Foundation Pharmacist

NHS; Torquay; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Torquay is seeking a Foundation Pharmacist to join their cohesive team. This role offers a unique opportunity to develop essential clinical and professional skills. You will gain experience by working on a rotational basis while being mentored by senior pharmacists. The position is suitable for both trainee pharmacists and those with some experience, promoting flexible or part-time working options. The competitive salary ranges from £38,682 to £46,580 per annum pro rata, emphasizing the importance of training and professional development in a supportive environment.

Benefits

Supportive professional development

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Experience and understanding of clinical pharmacy in any sector.
• Previous participation in quality improvement and audit projects.
• Clinical pharmacy experience in acute, intermediate and primary care settings.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with staff and patients.
• Participate in the Foundation Programme to achieve defined skills and competencies.
• Provide pharmacist support for discharge facilitation and reuse of patients’ own medicines.

Skills

Good communication skills (written and verbal)

Organisational, time management and prioritisation skills

Good team player

Education

Masters Degree in Pharmacy

Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council

Specialised training in clinical pharmacy

Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Job description

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

Foundation Pharmacist

The closing date is 12 January 2026

If you are looking to begin your career as a hospital pharmacist as a member of a supportive, professional, cohesive team, where training is a priority, come and join us in South Devon. We welcome applications from trainee pharmacists who are due to register in 2026. If you are a pharmacist with more experience, perhaps outside of hospital pharmacy, do get in touch – we are very happy to discuss possibilities for part‑time or flexible working if that is important to you.

Our foundation pharmacists work on a rotational basis and their training and supervision is provided through a number of collaborative initiatives between TSDFT and Devon Partnership NHS Trust.

Foundation pharmacists are employed by Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust (TSDFT), which is an integrated care organisation.

The rotation includes the provision of medicines optimisation services to acute and community hospitals, intermediate care and mental health.

The purpose of the foundation pharmacists' role is to develop and utilise the clinical and professional skills defined in the South Devon Pharmacist Foundation Programme in order to provide clinical pharmacist input into medicines optimisation services for patients across all sectors of the healthcare system.

Main duties of the job

• You will be a pharmacist who acts within their professional boundaries, working within the pharmacy team and alongside the multidisciplinary healthcare teams in each of their rotation placements.
• Work on a rotational basis, gaining competencies and experience as defined by the Foundation Programme. In each rotation you will be supported, mentored and managed by the senior clinical pharmacy team.
• Be competent to practice safely and autonomously at a foundation level within each rotation specialty (competencies and timeframes for assessment and achievement are defined in the Foundation Programme handbook).
• Provide clinically appropriate, patient‑centred, evidence‑based and cost‑effective pharmaceutical care to patients in all of your rotational placements.
• The Foundation Programme forms the basis of an innovative career pathway for pharmacists. It has the support of local and national pharmacy leaders and provides foundation pharmacists in South Devon with the opportunity to develop a wide range of clinical and professional skills and experience across a number of healthcare settings while actively utilising these skills within supportive teams.

About us

The TSDFT clinical pharmacy team culture is team‑based, patient‑focused, innovative and supportive.

Continuing professional development is expected from all team members and the support for the training and development of pharmacists and technicians through a well‑established foundation programme is a key component of the team's work.

The team is well integrated with the multidisciplinary teams across the Trust and all team members are expected to represent the pharmacy department and their profession in a visible, approachable and competent manner, demonstrating flexibility, positivity and problem‑solving ability as appropriate to their role and competency.

The ward‑facing clinical pharmacy teams (each consisting of highly specialist, mid‑grade and foundation pharmacists, specialist and foundation technicians and ATOs) are supported by and provide clinical support for medicines information, medicines governance, aseptic services, homecare, high‑cost drugs, dispensary and dispatch teams.

Job responsibilities

• The wide scope of this role is not an expectation of where the post holder will start but where they aim to be after 2 years of rotation through the Foundation Programme. The duties and responsibilities defined below are not an exhaustive list and may change in order to meet the needs of the organisation. For a more detailed description of clinical skills and professional attributes expected of a competent foundation pharmacist, see the Foundation Programme handbook.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships, which inspire confidence in clinical pharmacy and the pharmacy department, with staff and patients in all rotation specialties.
• Actively participate in the Foundation Programme in order to achieve the skills and competencies defined within it.
• Working closely with pharmacy technicians and assistants, provide pharmacist support for discharge facilitation and reuse of patients' own medicines.
• Develop, lead and provide support for quality improvement projects and audits related to medicines optimisation and prescribing.
• Provide timely and accurate advice on prescribing issues and evidence‑based prescribing in accordance with local and national guidance and policy, including the South and West Devon Joint Formulary.

Full Vacancy details can be found on the attached Job Description/Person Specification. Please refer to your suitability to the post in your supporting information from the role requirements or person specification.

Person Specification

Qualifications & Training

• Masters Degree in Pharmacy
• Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Specialised training in clinical pharmacy
• Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Special Experience

• Experience and understanding of clinical pharmacy in any sector
• Previous participation in quality improvement and or audit projects
• Experience of clinical pharmacy experience in acute, intermediate and primary care settings
• Understanding of the role of medicines optimisation teams in acute, intermediate and primary care and mental health settings

Skills

• Good communication skills (written and verbal) – proven ability to communicate with patients, carers and all levels of healthcare professionals
• Organisational, time management and prioritisation skills
• Good team member (both inter and intra‑disciplinary)

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.

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum pro rata