Are you looking to join a forward-thinking, dynamic cancer pharmacy team? At Oxford, you’ll be part of one of the largest specialist pharmacy services in the country, working alongside 2 Consultant Pharmacists, Highly Advanced and Advanced Cancer Pharmacists, and the very first Advanced Cancer Pharmacy Technicians in the UK.
This is a unique opportunity to collaborate with nationally and internationally recognised experts in cancer and palliative care. You’ll help deliver cutting-edge treatments, including ATMPs, CAR-T, HSCT, while also contributing to services at 1 of only 5 bone and soft tissue specialist centres in England.
Our pharmacist prescribers work closely with consultants and the wider MDT to review and prescribe SACTs, ensuring patients receive the highest standard of care.
At OUH, as a major clinical trials centre, we are actively involved in both early and late phase research. We believe every pharmacist role should be research-active, and support your pursuit of opportunities, including the chance to work towards a PhD.
We are happy to hear from B6 pharmacists who are soon to complete their clinical pharmacy diplomas or MSc degrees.
We are proud to provide comprehensive services for patients in Oxfordshire and beyond. With oncology, clinical haematology, BMT unit, palliative care services, private unit, and close links with Cancer Research UK, our centre offers an unrivalled environment for learning, collaboration, and making a real difference for patients.
Key roles include:
Delivery of high-quality pharmaceutical care to adult cancer in-patients, day-case, and out-patients.
Participation in pharmacy services to the Day Treatment Unit to optimise patients’ understanding towards medications and reduce medicines wastage.
Clinically screening and checking of systemic anticancer treatments (SACTs), SACT clinical trial treatments and supportive medication prescriptions.
Participating in multidisciplinary meeting and ward rounds
Pharmacist led oral anti-cancer treatment education clinics
Pharmacist non-medical prescribing in multidisciplinary clinics and day treatment unit
Aseptic experience within Pharmacy’s Clinical Trials Aseptic Services Unit (CTASU)
Participating in the day to day running of the CTASU and developing knowledge in quality control and quality assurance.
Involvement in cancer early and late phase clinical trials
Active participation in Thames Valley Cancer Alliance groups
The post holder will participate in the band 7 cancer pharmacist rotation which currently includes rotations through:
Oncology Ward (OWLs)
Clinical Haematology Ward (CHW)
Day Treatment Unit (Oncology & Haematology)
Oncology and Haematology SACT clinical screening
Early phase/Late phase research & SACT clinical trials screening
Brodey Chemotherapy Day Unit, Horton Hospital, Banbury
Clinical Trials Aseptic Unit
Palliative Care
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research.
The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.
Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence. These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel .
To provide a ward-based clinical pharmacy service according to Trust agreed standards including:
- Confirmation of the patient’s medication history
- Medicines reconciliation and clinical screening
- Advise on dosage, side-effects, cautions and monitoring required
- Advise on administration of medicines
- Appropriate and clear endorsing of prescriptions to ensure safe practice
- Monitor the effect and appropriateness of medication
- Education of patients on their medication
- Involvement in discharge planning and provision of discharge medication
To provide clinical pharmacy cover to other ward areas within the team on a reciprocal basis.
To ensure medicines are used appropriately, safely and cost-effectively in accordance with Trust policies, standard operating procedures and medicines legislation.
To monitor medicine use within the ward area. This includes recording of significant clinical interventions and risk management including:
- Participation in investigating clinical incidents
- Recording significant clinical incidents/near misses
- Ensuring compliance with medicines legislation and local policies
To use available information to influence prescribers and ensure the most cost-effective choice of therapy.
To participate in ward rounds, clinical meetings or out-patient clinics as appropriate in order to provide pharmaceutical advice to prescribers and other healthcare professionals.
To liaise with external agencies to ensure safe, timely and appropriate supply to patients e.g. Baxter, Homecare companies etc, where appropriate.
