Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist - Homecare and Medicines Value

The Christie International; Manchester; Presencial; GBP 58.000 - 65.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester is seeking a Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist focused on Homecare and Medicines Value. You will support and lead the homecare medicines optimisation strategy, collaborating with internal teams and external partners to maximise value while ensuring safe, cost-effective prescribing and supply chains.

With responsibility for developing policies, SLAs and performance measures, you will drive clinical excellence in homecare, contribute to the NHS

Formación

• Pharmacist registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Postgraduate qualification in clinical pharmacy preferred.
• Commitment to continuing professional development and NHS standards.

Responsabilidades

• Act as deputy to the Principal Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist.
• Manage homecare pharmacy services and implement strategic direction.
• Develop and monitor homecare performance indicators and service standards.
• Lead and participate in meetings and governance for medicines optimisation.
• Produce quarterly reports on quality and financial indicators for homecare services.

Conocimientos

Excellent communication skills

Leadership

Teamwork

Analytical thinking

Change management

Educación

Vocational Masters Degree or equivalent in Pharmacy

Membership of General Pharmaceutical Council Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent

Evidence of continuing professional development

Descripción del empleo

Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist - Homecare and Medicines Value

Band 8a

Main area Network Services - Pharmacy Grade Band 8a Contract Permanent contract Hours 37.5 hours per week (Full time permanent) Job ref 413-110472-CNS-TM

Site Pharmacy Clinical - E00920 Town Manchester Salary £57,528 - £64,750 Per annum, Pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 09/11/2026 23:59

Job overview

Over the last 18 months, we have established our medicines optimisation pharmacy team. The trust is now investing in expanding our Care Closer to Home Medicines Portfolio (Neighbourhood Oncology) and are looking for an enthusiastic and self-motivated individual who is ready to make a difference. You will be self-confident with excellent interpersonal and organisational skills and contribute to service development through your initiative and enthusiasm. You will be working alongside our Principal Pharmacist Medicines Optimisation in shaping the future of healthcare for our patients by playing a pivotal role in helping to deliver on the NHS 10-year plan of shifting health and care from hospital to community. You will work with a wide range of stakeholders that includes our in-house pharmacy teams at The Christie, our collaborative partners at The Christie Pharmacy (outsourced pharmacy), Baxter Healthcare (for aseptically dispensed intravenous SACT), peripheral and outreach service satellites across the local cancer network and NHS England, to optimise medicines across the whole patient pathway from commissioning to procurement to distribution to patients. Ensuring that all patients receive their medicines in the most efficient and cost-effective manner to ensure that resources are used wisely and effectively providing opportunity to improve health outcomes, reduce health inequalities, deliver medicine value and maintain a thriving, financially viable health economy. Interview date: Tuesday 17th of November 2026

Main duties of the job

For a comprehensive overview of roles and responsibilities please read our Job Description. Main duties of the role include:

• Manage, monitor and develop the Clinical Pharmacy Service for Homecare initiatives.
• Implement the strategic direction of pharmaceutical services in respect of high-cost medicines with specific reference to homecare services and medicines value.
• Develop high-cost medicines optimisation with specific reference to homecare services including setting standards and monitoring performance to ensure that services are provided safely and efficiently in accordance with the needs of service users.
• Support the Principal Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist to develop, manage, monitor, report and promote the Trust medicines optimisation programme, maximising value for money, cost effective prescribing and medicines supply chain logistics.
• Develop and maintain expertise in relation to medicines optimisation – including initiating and facilitating pharmacy practice research in the field of homecare and medicines value.

Working for our organisation

The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, looking after more than 64,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 25% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.

We are the largest radiotherapy provider in the NHS with one in 20 treatments delivered at The Christie. We have up to 15 linear accelerators operating across our network of sites. We operate the largest chemotherapy unit in the UK on our main site and treatments are also provided at 13 other networked sites, and in patients homes. And as a specialist tertiary surgical centre, we focus on rare cancers, complex procedures, and multidisciplinary approaches to cancer surgery, specialising in colorectal, peritoneal, gynaecological, urological and plastic surgery.

We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We have been named by the UK’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), as one of the best hospitals providing opportunities for patients to participate in clinical research studies, with more than 800 studies open at any time, caring for over 3,000 patients.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Act as a deputy to the Principal Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist.
• Manage all pharmacy related aspects of the homecare services with support from the Principal Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist.
• Maintain, monitor, and update the trust’s homecare strategy in line with national standards.
• Develop and monitor homecare performance indicators to ensure that compliance with these indicators is maintained and action plans for improvement agreed as necessary.
• Contribute nationally to the development of homecare medicines optimisation guidance and policy and attend the National Medicines Homecare Committee and Regional homecare procurement meetings as appropriate.
• Ensure that all homecare procurement activity meets the Trust’s Standing Financial Instructions and European procurement legislation.
• Identify areas for audit which contribute to improving patient care, safety and experience in relation to homecare medicines use and provision.
• Lead the development and review of homecare scheme SLAs, protocols, treatment guidelines, service specifications, prescription forms and patient information both within the clinical pharmacy service and Christie@Home team and other external providers.
• Manage services for the homecare specialist area through liaison with external providers.
• To liaise with clinical pharmacy team leaders, lead pharmacists, outpatient dispensary managers, and other pharmacy staff to identify, plan, and develop new opportunities for homecare services.
• Work in partnership with the clinical service manager for SACT and Outreach, including preparation of business cases, KPI reports for presentation to SACT committee, finance or external providers including third party providers.
• Manage and develop homecare medicines optimisation services by providing a specialist pharmacist service to the Christie at Home team and Outreach Services.
• To lead and actively participate and co-ordinate the service review meetings for homecare medicines optimisation working closely with homecare providers, pharmacists, nurses, doctors, other healthcare staff, and patients.
• To produce quarterly reports on quality and financial indicators on all homecare medicine services.
• Gain an understanding of the principle and practice of the Trust's budgeting system and support the management of drug expenditure by clinicians and senior managers.
• To support the Principal Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist, and the cancer disease groups, to forecast required budgets for the expansion of the homecare service and identify drug expenditure / potential savings. To identify any changes in prescribing practices that may potentially impact on the drugs budget.
• Maintain support for the Lead Procurement and Homecare Technician in relation to homecare services.
• To be responsible for and co-ordinate the development, implementation and management of training initiatives and competency frameworks within the homecare pharmacy service and assist in the delivery of training to all members of the pharmacy and homecare team as required.
• Manage all outsourced homecare related incidents in conjunction with the homecare providers and the third-party dispensary.
• Manage medicine related incidents occurring within the Christie@Home service including those relating to the third-party courier.
• To attend and contribute to meetings relevant to the disease group regarding new homecare initiatives as appropriate and represent the pharmacy service at appropriate clinical unit and divisional meetings on request.
• To develop and implement procedures for clinical screening of homecare prescriptions including document approval and control.
• To provide training for specialist clinical pharmacists in the clinical screening of prescriptions for medicines supplied via Homecare.
• To support with the Optimisation of the Trust electronic healthcare record system for areas relating to Homecare.

To support the principal pharmacist Medicines Optimisation to:

• Develop initiatives to provide care closer to home, including Outreach and Homecare services, by working collaboratively with relevant stakeholders (managers for SACT and Outreach Services, clinical teams, homecare providers, finance commissioners, patient groups).
• Develop and implement projects which will support redesign of the services provided where necessary.
• Tender for homecare services in line with National and European standards.
• To support the Principal Pharmacist Medicines Optimisation in the Trust Medicines Value Improvement Programme (VIP) through the identification, prediction, assessment and reporting of savings as a result of medicines procurement and supply chain activities.
• Support the pharmacy procurement team and relevant clinical/medicines optimisation colleagues to ensure appropriate clinical and commissioning input into medicines procurement decisions including the management of medicines shortages for use in hospital, outpatient or homecare setting as appropriate.
• To support with the implementation of national and regional procurement guidance to support the management of drug shortages and maximise savings for the NHS.
• To conduct risk assessments related to procured medicines in conjunction with relevant clinical colleagues.
• To provide clinical input into the medicine’s shortage information compiled and circulated to the wider pharmacy team and clinical colleagues.
• To support the senior pharmacy team in relation to the managed entry of new medicines into the Trust in line with National and Local commissioner guidance and associated Drug & Therapeutics Committee (DTC) implementation considerations.
• To work with the procurement team to ensure that appropriate actions are taken following new drug approval decisions made by DTC.
• To support the Principal Pharmacist Medicines Optimisation to develop and support the implementation of initiatives designed to maximise savings for commissioners.
• To provide commissioning support to clinical teams, to assist in understanding and implementing commissioning policies and protocols.
• To support the production, co-ordination and management of the horizon scanning information for new medicines, liaising with senior clinical pharmacists and clinicians.
• Use of expert clinical and commissioning knowledge to identify appropriate routes of approval for individual patients.
• To support the provision of reports to DTC regarding medicines value (e.g., biosimilar uptake and PAS schemes uptake) and compliance with NICE TA and Commissioning statements.
• To develop, validate and monitor reporting for the effective management of medicines usage and financial budgets.

Clinical duties

• To practise as an Independent Prescriber and prescribe to appropriate patients in agreement with relevant consultants.
• To support prescribing at the individual patient level, contributing to the optimisation of patients’ drug therapy with due consideration to risk/benefit issues.
• To deliver a clinical pharmacy service to designated patient groups, promoting best practice for all areas of pharmaceutical care in accordance with all local, Trust and national guidelines.
• To use specialist knowledge to identify and resolve complex pharmaceutical issues, taking into consideration other co-morbidity factors associated with the patient and liaise with medical and nursing staff.
• In conjunction with the Principal Pharmacist in Clinical Services, to establish processes for the setting of standards of care, identifying the risks involved and implement changes that need to occur to achieve these.
• To undertake clinical audit and practice research as part of the multi-disciplinary audit process within clinical pharmacy service.
• To identify and report any systemic or preventable errors associated with medicines within the Trust and facilitate learning.
• To demonstrate safe and effective screening / review of prescriptions for chemotherapy regimens, clinical trials and treatment strategies in use at the Christie including full awareness of the intrathecal chemotherapy policy.
• To support the development and delivery of clinical pharmacy services to clinical areas in order to advance the safe, clinically effective and cost-effective use of medicines.
• To ensure appropriate and timely supply of medicines to patients in conjunction with dispensary staff and commercial providers.
• To participate in weekend and bank Holiday rotas and additional out of hours and emergency duty commitment (EDC) as required to meet the needs of the service.

Leadership

• To manage the homecare team on a day-to-day basis in conjunction with the Lead Procurement and Homecare Technician.
• To manage, plan and direct the work of the team.
• To ensure the timely and effective recruitment of staff within the Pharmacy Homecare team in conjunction with the Principal Pharmacist Medicines Optimisation.
• To ensure the team is appraised regularly, and mandatory training is up to date.
• To be responsible for planning and implementing strategic goals for the Pharmacy Homecare team.
• To undertake and implement informal and formal trust HR procedures as necessary.

Qualifications

• Vocational Masters Degree or equivalent in Pharmacy
• Membership of General Pharmaceutical Council Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent.
• Evidence of continuing professional development

Experience

• Relevant post registration experience within hospital
• Financial awareness and drug budgets
• Providing medicines information and advice
• Training or teaching pharmacy/nursing/medical staff
• Experience of multidisciplinary team working
• Working in Formulary & Medicines optimisation and/or medicines procurement in an acute NHS setting Ability to reconcile national priorities with local realities.
• Oncology / Haematology Service provision Audit work.

Skills

• Excellent communication skills both verbal and written.
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team.
• Self motivating
• Ability to work under pressure, highly organised, work to deadlines.
• Ability to manage and implement change.
• Ability to identify and prioritise the delivery of pharmacy services.
• Identifies novel ways of working to enhance services.
• Ability to influence and negotiate with medical, nursing and pharmacy staff.
• Ability to analyse and critically appraise operational data.
• Ability to train and act as mentor to other members of staff.
• Ability to utilise database and other software packages in order to enhance work efficiency and to generate solutions to complex problems.
• To lead change Innovation
• High level of problem-solving abilities
• Analysis of complex data

Knowledge

• NHS long term plan, NICE, funding arrangements
• Sound medicines and clinical knowledge. Cost effective use of medicines.
• Formulary and medicines optimisation processes in acute NHS sector.
• Homecare services and an understanding of Pharmacy Procurement
• Knowledge of commissioning issues related to funding of high-cost medicines

Values

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours

Other

• On call duties.
• Flexible working hours if required.
• Driving licence.

The closing date for this post may be extended if there are insufficient applicants or brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants.

We want to ensure that everyone who works at the Christie or uses our services is welcomed, valued and treated with dignity and respect. The Christie values diversity and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and fair representation across the organisation at all levels. In support of these commitments, we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities for this post. Appointment will be only on merit.

We are committed to creating a balanced and diverse workforce. As such we welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Together we will foster inclusion and tackle inequity and health inequalities in cancer care.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct and integrity in all our activities. We have a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery in any of its forms, including slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour, and human trafficking. We are fully committed to acting ethically and with transparency in all our business dealings and relationships, and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure modern slavery is not taking place anywhere in our organisation or supply chains.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Carolanne O’Sullivan Job title Principal Pharmacist: Medicines Optimisation Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 0161 956 1064 Additional information

Rosalind Wyatt-John

[e-mail]

Medicines optimisation Pharmacist: Homecare & Medicines Value