Lead Pharmacist - Biologics

NHS; City Of London; On-site; GBP 64,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

A National Health Service organization is looking for a specialist pharmacist to improve medication practices and lead biosimilar medicine initiatives. This role involves collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to ensure optimal patient care. The ideal candidate will hold a GPhC registration and have extensive hospital pharmacy experience. This is a full-time, fixed-term position based in London offering a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme

Career-long learning and development opportunities

Excellent transport connection

Access to NHS and Blue Light discount schemes

Free Pilates classes

Qualifications

• Experience in a specialist pharmacist role.
• Extensive experience in hospital pharmacy.
• Experience in managing or supervising staff.

Responsibilities

• Lead improvements to maximize safe and cost-effective prescribing.
• Develop and implement the introduction of biosimilar medicines.
• Monitor patients initiated on the biosimilar medicine.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Ability to work under own initiative

Organisation / problem solving skills

Influencing / negotiating skills

Education

GPhC registered pharmacist

Postgraduate diploma / MSc

Tools

EMIS / Ascribe pharmacy system

Job description

Job summary

The postholder will:

• Lead improvements to maximise safe and cost-effective best practice in prescribing to improve the quality of patient care.
• Help patients to get the best from their medicines by switching medications to agreed and approved protocols.
• Lead on the delivery and development of high-quality clinical pharmacy services and medicines optimisation initiatives related to the use of biosimilar medicines in line with local and national objectives.
• Work collaboratively with other members of the multidisciplinary team including consultant ophthalmologists, prescribing clinicians, specialist nurses, business managers, finance and contracting teams and the pharmaceutical industry to develop and implement a plan to identify opportunities for biosimilar introduction.
• Identify patients suitable for treatment with a biosimilar medicine as well as those for whom it would be clinically inappropriate to use the biosimilar and to obtain patient consent indicating approval for the switch to the biosimilar product where suitable.
• Develop a system to monitor patients who have been initiated or switched to the biosimilar medicine to ensure efficacy and safety of treatment.
• Ensure savings can be used effectively to offset costs, incentivise change and improve patient care.
• The post holder will be required to deliver the above across all Moorfields sites. This includes relevant services at City Road and at Satellite Sites across the Moorfields North and South Networks.

Main duties of the job

• To work with clinicians to identify the opportunity for biosimilar introduction.
• To ensure the biosimilar can be used within the local care pathway. To identify those patients suitable for receiving the biosimilar as well as those for whom it would be clinically inappropriate to use the biosimilar.
• To ensure other members of the team involved in the process understand the use of biological and biosimilar medicines and are familiar with the processes involved with initiation of treatment or switching patients to the biosimilar medicine.
• To establish processes with clinicians and patients to ensure shared decision making is possible and supported by written materials, information session, education and patient alert cards/supplementary information leaflets.
• To establish a system for monitoring and follow up of patients who have been initiated or switched to the biosimilar medicine.
• To contribute to the trust\'s Cost Improvement Plan (CIPs) by ensuring savings can be used effectively to offset costs, incentivise change and improve patient care.
• To participate in education and training activities as appropriate for pharmacy and other clinical staff groups.
• To provide active support for, and input into, pharmacy and medicines clinical governance and risk management initiatives and processes.
• To promote and collaborate on clinical audit related to the use of biosimilar medicines to ensure safety and efficacy of treatment.

About us

What\'s in it for You?

At Moorfields, we invest in you--your growth, your wellbeing, your future. You\'ll join a flexible, supportive organisation offering:

• Competitive salary (including high-cost area supplement)
• Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme
• 24/7 independent counselling support
• Career-long learning and development opportunities
• Excellent transport connection
• Access to NHS and Blue Light discount schemes
• Free Pilates classes
• Full support and training to develop your skills

And so much more! To see the full range of benefits we offer please view our Moorfields benefits leaflet.

Details

Date posted: 26 September 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for Change

Band: Band 8a

Salary: £64,156 to £71,148 a year pa pro rata incl HCAS

Contract: Fixed term

Duration: 12 months

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 273-DC-7502959

Job locations: City Road and Network Sites, London, EC1V 2PD

Job responsibilities

For full details on the main duties and responsibilities of this role, please refer to the job description and personal specifications document for this role.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• GPhC registered pharmacist

Desirable

• Postgraduate diploma / MSc

Experience

• Experience in a specialist pharmacist role
• Extensive experience in hospital pharmacy
• Experience in managing or supervising staff
• Evidence of research/ Audit

Desirable

• Service development / project management experience
• Medicines expenditure or usage database and analysis and reporting

Knowledge

• Specialist clinical knowledge and skills
• Understanding of medicine use and issues across the interface
• Understanding of national and local priorities

Desirable

• Ophthalmic Pharmacy
• QIPP initiatives / CIP projects

Skills

• Able to provide highly complex information on medicines use and financial issues to senior clinicians
• Excellent communication skills - verbal and written
• Influencing / negotiating skills
• Ability to use available evidence to make sound judgments in relation to patient or medicine-specific issues
• Work under own initiative
• Organisation / problem solving skills

Desirable

• EMIS / Ascribe pharmacy system

Personal qualities

• Team player
• Reliable and punctual
• Ability to work well under pressure by prioritising and managing time effectively

Of note

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 the NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).