To participate in ward-based clinical audits and the development and implementation of treatment protocols and guidelines for use of medicines within the clinical area.
To tutor and supervise rotational pharmacists undertaking the clinical diploma, following formal accreditation as a tutor by Cardiff University, or other university and to tutor other pharmacists and pre-registration students in the clinical area.
To act as a role model and mentor for clinical pharmacy.
To develop personal practice research in accordance with the Trust and pharmacy strategy.
To contribute to local, national and international specialist interest groups and conferences/meetings.
To become a non-medical prescriber as appropriate.
To work as a non-medical prescriber in the oncology & haematology directorate to prescribe medications safely and effectively in line with their scope of practice for patients requiring therapeutic medications and treatments, utilising local or organisational guidelines, national guidelines, and adhering to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and GPhC Prescribing Standards after the approval from the Trust’s respective Non-Medical Prescribing Lead.
To provide teaching for the pharmacy and directorate teams as required.
To act as knowledge base/resource for the specialist area and to keep up to date with current trends and research in the specialist area.
Together with the rest of the members of the clinical pharmacy team to support the strategic developments of the service e.g. electronic prescribing, improved discharge processes, accredited technician checking etc.
To actively contribute to the planning and efficient co-ordination of clinical pharmacy initiatives including discharge planning, prescribing protocols, pharmacists on consultant ward rounds etc.
To contribute to and implement the clinical governance plans of the clinical area and the pharmacy clinical governance plans.
Oncology & Haematology Directorate Service
To clinically screen all SACT and supportive medication prescriptions (including oral, injectable and clinical trial drugs) according to locally agreed standards, following a period of competency-based training and assessment.
To be accredited in the appropriate aspects of handling intrathecal SACTs e.g. screening, issuing etc. within the recommendations of current legislation.
To be involved in the development, maintenance, and review of cancer chemotherapy and supportive care drug protocols defined by the SACT Operational Group and multidisciplinary teams. This includes prescribing protocols and drug administration guidelines.
To contribute to the development of the Trust cancer information systems in accordance with agreed objectives with the Consultant Cancer Pharmacist.
To be involved in the preparation of new drug submissions for the Trust Medicines Management and Therapeutics Committee (MMTC) with Consultant colleagues. To provide resources to ensure safe implementation of new technology into clinical practice.
To assist with review of sections of the Trust formulary relevant to the specialist area.
To be involved in the implementation of relevant local, network and national standards including service guidelines and technology appraisals produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
To be involved with the pharmacy set up of cancer clinical trials, including phase I, II, and III trials in line with current legislation. To support the pharmacy clinical trials team. This includes supporting the clinical trial work of the Cancer Research UK Clinical Research Unit, Medical Research Council and National Cancer Research Network.
To act as an Authorised Pharmacist in the Clinical Trials Aseptic Services Unit (CTASU). This will involve supervising the aseptic process and releasing products that have been prepared in CTASU in accordance with the CTASU Pharmaceutical Quality System. For this part of the role you will be professionally responsible to the Accountable Pharmacist for CTASU.
To be involved with supporting advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) in the unit, and to ensure the multidisciplinary team follow appropriate procedures for handling ATMPs.
To attend and contribute to Cancer Pharmacy Team Meetings.
Professional Role
To ensure confidentiality is maintained at all times.
To be professionally accountable for actions and advice.
To use experie nce and clinical judg ment to assist in problem-solving and troubleshooting within the Pharmacy department .
To give professional support to the site operational managers.
To be aware of training and competency assessment of pre-registration pharmacist trainees, diploma pharmacists and student pharmacy technicians and participate in their training and competency assessment as required.
To support the dispensaries by participating in screening and checking prescriptions and dispensed items at a mutually convenient time as part of a rota.
To participate in weekend and bank holiday working according to rota.
Any other reasonable duties as requested by the Chief Pharmacist.
To participate in any future 7 day working patterns should the pharmacy department change its current working practices.
See job description for further details.
