Specialist Pharmacist - Frailty & CoE

NHS; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Specialist Pharmacist to join their innovative pharmacy team. This role focuses on providing exceptional care to elderly patients, ensuring their medication needs are met effectively. With a commitment to professional development and a supportive environment, you will have the opportunity to lead initiatives that enhance patient outcomes. The position offers a chance to work in a dynamic setting, contributing to the evolution of pharmacy services while collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. If you're passionate about elderly care and ready to make a difference, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Benefits

Free on-site parking

Free tea and coffee

Great flexible working opportunities

Discounted gym membership

Lease car scheme

Generous annual leave and pension scheme

On site nursery (chargeable)

Extensive staff health and well-being programme

Qualifications

• Registered pharmacist with experience in elderly care and clinical pharmacy.
• Post registration experience in a hospital-based clinical post is essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive medication reviews for elderly inpatients.
• Support and supervise junior staff while ensuring safe medication use.

Skills

Effective pharmaceutical skills

Time management

Communication skills

Leadership skills

Problem solving

IT skills

Education

B.Sc. / B.Pharm. / M.Pharm

Registered with GPhC

Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Pharmacy

Job description

Job summary

Specialist Pharmacist - Frailty & CoE

Department: Pharmacy

Band 7: £46,148 - £52,809 per annum

Full-time: Hours: 37.5hrs per week, all MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working

Are you a Pharmacist with a passion for Elderly Care and Frailty?

Now is an excellent time to become part of the pharmacy team at MKUH; we are a friendly, forward-thinking department who continue to grow in both size and influence. Recent enhancements include a major departmental refurbishment, the introduction of a new Pharmacy Robot, the establishment of a new Pharmacy and Aseptic Unit in the Cancer Centre, and the opening of a new Outpatient Pharmacy.

Our services are evolving to provide our pharmacists and pharmacy technicians with more time to work alongside patients while supporting their medical and nursing colleagues. Our commitment is to ensure that every patient receives safe, high-quality care, placing our patients at the heart of our mission. This role is a compelling career opportunity for a skilled and dedicated pharmacist to join our hardworking, forward-looking, and innovative pharmacy team.

If successful, you will be part of a supportive and learning environment that encourages both professional and personal development. If you would like to find out more, please contact Emily McDonald, Clinical Pharmacy Manager - Frailty, Elderly Care & Endocrine at [e-mail] for an informal discussion.

Interview date: 14.05.2025

Main duties of the job

• You will work closely with the Principal Pharmacist to providing pharmacy input in the form of comprehensive medication reviews to elderly inpatients. You will support with providing safe and effective use of medicines to enable the best possible outcomes, reduce inappropriate polypharmacy & improve adherence and patients understanding of medicines.
• In addition to delivering ward based clinical pharmacy services within elderly care, as well as clinical support to the dispensary, you will have the opportunity to gain experience in supporting and supervising junior staff, undertaking quality improvement and audit work, advocating for medicines optimisation and safety initiatives at the ward level, and collaborating with the Principal Pharmacist to address any medicines related issues affecting the elderly care division.
• To take a key role in the delivery, development and evaluation of the Pharmaceutical Service provided to Divisional Teams and Clinical Service Units (CSU); to meet the requirements of pharmacy customers in accordance with pharmaceutical legislation, national guidance and departmental objectives.
• To deputise, with appropriate support, for the Principal Pharmacists at meetings and in delivery of training within their assigned areas of pharmaceutical care.
• To provide ward-based clinical pharmacy services, working alongside our other specialist pharmacists and technicians, and supporting pharmacists and technicians and trainees.

About us

"We Care We Communicate We Collaborate We Contribute"

"90% reported feeling trusted to do their job and always knowing their responsibilities" (NHS Staff Survey 2023).

You can expect a warm welcome at Milton Keynes University Hospital, our staff are friendly and welcoming. We listen to each other and work together to embed our Trusts values and behaviours. At MKUH we appreciate our staff and reward them with an outstanding benefits package including:

• Free on-site parking
• Free tea and coffee
• Great flexible working opportunities
• Discounted gym membership
• Lease car scheme
• Generous annual leave and pension scheme
• On site nursery (chargeable)
• Extensive staff health and well-being programme

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital; we conduct research and teaching on site to improve the care of our patients. The hospital is undergoing significant investment, and we are proud to be rated good by the CQC. Visit our website to catch up on our latest news.

