Advanced Specialist Cancer Pharmacist (GI)

Advanced Specialist Cancer Pharmacist (GI)

We have an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and experienced Advanced Specialist Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer Pharmacist (Band 8b) to lead and further develop our pharmacy related service developments, improvements and initiatives across all GI cancer specialities namely colorectal, anal, upper GI and hepatobiliary (HPB) cancers.The post will provide strategic and clinical leadership working closely with the multidisciplinary team to ensure delivery of high-quality, patient-centred care across all trust sites including peripheral clinics.

The post holder will oversee the safe and evidence-based use of systemic anti-cancer therapies (SACT), act as a Non-Medical Prescriber in outpatient settings, and support personalised treatment pathways.

Responsibilities include leading service development aligned with Trust and national strategies, contributing expert input to protocols and guidelines, driving quality improvement initiatives, and supporting research and innovation.

The Pharmacy Department has close links with academic partners including The University of Manchester, and actively supports postgraduate study, DPharm and MSc programmes, and research secondments.

You will be joining a supportive and forward-thinking team with a reputation for pioneering work in service delivery for patients with GI cancers. If you are enthusiastic and keen to shape the future of GI cancer pharmacy at one of the UK’s most advanced cancer centres we would like to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

To lead and manage the specialist GI cancer pharmacy services, ensuring clinical excellence, service alignment with Trust and national standards, and continuous improvement through defined performance measures.

To provide advanced clinical pharmacy expertise, including independent prescribing, multidisciplinary collaboration, and delivery of patient-centred, evidence-based care for GI cancer patients.

To oversee medicines optimisation and governance, ensuring safe, effective, and cost-efficient use of cancer medicines through robust protocols, incident management, and regulatory compliance.To manage and develop staff, providing leadership, mentorship, appraisals, & training to support advanced practice and workforce sustainability within the oncology pharmacy team.

To drive innovation and service development, leading initiatives such as pharmacist-led clinics, digital prescribing & pathway optimisation to improve outcomes and reduce inequalities.

To contribute to education, research, and financial stewardship, delivering teaching, audits, and clinical research while managing budgets, forecasting drug expenditure, and supporting sustainability goals.

Although the pharmacy service is based at The Christie Hospital main site, postholders may be required to work at any location across the Greater Manchester and Cheshire Cancer Network. The Trust has a flexible working policy and, subject to service commitments, it may also be possible to support an element of working from home.

About us

The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country. We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.

Job responsibilities

Key Duties and Responsibilities

To lead, develop and manage the specialist gastrointestinal cancer pharmacy service within the Trust, ensuring alignment with departmental, Trust, and national standards across all specialties within the GI disease groups, namely colorectal, anal, upper GI and hepatobiliary (HPB) cancers. To provide highly specialist clinical pharmacy advice to clinicians in multidisciplinary team meetings, outpatient clinics and on an ad hoc basis regarding the management of Trust patients undergoing treatment for gastrointestinal cancers including the management of clinical uncertainty by critically appraising the evidence-base and applying it to novel situations and reaching appropriate decisions in complex, challenging or sensitive environments where there are competing priorities and/or an absence of reliable evidence and in situations where other professionals may challenge the advice given. To act as an independent prescriber for appropriate gastrointestinal cancer patients, managing own caseload and developing pharmacist-led clinics where possible. This will include the management of patients with complex pharmaceutical care issues and distressed patients in emotive circumstances. To record personally generated information in the patients Electronic Patient Record and Electronic Prescribing systems. To support patient-centred care by providing expert medicines advice, promoting adherence, and facilitating shared decision-making, including verbal and written communication of highly complex drug or medicine-related information to patients, relatives or carers, including patients who may have language difficulties, physical or mental disabilities. To identify service improvement opportunities to meet the changing requirements of both the patient population and the Trust and take a proactive role in the development and implementation of these initiatives, both within the Trust and with external agencies across the network where applicable.

To drive innovation in the treatment of patients with gastrointestinal cancers, including pharmacist-led clinics, supportive care interventions, and digital prescribing systems. To oversee and delegate responsibilities to the specific disease group pharmacists within the gastrointestinal cancer team

To establish a series of performance measures (discussed and agreed with the Principal Pharmacist for Clinical Services, the Service Manager & the Director of Pharmacy) against which the success of the post will be measured and reviewed on an ongoing basis.

To lead and take responsibility for specific projects involving business planning for service expansion, workforce models, delivery of Trust and NHS strategy in shaping the gastrointestinal cancer services within colorectal, anal, upper GI and hepatobiliary (HPB) disease group specialties, across the organisation, and network which may impact across or within departments, services or agencies external to the organisation, and collaboration with key stakeholders.

To monitor and analyse medicine expenditure usage patterns and prescribing trends to advise on current budgetary issues, informing future business-planning processes to support the management of medicines expenditure across the Trust and the wider Cancer Network, Maximising the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the service by facilitating advances or changes in service.

Identify changes in current prescribing practices that are likely impact on the directorate drugs budget. In addition to identify potential new prescribing practices that may impact on the drugs budget (horizon scanning) and service delivery models.

Work collaboratively with the senior pharmacy team to identify and deliver cost savings and service efficiencies within the department.

To provide expert advice on funding and commissioning queries, procurement, named-patient requests, and management of drug shortages To work collaboratively with other organisations across the network to encourage and support the implementation of creative and innovative service models to improve healthcare inequality and drive efficiencies across the system.

