Clinical Pharmacist - HMP Chelmsford

HCRG Care Group; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary support £50,133.33–£57,600 pro‑

Group Pension

My Reward Hub discounts

Salary-enabled wage access

Wellbeing support

Learning & development

Job summary

HCRG Care Group invites applications for an experienced Clinical Pharmacist at HMP Chelmsford. The role combines dispensary duties with clinical patient-facing services, focusing on safe medicines management for prisoners with mental health needs.

You will provide supervision to staff and engage in audits, clinics and pharmacotherapy review activities. The ideal candidate is GPhC-registered, a Master's educated pharmacist, and an independent prescriber with UK prison/community pharmacy

Qualifications

• Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) as a Pharmacist.
• Master’s degree in Pharmacy or equivalent.
• An independent prescriber.
• Experience in UK prison, hospital, or community pharmacy settings.
• Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Pharmacy.
• Experience delivering services to patients with mental health conditions or substance misuse.
• Ideally an Independent Prescriber.

Responsibilities

• Dispensary & Medicines Management: ensure safe, timely, and secure supply of medications to prison wings.
• Prescribing & Monitoring: clinically screen prescriptions for safety and effectiveness.
• Clinical Duties: conduct medication reviews and administer medications on the wing as needed.
• Audits and governance: lead year-round audits on CDs, antibiotics and PGDs.
• Clinics: participate in clinics and advise on prescribed and over‑the‑counter medicines.
• Team support: provide clinical supervision to pharmacy technicians and support staff.

Skills

Independent Prescriber

Mental health services

UK prison/hospital/community pharmacy

Clinical pharmacotherapy

Education

Master’s degree in Pharmacy or equivalent

Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Pharmacy

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - HMP Chelmsford

As a Clinical Pharmacist, you will be part of our valued team in our Pharmacy Service, HMP Chelmsford. You will be receiving access to exclusive rewards and benefits including:

• Salary of £50,133.33 - £57,600.00 (Pro rata) depending on experience, and Group Pension.
• Receive a competitive salary enhancement
• Membership of My Reward Hub, giving you access to discounts on every day purchases like grocery shopping as well as cashback and voucher offers for treats for you and those special to you
• Access to your wages as you earn them to help cover life’s emergencies and avoid overdraft fees or high interest rates
• Online and face to face help with your mental and physical wellbeing – from healthy recipes and activity challenges through to post trauma support, legal, debt and life management help, as well career coaching and counselling
• Access to eLearning, bespoke career pathways and opportunities for continuing professional development through our ‘Outstanding’ learning and development team, The Learning Enterprise
• An open, just culture where you’re encouraged to have and implement ideas which can help us deliver our purpose: changing lives through transforming health and care – backed up by at least £100,000 of ringfenced innovation funding each year
• The pride of working for an organisation committed to the highest clinical and quality standards: with the majority of our rated services holding “good” or “outstanding” ratings from the Care Quality Commission

Job Introduction

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and dynamic Clinical Pharmacist to join our progressive healthcare service within HMP Chelmsford. We are seeking a dedicated individual to play a key role in providing safe, high-quality medicines management, with a particular focus on supporting patients with mental health needs and ensuring robust monitoring of antipsychotic medications.

This role combines both dispensary-based duties and clinical patient-facing services, offering variety and professional development in a complex and rewarding environment.

Main Responsibilities

Dispensary & Medicines Management:

• Ensure the safe, timely, and secure supply of medications to prison wings.
• Oversee the safe transport and handling of medicines, adhering to Controlled Drug regulations.
• Provide clinical supervision to pharmacy technicians and support staff.
• Maintain the day-to-day operation of the prison dispensary.

Clinical Duties:

• Conduct medication reviews and develop pharmaceutical care plans.
• Conduct comprehensive yearly audits focusing on compliance and best practices for Controlled Drugs, antibiotic usage, and the application of Patient Group Directions (PGDs).
• Provide structured medication reviews (SMRs) for eligible patients.
• Participate in clinics, offering advice on prescribed and over-the-counter medications.
• Manage minor ailments and common conditions within your clinical competency.
• Support patients in making the best use of their medicines through optimisation initiatives.
• Administer medications on the wing, depending on the business needs

Prescribing & Monitoring:

• Clinically screen prescriptions to ensure accuracy, legality, safety, and effectiveness.
• Review medication histories of new admissions, recommending adjustments as needed.
• Monitor antimicrobial prescribing in line with AMR guidelines.
• Evaluate prescribing trends and advise prescribers in line with formulary standards.

Please see the job description attached for a full list of responsibilities.

The Ideal Candidate

• Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) as a Pharmacist
• Master’s degree in Pharmacy or equivalent
• An independent prescriber
• Previous experience in UK-based prison, hospital, or community pharmacy settings
• Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Pharmacy
• Experience delivering services to patients with mental health conditions or substance misuse issues
• Ideally an Independent Prescriber

About The Company

We change lives by transforming health and care.

Established in 2006, we are one of the UK's leading independent providers of community health and care services, working with health and care commissioners and communities to transform services with a focus on experience, efficiency and improved outcomes. We deliver and transform adult and children community health services, primary care services including urgent care, sexual health, dermatology and MSK services as well as adult social care and wellbeing services.Across England, we support communities of many millions and directly help more than half a million people each year - guided by our simple values: we care, we think, we do.

We're committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from a broad, diverse range of people who want to join our team. We’re a Disability Confident Committed company, so we work to provide facilities, work environment adjustments and technical solutions to be as inclusive of everyone.

As you’d expect, safeguarding and protecting the children, young people and vulnerable adults that we work with is of the utmost importance so we have policies and procedures in place to promote safeguarding and safer working practices and everyone who joins the team is subject to a safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records and vetting checks.

Finally, we need to let you know that the company you’ll work for is part of HCRG Care Group Holdings Limited and by applying for this job we’ll need to process and hold information about you. If you would like to know a little more about how we use your information, please see our website's privacy policy.