Senior Pharmacist - Medicines Optimisation...

NHS Scotland; Larbert; Remote; GBP 52,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Forth Valley is seeking an experienced pharmacist to join the whole-system Medicines Optimisation Team as Senior Pharmacist - Medicines Optimisation (Diabetes). You will lead the diabetes invest-to-save programme and drive prescribing improvement across primary and secondary care.

You will apply advanced clinical practice, independent prescribing and person-centred care to deliver measurable improvements in the safety, quality and value of diabetes medicines for people in our system.

Qualifications

• Current registration as a pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Registration as an independent prescriber.
• Post-registration clinical experience.
• Strong interest in diabetes care, medicines optimisation and evidence-based prescribing.
• Experience delivering service improvement, quality improvement or prescribing change.
• Ability to work autonomously while collaborating across professional and organisational boundaries.
• Excellent communication, influencing and relationship-building skills.
• Confidence in engaging people in shared decisions about their medicines.
• Ability to interpret data, monitor outcomes and demonstrate impact of improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead the diabetes invest-to-save and prescribing improvement programme.
• Undertake person-centred medication reviews and use independent prescribing to optimise treatment.
• Engage directly with people living with diabetes, supporting informed choices through shared decision-making.
• Develop effective clinical pathways, review processes and follow-up arrangements across primary and secondary care.
• Build strong relationships with clinical, pharmacy, finance, procurement and other stakeholders to support successful implementation.
• Use prescribing, clinical and financial data to monitor outcomes, measure benefits and report progress.
• Identify further opportunities to improve prescribing quality, reduce unwarranted variation and make best use of NHS resources.
• Contribute specialist diabetes expertise to the wider work of the whole-system Medicines Optimisation Team.

Skills

GPhC registration

Independent prescriber

Post-registration clinical experience

Diabetes care & medicines optimisation

Service improvement / QA experience

Autonomous working with collaboration

Communication & relationship-building

Shared decision-making

Data interpretation & outcomes

Diabetes specialist experience (adv)

Education

Pharmacy degree

Job description

Fixed-Term or Secondment for 15 months due to the implementation of a specific project, pilot or system.

*Secondment Opportunity Existing permanent employees must first discuss this opportunity with their substantive line manager and complete the secondment request form prior to interview. The secondment request form and the associated secondment policy can be found on the HR/Recruitment intranet pages and must be completed and signed by the substantive line manager. The Candidate should then take it with them to interview as confirmation that an agreement has been granted.

Help Shape the Future of Medicines Optimisation and Diabetes Care

Are you an experienced pharmacist with a passion for improving prescribing, delivering high-quality diabetes care and helping people achieve the best possible outcomes from their medicines?

NHS Forth Valley is seeking an enthusiastic and forward-thinking pharmacist to join our whole-system Medicines Optimisation Team as Senior Pharmacist - Medicines Optimisation (Diabetes).

This is a 15-month secondment or fixed-term opportunity to lead an important prescribing improvement and invest-to-save programme, initially focused on the safe and clinically appropriate optimisation of insulin prescribing.

About the Role

This is an exciting opportunity to combine advanced clinical practice, independent prescribing, patient-centred care and quality improvement with the delivery of measurable improvements in the value and sustainability of medicines use.

Working across primary and secondary care, you will establish and lead the diabetes medicines optimisation initiative, working closely with people living with diabetes, specialist diabetes services, general practices, primary care pharmacy teams and other key stakeholders.

You will:

• Lead the development and delivery of the diabetes invest-to-save and prescribing improvement programme.
• Undertake person-centred medication reviews and use independent prescribing skills to optimise treatment safely and effectively.
• Engage directly with people living with diabetes, supporting informed choices through shared decision-making.
• Develop effective clinical pathways, review processes and follow-up arrangements across primary and secondary care.
• Build strong relationships with clinical, pharmacy, finance, procurement and other stakeholders to support successful implementation.
• Use prescribing, clinical and financial data to monitor outcomes, measure benefits and report progress.
• Identify further opportunities to improve prescribing quality, reduce unwarranted variation and make best use of NHS resources.
• Contribute specialist diabetes expertise to the wider work of the whole-system Medicines Optimisation Team.

The post will have an initial focus on the delivery of the funded diabetes invest-to-save programme. Where capacity allows, the postholder will also help identify and develop wider medicines optimisation opportunities that improve patient care, prescribing quality and value.

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for an experienced pharmacist who is motivated by the opportunity to improve care for people living with diabetes and deliver meaningful, sustainable improvement in medicines use.

You will bring:

• Current registration as a pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Registration as an independent prescriber.
• Relevant post-registration clinical experience.
• A strong interest in diabetes care, medicines optimisation and evidence-based prescribing.
• Experience of delivering service improvement, quality improvement or prescribing change.
• The ability to work autonomously while collaborating effectively across professional and organisational boundaries.
• Excellent communication, influencing and relationship-building skills.
• Confidence in engaging people in shared decisions about their medicines.
• The ability to interpret data, monitor outcomes and demonstrate the impact of improvement initiatives.

Previous specialist experience in diabetes would be advantageous. However, we also welcome applications from experienced pharmacists with transferable clinical skills, a strong commitment to person-centred care and the enthusiasm to develop their diabetes expertise.

Most importantly, we are looking for someone who can combine clinical credibility, compassionate patient care and effective change leadership to translate an ambitious proposal into measurable improvements for people and services.

If you are passionate about person-centred diabetes care, we would be delighted to hear from you.

For an informal discussion about the post, please contact: Jonathan Cavan, Associate Director of Pharmacy at [e-mail]

The duties of this post require the successful candidate to be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. More information on this scheme can be found at www.disclosurescotland.co.uk

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applicants who require sponsorship to work in the UK are advised to carefully review the eligibility criteria for the Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa routes. NHS Forth Valley may be able to offer sponsorship for certain roles, provided the post meets the minimum salary threshold and any other required criteria. If you are currently working in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa, transitional arrangements may apply. Please note that sponsorship is not guaranteed and is assessed on a case-by-case basis following interview and at the commencement of pre-employment checks. For further information on visa requirements and sponsorship eligibility, please refer to the UK Government guidance .

Candidates should provide original and authentic responses to all questions within the application form. The use of artificial intelligence (AI), automated tools, or other third-party assistance to generate, draft, or significantly modify responses is strongly discouraged. By submitting your application, you confirm that all answers are your own work, reflect your personal knowledge, skills and experience, and have not been solely produced or altered by AI or similar technologies. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in your application being withdrawn from the application process.

Please note that the majority of correspondence is sent by e-mail, therefore please check your e-mail regularly (including junk folders) and your Jobtrain account for updates.

NHS Forth Valley is positive about disabled people and is committed to offering an interview to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the job. Please contact the Recruitment Office on 0330 041 4694 if there are any reasonable adjustments, we can make to assist you with your application and/or interview.

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

Reference: 261093

Contract Type: Permanent

Posted On: 21 Oct 2026

Closing Date: 04/11/2026