Principal Pharmacist Antimicrobials

Job overview

Are you an innovative pharmacist passionate about antimicrobial stewardship?

If so why not join the University Hospitals of Leicester as a Principal Pharmacist in Antimicrobials and lead initiatives to enhance patient care, reduce resistance, and promote cost-effective prescribing across our Trust.

Hours: Full time

Location: Leicester Royal Infirmary (Base), Leicester General Hospital, Glenfield Hospital

Main duties of the job

Key Responsibilities:

• Deliver advanced clinical leadership in antimicrobial use, ensuring compliance with Trust policies and national standards (e.g., NICE guidelines).
• Shape strategic decisions as a key member of the Antimicrobial Working Party and Infection Control Committee.
• Develop and implement clinical protocols, antimicrobial policies, and stewardship strategies across three hospital sites.
• Collaborate closely with microbiology, pharmacy, and clinical teams to optimise evidence-based prescribing, including therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) and active participation in ward rounds.
• Analyse annual antimicrobial expenditure (£5.5 million) and drive initiatives to improve cost-efficiency and prescribing practices.
• Lead research, audits, and educational programmes, delivering training to medical, nursing, and pharmacy staff.
• Engage with regional and national stakeholders to align practices with emerging NHS priorities and antimicrobial trends.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Statutory Professional Responsibilities

Practice within the boundaries described within the latest version of the Medicines, Ethics and Practice issued by the RPS.

Undertake and record activities contributing to continuing professional development annually as required by the GPhC.

Professional Duties

To provide clinical Pharmacy leadership for use of antimicrobial agents.

Clinical Responsibilities

To have an active presence on the wards, working jointly with the Director for Infection Control, to ensure best use of anti-infective drugs according to Trust antibiotic policies.

Provide an advanced level of clinical pharmacy service in line with the clinical pharmacy standards and objectives.

- Assess patient’s pharmaceutical care needs and plan to meet them

- Provide specialist medicines advice and information to improve prescribing to all healthcare staff and especially doctors and nurses

- Manage the risk associated with the use of medicines.

- Carry out therapeutic dose monitoring to ensure dose adjustment of high risk drugs.

- Provide specialist advice to advise on dose/regimen changes to meet patient needs and best practice.

- Ensure implementation of Trust and national medicines policies

- Ensure prescribing matches Trust and national guidelines

- Provide advice to patients and carers regarding the safe and appropriate use of medicines and assist in developing a concordant approach to medication regimes

- Communicate with other health care professionals within primary and secondary care to ensure consistent and accurate transfer of information relating to pharmaceutical aspects of patient care.

Attend regular microbiology ward rounds to assist in the rational and safe use of antimicrobial agents.

To be available to pharmacy staff to answer queries relating to individual patients and provide leadership for anti-infective protocols and policies.

To maintain computer records of all referrals for specialist advice on antimicrobial therapy.

To work closely with the microbiology and pharmacy departments to facilitate best practice in the use of anti-infectives, including TDM of antibiotics.

To liaise with the formulary pharmacist in updating the antimicrobial section of the formulary.

Develop appropriate areas for supplementary/ independent prescribing or patient group directions.

Strategic Management

To be an active member of the Trust Infection Prevention Committee, Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee and Antimicrobial Working Party, to advice on antimicrobial matters where they relate to the Trust's overall strategic issues.

Interpret broad clinical/profession polices and NHS guidance to ensure that the relevant antimicrobial components of the Trust's strategic plans are appropriately updated.

Business Planning

To monitor expenditure and usage of antimicrobials within the Trust and provide information on expenditure and usage to specific directorates.

To liaise with Clinical Pharmacists in developing control mechanisms for expenditure on antibiotics and seek improved efficiency in prescribing and use.

Liaise with clinicians and Pharmacy Procurement staff to ensure clinical and procurement policy are linked to ensure the most cost-effective use of antimicrobials.

Teaching, Training and Research

Assist with audit and research in the use of medicines, as appropriate in line with service requirements within the department

To deliver training internally to Pharmacy, Nursing and Medical Staff.

To assist in the development and to undertake projects to review and optimise anti-infective use in Directorates and Specialities across the Trust.

To liaise and co-ordinate meetings for staff from Directorates, Microbiology Consultants and Ward Pharmacists, to produce reports and feed back audit results and change practice where required.

To take the lead in pharmacy based research related to antimicrobials.

To contribute articles on antimicrobials for pharmacy and microbiology bulletins for healthcare staff, and to provide regular reports on audits/achievements to senior pharmacists and microbiology.

Clinical Governance

To contribute to TDM aiming to reduce the risk associated with non-adherence to guidelines and additionally to reduce wastage associated with inappropriate tests.

To develop and maintain appropriate information gathering mechanisms using the Pathology computer system, APEX , JAC and statistical software. To use this information in the development of procedures and policies.

To work closely with the Director for Infection Control in the development and implementation of evidence based Trust antibiotic policies, and the maintenance of established protocols and policies.