Rheumatology Specialist Pharmacist
The closing date is 10 April 2026
The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) is a leading emergency, acute and specialist NHS hospital located in West Essex. We offer development opportunities, flexible working, and a strong focus on wellbeing.
Responsibilities
* Lead the implementation and management of biosimilar switching and prescribing optimisation for rheumatology patients.
* Develop and run biologics review clinics and support biologic weaning clinics.
* Collaborate with specialist nurses, consultants and other clinical teams to maximise income and savings from biosimilar and biologics initiatives.
* Produce financial reports for relevant divisions (Family, Diagnostics, Community, Planned Pathways). Also analyse and report home‑care biologics waste.
* Lead research, audits and evidence‑based projects to improve medication safety, adherence and outcomes.
* Provide drug utilisation and expenditure reports and propose cost‑saving strategies.
* Ensure clinical dispensing, prescribing, and pharmacy services comply with NICE guidelines, Trust policy, and national legislation.
* Train, supervise, and motivate pharmacy staff within rheumatology and cross‑cover other clinical specialties.
* Attend multidisciplinary teams, outpatient clinics and other meetings to advise on medicine use and financial implications.
* Maintain database of all switches, keep accurate records, and manage exceptions.
* Engage with ICB, NHS England, and funding bodies on policy, guidelines, and high‑cost drug challenges.
* Coordinate medicine‑use savings projects and horizon scan for new drugs.
* Manage non‑biologic patients through drug switching and DMARD management.
* Support the development of shared‑care guidelines and review prescribing data.
Key Result Areas
* Improve clinical pharmacy services through monitoring, counselling, and adherence strategies.
* Maximise Trust income from biosimilar switching.
* Lead biologics review clinics and evaluate savings.
* Deliver successful funding applications for outside‑guidelines biological therapies.
About the Trust
The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) is proud to care for the communities of West Essex, delivering safe, compassionate, and high‑quality services. We are part of the Neighbourhood Wave; a national programme that changes how care is delivered by focusing on prevention, early support, and more joined‑up services across health, social care, and the voluntary sector.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Masters qualification in pharmacy or equivalent qualification plus one‑year pre‑registration experience.
* Registrant of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
* Postgraduate diploma in clinical pharmacy or equivalent experience.
* Independent prescriber status or ability to complete a course leading to independent prescriber qualification.
Experience
* Substantial post‑registration experience as a practising clinical pharmacist.
* Experience dealing with highly complex clinical issues, synthesising conflicting information, and devising novel solutions.
* Experience working with a wide variety and grade of hospital staff, including senior medical and managerial staff.
* Experience in hospital clinical pharmacy services, especially high‑cost and home‑care services.
* Experience in consultant rounds, managing funding applications for PbR excluded drugs, and undertaking specific project‑based work.
* Strong computer usage, data analysis, reporting, risk management and training of staff.
* Experience in drug use review, audit, drug expenditure reporting, therapeutic drug monitoring, and writing prescribing guidelines.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) check for any previous criminal convictions.
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