Chief Pharmacist

PE Global Healthcare is currently recruiting for a Chief Pharmacist for a leading multi-national Healthcare client based between two sites in Leinster.

This is a permanent full time position for the right candidate with excellent benefits.

Overview of Role

We are currently recruiting a Chief Pharmacist for UPMC Aut Even and UPMC Kildare (cross-site role).

Duties & Responsibilities

• Act at all times to ensure that the care and safety of patients is assigned the highest priority.
• Understand, model, and promote core values: Quality and Safety, Dignity and Respect, Caring and Listening, Responsibility and Integrity, Excellence and Innovation.
• Have a strategic focus on the development of the Pharmacy Service in line with legislation, national guidelines, and professional best practice.
• Ensure legal and ethical pharmaceutical practice, the provision of the pharmacy service and ensure that operations comply with all relevant requirements of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI).
• Provide advice, information, and direction to relevant Pharmacy, Medical, Nursing and/or other staff on best practice in relation to all aspects of medicines management, including the proper and economic use of drugs and alternative types of drugs and medicines.
• Maintain accurate and complete records for purchasing, quality control and dispensing, and other aspects of the Pharmacy service as agreed with the Director of Pharmacy.
• Work closely with the Pharmacy Technician Lead (Procurement and Technical Services Integration) to safely and effectively manage medicine stock shortages within the organisation.
• Lead and oversee the development and maintenance of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) required for all aspects of the Pharmacy service in both sites and ensure that these are updated and implemented in line with changing practices locally, nationally and internationally, and in accordance with Pharmacy law.
• Contribute to the provision of medicines information and advice on drug availability and procurement to clinical staff in relation to medicines.
• Collaborate with senior Pharmacy colleagues across the healthcare setting to oversee the agile and efficient development of medicine information resources for clinical colleagues and patients e.g. patient information leaflets, monographs, policies, procedures, protocols, and guidelines.
• Collaborate with colleagues in the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) to optimise medication workflows.
• Contribute to the development of clinical guidelines as part of the MDT.
• Identify and address deficiencies in medications management systems and processes, where applicable.
• Highlight any discrepancies, incidents, or deficits in services to the Director of Pharmacy and General Managers in the healthcare setting as appropriate.
• Proactively identify, assess, manage and monitor risks within their area of responsibility.
• Ensure that correct procedures are adhered to in relation to accidents and investigations and ensure that proper reporting arrangements are in place in line with the requirements of the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act 2005, to include frequent risk assessments and adherence to health and safety policies.
• Take a leadership role in the healthcare setting to encourage reporting on medication incidents/near misses across the two sites to support management and mitigation of risk and to inform quality improvement initiatives.
• Oversee the auditing of compliance to good clinical practice standards in relation to medicines e.g. with respect to labelling, storage, dispensing, and documentation.
• Plan and organise risk-informed audit programmes for both sites which are strategically aligned with the service goals of the Pharmacy and the organisation Ireland.
• In collaboration with the Director of Pharmacy and Chief Pharmacists on sites, develop and compile reports on Key Performance indicators (KPIs) for the Pharmacy service and ensure that these are disseminated to, and actioned by, appropriate stakeholders in a timely manner. These KPIs will include metrics describing capacity, workload, drug costs, quality and medication safety.
• Assist with the timely provision and analysis of drug usage reports to colleagues in Finance and senior management.
• As agreed with the Director of Pharmacy, provide expert support to colleagues in Finance and Hospital leadership to help manage the drugs budget, through regular reporting, analysis, and horizon scanning.
• Participate in multidisciplinary meetings, hospital committees and working groups as required e.g. Clinical Governance, Drugs and Therapeutics, Medication Safety.
• Act as a leader and role model onsite.
• Build effective partnerships both within Ireland and across the wider health system to manage and develop services that meet the needs and aspirations of patients, and other collaborative partners as appropriate.
• Propose, lead, and manage innovation and technological improvements in the Pharmacy service, preparing and presenting business cases for service development as appropriate.
• Co-ordinate service delivery with the other Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Technicians, to ensure a high level of efficient and cohesive teamwork within the Pharmacy service.
• Assist in the recruitment, development, mentoring and motivation of staff to maximise performance and delivery of service objectives and priorities.
• Implement and maintain systems to ensure the effective induction and on-going training of all Pharmacy staff on both sites.
• Supervise and line manage staff within the Pharmacy services within the organisation.
• Support Pharmacy colleagues in enhancing their skills and assuming additional and advanced responsibilities.
• Promote and actively participate in continuing professional development and research activities consistent with the post.
• Ensure compliance with policy and procedures are adhered to.
• As agreed with the Director of Pharmacy, manage performance of Pharmacy team members against measured and reported competency and performance metrics.
• Participate in the performance review and appraisal process as required.
• Ensure that systems are in place to promptly identify poor performance and that any individuals identified are appropriately managed and supported to achieve the required performance level.
• As agreed with the Director of Pharmacy, oversee attendance and wellbeing within the Pharmacy team.
• Delegate tasks as appropriate to members of the team in line with skill set and job role.
• Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with academic and research partners.
• Undertake, co-ordinate, and publish Pharmacy practice-based research, ensure that all relevant GCP standards are adhered to.
• Facilitate and encourage others within the Pharmacy team to undertake audit and research and to present and publish their findings.
• Carry out any other duties relevant to this role as designated by the Director of Pharmacy, including deputising for the Director of Pharmacy as required.
• Support the Director of Pharmacy as required in developing and implementing the Pharmacy Transformation Strategy.
• Engage in continuous professional development appropriate to the role and in compliance with professional obligations.
• Participate in the Hospitals’ accreditation process.

Qualifications & Experience:

Essential:

• Be registered with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland or be entitled to be so registered.
• Have at last 5 years satisfactory post-registration hospital experience.
• Possess the requisite specialised knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability and management ability) for the proper discharge of the duties of the role.
• Significant, proven post-registration hospital practice experience, with a broad clinical pharmacy experience and experience of line management.
• Evidence of ongoing Continuing Professional Development and role-specific learning.
• Ability to demonstrate:

• excellent planning, organisational and resource management skills
• excellent leadership, interpersonal and people management skills
• experience of change management and quality improvement initiatives

• Current driving licence and ability to travel between sites

Desirable:

• Formal management and leadership training or equivalent experience in management, training and supervision of Pharmacy staff.
• Experience of Good Clinical Practice
• A further qualification such as a post-graduate diploma or MSc in Clinical Pharmacy.

Interested candidates should submit an updated CV.

Please click the link below to apply, call Michelle Roche on 083 203 3637 or alternatively send an up-to-date CV to michelle.roche@peglobal.net

***Please note our client cannot assist with any visa sponsorship and candidates must have the correct visa to live and work in Ireland***

For a full list of our current job vacancies please go to: https://www.peglobal.net/job-sectors/healthcare/