Overview
Frimley Health NHS Trust is seeking a Chief Pharmacy Information Officer for a fixed-term 12-month maternity cover. The postholder will lead the strategic development and management of pharmacy information systems, including Electronic Patient Record Epic, Automated Dispensing Cabinets, and other pharmacy systems, ensuring these systems support safe, effective and efficient pharmacy services. The role involves close collaboration with Digital Services to deliver system implementation and EPR optimisation tailored to pharmacy needs. The Chief Pharmacy Information Officer will act as the link between pharmacy and clinical teams, and external stakeholders across the Trust and Integrated Care Board (ICB), to drive interoperability and integrated digital solutions that enhance patient care pathways. This is a leadership opportunity for a pharmacy informatics expert committed to advancing digital transformation within NHS pharmacy. The post holder will provide specialised advice on digital transformation systems and the Trust’s EPR, focusing on prescribing and medicine usage, ensure alignment of digital pharmacy strategy with business plans, and develop a digital workforce with EPR and logistics system training and certification for all team members.
Advise on procurement, implementation and benefits realization in clinical and non-clinical digital system projects from a pharmacy perspective. Act as the main contact between the Trust EPR team and Pharmacy Team, liaising with external stakeholders including ICB and other pharmacy networks, to provide specialist advice on new systems, changes, data and reports. Ensure prescribing-related tasks and operations are responsive, safe, effective and efficient, including logging, monitoring and escalating EPR system incidents. Accountable for clinical governance in electronic prescribing, ensuring safe, cost-efficient and effective use of the prescribing system and medicines, and adherence to local and national guidelines. Advise and support the Senior Pharmacy Team and lead pharmacists on digital decisions to incorporate into the pharmacy development plan. Lead the Trust pharmacy digital strategy and oversee alignment of multiple sites and harmonisation of practice where appropriate. The Trust is committed to inclusivity and disability confidence, with recognition schemes and ongoing professional development opportunities.
Responsibilities
* Develop a strategy for continuing post-implementation optimisation and maintenance of the EPR system in line with local and national guidelines relating to medicine safety, formulary and protocols.
* Plan and implement other systems such as WellSky and Omnicell, and assess their impact on clinical documentation across FHFT sites.
* Ensure optimum use and maintenance of systems and incorporate pharmacogenomics within digital systems.
* Advise the Senior Pharmacy Team on information systems maintenance, options, optimisation and strategic planning, including regular board reports on work-plans aligned with the wider digital programme.
* Advise the Trust CMIO, CNIO and IT on pharmacy digital enabling issues and risks (e.g., dispensing, pharmacy database management, chemotherapy, aseptic manufacturing).
* Modernise and transform Pharmacy Services, working with external suppliers to streamline automated processes.
* Support design, implementation, build and maintenance of bespoke software solutions for data capture and reporting within the Pharmacy.
* Support the strategy for pharmacy automation including robotics and artificial intelligence (AI).
* Oversee all application development for pharmacy to provide digital solutions that improve efficiencies in relation to the EPR programme.
* Support the research activity of senior clinical pharmacists and pharmacy technicians by advising and developing information reporting as required.
* Advise on electronic solutions to improve patient safety, efficiencies and savings, including electronic ward cabinets, secure storage and optimising EPR use.
* Support alignment of multiple sites and harmonisation of practice where appropriate.
* Contribute to patient experience initiatives using digital technology to improve outcomes (e.g., patient surveys, remote pharmacy services).
* Develop, implement and monitor policies and procedures for the pharmacy digital component of the EPR, ensuring compatibility with Trust IT standards and national direction.
* Resolve technical and operational issues relating to pharmacy computer systems; configure and maintain EPR drug files, order sets and electronic guidance links.
* Extract and analyse complex information from IT sources to support clinical activities within pharmacy and other Trust departments.
* Manage business continuity plans for all pharmacy IT systems, information flows and equipment.
* Maintain expert knowledge of EPR functionality, configuration and day-to-day practice; ensure onsite EPR presence during new workflow implementations and provide expert support on the ground.
* Lead and coordinate pharmacy responses to installations of software and updates; ensure changes (including medication builds) are quality assured and approved.
* Provide final sign-off after support testing and before migration of work into live environments; oversee medication builds with lead pharmacists and clinicians.
* Work with clinical teams to design, test and finalise medication management workflows; provide managerial support to continuous improvement of FHFT pharmacy intranet/internet resources.
* Keep up to date with national best practices related to EPR and support governance relating to electronic prescribing, working with the Trust digital team.
* Maintain good record keeping of all decisions and advise on prioritisation of issues; liaise with Medicines Safety to identify and manage EPR risks and ensure interfaces with internal and external stakeholders.
* Develop system data and reporting for dashboards used by pharmacies to monitor quality and efficiency; identify and resolve data quality issues before incidents arise.
* Manage costs for EPR-related training and certification; support reporting of all drug transactions to meet information needs and assist the Pharmacy Cost Improvement Programme (CIP).
* Provide leadership and supervision to the EPR team, deputising for the line manager when required and promoting evidence-based practice through prescription monitoring.
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