Job summary
- Main area
- Pharmacy
- Grade
- 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 216-PL-C7257013
- Employer
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Derriford Hospital
- Town
- PLYMOUTH
- Salary
- £53,755 - £60,504 Per Annum, pro rata.
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 25/06/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Advanced Specialist Pharmacist – Governance and Medicines Safety
8a
Job overview
Following significant investment by the Trust board as part of a 5-year workforce plan, we are able to offer two advanced specialist pharmacists posts to join an expanding pharmacy governance and medicines safety team.
Are you an enthusiastic, motivated, and dynamic experienced clinical pharmacist with an interest in Governance and Medication Safety?
Would you like to work closely with the Trust’s Medicines Safety Officer to promote and share best practice and quality improvement for the safe use of medicines across the Trust in line with local and national objectives.
Are you at the stage of your career where you are looking to develop your clinical leadership management skills and work as part of the pharmacy governance and medicines safety team alongside having the opportunity to provide a high-quality patient focused clinical pharmacy service for patients within a defined clinical speciality?
If so, we would love to hear from you!
Depending on the stage of your career, a diploma, or independent prescribing qualification will be funded. Practice research is also encouraged, and we currently Academic intern pharmacists.
Flexible working requests will be considered. Please get in touch to discuss this.
***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***
Main duties of the job
- This post holder will be responsible for promoting the safe use of medicines across the Trust whilst there will also be scope to provide a high-quality patient focused clinical pharmacy service for patients within a defined clinical speciality .
- To work with the Lead Pharmacist Governance and Medicines Safety , to improve governance and medication safety throughout UHP, acting as an expert in medicines administration and related error management as part of the pharmacy governance and medicines safety team
- To support the development, implementation and audit of the Trust-wide Medicines Policies in consultation with senior medical, nursing and other healthcare professionals to ensure the safe and effective handling, storage, prescribing and administration of medicines in the Trust.
- Support the Lead Pharmacist Governance and Medicines Safety in the management of medication incident reporting both in pharmacy and the wider organisation
- Investigate medication incidents, and work to improve the reporting and learning from these incidents.
- Be involved in quality improvement projects which aim to make medicine use safer and reduce medicine-related adverse events.
- Work as a clinical pharmacist if appropriate providing a service to a defined cohort of patients alongside, helping to ensure the safety and efficacy of medication use.
Please view the Job Description for the full list of duties.
Working for our organisation
We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Key Dimensions:
- Work alongside the Lead Pharmacist Governance and Medicines Safety and the pharmacy governance and medicines safety team to oversee the reporting of medication incidents through the Trust’s incident reporting.
- Use incident reports, clinical audits, local intelligence gathering, and other sources to identify trends, themes, and topics in the medication safety that occur in the organisation in line with the national safety strategy.
- Support the Lead Pharmacist Governance and Medicines Safety to identify national medicines safety issues and how these relate to UHP.
- Support with the review of Clinical Guidelines, Patient Group Directions, Standard Operating Procedures and risk assessments, engaging authors and specialist pharmacists to ensure all documents meet the required standards.
- Support the Lead Pharmacist Governance and Medicines Safety to ensure the outsourced pharmacy service is compliant with governance processes and standards (local and national).
- Take part in multidisciplinary Medicines Management walk arounds, acting as an expert for Pharmacy and medicines governance and safety.
- Support the Lead Pharmacist for Governance and Medicines Safety and assist with the in-depth investigation of specific medicines incidents as requested by senior pharmacy or medical colleagues or the Trust Serious Incident Review
Please see attached JD for a full job description and main responsibilities
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Master’s Degree (or equivalent) in Pharmacy.
- Postgraduate Clinical Pharmacy Certificate.
- Current registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
- Postgraduate Clinical Pharmacy Diploma.
- Non-medical prescriber (or must be willing to undertake this when requested).
Desirable criteria
- Current registration with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
- Member of the United Kingdom Clinical Pharmacy Association (UKCPA).
- An active member of clinical group within UKCPA or equivalent pharmacist specialist interest group.
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
- Senior Pharmacy management demonstrable experience within a recognised area of pharmacy practice.
- Demonstrable experience in a range of clinical specialties.
- Excellent proven knowledge of general clinical pharmacy and drug use.
Desirable criteria
- Demonstrable experience in patient safety issues and clinical governance.
- To know the current external drivers for the patient and medication safety agendas in the NHS.
Aptitude & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Good communication skills, written and verbal, with the ability to demonstrate fluency, clarity, and effectiveness at all levels.
- Time management skills.
- Organisational skills.
Desirable criteria
- Demonstrate potential management ability.
- Proven knowledge and understanding of medicine safety and patient safety agendas.
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Larissa Sullivan
- Job title
- Lead Pharmacist- Governance and Medicines Safety
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01752 438148
- Additional information
Larissa Sullivan, telephone 01752 438148, email [email protected]
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