Medicines Information & Procurement Pharmacist

We have an opportunity for an enthusiastic and motivated pharmacist with hospital pharmacy experience to join our team, supporting Medicines Information, Pharmacy Procurement and Pharmacy Homecare Medicines services. This fixed term post covering maternity leave will be ideal for someone wishing to build on existing MI and Procurement experience, or someone who wants to gain experience in new areas of hospital pharmacy. A secondment will be considered to ensure we find the best candidate for the role. Based at Framlington Place next to the RVI main site, our local MI service provides information and advice for Trust staff and patients and includes a patient helpline. Our Procurement team manages medicines contracting, sourcing and purchasing for our acute hospital sites, community health and other affiliated services. The Homecare team currently manages medicines homecare packages for around 8000 patients regionally and nationally. These three services support one another and work close with our clinical and operational pharmacy colleagues and have an excellent working relationship with the clinical directorates and other support services within the Trust.  

• 37 hours 30 minutes/week
• You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy.

You will contribute to the running of the MI service, and take part in regular proactive work, including producing and reviewing patient information material, clinical guidelines and service improvement work. You will provide professional support to our Pharmacy Procurement team, in particular dealing with complex supply problems, unlicensed medicines, recalls and alerts and off-contract purchasing. You will support the Homecare Manager with operational issues, helping with prescription screening and query resolution, and assisting with service level agreements and complex home care packages. In each of these areas you will help with training and supervision of our rotational and trainee pharmacy staff. We are looking for someone who can work flexibly across the different areas of service, so good time management skills will be essential. You must have proven communication skills, an aptitude for problem solving and be able to work well as part of a mixed professional and administrative team. The successful candidate must have significant experience in hospital pharmacy, in either clinical or operational roles. Formal experience in Medicines Information and Pharmacy Procurement is desirable but not essential as training will be provided, and you will work under the support and guidance of the Principal Pharmacist for Medicines Information and the Assistant Director of Pharmacy (Medicines Management) in Pharmacy Procurements. Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest, largest and most successful teaching NHS foundation trusts in the country, with over 18,000 staff and an annual income of £1 billion. Rated ‘Outstanding’ by the CQC for the second consecutive time in 2019, we have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally. We’re also proud to be the second largest provider of specialised services in the country. This means we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders. Our staff oversee around 1.84 million patients ‘contacts’ each year, delivering high standards of healthcare. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.

• To provide and manage a comprehensive Medicines Information Service to all grades of healthcare professionals in the Trust and to members of the public ensuring the safe and clinically effective use of medicines in all patients.
• Trains a wide variety of pharmacy and other staff to handle information on medicines professionally and effectively.
• Trains a wide range of pharmacy staff working in Medicines Information and Pharmacy procurement and coordinates timetables for their training.
• Promotes the safe, rational and cost-effective use of medicines through the provision of medicines information and clinical pharmacy services as appropriate.
• To participate in national and local meetings regarding provision of Medicines Information Services.
• To perform the professional role of a Registered Pharmacist, including advice, supervision and co-operation with colleagues particularly in relation to support/cover for absent colleagues.
• To support leadership and manage all pharmacy procurement and associated activities.
• To liaise closely with the Trust Stores Manager, Dispensary Managers, and the clinical pharmacy team.
• To support the assessment of unlicensed medicines used in the Trust.
• To support in the process of drug recalls in the Trust.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you. Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay. Newcastle Hospitals encourages all staff and volunteers who are appointed to join the Trust to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.