Date posted: 15 April 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 7

Salary: £46,148 to £52,809 a year per annum

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 430-CC25-14A

Job locations: Pharmacy (Dept), Milton Keynes, MK6 5LD

Job description Job responsibilities

Our standard working hours now consist of four long days (8 am to 6.30 pm) per week, with coverage on Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank Holidays on a rota basis. After a period of induction and training, you will contribute to the pharmacy out-of-hours service.

We are looking for an outstanding pharmacist who is enthusiastic, self-motivated and committed to forging excellent communication between primary and secondary care teams and drive the pharmacy team forward. You will be passionate about helping the elderly patients get the best from their medicines, and keen to use your initiative and drive to take opportunities to create an outstanding service and demonstrate leadership around optimal and safe medication use within the board rounds.

As the Specialist Pharmacist you will work as part of a pharmacy team and develop specialist clinical pharmacy services to elderly patients working across the interface. The post holder will develop the role in the transfer of care across the interface to ensure optimisation and safe discharges for the elderly population.

Please refer to the Job Description for further details

We believe success lies in the diversity of our employees and are committed to promoting equality, encouraging diversity and embracing inclusion. We welcome applications from everyone interested in working for us.

MKUH is committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and as such we offer a range of flexible working practices.

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

MKUH uses identification scanning technology to confirm the authenticity of documents; all prospective employees of MKUH will have their original documents verified using this technology.

By applying for this role, you accept if successful, that information from your application will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system. Your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which aims at saving you time and improving efficiencies within the NHS when your employment transfers.

Upon commencing employment with the Trust, all employees (except Medical & Dental Staff on national terms and conditions) are subject to a probationary period lasting a period of six months with an option to extend for a further six months to a total of 12 months.

Person Specification

Qualifications and knowledge

Essential

• B.Sc. / B.Pharm. / M.Pharm
• Registered with GPhC
• Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Pharmacy (or equivalent)
• Evidence of on-going CPD (in line with GPhC requirements)

Desirable

• Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or evidence of equivalent experience e.g. GLF
• Member of RPS
• Evidence of a good understanding of medicines management issues at the interfaces between primary, secondary and tertiary care

Experience

Essential

• Post registration experience in a hospital-based clinical post
• Experience working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide patient care
• Experience of clinical audit work.
• An awareness of current national standards, guidelines and service delivery issues.
• Experience of Medicines Information.
• Knowledge of the medical management of disease in a range of the specialties

Desirable

• At least 2 years post registration experience in a hospital-based clinical post
• Evidence of influencing medicines use to optimise care and help clinicians manage expenditure
• Evidence of experience managing prioritisation in relation to the use of new drugs and new uses for drugs
• Evidence of significant contribution to innovative or developmental roles and activities within pharmacy

Skills

Essential

• Effective and safe pharmaceutical skills
• Ability to manage time effectively and work to deadlines
• Ability to plan, prioritise and organise self and others and deal effectively with unexpected demands
• I.T. skills such as computer literacy, word processing and spreadsheet skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with other staff, patients and members of the public
• Good presentation skills.
• Good written communication skills
• Problem solving
• Good team work and ability to work alone
• Evidence of leadership skills
• Ability to motivate and act as a role model

Desirable

• Good negotiation skills and ability to justify advice given should this be challenged
• Critical appraisal skills
• Evidence of understanding of clinical risk and clinical governance
• Innovative Thinking

Personal and people development

Essential

• Experience of supervising and developing colleagues
• Evidence of Continuous Professional Development to meet GPhC standards
• Evidence of leadership

Communication

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to influence others
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Evidence of team working
• Evidence of effective and timely project delivery

Specific requirements

Essential

• Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations
• Flexible, polite and courteous
• Dedicated professional attitude
• Able to take the initiative
• Ability and willingness to take responsibility for own actions and lead, when required, including when on call

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: Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Pharmacy (Dept), Milton Keynes, MK6 5LD

Employer's website: https://www.mkuh.nhs.uk/working-at-mkuh (Opens in a new tab)