system and as such you will become a key member of the MO team.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Summary:
- Develop and maintain a joint medicines formulary across Northamptonshire.
- Contribute to the implementation of NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) Medicines Optimisation strategy at hospital, care home, practice, community pharmacy and individual patient level.
- Promote rational, high quality, cost-effective, evidence-based prescribing through expert pharmaceutical advice and support to ICB / Integrated Care System (ICS), hospitals, Primary Care Networks (PCNs), GP federations, member practices of the ICB, individual prescribers within the ICB, and care homes staff.
- Contribute to the delivery of medicines services across the ICB to ensure that the pharmaceutical needs of the population are met.
- Support the effective us of high-cost medicines in secondary care.
- Work in collaboration with the NHS Northamptonshire ICB Medicines Optimisation team and the wider ICB team to ensure policies, guidance and protocols related to interface and medicines management service provision are implemented within hospitals, GP practices, care homes, and other healthcare establishments.
- The role supports the ICB in driving transformation as well as value for money in planning, commissioning, and service.
Area Prescribing Committee:
- Collaborate with healthcare professionals to develop and implement area-specific prescribing strategies
- Conduct regular reviews of prescribing patterns, identifying opportunities for improvement and adherence to evidence-based practices.
- Provide guidance to prescribers on optimising medication regimens, cost-effectiveness, and safety.
Formulary Development and Management:
- Lead the development and maintenance of the formulary, ensuring alignment with national and regional guidelines.
- Evaluate new medications and therapeutic interventions for inclusion in the formulary, considering clinical efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness.
- Collaborate with stakeholders to implement formulary changes and communicate updates to healthcare teams.听
- Reduce medicines waste via robust policy and guidance.
- To contribute to the development of and implementation of prescribing policies, standard operating procedures, protocols, and guidance.
Policies and Guidelines
- Oversee development and review of Patient Group Directions (PGDs) on behalf of the Integrated Care Board.
- Oversee the development of Shared Care Agreements in conjunction with Medicines Advisory Service team at Northampton General Hospital and other system partners.
- Lead ICB baseline assessment in relation to National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Technology Appraisals and guidelines where they pertain to medicines optimisation. Track progress against relevant NICE guidance.
Clinical Governance and Quality Improvement:
- Monitor and assess the impact of prescribing practices on patient outcomes and safety.
- Implement quality improvement initiatives to enhance medication management processes.
- Provide expertise in clinical governance to ensure compliance with regulatory standards and best practices.
- Provide clinical information and expert advice on complex prescribing related issues where requested.
- Collaborate with the healthcare team to identify areas for improvement and implement evidence-based solutions.
Education and Training:
- Develop and deliver training programs for healthcare professionals on prescribing guidelines, formulary updates, and medication management.
- Provide mentorship as appropriate and contribute to continuous professional development within the system.
- Provide education to patients, caregivers, and healthcare teams on appropriate medication use.
Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement:
- Work collaboratively with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers to optimise multidisciplinary patient care.
- Engage with external stakeholders, such as pharmaceutical industry representatives and regulatory bodies, to stay informed about new medications and industry trends.
- Contribute to development of Primary Care Portal for medicines optimisation. Track and progress availability of relevant guiding documents supported by ICB MO administrator,
Data Analysis and Reporting:
- Utilise data analytics to evaluate prescribing trends and formulary utilisation.
- Generate reports on key performance indicators, presenting findings to relevant stakeholders.
- Develop, undertake, and supervise prescribing and medicines optimisation related audits.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Pharmacist registered with General Pharmaceutical Council (educated to Masters level or equivalent).
- Knowledge of pharmacy and medicines optimisation, acquired through post graduate Diploma/MSc or equivalent experience.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of training staff and developing others
- Experience of using professional knowledge to bring about change.
- Evidence of involvement in audit.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of partnership working with internal and external stakeholders.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Understanding of health and care landscape and policy.
- Understanding of prescribing information.
- Demonstrates good understanding of the legal, governance and ethical framework within which pharmacists, GPs, and primary and secondary care organisations work.
Skills and abilities
Essential criteria
- Excellent communication skills
- Must be able to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive, or contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information, to large and influential groups.
- Critical thinking and problem-solving ability.
- Ability to plan, organise and deliver a broad range of activities.
- Influencing skills
- Prioritisation skills
- Ability to work with stakeholders, internally and externally to the ICB, including patients and the public.
- Can identify and manage risks and evaluate quality of own work / service.
- Demonstrates honesty and integrity and promotes organisational values.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Giles Owen
- Job title
- Head of Medicines Quality and Value
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07795 638785
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