Advanced Pharmacist

Job summary

We have an exciting opportunity for an Advanced Pharmacist at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust to join the Pharmacy Department at Watford General Hospital. You will be responsible for supporting the Lead Pharmacist in the delivery and development of clinical pharmacy services across the Watford site and the wider Trust. You will be managing and optimising medicines-related care by ensuring prescriptions are safe, effective, economical, and evidence-based, while promoting compliance with the Trust Formulary. You will also be supporting patients, carers, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals by providing complex medicines information, including advice on dosing, indications, side effects, and appropriate treatment options to promote safe and effective medicines use.

Main duties of the job

As an Advanced Pharmacist, you will be responsible for supporting the development and implementation of systems that enable the appropriate use of patients own medicines. You will be managing and improving technician-led processes to ensure the timely, accurate, and seamless supply of medicines throughout the patient journey. You will also be responsible for identifying and monitoring adverse drug reactions and submitting Yellow Card reports to the MHRA. Additionally, you will be supporting inpatient and outpatient dispensary operations by liaising with the Dispensary Manager to review workflow, maintain appropriate records, and ensure adherence to relevant legal requirements and national and local standards. You will also be coordinating the transfer of medicines-related information with community pharmacists, GPs, and other primary healthcare professionals to support continuity of care.

Job description

• To oversee the daily activities of pre-registration pharmacists, junior pharmacists, clinical technicians, pharmacy assistants, and undergraduate pharmacy students within allocated rotations. You will be responsible for coordinating workloads, promoting effective staff utilisation, and contributing to departmental Clinical Governance meetings.
• To facilitate structured learning and professional development across the pharmacy workforce by identifying individual training requirements, recommending suitable development opportunities, and encouraging participation in relevant educational programmes. You will also support the delivery of training for medical, nursing, and other healthcare staff.
• To contribute to the preparation, review, and revision of medicines-related guidelines, protocols, and procedural documents. You will also assist in preparing reports and supplying relevant information for healthcare committees when required.
• To document clinical pharmacy interventions in accordance with departmental policy and ensure medication errors are escalated to the appropriate line manager. You will be responsible for completing the necessary incident reports to support accurate documentation and organisational learning.
• To conduct regular controlled drug checks in accordance with Trust procedures and ensure compliance with legal requirements governing the purchase, storage, safe custody, and destruction of medicines. You will also adhere to the professional standards of the General Pharmaceutical Council and applicable Trust policies.
• To undertake audit projects examining prescribing practices and compliance with clinical guidelines, identifying opportunities to strengthen clinical standards. You will also contribute to pharmacy practice research, achieve objectives agreed during individual performance reviews, and undertake other reasonable duties assigned by senior pharmacy management.