Specialist Clinical Pharmacist - Clinical & High-cost Medicine

NHS; Northampton; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Northampton is seeking a motivated clinical pharmacist to develop specialist knowledge in high-cost drugs. You will provide pharmaceutical support across various clinical areas, ensuring safe and effective usage of medications while working in a team-oriented environment. The position offers comprehensive support for professional development and a competitive salary package.

Qualifications

• Post-registration hospital clinical pharmacy experience including at least 4 specialties.
• Member of General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Experience with multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide information, advice, and guidance on medicine usage.
• Optimize medicines management through medication reviews.
• Lead and support quality improvement of medicines.

Skills

Clinical reasoning

Communication

Teamwork

Presentation skills

Numeracy

Education

BPharm or MPharm degree

Postgraduate clinical qualification

Job description

Overview

An opportunity has arisen for a motivated clinical pharmacist who wishes to develop specialist knowledge and skills in high-cost drugs provision across various clinical specialties. You will support the Principal Pharmacist - High-cost drugs in ensuring cost-effective use of this group of medicines excluded from NHS tariff payment system to meet commissioner requirements.

You will have the opportunity to work in a multi-disciplinary setting, liaising with clinicians, specialist nurses, as well as external organisations such as homecare providers to ensure safe, robust management of medicines to meet both clinical and patient needs. This role will enable you to further utilise your clinical knowledge, developing your influential and critical evaluation skills to drive service improvement. You will have strong support from peers, senior pharmacists and technicians, and you will work closely with our team of clinical pharmacists. The department is implementing electronic prescribing and medicines administration on all inpatient wards.

Main duties

You will be working within our established high-cost drugs and homecare pharmacy team in the management and monitoring of high-cost medicines prescribing such as biologics. You will provide pharmaceutical support to clinical areas that are high-users of high-cost drugs including rheumatology, dermatology, neurology and the adult medical day case unit. The role involves medicines advice, cost-impact analysis and leading on the safe introduction of new high-cost medicines. You will regularly undertake work-based projects, service reviews, audits and participate in medicines pathway design and medicines optimisation at local and regional level. You will also be part of the wider clinical pharmacy team responsible for pharmaceutical care from admission through to discharge, with ward-based clinical commitment and prescribing skills as part of your specialist role. If you are not already a prescriber, we will support you to achieve this qualification.

About us

Please submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close any adverts before the closing date once we have received sufficient applications

Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust is one of the largest employers in the area and is on an exciting journey. All divisions are committed to doing things better with more efficiency as we update, modernise and advance. The Trust has entered a Group Model with neighbouring Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and has become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.

Our Excellence Values

• Compassion
• Accountability
• Respect
• Integrity
• Courage

We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone's full potential.

The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify with all protected groups. We understand the need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and ensure an inclusive and collaborative environment.

We recognise the valuable contribution that the Armed Forces community makes to our organisation. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and achieved Silver Award under the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme.

We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds, ensuring everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.

Details

Date posted: 23 September 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 7

Salary: £47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum + on-call payment

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 2565-7404110

Job locations: Northampton General Hospital, Cliftonville, Northampton, NN1 5BD

Job responsibilities

Specialist Clinical Pharmacy Service:

• To provide information, advice and guidance on the safe, effective and economical use of medicines and to challenge poor practice.
• To maintain appropriate standards of service and safety; to develop and enforce guidelines, policies and procedures to ensure standards are met.
• To optimise medicines management by reconciling drug histories, performing medication reviews, counselling, and using patients' own medicines.
• To undertake adverse drug reactions and incident reporting where necessary.
• To record your clinical activity and to monitor the outcome of your advice.
• To participate in CQUINs and best value medicines pertinent to your area of specialty.
• To lead and support quality improvement of medicines.
• To implement countywide and local prescribing strategies within the Trust.
• To undertake independent prescribing if/when qualified as Independent Prescriber.
• To facilitate the expansion of the tools within EPMA.
• To support the development and implementations of medicines related guidance, policies and procedures within specialty areas.
• To fulfil the requirements of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Good Professional Practice.
• To implement the Duty of Candour.

