Lead Practice Pharmacist

Silverdale Medical Practice; Pendlebury; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A forward-thinking GP practice in Pendlebury seeks a Lead Practice Prescribing Pharmacist to shape the pharmacy service and enhance patient care. This role combines leadership with clinical responsibilities, overseeing medication reviews and optimizing prescriptions for complex patients. With a supportive environment, this position offers the opportunity to implement innovative practices while leading a talented pharmacy team. Candidates should possess relevant qualifications and experience in primary care or clinical pharmacy.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Opportunity for home working

Continuous professional development support

Qualifications

• Evidence of ongoing continuing professional development.
• Significant experience in primary care or multidisciplinary clinical pharmacy roles.
• Ability to interpret and analyze prescribing data.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of pharmacy services and oversee medicines optimization.
• Provide independent prescribing for acute and long-term conditions.
• Conduct structured medication reviews for patients with complex needs.

Skills

Clinical assessment skills

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Education

Masters degree in Pharmacy (MPharm)

GPhC registered pharmacist

Independent Prescribing qualification

Tools

EMIS

AccuRx

Job description

Our Lead Practice Prescribing Pharmacist will be the driving force behind high-quality, patient-centred prescribing across our practice. This role offers the rare chance to shape medicines optimisation at a strategic and clinical level leading innovation, improving safety, and running your own advanced clinics. You will work at the heart of a supportive, forward-thinking team where your expertise is truly valued and your ideas influence how we deliver care.

If you’re ambitious, passionate about improving patient outcomes, and excited by the opportunity to lead a modern pharmacy service in primary care, this is the role for you. We offer a collaborative environment, genuine autonomy, and the scope to grow your leadership, clinical and strategic skills while making a visible difference every day.

We will mainly want you based at the Practice, but there is also some opportunity for home working a day per week.

Main duties of the job

The Lead Practice Prescribing Pharmacist will play a central role in shaping how the practice delivers safe, effective and patient-focused prescribing. You’ll lead the development of our pharmacy service, overseeing medicines optimisation work and supporting the clinical team with complex prescribing decisions.

Day to day, you’ll do medicines reconciliation from discharges, be a focal contact for our reception team and patients with prescription queries, provide expert advice on long‑term condition management, and help ensure patients receive the most appropriate and evidence‑based treatment.

A key part of the role is acting as the prescribing lead within the practice guiding improvements, supporting colleagues, and helping us deliver high standards of care. You’ll use data and clinical insight to spot opportunities for better prescribing, reduce risk, and improve outcomes for patients with multimorbidity, frailty or those on high‑risk medication. You’ll also be a visible source of support for both patients and staff, helping to strengthen our multidisciplinary working and enhance the quality of care across the practice.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys combining clinical work with leadership, enjoys problem‑solving, and is motivated by improving patient experience and safety.

About us

Overview of Silverdale Medical Practice

Silverdale Medical Practice is a well‑established, forward‑thinking GP surgery based within Pendlebury Health Centre, serving a diverse and growing population in Swinton and the wider Salford area. We are known locally for our strong clinical leadership, supportive team culture and commitment to delivering high‑quality, patient‑centred care.

Our multidisciplinary team includes GPs, NPs, ACPs, pharmacists, a pharmacy technician, nurses, HCAs, care coordinators and a responsive administrative team. We embrace innovation and digital transformation, and we work closely with Swinton Primary Care Network to expand access, develop new clinical pathways and deliver enhanced services for our community.

We pride ourselves on being a welcoming, collaborative workplace where every member of staff is encouraged to contribute ideas, develop professionally and take part in continuous improvement. With excellent relationships across the PCN and strong engagement with local partners, Silverdale offers a dynamic environment where clinicians can genuinely influence service development.

Above all, we are committed to providing safe, accessible and compassionate healthcare and we are looking for colleagues who share that ethos and want to make a meaningful difference to our patients lives.

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities Clinical Duties

Deliver structured medication reviews for patients with complex polypharmacy, frailty, multimorbidity or high‑risk prescribing.

Provide independent prescribing within the scope of competency for acute and long‑term conditions.

Run dedicated clinics for areas such as hypertension, asthma/COPD, lipid optimisation, heart failure, anticoagulation and other agreed pathways.

Conduct face‑to‑face, telephone and digital consultations, ensuring accurate and timely documentation.

Support safe and effective repeat prescribing, including acute requests, synchronisation and streamlining.

Work collaboratively with GPs, nurses, NPs, ACPs, pharmacy technicians and wider MDT colleagues.

Lead on prescribing quality improvement initiatives aligned to QOF, ICB priorities, local prescribing incentive schemes and practice objectives.

Analyse prescribing data (ePACT2, OpenPrescribing, practice dashboards) to identify trends, risks and opportunities for improvement.

Implement NICE guidance, MHRA drug safety alerts and local prescribing policies.

