Senior Pharmacist for Surgery & Ophthalmology

NHS; Coventry; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in the UK is seeking a Senior Pharmacist for Surgery & Ophthalmology to lead clinical pharmacy services. This role involves ensuring the effective use of medicines, developing policies, and providing high-quality care across multiple departments. Candidates should have a pharmacy degree and proven leadership skills in clinical settings. Competitive compensation and development opportunities are offered.

Benefits

Learning and development opportunities

Supportive working environment

Qualifications

• Experience in leading clinical pharmacy services.
• Ability to influence drug therapy decisions.
• Commitment to high standards of patient care.

Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee clinical pharmacy service for surgery and ophthalmology.
• Provide clinical leadership and care across wards and clinics.
• Ensure compliance with legal requirements and best practices.

Skills

Leadership in clinical pharmacy

Strategic thinking

Multidisciplinary team collaboration

Clinical decision-making

Education

Pharmacy degree

Job description

Senior Pharmacist for Surgery & Ophthalmology

The closing date is 14 December 2025

The post holder will lead the provision of a comprehensive, high-quality clinical pharmacy service across Surgical Services, including, but not limited to, General Surgery, Surgical Assessment Unit, Upper and Lower GI, Urology, Head and Neck (H&N), and Ophthalmology Directorate. This expanded remit reflects ongoing service growth, increasing complexity of ophthalmic therapies, and the need for senior pharmaceutical leadership within both peri-operative and specialist ophthalmic pathways.

The role will provide strategic, clinical and operational leadership to ensure safe, effective and value-based use of medicines across these areas. Working closely with Lead Pharmacists, senior clinicians, nurses, and service managers, the post holder will develop, implement, and monitor policies, guidelines, and governance processes relating to the use of medicines in both surgical and ophthalmic care. Working closely with wards, day surgery and clinic settings to lead on risk management, audit, High-Cost drug management, pathway optimisation, and MDT involvement, as well as pre-pack optimisation to support the flow of elective and emergency patients through the surgery and ophthalmology pathway.

Successful applicants will be required to provide an immunisation and vaccination report, from either their current UK occupational health provider or their UK GP.

Main duties of the job

The role includes leading ophthalmology clinical pharmacy services, covering general ophthalmology, cornea, glaucoma, medical retina, ocular surgery, cross-linking procedures, emergency eye care, and high-cost ocular treatments. The post holder will oversee governance, supply chains, unlicensed products, cold-chain intravitreal injections, risk management and clinical decision support for ophthalmic medicines. This includes involvement in service development such as creation and review of clinical guidelines, PGDs, shared-care protocols, pathway redesign, and education programmes for multidisciplinary teams.

The post holder will supervise and develop rotational pharmacists, advanced training pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and trainees across all relevant specialities, ensuring consistent delivery of medicines optimisation and high standards of care.

The role includes direct patient-facing responsibilities, independent prescribing (or progression towards it), complex medicines optimisation decisions, multidisciplinary working, financial stewardship of high-cost drug budgets, and leadership of quality improvement projects aligned with UHCWi.

About us

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, rated as good by the Care Quality Commission, is one of the largest teaching Trusts in the UK.

We are extremely proud of our employees across our hospital sites, with high quality patient care at the heart of everything we do.

Boasting some of the most modern facilities in Western Europe, the Trust is renowned for being at the forefront of research and innovation as part of its blossoming reputation as a worldwide leader in healthcare.

We are proud to be recognised as a Pathway to Excellence designated organisation - please click the link for further details about this prestigious award. Pathway To Excellence - University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire (uhcw.nhs.uk)

By joining our exciting journey, you will form part of a passionate, talented team and will be able to access a wide range of learning and development opportunities. There has never been a better time to join our team.

The Trust is committed to building an organisation that makes full use of the talents, skills, experience, and different perspectives available in our diverse society. We want everyone to feel they are respected, valued, can achieve their potential and receive the most appropriate and relevant care. We will create an environment where the equality and human rights principles of fairness, respect, equality, dignity and autonomy are promoted and are part of the organisation's core values.

Job responsibilities

• Develop and provide a comprehensive clinical pharmacy service for the patients in your areas (surgery and ophthalmology) at UHCW NHS Trust and attend multidisciplinary team meetings as required.
• Provide clinical leadership and pharmaceutical care to all wards and clinics in your directorate.
• Provide strategic guidance on clinical pharmacy issues relating to your areas and offer professional pharmacy leadership in this area of care.
• Proactively influence safe and cost‑effective drug therapy with other senior clinical staff within your areas. This will include new drug evaluations, financial reporting, and the development of policies.
• Identify areas where improvements in both the quality and cost‑effectiveness of pharmaceutical care and prescribing can be encouraged.
• Work with senior staff in your areas to review and develop policies and procedures to ensure the safe and effective handling of medications. Ensure policies and procedures comply with existing legal requirements, best practices, national and local guidelines, and Health Care Commission requirements. Undertake risk management and develop audits related to the supply, storage, and administration of medicines and other pharmaceuticals.

For further details of the role please see the attached job description.

Person Specification

Commitment to Trust Values and Behaviours

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.

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust

Address

University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire

University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire