Advanced Specialist Pharmacist Medicines Guide

Post Title:

Advanced Specialist Pharmacist Medicines Guide

Post Status:

Temporary 

Department

Pharmacy 

Location:

Beaumont Hospital & Affiliated Sites  

Reports to:

Responsible to Chief II Pharmacist, JCI & Projects and Medicines Information; Accountable to Head of Pharmacy and/or his/her Deputy

Salary:

Appointment will be made on the Pharmacist, Advanced Specialist scale (€81,937 - €93,932, LSI €97,033) at a point in line with Government pay policy. 

Hours of work: 

Part time, 18 hours 

Closing Date:

12.00 noon on 13/08/2025

Please note the hospital reserves the right to close the competition early should a substantial number of applications be received.

MAIN ROLE, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The ASP for the Beaumont Hospital Medicines Guide will undertake the duties appropriate to that position and grade, subject to the supervision of the Chief II Pharmacist and general supervision of the Head of Pharmacy and/or his/her deputy.

The duties are as follows:

Clinical Leadership and Patient Care

• Establish and maintain up-to-date information in the Beaumont Medicines Guide
• Ensure a patient-centred focus where the medicines information provided is of a high quality, safe and comprehensive.
• Remain knowledgeable and up to date with local, national and international evidence based guidelines

• Providing expert professional and highly specialised advice on medicines guidance.
• Work closely with medical teams on the clinical cost effective use of medicines incorporating these medicines into treatment guidance and protocols
• Promote safe, effective and cost effective use of medicines by monitoring formulary compliance in conjunction with Medicines Management Programme and hospital guidelines already in place.
• Work closely with the lead pharmacists in accreditation projects and medicines information to develop and or update protocols
• Work closely with ward, dispensary, aseptic compounding, antimicrobial and medication safety pharmacists to develop and or update protocols
• Use pharmacy, financial and critical appraisal skills to promote the use of appropriate cost-effective and evidence based medicines. This includes managing conflicting opinions and evidence and advising when there is a lack of information /evidence.
• Assist lead pharmacists to manage meetings with prescribers where requests are made for high cost medications, non formulary medications, managed access medications, high tech medications etc
• Work with the informatics pharmacist when the pharmacy drug file is being implemented to flag the medications that required specific pathways for prescribing e.g. high tech, managed access, GMS, PCRS reimbursement, Access and Integration drug management pathways etc where possible
• Facilitate flow of admission and discharge by flagging medications that may cause delays
• Identify priority development work through feedback from clinical ward pharmacists and other healthcare professionals
• Assist the dispensary, medicines information, clinical and antimicrobial lead pharmacists with medication shortages and proposals of alternatives
• Participate in the hospitals medication safety programme; working closely with the medication safety officer
• Participate in preparations for inspections from JCI, HIQA, OCEI, HPRA and any other accreditation body where applicable
• Develop and review hospital prescribing guidelines
• Ensure updates and deployments of protocols are all brought to the hospital Drugs and Therapeutics Committee for compliance with governance
• Undertake ward duties and on call service as part of core work in the department

• The ability to multi task, work flexibly and under pressure
• The ability to prioritise and demonstrate effective time management skills
• Demonstrate team working skills both with the pharmacy team and in a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) capacity
• Exhibit effective communication skills including those applicable to patients, multi-disciplinary team, presentation skills and guideline writing.
• Participate in the provision of a comprehensive pharmacy service, supporting medicines management and clinical services at the discretion and direction of the Chief II Pharmacist.

Service and Financial Management

• Ensure that the purchase, storage and supply of all medications is operated on the most economical lines, consistent with quality at pharmacy and ward level.
• Development  and enhancement of the Beaumont Hospital Medicines Guide
• Possess the ability to work in a changing environment
• Promote the safe and effective use of medicines
• To participate in multidisciplinary hospital committees at the discretion and direction of the Chief II Pharmacist.

• Ensure medication safety events are responded to and addressed, as per Beaumont Hospital policy
• Devise and update policies, procedures and guidelines in conjunction with stakeholders from the different directorates, ensuring the adoption of best practice methodology.

