Job overview

Advanced Specialist Pharmacist - Clinical Cancer Services, Band 8a (37.5 hours a week)

This newly funded  Advanced Specialist Pharmacist for Clinical Cancer Services post will join the growing Cancer Service Pharmacy team. 

This clinical post offers the opportunity to provide your cancer services experience and knowledge to a range of roles including  screening of complex SACT prescriptions primarily for haematology patients,  prescribing weekly in haematology SACT clinics, and training and mentoring junior staff members. Alongside the lead pharmacist for cancer services you will be involved in service delivery projects, writing clinical guidelines and provide clinical pharmacy expertise to high-cost drugs, clinical trials, palliative care as well as clinical haematology.

There could be opportunity for further specialist postgraduate qualifications, if desired.

Pharmacists will provide operational and clinical support to the wider pharmacy department according to the needs of the service. You will participate in weekend pharmacy services, and be involved with the supervision, training and support of junior pharmacists, foundation pharmacists and other pharmacy staff as necessary.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will work within the cancer services team, primarily in haematology

Screen complex prescriptions for SACT medicines and supervise junior staff to do so

Participation in prescribing haematology SACT clinics on a weekly basis

Advising prescribers on funding criteria 

Requesting, reviewing and monitoring lab results and other relevant investigations 

Prescribing and chart rewrites/transcriptions for day case admissions 

Counselling patients on complex medication

Consultation with patients between appointments where required to resolve medication and prescription issues.  

Respond to medication related questions from other members of the MDT 

Demonstrate excellent communication skills, verbal and written documentation. 

Review and write policies and procedures as required 

Implement new medicines when they become available/NICE approved (e.g. formulary, pathways,  setting up homecare service where applicable)

Participation in pharmacy department late night, weekend and bank holiday rotas will be required. Based on the needs of the service and at the discretion of the Associate Pharmacy Directors, the post holder(s) will be required to work at both the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and Cheltenham General Hospital sites.

Working for our organisation

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GHT) is one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK. Located between Birmingham (45 miles) and Bristol (32 miles), the beautiful Cotswolds and Forest of Dean, the county is easily accessible by road including the M5 motorway, with convenient links to the M4 and the M50. Together with main line rail networks, this puts Gloucestershire within easy reach of many metropolitan areas and airports.

The pharmacy department has over 200 staff across the two sites in Cheltenham and Gloucester, both sites provide full dispensary services, medicines information, procurement services and a full clinical service to wards. There is a regular free shuttle bus allowing easy transport between hospitals both of which are located in the city/town centres with access to shops and cafes.

The Pharmacy department is committed to supporting the Trust to deliver its vision of best care for everyone, we strive to provide the whole team with the necessary skills and ongoing support to make a real difference to patient care, include a program to develop prescribing roles within the department