Clinical Pharmacist - Rheumatology

NHS National Services Scotland; East Kilbride; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in East Kilbride is seeking a dynamic pharmacist to join their team. This role involves working within a progressive rheumatology service, providing specialist pharmaceutical care and supporting patients with complex medications. The ideal candidate will have an independent prescribing qualification and a commitment to patient-centered care. The post offers a fixed-term contract of 12 months, full-time hours, and the opportunity to develop advanced skills in a multidisciplinary environment.

Benefits

Minimum of 27 days annual leave

Membership of NHS Pension Scheme

Paid sick leave

Occupational health services

Employee counselling services

Qualifications

• Ability to monitor therapeutic regimens effectively.
• Experience in clinical pharmacy practice required.
• Knowledge in clinical pharmacy/care planning.

Responsibilities

• Support patients requiring complex medicines.
• Deliver safe and effective medicines pathways.
• Contribute to service development and quality improvement.

Skills

Independent prescribing qualification

Communication skills

Teamwork ability

Self-motivation

Clinical pharmacy knowledge

Education

Masters of Pharmacy Degree

Registered member of General Pharmaceutical Council

Job description

The Role

NHS Lanarkshire is seeking a dynamic and motivated pharmacist to join our expanding multidisciplinary team. This is an exciting opportunity to develop advanced skills within a progressive rheumatology service, supporting patients across the region who require complex medicines such as disease modifying anti‑rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), biologics, and targeted therapies. The post holder will work closely with the Senior Clinical Pharmacist (Rheumatology) to deliver safe and effective medicines pathways, pharmacist‑led clinics, and the innovative NHSL Drug Initiation Service. You will provide specialist pharmaceutical care, contribute to service development and quality improvement, and help drive innovation in medicines use, with a particular focus on biologic and conventional DMARDs. We are looking for a pharmacist with an independent prescribing qualification, enthusiasm for specialist practice, and a commitment to patient‑centred care.

NHS Lanarkshire

Have you always wanted to work with NHS Lanarkshire? Then this might be the opportunity for you to join Team Lanarkshire!

Here at NHS Lanarkshire, we put the patient at the heart of everything we do. Each colleague within the organisation plays a key role in how we deliver our healthcare services.

We proudly serve a population of 655,000 across rural and urban communities in both North and South Lanarkshire. NHS Lanarkshire is comprised of Acute Services (which currently provide hospital based services over 3 main sites), Corporate & Property & Support Services, North and South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnerships which provide integrated primary healthcare and social care services to local communities and surrounding areas.

What we'll need you to bring

• Masters of Pharmacy Degree
• Registered member of General Pharmaceutical Council
• Independent prescribing qualification
• Evidence of postgraduate training and professional development in clinical pharmacy practice e.g. Post Registration Foundation Framework/ 1st year clinical diploma
• Relevant post registration experience in clinical pharmacy.
• Ability to effectively monitor patients’ therapeutic regimens in order to ensure effectiveness and reduce toxicity
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team, in a pharmacy and multi‑disciplinary environment.
• Commitment to revalidation as per directions of General Pharmaceutical Council
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Self‑motivation

It would be great if you also have

• Undertaking Postgraduate foundation training and professional development in clinical pharmacy practice
• Relevant post registration experience in hospital pharmacy
• Demonstrable experience in providing a clinical pharmacy service to a defined patient group
• Experience in patient information/education
• Experience in supervising staff
• Continuing professional development as detailed by the General Pharmaceutical Council (mandatory)
• Effectively monitor patients therapeutic regimens in order to ensure effectiveness and reduce toxicity
• Clinical pharmacy/care planning knowledge and understanding
• Proven project, practice research and audit skills
• Ability to prioritise and organise workload

Contract type

Fixed Term (12 Months)

Full time

37 Hours

Please note this is a 12 months fixed term post. Where a post only has temporary funding and an existing member of NHS Lanarkshire staff wishes to apply, this will be treated as a secondment. The employee must already have written agreement from their line manager to be released on a secondment before applying for the post.

Location

This role will be based in Pharmacy within University Hospital Hairmyres but will require cross‑site working to support the Highly Specialist Pharmacist (Rheumatology) to deliver services across NHSL.

Whilst this advertisement may be for a specific post(s) in a particular location, applicants who are shortlisted for interview may be considered for similar vacancies in alternative locations.

Looking to find out more?

If you’re looking to find out more, then we would love to hear from you!

Please contact Anthony Carson, Head of Pharmacy Hairmyres Hospital at [e-mail] or 01355 584 885, or Hannah Rae, Highly Clinical Pharmacist (Rheumatology) at [e-mail] or 07798653868.

Please contact Marion Bisset, Recruitment Administrator at [e-mail] (Please remember to include the job title and reference number in your email).

Why NHS Lanarkshire?

Join us and you will discover a supportive environment where you will have the chance to add to your skills and further your career.

Some of NHS Lanarkshire’s benefits include:

• A minimum of 27 days annual leave increasing with length of service
• A minimum of 8 days of public holidays
• Membership of NHS Pension Scheme, with life insurance benefits (for more information on the NHS Pension Scheme visit the Scottish Public Pension)
• Paid sick leave increasing with length of service
• Occupational health services
• Employee counselling services
• Work‑life Balance policies and procedures

NHS Lanarkshire has a range of support services on topics that can impact both on your working and personal life including occupational health, spiritual care and independent counselling. This support can be accessed using the links on this page.

Further Information

For more information on the role, please refer to the Job Description. If you’re looking for more information on the recruitment process, organisation or the services we provide, please refer to our information pack, or our recruitment webpage.

Additional Information for Applicants

• Posts close at midnight on the indicated date. However, if there is a high level of interest in this position, we may close the advert once sufficient applications are received. Please complete and submit your application early.
• For help to complete an application on Jobtrain please follow this link: https://www.careers.nhs.scot/how-to-apply/application-process/.
• Please check your e‑mail regularly (including junk & spam folders) as well as your Jobtrain account for updates.
• We recommend using the Internet Browser "Google Chrome" or "Microsoft Edge" when using Jobtrain.
• Once you have submitted your application form you will be unable to make any amendments.

NHS Lanarkshire is dedicated to building a diverse workforce where everyone can thrive, develop, and succeed based on their skills, knowledge, and talent—regardless of race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or care experience, or any other dimension that can be used to differentiate people from one another.

Care experienced applicants include those who have lived with foster parents, kinship carers, or in residential/secure children’s settings.

Candidates should provide original and authentic responses to all questions within the application form. The use of artificial intelligence (AI), automated tools, or other third‑party assistance to generate, draft, or significantly modify responses is strongly discouraged. By submitting your application, you confirm that all answers are your own work, reflect your personal knowledge, skills and experience, and have not been solely produced or altered by AI or similar technologies. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in your application being withdrawn from the application process.

Right to Work within the UK

NHS Lanarkshire has a legal obligation to ensure that it does not employ any worker who has not been granted the relevant permission to work in the UK.

We are required to check the entitlement to work in the UK of all prospective employees, regardless of nationality or job category. UK Visas & Immigration rules are available at www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to check eligibility in advance of applying for vacancies in NHS Lanarkshire.

Please note that all Band 1 and Band 2 posts are not eligible for sponsorship through the Skilled Worker route.