Chief Pharmacist I

Chief Pharmacist I (Medicines Information and Medication Safety)

Location: Swift Square One

Job type: Fixed Term (11 month contract)

Overview of role

The Chief Pharmacist (Medicines Information and Medication Safety) at UPMC Ireland leads and manages cross‑site strategies, programmes, and teams to ensure the highest standards of medication safety and medicines information provision across the organisation.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

- Act at all times to ensure that the care and safety of patients is assigned the highest priority.

- Understand, model, and promote UPMC core values: Quality and Safety, Dignity and Respect, Caring and Listening, Responsibility and Integrity, Excellence and Innovation.

- Lead the strategic development of a Medication Safety Programme for UPMC Ireland in line with clinical evidence, national guidelines, and professional best practice.

- Lead, coordinate, and guide the work of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Medical colleagues to enhance medication safety and medication safety intelligence across UPMC sites, taking a lead role in the development and implementation of UPMC‑wide medicines information and medication safety initiatives, policies, guidance, and quality improvement projects.

- Support colleagues in Pharmacy, Nursing, and Medicine by providing leadership, advice, and information on best practice in relation to medication safety to promote the safe, effective, and cost‑efficient use of medicines, helping them to coordinate their work and act as a contact point to help interpret and implement national guidance.

- Lead and manage the Medicines Information function of the Pharmacy service, including responding to medicines information queries and proactive dissemination of medicines information updates and bulletins, reviewing new medicines and new medicine requests.

- Lead the development and maintenance of the UPMC formulary.

- Support the safe and cost‑effective entry of new medications onto the UPMC formulary, providing expert advice and education to Pharmacy and other disciplines as appropriate.

- Advise the Director of Pharmacy and Chief Pharmacists on the development of pharmacy medicines information services and education.

- Review relevant technological advances in relation to medicines information and medication safety and advise the Director of Pharmacy with recommendations.

- Collaborate with senior Pharmacy colleagues to oversee the agile and efficient development of medicine information resources for clinical colleagues and patients (e.g. patient information leaflets, monographs, policies, procedures, protocols, and guidelines).

- Work with colleagues in Pharmacy, Nursing, Medicine to develop and implement plans and quality improvement processes to achieve measurable and sustained improvement in medication safety across UPMC.

- Develop and deliver training and education to clinical colleagues and other UPMC staff in relation to medication safety.

- Implement and maintain systems to ensure the effective induction and ongoing training of all Pharmacy and other UPMC clinical staff in the areas of medicines information and medication safety.

- Engage in continuous professional development appropriate to the role and in compliance with professional obligations.

- Support Pharmacy colleagues in enhancing their skills and assuming additional and advanced responsibilities.

- As agreed with the Director of Pharmacy, support the performance achievement of Pharmacy team members against measured and reported competency and performance metrics.

- Develop and compile reports on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) relating to medication safety and ensure they are disseminated and actioned by appropriate stakeholders in a timely manner.

- Plan and organise a risk‑informed medication safety audit programme for the UPMC network, strategically aligned with the service goals of UPMC Pharmacy UPMC Ireland.

- Analyse audit data and other medication safety intelligence datasets to inform timely and focused feedback on medication safety to prescribers and other stakeholders across the UPMC network.

- Proactively identify, manage, and monitor risks and deficiencies in medication management systems and processes, where applicable.

- Take a leadership role in encouraging reporting on medication incidents/near misses across all UPMC sites to support management and mitigation of risk and to inform quality improvement initiatives.

- Foster and sustain an open and just culture that supports the reporting of medication incidents and near misses across the organisation.

- Work closely with the Pharmacy Technician Lead to safely, effectively, and cost‑effectively manage medication stock shortages within UPMC.

- Lead and oversee the development, monitoring, implementation, and maintenance of UPMC‑wide Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), protocols, and guidelines relating to medicines information and medication safety, incorporating national and professional guidance as appropriate.

- Lead and participate in relevant multidisciplinary working groups/committees as required (e.g. Clinical Governance, Drugs and Therapeutics, Medication Safety).

- Provide exemplary leadership and act as a role model, coach, and mentor within the network Pharmacy team, ensuring effective communication to and between all members of the team.

- Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with academic and research partners as appropriate and as requested by the Director of Pharmacy.

- Undertake, promote, coordinate, and publish practice‑based research, ensuring that all relevant GCP standards are adhered to.

- Facilitate and encourage others within the network Pharmacy team to undertake audit and research and to present and publish their findings.

- Build effective partnerships both within UPMC Ireland and across the wider health system to manage and develop services that meet the needs and aspirations of patients, UPMC, and other collaborative partners as appropriate.

- Participate in work related to national and regional medication safety and medicines information initiatives, collaborating with colleagues across UPMC and in the Health Service Executive.

- Propose, lead, and manage innovation in the UPMC medication safety programme and medicines information service, preparing and presenting business cases for service development as appropriate.

- Prepare an annual medication safety programme and monitor and report progress against it on an ongoing basis.

- Participate in the UPMC Hospitals’ accreditation processes.

- Ensure that all UPMC Human Resource policy and procedures are adhered to.

- Support the Director of Pharmacy and the Chief Pharmacists in ensuring compliance with all relevant aspects of pharmacy legislation, regulation, and guidelines as they relate to the Pharmacy Service in UPMC.

- Deputise, as required, in the absence of the Director of Pharmacy.

- Support the Director of Pharmacy in developing and implementing the UPMC Pharmacy Transformation Strategy.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

- Be registered with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland or be entitled to be so registered.

- Have at least 5 years satisfactory post‑registration hospital experience.

- Hold a further qualification such as a post‑graduate diploma or MSc in Clinical Pharmacy.

- Possess the requisite specialised knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability and management ability) for the proper discharge of the duties of the role.

- Have significant, proven post‑registration hospital practice experience, with broad clinical pharmacy experience and line‑management experience.

- Provide evidence of ongoing Continuing Professional Development and role‑specific learning.

Ability to Demonstrate

- Excellent planning, organisational and resource management skills.

- Excellent leadership, interpersonal and people management skills.

- Experience of change management and quality improvement initiatives.

- Current driving licence and ability to travel between UPMC sites.

- Formal management and leadership training or equivalent experience in management, training and supervision of Pharmacy staff.

- Formal training in project management and/or experience of leading multi‑disciplinary projects.

Equal Opportunity Statement

UPMC is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation – Competitive pay for the work employees do – base pay, performance‑related pay and premium pay where applicable.

Benefits – Fully paid maternity and paternity leave for new parents. Competitive pension plan, company‑funded death‑in‑service benefit x 3 times. Critical illness cover for all employees up to the age of 66.

Performance and Recognition – Rewards for performance that supports the goals and mission of UPMC through our annual ACES programme.

Work‑Life Balance – Enhanced annual leave up to a maximum of 27 days. Flexible working opportunities to support you to work around external family commitments.

Development and Career Opportunities – Opportunities for each employee to reach their career goals through continued learning and/or advancement.

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