Lead Pharmacy Technician, Medicines Efficiency

Epsom And St Helier University Hospitals Nhs Trust; South Nutfield; On-site; GBP 43,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

The Epsom And St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking an experienced Specialist Pharmacist/ Pharmacy Technician, Medicines Efficiency to join our Pharmacy team and lead the Medicines Efficiency Programme.

You will work with the Principal Pharmacist Medicines Efficiency to coordinate cost-saving initiatives, oversee switches and formulary changes, and develop project management skills across clinical, operational and corporate teams. This is a high-visibility role.

Qualifications

• Essential pharmacy qualifications and registration.
• Experience in medicines efficiency or cost-saving projects preferred.
• Ability to manage and lead projects within NHS settings.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical and operational advice on medicines efficiencies.
• Lead and coordinate the Medicines Efficiency Programme across the Trust with timely switches and cost-saving initiatives.
• Liaise between pharmacy, finance, procurement and clinical stakeholders for medicines efficiency projects.
• Ensure governance, audit and KPI reporting compliance.
• Support the medicines efficiency work‑plan with regular status updates and deadlines.
• Monitor and evaluate medicines expenditure and address cost pressures and CIP initiatives.
• Coordinate with service managers and clinical leads for safe introductions or switches to new medications.
• Maintain clear team communication on practices, procedures and changes.

Skills

Project management

Medicines efficiency

Cost saving initiatives

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership potential

Communication skills

Analytical thinking

Education

BTEC/NVQ3 Pharmaceutical Science or equivalent

Registration with GPhC

Professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

Educational Supervisor / NVQ Level 2 assessor

Accredited checking technician

Tools

CMM

Job description

Job summary

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Specialist Pharmacist/ Pharmacy Technician, Medicines Efficiency to join our Pharmacy team and play a pivotal role in delivering the Trust's Medicines Efficiency Programme.

This is an exciting opportunity for a pharmacy technician who wants to develop their leadership, influencing and project management skills while working at the forefront of medicines optimisation and cost improvement.

About the Role

Working closely with the Principal Pharmacist for Medicines Efficiency, you will lead and coordinate medicines efficiency initiatives across the Trust, supporting the safe implementation of medicines switches, cost improvement programmes and formulary changes. A key focus of the role will be contributing to the Trust's flagship Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH) Switch Programme - a highly visible and strategically important Cost Improvement Programme (CIP) with significant organisational impact. This programme offers an exceptional opportunity for the successful candidate to demonstrate and further develop project management skills, stakeholder engagement and change leadership across clinical, operational and corporate teams.

About You

Experience of medicines efficiency programmes, cost-saving initiatives or project management would be highly desirable, but most importantly we are looking for someone with the enthusiasm, drive and leadership potential to help deliver transformational change.

Main duties of the job

• The provision of technical and operational advice on all matters of medicines efficiencies
• To assist the Principal Pharmacist Medicines Efficiency to lead and coordinate the Medicines Efficiency Programme across the Trust, ensuring timely implementation of agreed switches and cost-saving initiatives
• To act in collaboration with the Principal Pharmacist Medicines Efficiency as key liaison between pharmacy, finance, procurement, and clinical stakeholders for medicines efficiency projects.
• To ensure compliance with governance, audit, and KPI reporting requirements.
• To support the overall medicines efficiency work‑plan, providing regular status reports and assisting teams in achieving deadlines.
• To assist the Principal Pharmacist Medicines Efficiency to monitor and evaluate medicines expenditure across the Trust, identifying and putting plans in place to address cost pressures and Cost Improvement Plans
• To liaise with service managers, nursing and clinical leads to safely support the introduction of or switch to a new medication as part of a cost improvement plan.
• To ensure regular communication within the team needs to be maintained in relation to working practices, procedures and any changes.

About us

St George's, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group cares for a population of four million people in South West London and North East Surrey. Our sites include St George's Hospital, one of 11 major trauma centres in the UK and the largest healthcare provider and major teaching hospital in the area; St Helier Hospital, home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children; and Epsom Hospital, home to the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC).

After years of collaboration, our two Trusts became a hospitals group in 2021. While remaining as two separate Trusts, being a hospitals group will help us to collaborate more closely on research, and the development, education, and training of our 17,000-strong workforce.

At gesh we are committed to supporting flexible working arrangements. Applicants are encouraged to discuss any flexibility they may need during the recruitment process.

Qualifications

Essential

• BTEC/NVQ3 Pharmaceutical Science or equivalent
• Registration with GPhC
• Professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• Educational Supervisor / NVQ Level 2 assessor
• Accredited checking technician

Skills and Ability

Essential

• Ability to organise own workload and that of others.
• You are able to communicate effectively to ensure high standards of care, treatment, service or support as appropriate to your role
• Be able to analyse complex information relating to medicines efficiency programmes
• Demonstrates initiative

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Knowledge of finance systems and budget control
• Managing a team
• Experience of working with pharmacy systems (e.g., CMM).
• Experience of policy/procedure/SOP writing
• Experience of completing audits and implementing change.
• Appropriate experience at a minimum of band 6, working as a qualified pharmacist in an NHS hospital (Pharmacist)
• Proven track record in implementing medicines efficiency or cost‑saving initiatives.
• Pharmacy stock control
• Experience of project management.
• Experience of working with clinical divisions/ directorates

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.