Band 8B Principal Pharmacist (Mental Health)

Transformation Unit; Norwich; On-site; GBP 67,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Band 8B Principal Pharmacist (Mental Health) to lead a clinical pharmacy team and drive medicines optimisation across Norfolk and Suffolk. Based at Hellesdon Hospital, this full-time role involves leadership, patient safety, and service improvement.

You will mentor pharmacists and medicines management technicians, collaborate with clinicians, and develop standards while delivering high-quality medicines management across sites.

Qualifications

• Thorough knowledge of mental health therapeutics.
• Knowledge of national and local priorities.
• Up to date with local and national evidence-based guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Management and supervision of pharmacists and Medicines Management Technicians and develop a competent, motivated, and versatile clinical pharmacy workforce.
• Providing leadership role for good Medicines Management to ensure and to promote safe and secure handling of medicines in their clinical area of responsibility
• Leading Medicines Optimisation agenda to ensure and to promote patient safety, treatment effectiveness, better patient experience with treatment, embedding medicines optimisation principles in routine clinical practice in their clinical area of responsibility
• Working with leadership in the Trust and commissioners to support wider Trust requirements in relation to medicines management and medicines optimisation
• Developing and implementing clinical pharmacy standards and quality improvement initiatives
• Leading the development, delivery, evaluation, and improvement of clinical pharmacy services across the Trust
• Providing professional expertise, advice, and training to health professionals, patients and carers.

Skills

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Clear communication

Clinical appraisal

Risk management

Prioritise workload

Procedures/guidelines writing

Education

Master's Degree in Pharmacy

Current registered member of General Pharmaceutical Council

Postgraduate qualification in mental health therapeutics

Member of the College of Mental Health Pharmacy

Member of the Royal College of Pharmacy

Job description

Employer Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Hellesdon Hospital Town Norwich Salary £66,582 - £77,368 gross per annum (pro rata) Salary period Yearly Closing 17/11/2026 23:59

Band 8B Principal Pharmacist (Mental Health)

Band 8B

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust provides child and adult mental health services, learning disability, wellbeing, older people's and eating disorder services across Norfolk and Suffolk.

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and want to reflect the diversity of our local communities within our teams. We welcome applications from all talented individuals with the relevant qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience.

Please note due to the nature of our roles and patient demographic, you will be required to undertake physical intervention training and remain trained, as required by your role.

Job overview

Are you a highly motivated and experienced pharmacist with passion for Medicines Optimisation? Looking for an opportunity to lead a clinical pharmacy team to ensure safety, evidence-based practice and improve patient experience? Do you have the skills and experience to manage, motivate, and inspire pharmacists and medicines management technicians? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you!

We are looking for a Principal Pharmacist to help us improve safe and effective use of medicines to improve patient outcome. This is a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of our patients.

NSFT Pharmacy will support the development of pharmacists looking to go into a leadership role within mental health.

The post-holder will be based in Norfolk. This is a full-time post and will involve some travelling across different sites within Norfolk and Suffolk.

Main duties of the job

As a Principal Pharmacist, you will:

• Management and supervision of pharmacists and Medicines Management Technicians and develop a competent, motivated, and versatile clinical pharmacy workforce.
• Providing leadership role for good Medicines Management to ensure and to promote safe and secure handling of medicines in their clinical area of responsibility
• Leading Medicines Optimisation agenda to ensure and to promote patient safety, treatment effectiveness, better patient experience with treatment, embedding medicines optimisation principles in routine clinical practice in their clinical area of responsibility
• Working with leadership in the Trust and commissioners to support wider Trust requirements in relation to medicines management and medicines optimisation
• Developing and implementing clinical pharmacy standards and quality improvement initiatives
• Leading the development, delivery, evaluation, and improvement of clinical pharmacy services across the Trust
• Providing professional expertise, advice, and training to health professionals, patients and carers.

Working for our organisation

Some of the benefits included with this role:

• a comprehensive in house & external training programmes
• career progression
• starting annual leave of 27 days per annum increasing to 33 days pa based on length of service (plus paid bank holidays)
• NHS discounts and many more

Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing experiences and learning from each other. In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, we are committed to providing an environment in which you can thrive.

Why work for us? We have challenges as a Trust, but we have ambitious aspirations, are pushing ahead with exciting transformation work and we need dedicated individuals to support us on our journey. We have strong, established professional networks coupled with an exceptional leadership team who will ensure you are truly cared for and cared about.

Why Norfolk and Suffolk? The people here are warm and welcoming, you’ll never be far from the beautiful coastline or Broads National Park. We’re an hour and a half away from London and have an international airport in Norwich too. Our villages, towns and cities are packed full of history, independent cafes, shops and theatres. We have excellent shopping, eating out, top ranking schooling and affordable house prices too.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Person specification

Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Pharmacy
• Current registered member of General Pharmaceutical Council
• Postgraduate qualification in mental health therapeutics
• Member of the College of Mental Health Pharmacy
• Member of the Royal College of Pharmacy

Knowledge

• Thorough knowledge of mental health therapeutics
• Knowledge of national and local priorities
• Up to date with local and national evidence-based guidelines

Skills

• Able to work as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Communicates with medical, nursing and pharmacy staff in clear precise and appropriate manner.
• Clinical and critical appraisal skills
• The ability to identify and manage risks
• The ability to identify and prioritise clinical workload
• Evidence of writing or supporting procedures, guidelines or protocols.

Experience

• Significant working experience of mental health environment
• Experience of service and staff management
• To have led or undertaken clinical audit
• and staff management Demonstrate the ability to appropriately recommend, substantiate and communicate medicine related information to mental health patients, carers and clinical staff
• Service evaluation and development
• Previous evaluated experience of mentorship and training skills
• Monitoring and advising on drug expenditure
• Teaching experience

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES Apart from its legal duties in relation to equality and diversity, the Trust recognises and actively promotes the benefits of a diverse workforce and is committed to treating all employees with dignity and respect regardless of race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief.

As a part of the Disability Confident Employer Guaranteed Interview Scheme we interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job vacancy (outlined in the Person Specification).. We encourage you to indicate your eligibility through TRAC jobs when applying.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post may be 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.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.