Location: Altnagelvin Area Hospital, Londonderry
Directorate: Unscheduled Care, Medicine, Cancer & Clinical Services
Contract and hours: Permanent, Full Time (37.5hpw)
Job summary
The post holder will be a member of a team providing pharmaceutical services to the Western Health and Social Care Trust. He/She will work as part of the Trust antimicrobial stewardship team to improve safe and appropriate use of antimicrobial medicines, and reduce the risks to patients and services resulting from antimicrobial resistance.
On occasion where the demands of the service require, the post holder will provide expert pharmacy technical input to wards and other clinical areas. They will provide a comprehensive assessment, ordering, dispensing, checking and pharmaceutical advice service from within the pharmacy department and at ward level. The post-holder will support the Lead Clinical Technician and may deputise for them in their absence.
Main responsibilities
- Support the Antimicrobial Pharmacists in the development, implementation and promotion of antimicrobial stewardship within the Trust.
- Monitor and review prescriptions for antimicrobials and escalate to clinical pharmacists where review of antimicrobials is required (e.g. duration of therapy, IV to oral switch etc.).
- Act as a role model and advocate for judicious prescribing of antimicrobial medicines
- Support the Antimicrobial Pharmacists in the delivery of local and national antimicrobial stewardship strategies, including the NI Implementation of the UK National Action Plan for Antimicrobial Resistance (May 2024).
- Support the antimicrobial pharmacists in the production, review and implementation of antibiotic guidelines, and ongoing maintenance of the Trust intranet guidelines and antimicrobial app (Eolas).
- Provide input on delegated trust policies and procedures working closely with the antimicrobial lead to ensure compliance with antimicrobial stewardship
- Use computer systems (e.g. JAC, Epic etc.) to identify patients receiving antimicrobials with additional risk, such as potential adverse events (e.g. aminoglycosides, glycopeptides, fluoroquinolones, restricted antimicrobials).
- Support the clinical pharmacy and ward teams to manage stock levels of antimicrobial medicines, including reviewing bulk issue stock lists, additional stock orders, restricted antimicrobials etc.
- Support the introduction of new therapies/formulary submissions
- In collaboration with lead antimicrobial pharmacists, manage stock and processes associated with medicine shortages, prescribing initiatives or seasonal requirements
- Along with the antimicrobial pharmacists, work with ward and community based teams to support the needs of patients receiving antimicrobials in community settings (e.g. supplies of ongoing treatment, review of infection outcomes).
- Co-ordinate collection of data in relation to antimicrobial use, support review and analysis of this data and the production of reports (e.g. post infection review, root cause analysis etc.).
- Co-ordinate the data collection of the ward level Trust antimicrobial resistance and stewardship audits and quality initiatives, and were appropriate participate in the data collection for the audits.
- Data analysis of antimicrobial resistance and stewardship audits results and other ad hoc audits related to antimicrobial stewardship (e.g. adherence to guidelines, IV to oral switch, surgical prophylaxis, and impact of antimicrobial stewardship strategies).
- Prepare reports to feedback audit results and actions as identified by the audits. Where appropriate and in collaboration with the antimicrobial pharmacists present the results of these audits and reports.
For complete details view the full job description in the Additional Information section below.
