Job Description

Job summary

Why might this job interest you?

Are you a skilled and compassionate Pharmacist ready to play a crucial role in patient care? Join our team at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust and help us make a difference!

Assisting the Lead Pharmacist in delivering and developing clinical pharmacy services at the Watford site and across the trust is a key aspect of this role. Providing a patient-focused clinical pharmacy service involves taking responsibility for achieving the therapeutic goals of both patients and prescribers. Monitoring prescriptions ensures safe, cost-effective, and evidence-based prescribing while actively promoting compliance with the Formulary.

Providing complex medicines information to patients, carers, and healthcare professionals is a key aspect of this role, ensuring clarity and appropriateness in communication regarding side effects, dosing, and indications. Professional pharmaceutical advice must be given to medical, nursing, and other staff, while also facilitating effective communication about medicines, treatment goals, and follow-up with community pharmacists, GPs, and the primary healthcare team. Responsibilities include monitoring for adverse drug reactions and submitting yellow cards to the MHRA. Additionally, involvement in dispensary services for inpatients and outpatients is required, working alongside the Dispensary Manager to review workflow and ensure compliance with legal, national, and local standards.

Main duties of the job

Supervision and training play a vital role, requiring day-to-day oversight of Pre-registration Pharmacists, Clinical Technicians, Assistants, and undergraduate Pharmacy students within the Pharmacy Department. Participation in departmental Clinical Governance meetings is essential for maintaining service quality. The role also involves acting as a role model in training pre-registration pharmacists, technicians, and assistants, while staying informed about training opportunities and aligning them with individual development needs. Active participation in education and training programs, keeping up to date with pharmacy developments, and promoting Continuing Professional Development (CPD) within the department are crucial for maintaining high professional standards.

About us

Here at NHS Professionals, we run England's largest NHS staff bank and are experts at putting people in places to care. Every year we help thousands of dedicated and highly skilled NHS workers enjoy better career opportunities, more flexible shifts, and a healthier work-life balance across our partnered Trusts.

Career Progression access to Learning & Development opportunities, so that you can take on new roles and challenges

Work-life Balance flexible shifts, committed shifts, wellbeing resources and build paid annual leave

Opportunity & Access over 50 partner NHS Trusts to give you the flexibility of choice to work how and where you want

Job description

• Screening drug charts, TTAs, and outpatient prescriptions in the dispensary to ensure safe, effective, and evidence-based prescribing.
• Providing patient counselling on medications to support adherence and understanding of treatment plans. Offering expert pharmaceutical advice to doctors and nurses to optimize patient care.
• Conducting clinical interventions to ensure appropriate medication use and address any prescribing concerns. Achieve objectives agreed at individual performance review.
• Assist with providing advice, information, and the preparation of reports for healthcare committees if nominated to do so. Co-operate with Medicines Information staff in responding to information requests arising from the Clinical Services.
• Record Clinical Pharmacy Interventions in line with departmental policy and report any drug errors detected to the line manager, ensuring the appropriate incident report form is completed.
• Undertake controlled drug checks regularly in accordance with trust policy and carry out audit projects to assess prescribing practice and adherence to guidelines with the aim of improving patient care.
• Comply with Pharmacy and other Trust policies, adhere to the Code of Ethics of The General Pharmaceutical Council, and undertake any other reasonable duties within the framework of the post as directed by the Lead Clinical Pharmacist, Deputy Chief Pharmacist, or Chief Pharmacist.

Person Specification & Qualifications

• Masters Degree MPharm (or equivalent)
• Competency assessed and examined professional registration with the GPhC
• Recent Hospital Pharmacy experience or UK pharmacy experience

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (Opens in a new tab).

Employer Details

NHS Professionals Limited

Location

Watford General Hospital

60 Vicarage Road

Watford

WD18 0HB