Position Overview

Key responsibilities

Under general direction from the Team Leader Pharmacist and Lead Pharmacists, you will work closely with a team of dedicated and skilled technicians, pharmacists, and other healthcare practitioners, to deliver a safe, efficacious and patient centered service. The responsibility of this position is to provide clinical and operational pharmacy services across NCH.

You will:

1. Undertake clinical and operational pharmacist duties, within the approved scope of clinical practice ensuring the delivery of high-quality person and family centered care that is safe and evidence based.
2. Contribute to the dispensing of medicines for inpatients, outpatients and for patients being discharged from the hospital services and provide clinical pharmacy services such as individual patient medication reviews and interventions.
3. Counsel patients about their medications, to permit patients to achieve better understanding, acceptance of and concordance with their medication regimens; to optimise patients' therapeutic outcomes.
4. Participate in the department’s quality improvement projects, health promotion activities, educational programs, and research activities.
5. Provide supervision to junior pharmacists, interns, pharmacy technicians, and students.
6. Provide a range of pharmacy services on weekends and public holidays as rostered, including participating in an On-Call roster.
7. Maintain continuing professional development and current clinical knowledge to ensure ongoing standards of high quality medication management are provided.
8. Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation.

About you

CHS is committed to workforce diversity and to creating an inclusive workplace. As part of this commitment, we welcome applications from all diversity groups. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability and people who identify as LGBTQIA+ are particularly encouraged to apply.

Behavioural Capabilities

• Passion for learning and contributing to great healthcare, so as to achieve the best patient care outcomes possible, with the patient's goals and objectives in mind.
• Strong organisational skills with a high degree of personal drive and integrity.
• Developed or emerging leadership skills and motivation with the ability to participate in the department's quality improvement projects, educational programs and research activities.
• Support colleagues where necessary to help deliver the pharmacy service and ensure optimal patient care and flow within the organisation e.g. assisting ward pharmacists or dispensary in periods of short staffing.
• Actively participate in developing a culture that promotes NCH Pharmacy’s mission, vision and values.

Position Requirements / Qualifications

Mandatory

• Be registered or eligible for registration as a Pharmacist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
• Experience of working professionally as a registered pharmacist in an Australian hospital environment is essential (or in a country where reciprocal arrangements apply with the Australian Pharmaceutical Council Competency Stream Skills Assessment method).
• CHS is leading the drive to digitally transform health service delivery in Australia through the implementation of a territory wide Digital Health Record. Computer literacy skills are required which are relevant to this role as you will be responsible for completing required documentation and becoming a proficient user of the Digital Health Record and/or other Information Technology systems; once proficient, you will need to remain current with changes, updates and contingencies.

For a level 2 pharmacist position increment

• Minimum of 2 years’ full time equivalent experience as a registered pharmacist in a hospital setting (as previously defined, or relevant experience deemed equivalent by the Director or Pharmacy).
• Able to demonstrate competency against the National Standards for Advanced Pharmacy Practice at the Transition Level.

For a level 3 pharmacist position increment

• Minimum of 4 years’ full time equivalent experience as a registered pharmacist in a hospital setting (as previously defined, or relevant experience deemed equivalent by the Director or Pharmacy).
• Able to demonstrate competency against the National Standards for Advanced Pharmacy Practice at the Consolidation Level, which may include a post graduate qualification at diploma level or above.

Desirable

• Membership with a relevant professional organization and/or relevant special practice groups e.g. Advanced Pharmacist Australia.
• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.
• Fulfil the responsibilities of this role in alignment to the CHS Exceptional Care Framework and all other related frameworks.

Please note prior to commencement successful candidates will be required to:.

• Undergo a pre-employment National Police Check.
• Comply with Canberra Health Services Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination policy.
• Comply with CHS credentialing and scope of clinical practice requirements for allied health professionals.

Important information

All employees are required to:

• Adhere to the Canberra Health Services Values and the ACT Public Service Code of Conduct.
• Act in accordance and comply with all relevant Safety and Quality policies and procedures.
• Comply with all relevant clinical and/or competency standards.
• Be available for weekend and/or after-hours work.

What you Require (Key Selection Criteria)

These are the key selection criteria for how you will be assessed in conjunction with your resumé and experience.

1. Proven higher level of knowledge, expertise and skills, in line with the Advanced Pharmacy Practice competencies sufficient to provide pharmaceutical care to patients in a level 4 hospital setting across a variety of clinical specialties, including, but not exclusive to, medicine, surgery, women's health, mental health, critical care, emergency care, palliative care, and pharmacy operational areas.
2. Leadership and management skills and experience that demonstrates competence at the relevant level defined within the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Framework.
3. High level interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to consult, negotiate and liaise effectively with patients and with colleagues in the multidisciplinary setting. This includes building and maintaining effective working relationships and having the ability to provide professional supervision to junior pharmacists, graduates, students and support staff.
4. Demonstrated experience of significant contribution to the development, implementation or maintenance of improvement programs, policy and procedures and medication safety initiatives. This may include participation in research initiatives and accreditation activities.
5. Demonstrated commitment to continuing education and professional development.
6. Demonstrates understanding of, and adherence to, safety and quality standards, work, health and safety (WH&S) and the positive patient experience. Displays behaviour consistent with CHS’s values of reliable, progressive, respectful and kind.

Work Environment Description

The following work environment description outlines the inherent requirements of the role and indicates how frequently each of these requirements would need to be performed. Please note that the ACT Public Service is committed to providing reasonable adjustments and ensuring all individuals have equal opportunities in the workplace.