Job overview

An exciting opportunity to join our highly skilled and supportive Pharmacy team as Principal Pharmacist for Ophthalmology. The Eye Department operates across two sites—St Helier Hospital and Epsom Hospital—and delivers a wide range of specialist services, including high volume outpatient clinics, orthoptic services, preoperative assessment, laser treatments, and dedicated ophthalmology theatres. 

Demand for eye care services is increasing, and ophthalmology is at the forefront of emerging technologies and innovative medicines. This role offers a superb opportunity for a pharmacist with a passion for specialist practice to shape and influence service development in an evolving field. 

As Principal Pharmacist, you will play a central role in supporting and advancing medicines optimisation. You will work closely with Senior Nurses, Service Managers, the Orthoptic Lead, Ophthalmology Consultants, and the wider multidisciplinary team to ensure high quality, patient-centred care. 

You will contribute to high impact projects, including supporting the implementation of electronic prescribing in outpatients through a specialist ophthalmic system—improving safety, efficiency, and overall quality of medicines use. 

You will need good interpersonal and communication skills as well as the ability to organise and prioritise your work. We will provide appropriate training to aid your personal and professional development.

Main duties of the job

• Act as a core member of the Ophthalmology multidisciplinary team, promoting safe and effective medicines management across the service. 

• Lead on medicines optimisation, clinical governance, and medicines safety initiatives. 

• Drive and support the implementation of service improvements and pathway developments. 

• Review and monitor medicines expenditure across ophthalmology services. 

• Work directly with patients and carers to understand their needs, support adherence, and ensure optimal use of medicines. 

• Provide expert clinical advice and support to medical, nursing, and allied health colleagues. 

Working for our organisation

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust provides a range of medical services to approximately 490,000 people living across southwest London and northeast Surrey. In addition, we provide more specialist services, in particular renal and neonatal intensive care, to a wider area, covering parts of Sussex and Hampshire.

We serve an area that is rich in diversity, with a mix of urban and rural areas, and differing levels of quality of life. We cover some of the most prosperous postcodes in the country, as well as some poorer areas. Together with our colleagues at NHS Surrey and NHS Sutton and Merton, we work to make sure that we deliver the best possible care to the communities we serve.

The Trust employs approximately 5,000 staff across its hospitals and is supported by over 500 volunteers.

Please see the attached supporting job description and person specification document which contains more information about ESTH.