Job summary This is a very exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and experienced pharmacist to undertake the Lead Rheumatology Pharmacist post at Frimley Park Hospital. At Frimley Park Hospital, services to the rheumatology patients are provided through a team dedicated to delivering high standards of care to rheumatology patients. The post holder will work closely with colleagues in the rheumatology team in the hospital, as well as colleagues in the ICS and community. The post holder will lead the delivery of clinical pharmacy services to the rheumatology team, including review of guidelines and processes, training of junior pharmacists and other MDTs, and extensive review of patient's medication to ensure medication optimisation is practised. In addition, this post holder will hold clinics and support homecare prescribing. The Trust has recently started using the new electronic patient record system EPIC, so the post holder will have the opportunity to review ways of working and work with the MDT team to improve processes and patients' outcomes. Main duties of the job Main duties of this role include: - Provision of clinical pharmacy services to the rheumatology patients and clinics. - Run clinics and co-ordinate homecare prescribing. - To take an active role in committees relating to specialist area e.g. clinical governance committee - To write and review rheumatology guidelines and work with directorate pharmacist at Wexham Park Hospital to review and send communications about rheumatology medicines. - Provide clinical pharmacy services to other patients within the hospital More details in the job description. About us There's never been a more exciting time to build your career at Frimley Health, one of the country's largest and most respected trusts Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust (FHFT) has an outstanding reputation and a proud record of achievement. We have an ongoing commitment to improving the health and care services for the 900,000 people we serve across Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey and south Buckinghamshire. We continue to invest in our services and facilities, including a £10 million upgrade to the hospital maternity unit as well as £49m major new Emergency Assessment Centre on our Wexham Park site. The opening of a brand new £100m state of the art hospital which replaced the existing hospital facility at Heatherwood and are planning to invest further in diagnostics and inpatient capacity at Frimley Park. We have also made significant investment in our quality improvement and digital programmes to support our vision and we will ensure that we achieve our aim of providing the highest quality healthcare to our patients. Our new EPR - Epic - went live in June and we are already beginning to reap the benefits of this ambitious investment. Our threecore values, and the behaviours that support them, guide everything we do and set out what we expect of our staff in the way they treat patients, visitors, service users and each other. If you have a passion for clinical excellence, patient care and your own career development, you'll feel at home at Frimley Health. Date posted 25 March 2025 Pay scheme Agenda for change Band Band 8a Salary £55,877 to £62,626 a year per annum including HCAS Contract Permanent Working pattern Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working Reference number 151-SL0448 Job locations Wexham Park Hospital Slough SL2 4HL Job description Job responsibilities 1.1.1 To work closely with the senior pharmacists, clinicians, nursing staff and other senior managers to develop pharmaceutical services to patients within the directorate. 1.1.2 To ensure close relations cross-site with the pharmacy team at Wexham Park Hospital 1.1.3 To provide a clinical service to Rheumatology Clinics & reviews at FHFT. 1.1.4 Provide a clinical pharmacy service to specialised areas and a clinical pharmacy service to cover other areas when ward cover is needed. The service includes: assessing pharmaceutical care needs initiating and carrying out care plans medicines reconciliation and optimisation review for need of drug therapies, selection of appropriate drug therapies/doses / modification of existing therapies advice to doctors / other health care staff discharge planning counselling patients attending ward rounds as per departmental requirements, which may involve flexibility of start / finish time 1.1.5 The service is according to departmental procedures and meets the minimum standards agreed with the Clinical Pharmacy Manager. The service provided will take current legislation into account. 1.1.6 To fulfil the role of an Independent Prescribing Pharmacist within the individuals area of competence, including medicines reconciliation on admission and prescribing of currently prescribed medicines on discharge. 1.1.7 To help develop and promote suitable shared care arrangements for medicines between hospital and primary care by providing relevant information to patients and health care workers. 1.1.8 To take an active role in committees relating to specialist area e.g. clinical governance committee 1.2 Development of the Service 1.2.1 To undertake research in own area of field. 1.2.2 To lead on proposing policy or service changes and understanding its impact on other areas. 1.3 Formulary and Guidelines 1.3.1 To ensure that drugs utilised within the directorate reflect the recommendations, the policies and formulary of Frimley Health and those of tertiary centres. To increase economic awareness within the area through directorate financial reports and to advise on cost effective prescribing 1.3.2 To produce drug evaluations for the DTC and MOB as requested by the Clinical Pharmacy Manager. To make recommendations to the directorate concerning the introduction and use of new drugs. 1.3.3 To make recommendations to clinicians and pharmacy concerning drug supply problems relating to drugs used within areas of specialty according to pharmacy procedures 1.3.4 To work with clinicians and nurses to develop, implement and monitor the use of protocols within Rheumatology to ensure the safe use and supply of medicines. This includes the development of protocols and advice to nursing 1.3.5 To support the maintenance of the Trust Drug Formulary, so it is accurate and up-to-date following decisions made at both the DTC and MOB meetings. 