Principal Pharmacist: High Cost Drug & Medicine Optimisation

West Suffolk Nhs Foundation Trust; West Stow; Presencial; GBP 67.000 - 77.000; Tempo integral

Resumo da vaga

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced pharmacist to lead medicines optimisation and strengthen collaboration between primary and secondary care. The role includes 18.75 protected hours each week for commissioned interface work and sits within the pharmacy senior management team.

You will lead prescribing pathway improvements, support cost improvement programmes and help shape service development to deliver measurable patient outcomes across West Suffolk.

Qualificações

• Essential: Degree or master's in Pharmacy; Registered Pharmacist (GPhC); Postgraduate diploma or master's in clinical pharmacy; Leadership qualification relevant to NHS.
• Desirable: Registered Pharmacy nonmedical prescriber; PRINCE2 or equivalent project management qualification.

Responsabilidades

• Lead medicines optimisation and improvements in prescribing pathways across hospital and community care.
• Develop shared-care arrangements and implement joint formulary initiatives.
• Deliver medicines cost improvement programmes and lead homecare governance.
• Provide professional advice to procurement and contribute to service development as a member of the pharmacy senior leadership team.

Conhecimentos

Proven leadership

Staff management

Communication of complex information

Influence and negotiation

Forecasting & long-term planning

Organisational awareness

Decision making under pressure

Formação

Degree or master's in Pharmacy

GPhC registration

Postgraduate diploma or master's in clinical pharmacy

Leadership qualification (NHS)

PRINCE2 (Desirable)

Ferramentas

Blueteq

Descrição da vaga

Job summary

Would you like to lead improvements in medicines use and help patients receive safe, timely treatment across hospital and community care? West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced pharmacist to lead medicines optimisation and strengthen collaboration between primary and secondary care. This varied role combines senior pharmacy leadership with 18.75 protected hours each week for commissioned interface work.

Main duties of the job

Working with clinical teams and ICB colleagues, you will improve prescribing pathways, develop shared-care arrangements, lead joint formulary implementation and support appropriate access to high-cost medicines. You will also deliver medicines cost improvement programmes, provide leadership for formulary and homecare services, and contribute professional advice to procurement. As a member of the pharmacy senior management team, you will help shape service development, support colleagues and turn agreed priorities into measurable improvements for patients.

About us

#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community

We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.

Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.

We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.

Details

Date posted: 29 October 2026

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 8b

Salary: £66,582 to £77,368 a year per annum, pro rata

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 179-8291678-C

Job locations: West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Hardwick Lane, Bury st Edmunds, IP33 2QZ, United Kingdom

With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.

We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyone's voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.

Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?

Person Specification

Education and qualifications

Essential

• Educated to Degree or master's level in Pharmacy
• Registered Pharmacist (GPhC)
• Postgraduate diploma or master's qualification relevant to clinical pharmacy practice, or equivalent demonstrable postgraduate learning and experience.
• Leadership / Management qualification relevant to the NHS or equivalent management qualification or experience.

Desirable

• Registered Pharmacy nonmedical prescriber
• Project management qualification (PRINCE 2 or equivalent)

Experience and knowledge

Essential

• Significant senior pharmacy leadership experience relevant to medicines commissioning, interface transformation and service management, with acute-care expertise appropriate to the agreed clinical duties.
• Experience of clinical and medicines financial management, including analysis, forecasting and benefits assessment.
• Recent experience of both operational and strategic planning
• Experience of working across the wider health economy including partnership work
• Recent responsibility for managing transformational change programmes
• Knowledge of national pharmacy transformation and medicines optimisation priorities.
• Knowledge and experience of medicines commissioning and HCD funding and approval requirements, using Blueteq or equivalent systems, and homecare governance appropriate to the leadership remit.
• Experience of leading change management processes
• Understanding of challenges present at the interface between primary and secondary care relating to prescribing.
• Understanding of the current challenges facing primary care and the broader NHS.

Desirable

• Experience across acute and commissioner sectors.
• Advanced experience of high-cost medicines commissioning and development of prior approval systems.
• Experience of holding and managing a formally delegated budget.
• Experience of managing and facilitating change
• Experience of communicating highly complex drug information or medicine related information to prescribers, clinicians, where professionals may challenge the advice

Skills and abilities

Essential

• Communication of highly complex information to senior managers, other professionals, and patients
• Proven leadership skills
• Able to demonstrate effective management of staff
• Critical appraisal of medicines evidence, interpretation of commissioning policy and complex financial data, business case preparation and sound judgement when clinical and financial priorities conflict.
• Concentration required frequently interrupted with urgent requests
• Acts appropriately in distressing or emotional circumstances
• Proven ability to influence and negotiate with relevant senior clinicians, managers, and key stakeholders
• Organisational awareness
• Ability to forecast and innovate including long term service planning
• Strong influencing skills and the ability to sensitively handle difficult conversations.

Personal qualities

Essential

• Awareness and respect for colleagues, patients and relatives cultural, religious, and emotional needs and beliefs

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name: West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Address: West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Hardwick Lane, Bury st Edmunds, IP33 2QZ, United Kingdom

Employer's website: https://www.wsh.nhs.uk

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact: Deputy Chief Pharmacist Wegdan Mohamed, [e-mail]