Specialist Clinical Pharmacist, High Cost Drugs (Step)

UHCW NHS Trust; Coventry; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust in Coventry is seeking a Specialist Clinical Pharmacist to manage high cost drugs and home-care service provision. The role involves project management, ensuring cost-effective schemes, and collaboration with clinical teams across various specialties. Candidates should have relevant clinical pharmacy experience and a solid understanding of commissioning policies. This position offers a vital role in improving patient care with an anticipated step-up program over 12-24 months.

Qualifications

• Provide an immunisation and vaccination report from your current UK occupational health provider or UK GP.
• Relevant experience in clinical pharmacy, preferably in high cost drug management.
• Understanding of commissioning policies and financial aspects of drug usage.

Responsibilities

• Manage project delivery of High Cost Drugs and Home-care services.
• Support implementation of cost-effective schemes related to high cost drug usage.
• Ensure rational prescribing protocols and treatment pathways are in place.

Skills

Clinical pharmacy experience

High cost drug management

Understanding of commissioning policies

Job description

A Vacancy at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.

As a Specialist Clinical Pharmacist for High Cost Drugs you will manage various novel delivery models of care, especially home‑care service provision – achieving better care closer to home for our patients. You will work with a member of the National Home‑care Medicines Committee as part of the highly skilled UHCW Pharmacy High Cost Drugs and Home‑care team, and will have key links to the commissioners and hospital clinical teams across a range of specialties such as rheumatology, gastroenterology and dermatology.

Primary responsibilities include clinical, operational and financial aspects of High Cost Drug usage.

Responsibilities

• Project management and delivery of High Cost Drugs and Home‑care services.
• Support implementation of any CIP/waste reduction and other cost‑effective schemes related to high cost drug usage at UHCW and share schemes with other local providers to ensure consistency across the healthcare economy and Integrated Care System (ICS).
• Ensure rational prescribing protocols and treatment pathways are in place to facilitate all high cost drugs being started, reviewed, continued and discontinued against set criteria.
• Monitor the high cost drug spend against set budgets, and ensure that drug costs are recorded accurately and that the correct commissioners/funding source is identified.
• Engage with clinical teams to ensure appropriate use of PbR‑excluded drugs in line with commissioning policies, monitoring and data‑collection requirements.
• Identify investment/disinvestment opportunities and optimise the use of high cost drugs, for example via cost‑effective procurement, review of FP10 prescriptions, support for biosimilar switches, dispensing routes, correct stock storage, rotation and return of unused drugs from clinical areas.
• Act as a Pharmacy Department Outpatient Liaison contact.
• Develop cost‑saving proposals in conjunction with the clinical teams and UHCW Pharmacist High Cost Drugs Team.
• Ensure PbR‑excluded drugs are used cost‑effectively in line with agreed criteria, such as ADSL and NHSEI commissioning, and support with NICE TA implementation.
• Conduct regular audit of high cost drug prescribing and monitoring.
• Oversee the use of relevant databases such as Blueteq, the IVIG database and other prior approval systems as required within the Trust.
• Support the UHCW Pharmacist High Cost Drugs team to ensure robust monitoring and regular reporting of savings achieved.
• Engage with colleagues across local provider organisations to facilitate development of consistent policies for the use of high cost drugs.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Provide an immunisation and vaccination report from your current UK occupational health provider or UK GP.
• Relevant experience in clinical pharmacy, preferably in high cost drug management.
• Understanding of commissioning policies and financial aspects of drug usage.

If a candidate commences the role at a Band 7 level, it is anticipated that the step‑up programme will take approximately 12‑24 months to complete, including regular assessment reviews.

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 proud to be recognised as a Pathway to Excellence® designated organisation.

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

This advert closes on Friday 28 Nov 2025.