Clinical Pharmacist Specialist - Cancer Care

Job Overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

The Southampton Oncology Centre is one of the largest in the country with medical and clinical oncology specialities as well as a large haematopoietic stem cell transplant unit and leading CAR-T centre.

As a tertiary referral centre we treat both common and rare tumours, making it an exciting and innovative place to work. The Centre has close links with Southampton University, there is a research facility on site and clinical trials are a huge part of our work.

This post is focussed around fulfilling the diverse pharmaceutical needs of the oncology centre to ensure that we provide an exceptional patient experience.

The Southampton Oncology Centre Pharmacy (SOCP) within Platinum House is open 8.30am-5.00pm (Mon-Fri) and 0900-1300 on a Saturday. We also open bank holidays (Monday 0900-1300). There is a move towards seven day working.

The oncology pharmacy team provides a comprehensive clinical pharmacy service to four out-patient treatment areas, six in-patient wards and a clinical research facility.

We are looking to appoint a pharmacist with a particular interest in the treatment of cancer to complete and expand our specialist cancer pharmacy team.

Working for our organisation

University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.

Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

At UHS we’re committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.

At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We’re committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Our team of cancer care pharmacists are integral members of the in-patient clinical teams contributing to patient care through attendance on consultant-led ward rounds, participation in weekly multidisciplinary team meetings for myeloma and lymphoma patients, advising other members of the MDT, assisting with admission and discharges and conducting audits amongst a multitude of other activities. This role is fully supported by our medicines management technicians.

Cancer care also have four out-patient facilities, one for teenage and young adults, one for oncology, one for haematology and a private patient suite. Our specialist cancer care pharmacists clinically screen all prescriptions for systemic anticancer medicines and provide support and advice to medical and nursing staff and patients. A number of our pharmacists also have prescribing qualifications and undertake patient consultations in a variety of outpatient clinics, assessing patients and prescribing their treatments.

The oncology pharmacy team also manages the chemotherapy electronic prescribing system (Aria) which is a networked system covering six acute Trusts.

As part of our team, you will participate in a weekly rota of both clinical and technical services activities. This will include the clinical screening of all prescriptions for outpatient delivered systemic anticancer therapy (SACT), inpatient delivered SACT, ward based clinical pharmacy activities, facilitating admission and discharge of patients and working with our oncology pharmacy technicians in the technician led aseptic unit. You will act as a releasing pharmacist for a wide range of aseptically prepared adult and paediatric systemic anticancer treatments, for which full training will be provided.

UHS has an on-site outpatient pharmacy which dispenses all the oral systemic anticancer treatments and supportive medicines for patients receiving outpatient treatments. This enables the specialist oncology pharmacists to dedicate more of their time to clinical activities.

This is an exciting opportunity to gain a broad experience of cancer care, therefore you will be expected to integrate and make a positive contribution to the team of pharmacists who lead the pharmacy service to cancer care. You will gain experience of clinical pharmacy in an in-patient and out-patient setting, electronic prescribing, aseptic production and commissioning. This position will suit someone who wants to develop a range of general skills in a specialist setting.

We are looking to appoint a pharmacist who is adaptable, enthusiastic about change, enjoys problem solving and wants to make a positive contribution to peoples’ lives. We want someone who is driven by caring.

Clinical and technical training will be given in all relevant areas. In return we expect a commitment to personal development including self-directed learning and attendance at relevant training courses.

Experience in aseptic preparation of systemic anticancer therapies would be an advantage, but opportunities to develop will be provided to help you evolve specialist oncology pharmacy skills.

We are keen to encourage personal development by offering you structured training and all the support and encouragement you’d expect from a leading teaching Trust.

Person specification

Trust Values

Essential criteria

• Patient First
• Always Improving
• Working Together
  
  

Qualifications, Knowledge And Experience

Essential criteria

• Masters Degree in Pharmacy
• GPhC registration
• Sound knowledge of a surgical or medical speciality acquired working within a suitable specialty
• Meets Foundation framework/ GLF competencies
• Audit and evaluative work
• Sound understanding of healthcare priorities and political agendas
• Experience of teaching and tutoring
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Postgraduate diploma in clinical pharmacy or equivalent experience
• MRPharmS or equivalent
• Working towards RPS Advanced Core portfolio submission
• Training in medicines information Preparation of prescribing guidelines