Job overview
Band 8a Lead Pharmacist - ICU and Theatres
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and motivated pharmacist to join the ICU Team as a Lead Pharmacist at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust.
This role will provide advanced clinical pharmacy leadership and specialist pharmaceutical care across ICU and Theaters, supporting the delivery of safe, effective and patient-centered care within a fast-paced acute hospital environment.
The post holder will work closely with multidisciplinary teams across ICU and Theaters , but also medical wards to optimise medicines use, support timely patient flow and contribute to service transformation initiatives across the Trust.
The successful candidate will play a key role in advancing clinical pharmacy practice, supporting prescribing governance, developing workforce capability and driving quality improvement aligned with Trust and national priorities.
This is an excellent opportunity for a pharmacist with strong clinical and leadership skills who is passionate about intesive care , medicines optimisation and innovation within hospital pharmacy services.
Main duties of the job
Leads and manages the delivery, development, and performance of a highly specialist clinical pharmacy service in ICU and Theatres within Royal Berkshire Hospital.
Oversees the planning, prioritisation, and organisation of pharmacy activities to ensure a safe, effective, and high-quality medicines optimisation service for ICU and Theatres.
Provides professional pharmaceutical governance, medicines safety support, education, and clinical leadership to ICU.
To develop and implement medicines management policies and procedures in line with local priorities, national directives, medicines legislation, and professional ethics.
To identify and resolve prescribing-related problems and other medicines-management-related issues and to ensure that the principles of clinical governance and the safe and effective use of medicines are followed.
Participate in consultant ward rounds and clinics within specialties identified as key areas.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details of the job role.
Person specification
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Advanced clinical reasoning
- Ability to influence prescribing and negotiate
- Excellent attention to detail
- Ability to work independently
Desirable
- Contributes positively to team culture, supporting colleagues and promoting a learning environment
Knowledge and Expereince
Essential
- Extensive Hospital Pharmacy Experience
- Experience in working as IP
- Experience in clinical governance
- Experience of contributing to service development, quality improvement, or implementation of new ways of working
- Ability to supervise, support and develop junior staff
- Experience in writting clinical guidelines
Desirable
- Experience of managing or coordinating clinical pharmacy services or workload
- Experience of Parenteral Nutrition management
- Experience on ICCA system
- Experience of involvement in research, audit, or practice-based publication
- Experience in theaters and anesthetics
Qualifications and Training
Essential
- Master Degree in Pharmacy
- Member of GPhC
- Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy
- Independent Prescriber
Desirable
- Member of UKCPA
- Member of RCP
- Postgraduate qualification in leadership , eg, MBA or Level 5/6 Senior Leadership
- Formal Training in QI methodologies
- Educational Supervisor Certificate/Diploma
- MSc Critical care
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Lead Pharmacist - ICU and Theatres with Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust in Reading, South East, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Pharmacist role. The advertised salary is £57,528 - £64,750 per annum. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 09 Aug 2026.
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