Specialist Pharmacist in High-cost Drugs:

• To develop specialist expertise in areas with a high use of medicines excluded from the NHS Payment System i.e. high-cost drugs.
• To have a working knowledge of current practices and protocols in these specialties.
• To facilitate the development and implementation of high-cost drugs related guidelines.
• To support high-cost drugs and homecare team on the appropriate prescribing, validation and supply of high-cost drugs.
• To lead the auditing of medicines within specialist areas.
• To undertake work-based QI projects with the support of the Principal High-cost drugs pharmacist.
• To undertake data analysis and reporting relating to high-cost drugs to meet the requirements stipulated by commissioners.
• To attend appropriate Directorate meetings to ensure pharmaceutical issues are considered.

Education, Training and Supervision

• Attend clinical pharmacy team meetings and education/training schemes relevant to post.
• To take part in formal and informal training of pharmacy staff and other healthcare professionals.
• To be a supervisor on the Clinical Pharmacy Diploma course.
• To supervise aspects of pharmacist trainee training.
• To line manage and lead those staff allocated, undertaking appraisals, supervision and identification of training and development of their skills and knowledge.
• To assist in the induction of staff into the service; to help identify training and development needs.
• To provide information to patients, parents and carers on admission, discharge and in outpatient clinics regarding treatment and medication to optimise patient concordance.
• To maintain up-to-date clinical knowledge in clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice to ensure a broad base of pharmaceutical knowledge, clinical reasoning and judgement.
• To take responsibility for own personal CPD by participating in education and training programmes to improve competence.
• To develop specialist expertise in chosen specialty area.
• To obtain/maintain prescribing qualification and support specialty clinics and ward rounds as appropriate.
• To help provide the training for Technicians enhanced patient counselling skills and Medicines Management Technician training.

Other Duties:

• To undertake duties elsewhere in the locality, if required.
• To undertake on-call duties.
• To provide a pharmacy service at weekends.

Person Specification

Education, Training and Qualification

• BPharm or MPharm degree
• Member of General Pharmaceutical Council
• Achieved (or working towards) postgraduate clinical qualification (or equivalent knowledge/experience)
• CPD Portfolio

Desirable

• Member of Royal Pharmaceutical Society
• Practice Certification in Independent Prescribing
• Member of UKCPA, PCPA, or other relevant specialist body
• Medicines Information training

Knowledge and Experience

• Post-registration hospital clinical pharmacy experience including at least 4 of the following specialties: Medicine, Care of the Older Person, Surgery, Paediatrics, Medicines Information, Oncology/Haematology, Aseptics
• Experience with working as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Clinical Audit/QA Service Improvement or practice research experience
• Clinical reasoning, problem solving and judgement
• Literature searching and critical appraisal of clinical trials evidence
• Good core clinical knowledge of therapeutics and pharmacology
• Numeracy
• Good interpersonal/excellent communication of highly complex information to a wide variety of audiences
• NHS arrangements, e.g. ICBs, NICE, CQC, Clinical Governance, PCNs, NHS digital
• Teaching, supervising and training staff

Desirable

• Independent prescribing or working towards Independent Prescribing qualification
• Experience in supporting Directorate Pharmacist or equivalent, including financial reporting, formulary application, guideline writing
• Experience of electronic prescribing and administration systems and electronic patient records
• Staff supervision
• Experience in risk management

Skills

• Presentation skills
• Ability to work under pressure
• Computer skills, e.g. databases
• Ability to prioritise and delegate
• Ability to work alone or as a team member
• Time management
• Excellent communication

Legal and Compliance

Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service 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. Skilled worker guidance and overseas criminal records checks guidance available online.

UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration.

Employer details

Employer name Northampton General Hospital

Address Northampton General Hospital, Cliftonville, Northampton, NN1 5BD

Employer's website: Northampton General Hospital – Home