Overview
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust is a Top Employer Award winner and partners to provide responsive and dependable primary care, mental health, intellectual disability and substance misuse services to diverse communities. We are recruiting a highly motivated, innovative and enthusiastic Specialist Pharmacist to join our forward thinking, friendly and expanding Health & Justice team at HMP High Down.
By joining our Prisons Health Care Team, you will look after the healthcare needs of patients residing in secure environments and have the opportunity to impact health and well-being. Our motto is "Caring NOT Judging", and we work in partnership with the criminal justice system and other agencies to provide high-quality primary care and mental health services to those who may have offended or are at risk of offending, to improve health and promote social inclusion.
Pay and contract details and other terms are described below.
Main duties
* To assist in delivering a clinical medicines management service to patients.
* To provide expert advice on pharmaceutical matters relating to primary care, substance misuse and mental health services, including risk management and ensuring compliance with medicines legislation and local medicines management policies.
* To input into policy and procedures affecting the use of pharmaceuticals at local and trust-wide levels under the direction of the lead pharmacist.
* To liaise with dispensing pharmacy staff to support an effective dispensing and supply service. To participate in clinical audits and research related to medicines and pharmacy practice.
* To deputise for the Lead Pharmacist in their absence.
About us and development
* CNWL offers staff ongoing career progression including monthly supervision and annual personal development plans/appraisals.
* Access to internal and external training opportunities and progression through various career pathways such as Preceptorship, support with Revalidation, and recognition through internal awards.
Benefits
* Childcare vouchers
* Health and wellbeing services
* Season ticket loans
* Cycle to work scheme
* Relocation package
Staff have access to MyTrustBenefits, an online portal offering discounts and free online courses. Sites offer on-site leisure facilities and free parking for staff where available.
Details
* Date posted: 29 October 2025
* Pay scheme: Agenda for change
* Band: Band 7
* Salary: £53,751 to £60,651 per year inc. Outer HCAS (pro rata if part-time)
* Contract: Permanent
* Working pattern: Full-time
* Location: HMP High Down, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5PJ
Job responsibilities
* Ensure all prescriptions and Medication Administration Records are clinically appropriate and meet legal requirements.
* Manage repeat dispensing services and run regular medication review clinics; add/maintain patients on the system as appropriate.
* Ensure medicines reconciliation on arrival into reception and safe, appropriate use of medicines to maximise benefit and minimise risk, including regular prescription reviews and monitoring for drug interactions.
* Assist with implementing NICE recommendations; lead CNWL Medicines Management Group initiatives; establish auditing and reporting on uptake.
* Provide clinical pharmacy input to the multidisciplinary team and promote cost-effective use of medicines and a formulary; ensure staff competencies across prisons within the service line.
* Provide clinical pharmacy services to groups of patients and ensure documentation of all pharmacy interventions; support discharge planning and patient understanding of medicines; act as a clinical role model for junior staff.
* Offer advice on unlicensed medicines use; work across boundaries with multidisciplinary teams; participate in committees to support disease management guidelines for the prison population.
* Assist in developing direct patient-focused clinical pharmacy services (e.g., Pharmacy-Led Clinic services, Independent Prescribing, patient-facing medication reviews); manage referrals within the MDT and in the pharmacy department.
* Critically appraise literature to improve medicine use and contribute to safe medication practice, including reporting medicines-related errors via Datix.
* Demonstrate expert clinical knowledge and professional accountability to patients; ensure safe, effective and cost-efficient medicine use in a prison setting.
Qualifications and experience
Education and qualifications Essential: Vocational Masters Degree in Pharmacy; experience of pre-registration training; substantive post-registration hospital/prison pharmacy experience; General Pharmaceutical Council membership; completion of courses equivalent to a postgraduate certificate in clinical pharmacy. Desirable: progressing higher degree/diploma in Clinical Pharmacy; experience in clinical prison pharmacy; independent prescribing qualification.
Previous experience Essential: ability to communicate medicine-related information to patients, carers and clinical staff; mentorship and training experience; clinical audit experience; training and education. Desirable: clinical prison pharmacy experience; staff management experience; monitoring and advising on drug expenditure.
Skills and attributes Essential: clinical and critical appraisal skills; teaching and presentation skills. Desirable: writing procedures/guidelines/protocols; knowledge of SystmOne. Essential personal characteristics: target-driven, capable of meeting expected practice standards, self-motivated, and able to deputise for senior staff when appropriate.
Compliance
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and a Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) will be required. Applicants may need UK skilled worker sponsorship. For further information see the UK Visas and Immigration website. Applicants must have current UK professional registration.
Employer details
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Address: HMP High Down, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5PJ
Employer's website: cnwl.nhs.uk/work
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