Job summary
Are you a passionate pharmacist at Band 7 or 8a eager for the opportunity to gain further qualification and progress your career?
Do you want to join a Trust rated 'Outstanding' by the CQC that prioritises staff wellbeing and professional development?
Join our Community Health Services Pharmacy Team, where you'll play a pivotal role in delivering high quality specialised pharmacy services to inpatient community health wards across Berkshire.
We are pleased to be able to offer this role at Band 8a and as a development pathway for a Band 7 Pharmacist to progress into an 8a role. We'll offer support and funding to obtain your postgraduate clinical pharmacy certificate and Independent Prescriber qualification.
The role includes:
1. Participating in consultant-led ward rounds to support the medicines optimisation agenda
2. Updating & reviewing guidelines to ensure safe, effective, and evidence-based use of medicines
3. Collaborating with a friendly, multidisciplinary team to drive excellence in care.
4. Providing support to junior pharmacists in your team
You'd regularly cover two wards in Wokingham, on occasion working in our other Berks based wards in Reading, Slough, Maidenhead & Newbury.
You'd work our usual service hours of9am-5pm, Monday to Friday, with participation in our team emergency duty commitment rota.
Applications for this role will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible, as vacancies may close early.
Main duties of the job
5. Lead clinical pharmacy services for community health services (CHS) wards, ensuring medicines optimisation and safety
6. Participate in ward rounds, medication chart reviews, and discharge planning, providing evidence-based prescribing advice.
7. Implement and monitor patient safety alerts, manage medication incidents, and promote a culture of safety.
8. Review and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) treatment guidelines, shared care protocols, and formulary content in line with Trust standards.
9. Mentor and supervise junior pharmacy staff, including pre-registration pharmacists and technicians.
10. Support the smooth running of pharmacy services.
About us
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
11. Caring for and about you is our top priority
12. Committed to providing good quality, safe services
13. Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
14. Flexible working options to support work-life balance.
15. 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
16. Generous NHS pension scheme
17. Excellent learning and career development opportunities
18. 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
19. Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
20. Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
21. Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
22. Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave.
23. Free parking across Trust sites
Job description
Job responsibilities
The must haves for this role:
24. Pharmacy Honours degree (BPharm or MPharm)
25. Postgraduate Certificate in clinical pharmacy (Band 7) or Postgraduate diploma or Masters degree in clinical pharmacy (Band 8a)
26. Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
27. Experience in a general clinical/hospital pharmacy
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.
Were committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please dont hesitate to call: Elizabeth Francis on 07876217104 or email wholl be delighted to help.
Please note, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential
28. Good Pharmacy Honours degree (BPharm or MPharm)
29. Postgraduate Certificate in clinical pharmacy
30. Postgraduate diploma or Master's degree in clinical pharmacy (Band 8a)
31. Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
Desirable
32. Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
33. Independent prescriber
Continuous Professional Development
Essential
34. Evidence of continuing professional development and compliance with the GPhC CPD on-line recording system to maintain fitness to practice
Previous Experience
Essential
35. Substantial post registration experience as a practising pharmacist
36. Substantial experience in a general clinical / hospital pharmacy including ward based clinical work
37. Relevant experience and understanding of community services/settings
38. Experience of chairing working groups and committees
39. Experience of providing medicines related information to patients / carers
40. Experience in audit or project facilitation
41. Experience in undergraduate and junior pharmacist/pre-registration training/teaching
42. Experience of multidisciplinary team working
43. Experience of line management and clinical supervision (Band 8a)
Desirable
44. Line management and clinical supervision experience
45. Experience of service planning/development
46. Experience of budget management
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential
47. Ability to critically appraise research and incorporate into practice
48. Excellent oral and written communication skills
49. Ability to influence, negotiate with and practice at senior and directorate level
50. Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills to communicate confidently in all situations
51. Demonstrates ability to organise and prioritise own workload
52. Demonstrates awareness of and commitment to the Clinical Governance Agenda
53. Keen to undertake self-development
54. Ability to work alone and as part of a team
55. Demonstrates an adequate level of emotional intelligence, able to empathise, support and be sensitive to the needs of others
56. Demonstrates the ability to deal with, analyse and interpret and rationalise highly complex information in accordance/suitable for a variety of different stakeholders, including patients and carers
57. Role model for junior pharmacists and pre-registration pharmacists
Additional Requirements
Essential
58. Ability and willingness to travel across all Trust sites within the Berkshire Health economy