Staff Management and Training

• Maintain a high standard of clinical knowledge by undertaking continuing professional development (CPD) activities.
• Provide education and training of pharmacy staff, the MDT and undergraduates, where required.
• To train and supervise any pharmacist or other pharmacy staff assigned to him/her.
• Ensure that the needs of patients and professional staff are being adequately met by the medicines information provided

Other Core Elements

• Where the Clinical Services Chief II Pharmacist has been assigned responsibilities, to co-operate with and assist him/her in the performance of his/her duties & responsibilities as required.

• To perform such other duties appropriate to the office, as may be assigned to him/her by the Head of Pharmacy & other duly authorised officer(s).
• To practice in accordance with PSI standards at all times
• To participate in the on-call pharmacist rota & weekend rota

PARTICULARS OF OFFICE

1. The appointment is part time, temporary and pensionable.
2. The person appointed must give, in writing, at least one month’s notice of his/her intention to resign.
3. Normal working will be 18 hours per week.
4. You will be required to work the agreed roster/on call arrangements advised to you by your line manager. Your contracted hours of work are liable to change between the hours of 08:00 – 20:00 over seven days to meet the requirements for extended day services in accordance with the terms of the Framework Agreement.

GENERAL

1. The Hospital Board will not be responsible for the loss or theft of personal belongings.
2. Fire orders must be observed and staff must attend fire lectures every two years.
3. All accidents within the department must be reported immediately.
4. In accordance with the “Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005”, all staff must comply with all safety regulations.
5. Beaumont Hospital will be a smoke free Campus. Smoking will not be permitted on Hospital grounds.

CONFIDENTIALITY

In the course of your employment you may have access to or hear information concerning the medical or personal affairs of patients and/or staff, or other health services business. Such records and information are strictly confidential and unless acting on the instructions of an authorised officer, on no account must information concerning staff, patients or other health service business be divulged or discussed except in the performance of normal duty. In addition records must never be left in such a manner that unauthorised persons can obtain access to them and must be kept in safe custody when no longer required.

INFECTION CONTROL AND HYGIENE

It is the responsibility of all staff across the hospital to ensure that infection control and hygiene standards are adhered to and maintained at all times.

HEALTH

A candidate for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

Selection Criteria: 

Selection criteria outline the qualifications, skills, knowledge and/or experience that the successful candidate would need to demonstrate for successful discharge of the responsibilities of the post. 

Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria.

Mandatory:

1. Statutory Registration, Professional Qualifications, Experience, etc.
(a) Eligible applicants will be those who on the closing date for the competition have the following:
(i) Be a registered Pharmacist with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) or
be entitled to be so registered
And
(ii) Possess a Level 9 or higher post registration, postgraduate qualification on the
National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) maintained by Quality and
Qualifications Ireland, in an area relevant to the role.
Or
(iii) Possess a relevant qualification at least equivalent to (ii) above
And
(iv) 4 years post registration hospital experience, of which at least 2 years[1] must be
in the relevant specialty demonstrating the required level of specialist practice
(b) Or
(i) Be a registered Pharmacist with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) or
be entitled to be so registered
And
(ii) Evidence of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) including relevant
courses in an area relevant to the role
And
(iii) 5 years post registration hospital experience of which at least 3 years[2] must
be in the relevant specialty demonstrating the required level of specialist
practice
And
(c) Candidates must possess the requisite clinical, leadership, managerial and administrative
knowledge and ability for the proper discharge of the duties of the office.
2. Annual registration
Annual Registration On appointment, Practitioners must maintain live annual registration on the
Pharmacist Register maintained by Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland.

[1] A minimum of 0.5 WTE must have been in the specialist area for the duration of this time.
[2] A minimum of 0.5 WTE must have been in the specialist area for the duration of this time.
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3. Health
Candidates for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of
undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a
reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.
4. Character
Candidates for and any person holding the office must be of good character.

Desirable:

Possess a post graduate Diploma/Masters in Hospital/Clinical Pharmacy or a related healthcare area or in pursuit of same.

Informal Enquiries ONLY to: (Please note NO APPLICATIONS will be accepted via the Informal Email)

If an appointee has previously been employed in the Civil or Public Service and that appointee is entitled to or in receipt of a pension from the Civil or Public Service or where a Civil/ Public Service pension comes into payment during the appointee’s re-employment that pension will be subject to abatement in accordance with Section 52 of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and other Provisions) Act 2012.

Please note: In applying for this position you are acknowledging that you understand that the abatement provisions, where relevant, will apply. It is not envisaged that the employing Department/ Office/ Body will support an application for an abatement waiver in respect of appointments to this position