To identify opportunities to reduce health inequalities and improve access to optimal gastrointestinal cancer treatments across the network. To develop, implement, and maintain treatment protocols, prescribing guidelines, standard operating procedures and patient information in collaboration with the specialist clinical pharmacists, clinicians and nursing teams. To collaborate in the development and monitoring of the gastrointestinal cancer-specific homecare offering, self-administration, and pathway optimisation initiatives and monitor expenditure across these areas. To be responsible for proactive reporting, investigating and reviewing trends in medication incidents in collaboration with the Medicines Safety Officer. Including risk assessment and leading on the implementation of actions with the wider multidisciplinary team to reduce the likelihood of future harm and share learning through relevant governance committees.

To maintain assurance that high-cost, high-risk medicines are used appropriately with robust governance processes. To act as a national opinion leader through involvement in guideline development, advisory boards, and specialist forums. To represent the Trust in regional and national projects to advance gastrointestinal cancer pharmaceutical services. To continuously deliver and evaluate clinical pharmacy services and lead on service improvements to optimise gastrointestinal cancer medication use and contribute to service/system efficiencies.

To develop educational resources for both staff and patients and contribute to local and national training programmes in gastrointestinal cancer and oncology pharmacy. To initiate, plan, organise, lead and participate in research, clinical audits, quality improvement projects, and service evaluation both at a local and national level, where appropriate and disseminate findings through publications, conferences, and professional networks. To ensure safe, effective, and cost-efficient use of medicines for patients with gastrointestinal cancers, including horizon scanning and implementation of commissioning decisions. To provide direct line management and professional leadership for specialist gastrointestinal cancer pharmacists and pharmacy technicians within the oncology clinical pharmacy team. To undertake appraisals, supervision, training, and performance management of staff within managerial responsibility. To provide specialist teaching, training, supervision to pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, medical staff, nurses, allied health professionals and students in relation to gastrointestinal cancers within the trust and across the cancer network. To ensure service continuity and clinical excellence through effective workforce planning and mentoring. To act as a role model and mentor for pharmacists and clinical pharmacy technicians, including clinical verification training and clinical diplomas. To identify and develop career pathways for advanced practice, including support for pharmacists and other healthcare professionals undertaking the independent prescribing qualification. To actively participate in the clinical pharmacy ward service rota to all patients within the Trust as required

To be responsible for the clinical screening/review of SACT prescriptions for designated patient groups, to clinically screen/ review in-patient and outpatient prescriptions.

To participate in weekend and Bank Holiday rotas and additional out of hours duties as required to meet the needs of the service.

To maintain CPD and professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council. To adhere to Trust and national medicines legislation, guidelines, and safety standards, including intrathecal chemotherapy policies. To make sustainable choices around medicines where appropriate to reduce the carbon footprint of the Trust and help the NHS supply chain achieve the net zero target

Undertake any other duties consistent with the grade and scope of the role, as required by senior staff.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Pharmacy (MPharm) or equivalent
• Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• Postgraduate Diploma or MSc in Clinical Pharmacy (or equivalent)
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Faculty membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (Advanced level or working Leadership or management qualification
• Teaching qualification or postgraduate certificate in education

Experience

• Extensive post registration experience within a hospital setting
• Significant specialist experience in oncology, including gastrointestinal cancers
• Experience of multidisciplinary team working
• Proven track record of delivering advanced clinical pharmacy services and managing a patient caseload
• Experience in medicines optimisation, service development, and governance
• Experience of mentoring and supporting junior pharmacists
• Evidence of audit, service evaluation, and quality improvement projects
• Experience of delivering training or teaching pharmacy/nursing/medical staff
• Use of electronic prescribing systems
• Experience of homecare medicines management and pathway redesign
• Experience of contributing to, or leading, clinical research projects
• Experience of representing pharmacy at a regional or national level
• Publications in peer-reviewed journals
• Presentation of work at national or international conferences
• Evidence of authorship in guideline or protocol development at a regional/national level

Skills

• Proficient in all Microsoft Office software and able to use search engines/medical databases to retrieve information
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills both verbal and written, including the ability to convey complex or sensitive information
• Advanced clinical reasoning and decision-making skills, including management of complex cases
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
• Ability to work under pressure, highly organised, and work to deadlines
• Ability to manage and implement change
• Ability to influence and negotiate with medical, nursing and pharmacy staff
• Ability to train and act as a mentor to other members of staff
• Excellent teaching and presentation skills
• Ability to analyse prescribing and financial data to inform practice with a high level of attention to detail
• Demonstrate strong and effective leadership by promoting and modelling leadership behaviours
• Critical incident reporting and investigations

Knowledge

• Expert clinical knowledge in oncology and gastrointestinal cancer therapeutics, including SACT
• In-depth knowledge of national cancer strategies, NHS commissioning, and NICE guidance
• Sound medicines and clinical knowledge. Cost-effective use of medicines and medicines management
• Knowledge of financial reporting and budget statements
• Working knowledge of EPMA systems across different platforms
• Knowledge of homecare governance frameworks
• Knowledge of horizon scanning and health technology appraisal processes

Values

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours

Other

• Physical ability to meet the demands of the role (e.g., walking between clinical areas, prolonged computer use)
• Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion
• Motivated, proactive, and innovative in-service improvement
• Resilient, able to manage emotional challenges of working with cancer patients
• Commitment to ongoing CPD and professional development
• Willingness to work flexibly, including participation in extended hours, weekend, and on-call rotas as required

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Principal pharmacist for Clinical Services

£66,582 to £77,368 a yearPro Rata Per Annum

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