Clinical Effectiveness & Clinical Economy Pharmacist

To facilitate and promote safe, effective and efficient use of medicines within the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUHFT).

To promote the economic use of medicines within the OUH NHS Foundation Trust by actively participating in the Trust's "Cost-Effective Use of Medicines" Project.

To promote and ensure the economic use of medicines whilst actively contributing to the activities of the pharmacy department to ensure high standards of quality of pharmaceutical care for patients.

To deputise for the Medicines Effectiveness Lead Pharmacist as appropriate. To be the pharmacy lead in promoting cost-effective, evidence-based and safe prescribing of medicines within the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

To manage the Trust Medicines Management and Therapeutics Committee as well as communication and day-to-day implementation of its decisions. This includes triage of one-off non-formulary requests for the MMTC chair.

To work with neighbouring NHS and other organisations (including the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Area Prescribing Committee) to ensure consistency of prescribing guidance.

The formulary is managed by the Medicines Management & Therapeutics Committee (MMTC) on behalf of the Clinical Governance Committee (CGC). The formulary limits the range of medicines that may be prescribed in the trust to those that are established as gold-standard in their class and/or best value for money.

The MMTC meets monthly to consider and evaluate applications for new medicines and decides whether to include, restrict or exclude new medicines from the formulary. The committee also produces and circulates Medicines Information Leaflets (MILs), which provide guidelines for the prescribing and use of medicines across a broad range of indications.

The post holder will provide professional support to the MMTC:

• To support the Medicines Effectiveness Pharmacist in developing and managing the OUHFT Formulary by drawing up the agenda for the MMTC meetings.
• Creating and providing evidence-based reviews of new medical technologies to inform decisions.
• Carrying out preliminary evaluations of applications and meeting with applicants for clarification if appropriate.
• Disseminating, publicising and implementing the committee's decisions.

To contribute actively to the OUHFT MMTC, to keep abreast of current information on newly launched medicines and those in development. To contribute to the writing and dissemination of Medicines Information Leaflets and other information to promote quality and cost-effective prescribing in the Trust.

To liaise with Specialist pharmacists on Formulary issues and MMTC applications. To be actively involved in the implementation of Formulary decisions. To be involved in and/or supervise audit of current practice against nationally recognised standards.

To authorise supply of non-formulary medicines in accordance with the Trust's Medicines Policy. To participate actively in the Trust's Cost Effective Use of Medicines (CEUM) project and other initiatives to manage expenditure on medicines within the local health economy.

To support the Medicines Effectiveness Pharmacist in implementing the Trust Policy on the use of unlicensed Medicines. To deputise for the Medicines Effectiveness Pharmacists on committee meetings within and outside the ORH Trust; for example, the Area Prescribing Committee of Oxfordshire.

The Cost Effective Use of Medicines Project is a Cost Improvement and Transformation project that is steered by the Cost Improvement and Transformation Steering Group. The objective of this project is to reduce the Trust's drugs expenditure by implementing a number of schemes, such as therapeutic substitution and reduction of waste from repeat prescribing.

The job holder will play an active role in the day-to-day implementation of this project by supporting the Medicines Effectiveness Team in identifying and implementing opportunities for cost reduction by therapeutic substitution.

Supporting wards, clinics and theatres to ensure safe and effective switches as agreed by the directorate and by the drug cost savings group. To participate actively in the Trust's Drugs Cost Savings Project and other initiatives to manage expenditure on medicines within the local health economy.

To support pharmacy divisional team leads, directorate pharmacists and other directorate staff in implementing drug cost savings initiatives at the directorate level. To contribute actively to the drug cost savings project group meetings and be actively involved in implementing its initiatives.

To contribute to writing, disseminating and publicising of Medicines Information Leaflets and other information to promote good quality and cost-effective prescribing. To analyse data on drug expenditure to identify opportunities for drug savings.

To create and present reports on drug expenditure and drug cost savings. To be actively involved in the implementation of the Trust Formulary. To support the Medicines Effectiveness Pharmacist in implementing the Trust Policy on the cost-effective use of unlicensed Medicines.

To deputise for the Medicines Effectiveness Pharmacists as appropriate on committee meetings within the ORH Trust for discussions and decisions that affect the cost-effective use of medicines.