Overview
We are one of the UK’s largest oncology Trusts, with an international reputation for clinical excellence, research & innovation. This is a unique opportunity to join our largest peripheral centre, Christie@Macclesfield based at East Cheshire Hospital, contributing to specialist haemato‑oncology and oncology pharmacy services.
The post holder will initially be based at Christie@Macclesfield for 12 months, after which flexible working across the Withington site & other peripheral locations will be required.
This is an exciting time to join our haematology and oncology pharmacy team. As integral members of the multidisciplinary team, we are expanding services including pharmacist‑led SACT clinics, peripheral site provision, and opportunities for the post holder to support and develop these services. An independent prescribing qualification, or progress towards this, is essential.
There are opportunities to gain experience in novel therapies within a rapidly evolving treatment landscape. We are also strengthening links with the University of Manchester and collaborating on projects at the Christie Withington site, with potential expansion to peripheral centres.
We are seeking a motivated, innovative & enthusiastic Band 8a specialist oncology pharmacist to support future service development in partnership with directorate leads across Christie@ sites.
If you are seeking a new challenge and wish to contribute to high‑quality patient care, we would welcome your application.
Main Duties
- Deliver and evaluate clinical pharmacy services to the designated disease group cancer patients.
- Supervise and prescribe Systemic Anti‑Cancer Therapies and supportive treatments for patients within the relevant disease group.
- Develop and maintain highly specialist knowledge in medicines used within the Trust, especially in relation to the designated cancer disease group.
- Promote the safe, efficient, and cost‑effective use of medicine resources to the designated cancer disease group by providing education and training, procedures, policies and guidelines, and medicine usage information.
- Contribute to the wider clinical pharmacy service for patients being treated across all disease groups.
- Work at any location across the Greater Manchester and Cheshire Cancer Network as required.
- Support flexible working in line with the Trust’s flexible working policy, including possible work from home.
Detailed Duties and Responsibilities
Provide specialist clinical pharmacy services to a designated cancer disease group in accordance with all departmental, Trust and national standards, procedures and policies.
- Responsible for the direct delivery and development of outpatient clinical practice, or within day‑case setting, at Trust or peripheral locations.
- Work closely with and provide pharmaceutical advice to medical staff, other members of the multidisciplinary team and patients.
- Act as an independent prescriber within the designated disease group working alongside the relevant consultant team.
- Contribute to pharmacist‑led clinic streams, e.g., oral SACT delivery models, if appropriate to the designated disease group in line with service improvements.
- Audit and evaluate pharmacist‑led clinic streams / pharmacist prescribing within the designated disease group for service evaluation and improvement.
- Develop and maintain drug protocols and treatment guidelines within the clinical pharmacy service and the designated cancer disease group, reviewing evidence‑based guidelines in conjunction with fellow healthcare professionals, to advance safe, clinical effective and cost‑efficient use of medicines.
- Contribute to clinical pharmacy services, including ward‑based services, within the Trust.
- Produce shared care protocols where appropriate and attend meetings with primary care representatives.
- Attend and contribute to meetings relevant to the designated disease group as appropriate.
- Liaise with the Director of Pharmacy and the lead designated cancer disease group consultants to forecast drug expenditure and identify any changes in prescribing practices that may impact the drug budget.
- Gain an understanding of the Trust’s budgeting system and support the management of drug expenditure by clinicians and senior managers.
- Represent the pharmacy service at appropriate clinical unit and divisional meetings on request.
- Monitor and interpret published evidence and computer reports of drug usage, and use this data to report to lead clinicians and Director of Pharmacy, implementing agreed policies to improve patient outcomes and contain drug expenditure.
- Provide evaluated pharmaceutical information to the Drugs and Therapeutic Committee as requested.
- Support prescribing at the individual patient level, contributing to optimisation of patients’ drug therapy with due consideration to risk/benefit issues.
- Provide pharmaceutical care, contributing to the multi‑professional team through ward pharmacy services and attendance on appropriate clinician’s ward rounds and meetings.
- Facilitate effective communication about relevant pharmacy issues to clinicians and senior managers and identify opportunities for development of pharmacy services to match identified services and care needs.
- Demonstrate awareness and commitment to the Trust’s Clinical Governance Plan.
- In conjunction with the Principal Pharmacist in Clinical Services, establish processes for setting standards of care, identifying the risks involved and implement changes to achieve these.
- Undertake clinical audit and practice research as part of the multi‑disciplinary audit process within the designated disease group and clinical pharmacy service.
- Participate in research opportunities internal or external to the Trust in collaboration with disease group or university faculties.
- Identify and report any systemic or preventable errors associated with medicines within the Network Services division and facilitate learning.
- Assist and participate in the development, implementation and management of training initiatives and competency frameworks within the clinical pharmacy service.
- Together with colleagues, be involved in the maintenance of cost‑effective and efficient pharmacy services and participate in their regular review and development.
- Participate in clinical audit or practice research as required.
- Represent pharmacy and act as a link person at relevant meetings and conferences.
- Provide education and training to pharmacy, medical and nursing staff.
- Act as a mentor and role model to junior pharmacists and undertake regular appraisals.
- Participate in the clinical training of pharmacists and foundation year pharmacists.
- Actively participate in the clinical pharmacy ward service rota to all patients within the Trust as required.
- Be responsible for the clinical screening/review of SACT prescriptions for designated patient groups, including clinical trial prescriptions, and screen/review in‑patient and outpatient prescriptions.
- Check and supply medication to and for patients, including clinical trials and counsel patients or medical or nursing staff on their correct use.
- Participate in prescription clinical screening.
- Give advice on the storage, administration and therapeutic use of drugs to patients, medical / nursing staff and other colleagues, providing written information as necessary.
- Follow local, Trust and National guidelines for safe medicines practice.
- Identify own training needs.
- Participate in weekend and Bank Holiday rotas and additional out of hours duties as required to meet the needs of the service.
- Undertake any other duties consistent with the nature of the post as requested by Pharmacy Managers and the Trust.
Person Specification
Qualifications
- Vocational Masters Degree or equivalent in Pharmacy
- Membership of General Pharmaceutical Council
- Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent
- Evidence of continuing professional development
Experience
- Relevant post registration experience within hospital oncology
- Financial awareness and drug budgets
- Providing medicines information and advice
- Screening/reviewing prescriptions including oral SACT
- Training or teaching pharmacy, nursing, medical staff
- Experience of multidisciplinary team working
- BOPA SACT passport holder
Skills
- Teaching and presentation skills and excellent interpersonal and communication skills for conveying complex concepts
- Ability to coach, motivate and inspire
- Networking amongst internal and external professional organisations
- Able to work efficiently and use own initiative and have good time management
- Work within and always promote the Trust’s values and behaviours
Knowledge
- National cancer guidance documents, NICE, CDF
- Sound medicines and clinical knowledge, cost effective use of medicines and medicines management
- National intrathecal guidance
Values
- Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours
Other
- On call duties
- Bank holiday working
- Driving licence
Equal Opportunities
We want to ensure that everyone who works at the Christie or uses our services is welcomed, valued and treated with dignity and respect. The Christie values diversity and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and fair representation across the organisation at all levels. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities for this post. Appointment will be only on merit. We are committed to creating a balanced and diverse workforce and to fostering inclusion and tackling inequity and health inequalities in cancer care.
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