Lead Specialist Pharmacist, Rheumatology

London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust; Harrow; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 81,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare trust in London is seeking a Lead Specialist Pharmacist for their Rheumatology division. The successful candidate will lead a pharmacy team, oversee outpatient clinics, and provide expert advice on rheumatology treatments. Registration with GPhC and an independent prescribing qualification are essential. Competitive salary between £70,396 and £80,837 per annum inclusive of HCAS pro Rata.

Qualifications

• Significant clinical pharmacy experience in Rheumatology.
• Experience managing a small team.
• Ability to manage change within pharmacy teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of a specialist rheumatology pharmacy service.
• Provide expert advice on DMARDs and biologics.
• Run pharmacist-led outpatient clinics for monitoring treatments.
• Oversee coordination of pharmaceutical care for inpatients.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams.

Skills

Leadership and management skills

Problem-solving abilities

Time management

Interpersonal skills

Excellent communication

Education

Master's degree in Pharmacy

Registered as a Pharmacist with GPhC

Independent prescriber qualification

MSc in Clinical Pharmacy Practice

Formal management training

Job description

Go back London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust

Lead Specialist Pharmacist, Rheumatology

The closing date is 01 December 2025

We are looking for a motivated, proactive, and enthusiastic Specialist Pharmacist to lead our pharmacy team in developing and delivering of a high-quality, specialised pharmacy service for the Rheumatology division across the Trust.

This is an exciting opportunity to join our dynamic, innovative, and friendly team dedicated to improving Rheumatology services. In this key role, you will work as part of an established multidisciplinary team and be responsible for leading and shaping high-quality clinical pharmacy services in rheumatology across both inpatient and outpatient settings. You will play a crucial role in patient education, monitoring, and safe prescribing practices, ensuring adherence to national guidelines and local policies.

The post holder will work closely with Rheumatology Consultants, Pharmacy Managers, and the General Manager for the service to lead pharmacist-led outpatient clinics, including biologic and DMARD monitoring clinics, as well as oversee inpatient pharmaceutical care within the Rheumatology service.

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate excellent leadership and management skills, be adaptable, and lead a team with strong problem-solving and time management abilities. Applicants must be currently registered with the GPhC as a pharmacist and have completed the clinical pharmacist diploma. An independent prescribing qualification is essential.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will join our Pharmacy team and will lead on the development and delivery of a specialist rheumatology pharmacy service across the Trust, including liaising with primary care colleagues.

Provide expert advice on the management and monitoring of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), biologics, biosimilars, and other rheumatology therapies.

Lead and run pharmacist-led outpatient clinics to monitor treatment efficacy, safety, and patient adherence.

Oversee and coordinate pharmaceutical care for inpatients within the Rheumatology division.

Collaborate with consultants, multidisciplinary teams, pharmacy managers, and other healthcare professionals to optimize patient care.

Develop, implement, and review clinical guidelines, protocols and pathways specific to rheumatology pharmacy services.

Identify and deliver education and training to pharmacy staff, medical teams, and nursing staff within the specialty.

Participate in audits, quality improvement projects, and research initiatives related to rheumatology pharmacotherapy.

Maintain up-to-date knowledge of advances in rheumatology medicines and NHS policy.

About us

London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust (LNWH) cares for the people of Brent, Ealing, Harrow and beyond.

Our team of more than 8,200 clinical and support staff serve a diverse population of almost one million people.

• Northwick Park Hospital: home to one of the busiest emergency departments (A&E) in the country. The hospital provides a full range of services including the country's top-rated hyper-acute stroke unit and one of only three hyper-acute rehabilitation units in the UK
• St Mark's Hospital: an internationally renowned specialist centre for bowel disease
• Ealing Hospital: a busy district general hospital providing a range of clinical services, as well as 24/7 emergency department and urgent care centre, and specialist care at Meadow House Hospice
• Central Middlesex Hospital: our planned care site, hosting a range of surgical and outpatient services and collocated with an urgent care centre.

We are a university teaching NHS trust, in recognition of the important role we play in training clinicians of the future and bringing the benefits of research to the public.

Job responsibilities

To view the main responsibility, please see the attached the Job Description and Person Specification.

Person Specification

Education/ Qualifications

• Master's degree in Pharmacy
• Registered as a Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Independent prescriber
• MSc in Clinical Pharmacy Practice
• Evidence of formal management training

Knowledge & Experience

• Significant clinical pharmacy experience in Rheumatology
• Experience of managing a small team
• Excellent ability to manage change within the pharmacy department and within medical and nursing teams to drive service improvements
• Experience of working as a specialist pharmacist and management of High cost drugs
• Demonstrates strategic thinking
• Experience of identifying training needs and delivering education and training programmes for all clinical staff groups
• Evidence of publishing in a peer reviewed journal
• Evidence of collaborative regional and national work
• Experience of delivering research projects and influencing changes in practice
• Evidence of managing and developing a pharmacy service or section.
• Experience with drug expenditure reporting

Skills, Abilities & Attributes

• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to liaise, persuade and influence the executive team, senior managers, and senior clinical staff
• The ability to identify and manage risks.
• Demonstrate excellent communication skills (oral and written)
• Demonstrates the integration of research evidence into practice
• Ability to identify and prioritise service needs
• Excellent ability to prioritize a complex workload and work accurately under pressure
• Ability to manage services provided by homecare

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.

London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust

£70,396 to £80,837 a year per annum inclusive HCAS pro Rota