Job summary
Employer heading
Deputy Aseptic Services Manager
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is situated on the west coast of Lancashire, with services covering the local authority areas of Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre. The Trust is part of the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System (ICS) supporting a population of around 1.6 million people.
We have three main hospitals providing acute services to around 330,000 local residents. The organisation also provides specialist tertiary care for cardiac and haematology services, delivers community health services to over 445,000 residents including those in North Lancashire and hosts the National Artificial Eye Service across England. Plus, we provide urgent and emergency care services to an estimated 18 million people who visit the seaside resort each year. We employ over 7000 people from 68 different countries.
We welcome and encourage application from anyone with protected characteristics, as well as supporting reservists and Veterans who are looking for a rewarding and challenging career within the NHS.
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals encourages flexible working in all our roles to support staff in maintaining healthy home-life balance. Working patterns such as: part time working, self-rostering, compressed hours, annualised hours, term time, reverse term time and flexitime working can be explored.
Job overview
Due to promotion an exciting opportunity has arisen within our Pharmacy Aseptic Unit. We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic and committed pharmacist to support the team.
The established Aseptic unit at Blackpool provides medicines for patients in need across the Trust. We support the Trusts tertiary Haematology status by providing life saving chemotherapy.
You will also be part of a large, supportive and dynamic pharmacy team at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals who offer a range of essential services to patients around the Trust.
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide safe and effective provision of aseptically prepared medicines. You will work alongside other members of the senior Aseptic Unit team to ensure a high quality service is offered to all stakeholders.
You will provide leadership and supervision to the Pharmacy Aseptic Unit and support the Aseptic Services Manager in the management and development of pharmacy aseptic services at Blackpool Victoria Hospital and deputise as required.
You will be a named and accredited Supervising Pharmacist for the preparation of a range of intravenous medicines prepared within the Aseptic Unit.
You will take an active role in the management of the Pharmaceutical Quality System by assisting with maintenance, development and approval of Standard Operating Procedures, policies, training documents and any other records deemed necessary.
Provide support to the Pharmacy Department by means of an appropriate clinical commitment.
Working for our organisation
The Pharmacy Department at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals is a large department (over 150 staff) and a friendly environment with established senior support. We are dedicated to education and professional development and encourage/support ongoing education. We have a very favourable oncall commitment, that all pharmacists in the department contribute to.
We recommend that all individuals employed in patient facing roles, or those located on a ward or department where patients receive a service should be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Assist the Principal Pharmacist - Aseptic and Technical Services Manager in the management and future development of Pharmacy Aseptic Services. To ensure the continued safe and effective delivery of services in order to demonstrate the requirements of clinical governance.
- Deputise for the Principal Pharmacist - Aseptic and Technical Services Manager when required.
- Ensure compliance with “Rules and Guidance for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Distributors”, “Aseptic Dispensing for NHS Patients”, “Maintaining Asepsis During the Preparation of Pharmaceutical Products”, and any other current legal, national, regional or local guidelines pertaining to licensed and unlicensed activities thus ensuring the highest levels of professional and technical standards are achieved.
- Be a named and accredited Supervising Pharmacist for the preparation and release of Intravenous Chemotherapy, Intravenous Additives and Total Parenteral Nutrition.
- Be named on the register to final check and release Intrathecal Chemotherapy ensuring compliance with Department of Health guidelines and Trust policy.
- Be able to final check and release a range of products prepared in the Non-Sterile Unit including extemporaneously dispensed medicines, prepacked and overlabelled medicines and emergency boxes.
- Undertake complex calculations and offer recommendations on the suitability and stability of TPN regimes for adults and neonates with support of the Lead Pharmacist for Nutrition.
- Monitor the environment and working practices of the Aseptic Unit, investigate and take corrective action for failed test results to ensure quality assurance guidelines and MHRA requirements are met.
- Monitor the environment and working practices of the Aseptic Unit to assure the quality of prepared products and the safety of staff.
- Prepare and validate documentation and processes using the Q-Pulse Document management system.
- Maintain, develop and approve standard operating procedures and policies, staff training and approval records, physical and microbiological monitoring records and any other records deemed necessary by the MHRA, regional QC or Principal Pharmacist - Aseptic and Technical Services Manager.
- Utilise your pharmaceutical knowledge to formulate new products or presentations with appropriate stability to ensure all products prepared within the Production Unit are of suitable quality and are fit for their intended use.
- Take an active role in the training of production unit staff including pharmacy support workers, trainee pharmacists, pharmacists, student technicians and technicians to meet national requirements and to promote continuing professional development. Develop and manage suitable training programmes, authorise staff competencies and responsibilities.
- Act as a lead for the training and maintenance of the intrathecal registers within the Aseptic Unit ensuring compliance with national guidance and Trust Policy.
- Participate in external audits from regional Quality Assurance, assist in co-ordinating any actions necessary from the audit cycle.
- Participate in the Aseptic Unit internal audit calendar and to assist in co-ordinating any action necessary from the audit cycle.
- Work closely with the clinical cancer services team to ensure a seamless pharmacy service for cancer patients.
- Attend Trust Resuscitation Committee meetings and provide pharmaceutical advice where necessary.
- Assist in the evaluation and management of Clinical Trials involving medicines which require aseptic preparation in collaboration with the Clinical Trials Team.
- Attend Aseptic Services Pharmacist group meetings and Quality Control North West training events to ensure the cascade of information and the compliance with national standards while continuing your professional development.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Vocational Masters Degree in Pharmacy (or equivalent)
- 12 months pre-registration training and experience
- Registered with the GPhC
Desirable criteria
- Post graduate qualification in Hospital Pharmacy
- Post graduate qualification in Pharmaceutical Technology and Quality Assurance
- Aseptic Preparation and Dispensing of Medicines Course
- Membership of The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of aseptic dispensing
Desirable criteria
- Previous experience in haematology or oncology
- Experience in the development of policies, guidelines and procedures.
Skills and Ability
Essential criteria
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Good organisation and time management.
- Ability to work as part of a team.
- Problem solving skills.
- Demonstratable commitment to professional development.
- Willingness to contribute to the general working of the department.
Desirable criteria
- Good presentation skills.
- Computer-literate.
- Knowledge of Audit methodology.
- Understanding of the key issues in relations to aseptic dispensing and manufacturing services.
- Ability to influence people.
Applicant requirements
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Lara Scowcroft
- Job title
- Aseptic and Technical Services Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01253952199
If you have problems applying, contact
- Address
-
BTH
- Telephone
- 01253 957001
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