Specialist Pharmacist - Cancer Services

Main area: Pharmacist Grade NHS AfC: Band 7

Contract: Permanent

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (up to 37.5 hours per week)

• Full time
• Flexible working

Job ref: 372-FSS2708

Employer: Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Employer type: NHS

Site: Huddersfield Royal Infirmary

Town: Huddersfield

Salary: £46,148 - £52,809 per annum, pro rata

Salary period: Yearly

Closing: 17/02/:59

Interview date: 28/02/2025

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics.

We are committed to recruiting to our values. Leading One Culture of Care underpins our values by creating an environment, tone, and behaviours across all parts of the Trust that are fundamentally rooted in compassionate care.

We are open to considering a wide range of flexible working arrangements. There are opportunities to flex the days of the week, hours and times of work, and place of work including: part-time, job-share, flexible working hours, and the possibility to work from home when appropriate. Please talk to us during the interview process to discuss any flexibility that you may require.

Job overview

Due to clinical service expansion, we have the following opportunity for enthusiastic and self-motivated pharmacists to join our team of pharmacists within cancer services. The post holder will provide clinical pharmacy services to cancer patients within the trust.

The successful applicants will be enthusiastic pharmacists with an interest in developing their career in Cancer Services. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and a postgraduate certificate in clinical pharmacy are required.

The role will include on-call duties and participation in weekend working as the Trust develops its 7-day service.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will:

• Provide pharmaceutical advice to the oncology and haematology directorates within the Trust.
• Ensure effective medicines management and compliance with current standards and statute and coordinate the provision of pharmaceutical care to the Clinical Directorate under the strategic direction of the Consultant Oncology Pharmacist.
• Ensure compliance with Pharmacy Clinical Governance arrangements.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of policies, procedures, and records for the Clinical Pharmacy Service and medicines management.
• Participate in pharmacy core duties including clinical verification of systemic anticancer therapies, education and training of pharmacy staff, contribution to pharmacy evening, weekend, and bank holidays rotas.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical Duties

• Participate in the Clinical Pharmacy Service, reviewing prescriptions for clinical appropriateness, drug interactions and legality; dispense and supply drugs for patients.
• Perform clinical verification of anti-cancer therapy prescriptions for cancer services patients following appropriate competency-based training.
• Provide professional, clinical, and technical information and advice to the multidisciplinary healthcare staff (including primary care), patients, and carers, to support individual patient care and medicines optimisation.
• Make recommendations tailored to the context of specific patients or situations, including calculations for complex drug regimens.
• Address issues of co-existing medical diseases and conditions such as renal and hepatic impairment, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and concurrent medications.
• Make recommendations in high-risk areas of prescribing, including use of medicines in pregnancy, breastfeeding, and intravenous medications.
• Apply sound professional judgement to complex clinical issues and dilemmas, particularly where definitive information is lacking.
• Participate in pharmacy practice research and clinical audit.
• Liaise with antibiotic pharmacists and microbiology to ensure adherence to the antibiotic formulary, prescribing guidelines, and antimicrobial management policy.
• Undertake activities in relation to clinical trials in line with standard operating procedures.
• Practice as a pharmacist prescriber within their area of competence (following completion of relevant training).
• Act as an Authorised Pharmacist for the professional check and release of products prepared in the aseptic unit if suitably trained.
• Contribute to service development projects within the clinical pharmacy service within cancer services under the guidance of the Consultant Oncology Pharmacist.
• Counsel patients and/or their carers to ensure safe and effective medicine use (including first course counselling for oral anti-cancer medicines).

Professional Duties

• Implement Trust policies in relation to Medicines Management.
• Manage risk in areas of responsibility.
• Undertake the legal and professional responsibilities of a responsible pharmacist.
• Participate in the training of pharmacy staff, students, and other healthcare professionals.
• Participate in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in accordance with Trust policy and the requirements of The General Pharmaceutical Council.

Managerial Duties

• Clinical professional supervision of junior pharmacy staff.
• Monitor drug expenditure and provide advice on drug usage in designated specialty as required.

Person specification QUALIFICATIONS / TRAINING

• MPharm or equivalent Degree in Pharmacy approved by General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Registered Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• 1 year pre-registration training.
• Willingness to undertake any training or development relevant to the role.

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE

• Able to demonstrate recent relevant experience of clinical pharmacy practice including cancer service.
• Good knowledge of Clinical Pharmacy, Medicines Management, and Pharmacy Practice acquired through training and experience.
• Pharmacy Practice Research and Clinical Audit.
• Knowledge of drug budgets.
• Ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines whilst paying attention to detail.
• Problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Demonstrate commitment to CPD.

COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS (INCLUDING MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES)

• Ability to work under pressure. Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Self-motivating and the ability to influence others.

Our vision is to provide One Culture of Care for one another in order that we can provide compassionate care for the people who use our services. We are passionate about creating a workplace where we work together to get results, encouraging colleagues to have their say, in order to co-create the change we want to see. We take pride in the diversity of our workforce that's why we encourage applications from all. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants.

Please ensure your application is submitted with referees who can verify your employment/education history over the last three years and include valid email addresses for them. We will request electronic Factual Employment References from your previous employers. These references will be requested before you are issued with an unconditional offer of employment letter.

If you are appointed to a post, information will also be transferred into the NHS Electronic Staff Records system. The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current/most recent employer.

You may be required to undertake a DBS. The Trust will administer the DBS check on your behalf and will recover the cost (Enhanced £54.40, Standard £26.40 or Basic £26.40) from your salary when you commence in post (including Internal staff). You will also be required to participate in the DBS Update Service and pay the £16 cost per year. This is a condition of your employment.

CHFT is part of the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT), a collaborative of the NHS hospital trusts from across West Yorkshire and Harrogate working together to provide the best possible care for our patients.

If you have any questions please contact for assistance.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name: Shamma Ajaz
Job title: Lead Clinical Pharmacist - Cancer Services
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