Principal Pharmacist

Job overview

Lead and shape the future of Clinical Pharmacy for Medicine at North Bristol NHS Trust!

We are seeking an experienced and ambitious pharmacist to take on a senior leadership role, driving the development of clinical pharmacy services across a range of medical specialities within a large and complex acute Trust.

As Principal Pharmacist for Medicine, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality, patient-centred care while improving patient flow, service efficiency and medicines optimisation. You will lead a well-established team of senior pharmacists and work closely with multidisciplinary and senior clinical leaders to influence service transformation.

This is an exciting opportunity to combine strategic leadership with clinical expertise, contributing to innovation, digital development, and the future direction of pharmacy services across the Trust and wider healthcare system.

Why join us?

- Lead clinical pharmacy across multiple medical specialities in a large, complex acute Trust

- Play a key role in improving patient flow and service efficience

- Influence digital transformation and medicines optimisation

- Work as part of a forward-thinking pharmacy leadership team

- Opportunities to shape services across the wider healthcare system

Main duties of the job

In this role, you will:

• Lead the Clinical Pharmacy Service for Medicine, providing clear professional and operational direction
• Manage and support a team of senior pharmacists, helping them to develop and perform at their best
• Identify and lead improvements to services, with a focus on patient flow, quality and efficiency
• Promote safe, effective and cost-conscious use of medicines across your areas of responsibility
• Take the lead on medicines governance, ensuring standards are maintained and issues are addressed
• Build strong working relationships with clinical and operational colleagues across the Trust and wider system
• Support the ongoing development of digital systems, including electronic prescribing
• Contribute to the training, supervision and development of pharmacy staff and the wider workforce

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For a full overview of the Job Description, please refer to the PDF Job Description attached as an additional document to this advert

Leadership

• Responsible for leading the delivery, management and development of the Clinical Pharmacy Service to high standards of efficiency and effectiveness for the specialities.
• Regularly review Clinical Pharmacy roles in line with skill mix and ensure that staff allocation reflects best practice.
• Maintain workload and performance records and identify and manage significant variances using key performance indicators (KPIs). Use this information to help further develop the service.
• Monitor activity, plan and co-ordinate changes necessary for the further development of Clinical Pharmacy services. Identify and negotiate for the resources needed to effect the change.
• Lead on allocated pharmacy work streams to support local and national initiatives.
• Acts as a role model for less experienced pharmacists and promote best practice
• Identify, develop and take opportunities to further improve the service through established and innovative practices

Pharmacy Service Management

• Lead on the recording, reporting and monitoring of Clinical Pharmacy interventions for the specialities.
• Responsible for Clinical Governance and incident monitoring, using Radar, within Clinical Pharmacy Services for your specialities and take action to minimise risks.
• Ensure that the relevant division receives regular reports on finance and governance relating to medicines for the specialities you are responsible for.
• In conjunction with the Principal Pharmacist Pharmacoeconomics monitor medicines usage and expenditure against BNSSG Formulary and commissioning guidance to provide recommendations in order to contain costs.
• Work closely with the other Principal pharmacists to ensure a consistent pan-trust clinical service.
• Maintain a good working relationship with other section heads and line managers and equivalent throughout the Trust to contribute to the business planning cycle.
• Work with the other Principal Pharmacists and managers to further develop and deliver a 7 day pharmacy clinical service.
• Advise on matters relating to Clinical Pharmacy to ensure safe and effective practices are developed and adhered to.