1.3.6 In the absence of the Principal Pharmacists ensure that consultants, requesting new products / new users of existing drugs, are provided with the relevant information and request forms. 1.3.7 In the absence of the Principal Pharmacists, to review Individual Prescribing applications, which are one-off requests for urgent medicines not normally held by the hospital. This involves obtaining background information relating to the request and liaising with the consultant requesting the new drug and the Chair of New Drugs and Formulary Committee. Job description Job responsibilities 1.1.1 To work closely with the senior pharmacists, clinicians, nursing staff and other senior managers to develop pharmaceutical services to patients within the directorate. 1.1.2 To ensure close relations cross-site with the pharmacy team at Wexham Park Hospital 1.1.3 To provide a clinical service to Rheumatology Clinics & reviews at FHFT. 1.1.4 Provide a clinical pharmacy service to specialised areas and a clinical pharmacy service to cover other areas when ward cover is needed. The service includes: assessing pharmaceutical care needs initiating and carrying out care plans medicines reconciliation and optimisation review for need of drug therapies, selection of appropriate drug therapies/doses / modification of existing therapies advice to doctors / other health care staff discharge planning counselling patients attending ward rounds as per departmental requirements, which may involve flexibility of start / finish time 1.1.5 The service is according to departmental procedures and meets the minimum standards agreed with the Clinical Pharmacy Manager. The service provided will take current legislation into account. 1.1.6 To fulfil the role of an Independent Prescribing Pharmacist within the individuals area of competence, including medicines reconciliation on admission and prescribing of currently prescribed medicines on discharge. 1.1.7 To help develop and promote suitable shared care arrangements for medicines between hospital and primary care by providing relevant information to patients and health care workers. 1.1.8 To take an active role in committees relating to specialist area e.g. clinical governance committee 1.2 Development of the Service 1.2.1 To undertake research in own area of field. 1.2.2 To lead on proposing policy or service changes and understanding its impact on other areas. 1.3 Formulary and Guidelines 1.3.1 To ensure that drugs utilised within the directorate reflect the recommendations, the policies and formulary of Frimley Health and those of tertiary centres. To increase economic awareness within the area through directorate financial reports and to advise on cost effective prescribing 1.3.2 To produce drug evaluations for the DTC and MOB as requested by the Clinical Pharmacy Manager. To make recommendations to the directorate concerning the introduction and use of new drugs. 1.3.3 To make recommendations to clinicians and pharmacy concerning drug supply problems relating to drugs used within areas of specialty according to pharmacy procedures 1.3.4 To work with clinicians and nurses to develop, implement and monitor the use of protocols within Rheumatology to ensure the safe use and supply of medicines. This includes the development of protocols and advice to nursing 1.3.5 To support the maintenance of the Trust Drug Formulary, so it is accurate and up-to-date following decisions made at both the DTC and MOB meetings. 1.3.6 In the absence of the Principal Pharmacists ensure that consultants, requesting new products / new users of existing drugs, are provided with the relevant information and request forms. 1.3.7 In the absence of the Principal Pharmacists, to review Individual Prescribing applications, which are one-off requests for urgent medicines not normally held by the hospital. This involves obtaining background information relating to the request and liaising with the consultant requesting the new drug and the Chair of New Drugs and Formulary Committee. Person Specification Qualifications Essential Pharmacy degree (BSc/ Masters level) Registered with GPhC Postgraduate clinical diploma or equivalent Evidence of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Independent Prescriber Desirable MSc or higher degree UKCPA membership RPS membership Formal management qualification Specific competencies for role Essential Excellent written and verbal communication Good interpersonal, communication, organisation, influencing and negotiating skills Desirable Excellent IT skills Professional/specialist experience Essential Experience of producing guidelines Experience of producing drug appraisals Significant post-qualification experience working in a clinical enviroment Desirable Teaching/tutoring experience Experience of managing staff Experience of working in clinics Clinical audit experience Person Specification Qualifications Essential Pharmacy degree (BSc/ Masters level) Registered with GPhC Postgraduate clinical diploma or equivalent Evidence of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Independent Prescriber Desirable MSc or higher degree UKCPA membership RPS membership Formal management qualification Specific competencies for role Essential Excellent written and verbal communication Good interpersonal, communication, organisation, influencing and negotiating skills Desirable Excellent IT skills Professional/specialist experience Essential Experience of producing guidelines Experience of producing drug appraisals Significant post-qualification experience working in a clinical enviroment Desirable Teaching/tutoring experience Experience of managing staff Experience of working in clinics Clinical audit 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. Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). Additional information 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. Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). Employer details Employer name Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust Address Wexham Park Hospital Slough SL2 4HL Employer's website https://www.fhft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)