Promote safe deprescribing where appropriate, ensuring patient engagement and shared decision‑making.

Strengthen antimicrobial stewardship and contribute to reducing unwarranted variation in prescribing.

Lead medicines‑related governance including incident reviews, audits, action plans and learning events.

Oversee high‑risk drug monitoring and ensure compliance with shared care arrangements.

Maintain robust repeat prescribing systems, cold chain processes, controlled drugs governance and prescribing safety protocols.

Support the practice in meeting CQC requirements related to medicines management.

Provide day‑to‑day leadership for the pharmacy team including pharmacists, technicians and prescribing clerks.

Offer supervision, mentorship and competency assessments for pharmacy colleagues.

Contribute to staff training across the practice on medicines processes, prescribing safety and new clinical pathways.

Support induction and ongoing development for new clinicians, including ARRS roles.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities Clinical Duties

• Deliver structured medication reviews for patients with complex polypharmacy, frailty, multimorbidity or high‑risk prescribing.
• Provide independent prescribing within the scope of competency for acute and long‑term conditions.
• Run dedicated clinics for areas such as hypertension, asthma/COPD, lipid optimisation, heart failure, anticoagulation and other agreed pathways.
• Conduct face‑to‑face, telephone and digital consultations, ensuring accurate and timely documentation.
• Support safe and effective repeat prescribing, including acute requests, synchronisation and streamlining.
• Work collaboratively with GPs, nurses, NPs, ACPs, pharmacy technicians and wider MDT colleagues.

Medicines Optimisation & Prescribing Leadership

• Lead on prescribing quality improvement initiatives aligned to QOF, ICB priorities, local prescribing incentive schemes and practice objectives.
• Analyse prescribing data (ePACT2, OpenPrescribing, practice dashboards) to identify trends, risks and opportunities for improvement.
• Implement NICE guidance, MHRA drug safety alerts and local prescribing policies.
• Promote safe deprescribing where appropriate, ensuring patient engagement and shared decision‑making.
• Strengthen antimicrobial stewardship and contribute to reducing unwarranted variation in prescribing.

Governance, Risk & Safety

• Lead medicines‑related governance including incident reviews, audits, action plans and learning events.
• Oversee high‑risk drug monitoring and ensure compliance with shared care arrangements.
• Maintain robust repeat prescribing systems, cold chain processes, controlled drugs governance and prescribing safety protocols.
• Support the practice in meeting CQC requirements related to medicines management.

Team Leadership & Supervision

• Provide day‑to‑day leadership for the pharmacy team including pharmacists, technicians and prescribing clerks.
• Offer supervision, mentorship and competency assessments for pharmacy colleagues.
• Contribute to staff training across the practice on medicines processes, prescribing safety and new clinical pathways.
• Support induction and ongoing development for new clinicians, including ARRS roles.

Digital, Data & Systems

• Use EMIS, Ardens, AccuRx and prescribing analytics tools to deliver efficient, safe and effective clinical practice.
• Support implementation and expansion of electronic repeat dispensing (eRD) and other digital prescribing innovations.
• Review and improve prescribing workflows to streamline processes and reduce administrative burden.

3. Key Working Relationships

• GP Partners and Salaried GPs
• Practice Manager and Management Team
• Practice Nurses, NPs, ACPs, HCAs
• Pharmacy Technicians and Prescribing Clerks
• Care Coordinators and Admin Team
• ICB Medicines Optimisation Team
• Community Pharmacy and Secondary Care Clinicians
• Swinton PCN colleagues

4. Person Specification

Qualifications

• Masters degree in Pharmacy (MPharm) or equivalent.
• GPhC registered pharmacist.
• Independent Prescribing qualification.
• Evidence of ongoing CPD.
• CPPE Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway (or equivalent experience).

Experience

• Significant experience in primary care or multidisciplinary clinical pharmacy roles.
• Delivery of structured medication reviews and long‑term condition management.
• Experience leading prescribing audits or medicines optimisation projects.
• Experience supporting or supervising pharmacy colleagues (desirable).

Knowledge & Skills

• Excellent clinical assessment, diagnostic and prescribing skills.
• Strong knowledge of NICE guidance, BNF, shared care protocols and prescribing governance.
• Ability to interpret and analyse prescribing data.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills across clinical and non‑clinical teams.
• Strong organisational, time management and prioritisation skills.

Behaviours

• Clinically confident and accountable.
• Compassionate, patient‑focused and committed to high‑quality care.
• Collaborative, supportive and able to influence change.
• Proactive, solution‑focused and able to work independently.

5. Other Requirements

• Maintain GPhC registration and meet revalidation requirements.
• Participate in appraisals and mandatory training.
• Flexible to meet service needs across the practice and PCN if required.
• Commitment to confidentiality, data protection and safeguarding principles.

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.

Depending on experienceBand 8a/8b depending on experience

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time,Job share,Flexible working,Home or remote working,Compressed hours