Advanced Pharmacist

Nhs Professionals Limited; Waterford; On-site; GBP 39,000 - 51,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Professionals Limited is seeking an Advanced Pharmacist to join the Pharmacy Department at Watford General Hospital. You will support the Lead Pharmacist in delivering clinical services, optimise medicines use, and provide complex medicines information while promoting formulary compliance.

You will also help develop systems for patient medicines usage, manage technician-led processes, and liaise with GPs and community pharmacists to ensure continuity of care. UK registration is required.

Qualifications

• MPharm degree with GPhC registration.
• MSc or Diploma in Pharmacy Practice or equivalent.
• Experience in clinical pharmacy, especially Haematology/Oncology.
• Knowledge of Ascribe and Cerner EPR systems; medicines reconciliation.
• Strong skills in appraisal, reporting, project management and staff leadership.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily activities of pre-registration and junior pharmacists, clinical technicians, pharmacy assistants, and students.
• Coordinate workload planning and staff utilization; participate in Clinical Governance meetings.
• Lead training initiatives and support education for medical, nursing, and pharmacy staff.
• Contribute to guidelines, protocols, and procedural documents; prepare reports for committees.
• Perform routine controlled drug checks and ensure compliance with legal and Trust policies.
• Drive audits of prescribing practices and support pharmacy practice research.

Skills

Clinical pharmacy

Staff management

Audit/Governance

Education

MPharm or equivalent

MSc/Diploma in Pharmacy Practice

Tools

Ascribe

Cerner EPR

Job description

Job summary

We have an exciting opportunity for an Advanced Pharmacist at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust to join the Pharmacy Department at Watford General Hospital. You will be responsible for supporting the Lead Pharmacist in the delivery and development of clinical pharmacy services across the Watford site and the wider Trust. You will be managing and optimising medicines-related care by ensuring prescriptions are safe, effective, economical, and evidence-based, while promoting compliance with the Trust Formulary. You will also be supporting patients, carers, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals by providing complex medicines information, including advice on dosing, indications, side effects, and appropriate treatment options to promote safe and effective medicines use.

Main duties of the job

As an Advanced Pharmacist, you will be responsible for supporting the development and implementation of systems that enable the appropriate use of patients own medicines. You will be managing and improving technician-led processes to ensure the timely, accurate, and seamless supply of medicines throughout the patient journey. You will also be responsible for identifying and monitoring adverse drug reactions and submitting Yellow Card reports to the MHRA. Additionally, you will be supporting inpatient and outpatient dispensary operations by liaising with the Dispensary Manager to review workflow, maintain appropriate records, and ensure adherence to relevant legal requirements and national and local standards. You will also be coordinating the transfer of medicines-related information with community pharmacists, GPs, and other primary healthcare professionals to support continuity of care.

About us

Here at NHS Professionals, we run England's largest NHS staff bank and are experts at putting people in places to care. Every year we help thousands of dedicated and highly skilled NHS workers enjoy better career opportunities, more flexible shifts, and a healthier work-life balance across our partnered Trusts.

Career Progression

access to Learning and Development opportunities, so that you can take on new roles and challenges

Work-life Balance

flexible shifts, committed shifts, wellbeing resources and build paid annual leave

Opportunity and Access

over 50 partner NHS Trusts to give you the flexibility of choice to work how and where you want

Key Responsibilities

• To oversee the daily activities of pre-registration pharmacists, junior pharmacists, clinical technicians, pharmacy assistants, and undergraduate pharmacy students within allocated rotations. You will be responsible for coordinating workloads, promoting effective staff utilisation, and contributing to departmental Clinical Governance meetings.


• To facilitate structured learning and professional development across the pharmacy workforce by identifying individual training requirements, recommending suitable development opportunities, and encouraging participation in relevant educational programmes. You will also support the delivery of training for medical, nursing, and other healthcare staff.


• To contribute to the preparation, review, and revision of medicines-related guidelines, protocols, and procedural documents. You will also assist in preparing reports and supplying relevant information for healthcare committees when required.


• To document clinical pharmacy interventions in accordance with departmental policy and ensure medication errors are escalated to the appropriate line manager. You will be responsible for completing the necessary incident reports to support accurate documentation and organisational learning.


• To conduct regular controlled drug checks in accordance with Trust procedures and ensure compliance with legal requirements governing the purchase, storage, safe custody, and destruction of medicines. You will also adhere to the professional standards of the General Pharmaceutical Council and applicable Trust policies.


• To undertake audit projects examining prescribing practices and compliance with clinical guidelines, identifying opportunities to strengthen clinical standards. You will also contribute to pharmacy practice research, achieve objectives agreed during individual performance reviews, and undertake other reasonable duties assigned by senior pharmacy management.

Essential Qualifications

• MPharm degree or equivalent overseas qualification with current GPhC registration.


• MSc/Diploma in Pharmacy Practice or equivalent qualification.


• Experience in clinical pharmacy services, particularly Haematology and Oncology.


• Knowledge of Ascribe and Cerner EPR, medicines reconciliation, prescription screening, and clinical interventions.


• Strong critical appraisal, report writing, project management, and staff management skills.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website. Apply through our website

Closing date: 31 December 2026

Salary: £32.49 an hour

Band: Band 8a (Agenda for change)

Contract: Bank

Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Location: Watford General Hospital, 60 Vicarage Road, WATFORD, WD18 0HB

NHS Professionals Limited's privacy notice is available on the employer website.