As the Associate Chief Pharmacist/Technician for Procurement and Distribution the postholder will work alongside the Deputy Chief Pharmacist Emergency Planning & Business Development to provide professional and strategic leadership and advice to the Chief Pharmacist, and the Trust, on all matters related to the purchasing and onwards distribution of pharmaceuticals across the Trust.
The postholder will be the primary responsible lead for all procurement and distribution activities ensuring an innovative and tailored approach is designed to assist in the seamless and efficient purchasing and delivery of pharmaceutical inventory. The post will be responsible for ensuring full system resilience across the service including detailed continuity plans to provide assurance of service continuity.
The post holder has the following key responsibilities:
- Develop, implement and sustain a strategic procurement and distribution service which demonstrates compliance with Good Distribution Practice and associated KPIs.
- To ensure compliance with MHRA and GDP regulations.
- To manage the governance and specifics around the Wholesale Dealers License held by KCH Pharmacy Dept.
- Collect and analyse numerous data sets to support service delivery development.
- To be accountable for the provision of pharmacy stock to all wards and departments.
- To be responsible for overseeing and managing inventory contract compliance including local, regional and national frameworks and to provide regular updates to Chief Pharmacist.
- To manage and oversee the Omnicell System Administration Team and ensure that system utilisation is maximised to achieve clinical and operational strategy targets.
- To establish links with other NHS Trusts and Healthcare Organisations around Pharmacy Distribution & Purchasing services.
- Contribute to the determination of the future direction of pharmacy services through identification of customers and their needs.
- To work alongside the Principal Pharmacist and Specialist Pharmacy Technician for Procurement & Distribution and other senior members of the pharmacy stores team in ensuring comprehensive training and education packages are offered to all substantive and rotational staff.
The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust-wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King’s to another level.
We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.
King’s is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone’s contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust’s carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.
Main Duties and Responsibilities Leadership
- To engage and influence stakeholders in the strategic development of procurement and distribution services
- To gain the trust and co-operation of departmental staff and different disciplines and organisations within the Trust and across the NHS to assist in strategic delivery of the procurement & distribution agenda.
- Acts as a role model for other pharmacy and Trust staff within King’s College Hospital and at a regional and national level, by developing a clear vision on how a highly efficient inventory distribution team should operate.
- To ensure that clinical and operational leadership is central to the delivery of the role.
- Keep up to date with developments in procurement and distribution and use this information to inform practice.
- To work with the Principal Pharmacist and Specialist Technician for Procurement and Distribution alongside Chief Pharmacist in identifying business development opportunities which enhance service provision within the department.
- To work closely with departmental clinical and operational teams in ensuring all departmental reassurances are in place from a pharmaceutical inventory procurement and distribution standpoint.
- To undertake regular reviews of services which post is responsible for to assess performance, effectiveness and value.
- To work closely with Medication Safety Team with activities aligned to incident management linked to procurement and distribution
