Associate Regional Pharmacy Procurement Specialist

Overview

The post-holder will work as part of a regional and national team in delivering agreed priorities, facilitating access to the most appropriate medicines, delivered via a robust supply chain, to the NHS organisations in their region, whilst offering best value for money to those organisations.

They will also work collaboratively with the other regional leads and their associate leads to deliver pharmacy procurement services as outlined in the NHS SPS service specification (December 2021). By working as part of an integrated SPS team, the Associate Regional Pharmacy Procurement Specialist will be able to facilitate making medicines optimisation routine practice across the NHS and will promote equal and equitable service provision for all NHS patients.

The NHS SPS requires the post-holder to act as the deputy to a regional pharmacy procurement specialist (RPPS) lead in one of the 7 regions as commissioned by NHSE.

The post holder will support the RPPS leads and their associates in delivering all elements of the SPS specification. This will involve working with all SPS functions as well as colleagues in NHSE, DHSC and the local health economy (ICBs as they become statutory bodies).

• Exercise professional judgment and makes decisions in complex situations where information is partial or conflicting, or when ethical issues are involved.
• Provide expert guidance on aspects of medicines use and safety, including consideration of clinical governance implications, to frontline practitioners, managers and directors in provider and commissioner settings.
• Ensure all work undertaken minimises risk and maximises patient safety associated with the purchase of medicines and services.
• Support and lead on the implementation of national strategy and develop and prioritise the work plan for the pharmacy procurement function for the allocated region.
• Support the delivery of the national medicines optimisation agenda by providing specialist medicines procurement advice at a national, regional and local level.
• Safeguard patients through ensuring resilient medicines supplies and the quality assurance of medicines procured, prepared or manufactured by the NHS in the region in line with regulatory and professional standards.
• Contribute to the patient safety agenda through the provision of pharmacy procurement expertise, including audit, to the procurement, storage and distribution of medicines and medicines provider services to the NHS.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of the annual workplan for SPS via PMSG.

The NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS) supports the NHS to develop best practice systems of work related to buying, making and using medicines. The service provides leadership, instructive and informative specialist input and operational support to the sourcing, supply and use of medicines across the system. Our strengths are borne out of connecting national expertise with policy teams and arm’s length bodies to ensure consistency and high standards.

The service supports both regional and local connections to ensure that the service’s outputs resonate with and support local NHS organisations which deliver care to patients. The key successes of SPS are through the development and delivery of our “Do Once and Share” methodology.

For further details / informal visits contact:
Name:
Amanda Cooper

Job title:

halb Chief of Staff, Assistant Head of NHS SPS
Email address:
Telephone number: