Palliative Care Pharmacist

Rotherham Hospice; South Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days annual leave plus bank holiday

Free parking

Meals on site

6% pension after probation

Life Assurance (4x salary)

Training & development

Evening/weekend pay enhancements (25%)

Double pay for bank holidays

Job summary

Rotherham Hospice is recruiting a Palliative Care Pharmacist to lead the medicines strategy across hospice services in Rotherham. You will provide expert clinical pharmacology, oversee medicines governance, and drive safe, efficient prescribing including e-prescribing.

You will work with the Care Navigation team, doctors, ACPs and CNS, delivering patient-centred care, staff training and policy development to ensure optimal symptom control and quality of life for patients and their families.

Responsibilities

• Deliver expert pharmaceutical care to hospice inpatients, day patients, and community patients where applicable
• Review and optimise medication regimens for symptom control (e.g. pain, nausea, agitation, breathlessness)
• Provide advice on complex prescribing, including syringe drivers and anticipatory medications
• Support deprescribing and rationalisation of medicines in line with patient goals of care
• Monitor for adverse drug reactions and interactions, particularly in frail and complex patients
• Participate in ward rounds and multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings
• Ensure the safe, legal, and effective supply of medicines within the hospice
• Oversee controlled drugs management in accordance with UK legislation
• Develop and implement policies, guidelines, and standard operating procedures
• Support audit and quality improvement initiatives related to medicines use
• Contribute to formulary development and cost-effective prescribing
• Provide training and education to healthcare professionals on palliative care pharmacotherapy
• Support the development of junior pharmacists, nurses, and medical staff
• Offer guidance to patients and carers on medication use, including administration and side effects
• Participate in clinical audit, research, and service evaluation
• Ensure compliance with professional standards (e.g. GPhC, NICE, local policies)
• E prescribing preparation and implementation
• Lead the planning and implementation of e prescribing within the hospice, working with clinical, IT and external partners
• Contribute to system design, testing, training and go live planning to ensure safe and user friendly e prescribing processes
• Develop and maintain associated policies, procedures and guidance for e prescribing and medicines administration

Job description

Please double check you have the right level of experience and qualifications by reading the full overview of this opportunity below.

Location: Rotherham

Salary: Competitive

Vacancy Type: Permanent, 37.5 hours per week (some flexibility may be required to support service needs)

Closing Date: 15th of November

The Palliative Care Pharmacist is the lead pharmacist for Rotherham Hospice and provides strategic and operational leadership and medicines advice for safe, effective and person-centred use of medicines across all hospice services.

Working as part of the Care Navigation hub, the post holder works with the Head of Care Navigation, Triage Manager, Doctors, Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs) and Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) with expert advice on medicines, prescribing and stewardship. They oversee the onsite drugs room, work closely with TRFT pharmacy services for medicines supply, and lead the hospice transition to e prescribing.

The Palliative Care Pharmacist is responsible for clinical pharmacy services, medicines governance, policies and audits, and for ensuring that medicines support Living Life’s Wishes, helping patients to manage symptoms and maintain quality of life in the safest and most effective way possible.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical Responsibilities

• Deliver expert pharmaceutical care to hospice inpatients, day patients, and community patients where applicable
• Review and optimise medication regimens for symptom control (e.g. pain, nausea, agitation, breathlessness)
• Provide advice on complex prescribing, including syringe drivers and anticipatory medications
• Support deprescribing and rationalisation of medicines in line with patient goals of care
• Monitor for adverse drug reactions and interactions, particularly in frail and complex patients
• Participate in ward rounds and multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings

Medicines Management

• Ensure the safe, legal, and effective supply of medicines within the hospice
• Oversee controlled drugs management in accordance with UK legislation
• Develop and implement policies, guidelines, and standard operating procedures
• Support audit and quality improvement initiatives related to medicines use
• Contribute to formulary development and cost-effective prescribing

Education & Training

• Provide training and education to healthcare professionals on palliative care pharmacotherapy
• Support the development of junior pharmacists, nurses, and medical staff
• Offer guidance to patients and carers on medication use, including administration and side effects

Education & Training

• Provide training and education to healthcare professionals on palliative care pharmacotherapy
• Support the development of junior pharmacists, nurses, and medical staff
• Offer guidance to patients and carers on medication use, including administration and side effects

Governance & Quality

• Participate in clinical audit, research, and service evaluation
• Ensure compliance with professional standards (e.g. GPhC, NICE, local policies)
• Contribute to risk management and incident reporting processes
• E prescribing preparation and implementation
• Lead the planning and implementation of e prescribing within the hospice, working with clinical, IT and external partners.
• Contribute to system design, testing, training and go live planning to ensure safe and user friendly e prescribing processes.
• Develop and maintain associated policies, procedures and guidance for e prescribing and medicines administration.

Benefits

• Holidays. A work-life balance is important for everyone, which is why we offer all employees 30 days annual leave per year (plus bank holidays), plus an additional day’s leave in every 5th year.
• A supportive & comfortable working environment. Our Hospice is a calm and compassionate place to work, full of inspiring people who support one another.
• Hassle-free parking at no cost. No one is more than a couple of minutes’ walk from the Hospice.
• Great meals & drinks. Because our culinary team prepares food for patients 24/7, they cook for us too. Buy a lovely lunch with 50% off without even leaving the building.
• Reassurance. Whilst the here and now is important, we all think about the future. We offer employees a 6% pension after probation and a Life Assurance scheme which will pay 4x your annual salary should you die whilst working in our service.
• Training & development. Every employee will be supported with their training and development needs and will be regularly supported by their line manager.
• Competitive Pay Enhancements. Join our team and benefit from a 25% pay enhancement for evening and weekend shifts, plus double pay for bank holidays.