Specialist Pharmacist - HMP High Down
Closing date: 05 November 2025
Overview
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust is a Top Employer Award Winner and provides 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 promote 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 and those at risk of offending, helping to improve health status and social inclusion.
Main duties of the job
* 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 provide 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 associated with medicines and pharmacy practice.
* To deputise for the Lead Pharmacist in their absence.
About us
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust offers staff ongoing career progression through:
* Monthly supervision
* Access to internal and external training opportunities
Excellent progression through career pathways such as:
* Preceptorship Programme
* Support and guidance with Revalidation
* Hidden Gem and annual award ceremonies
Excellent staff benefits include health and wellbeing services, season ticket loans, cycle to work scheme and relocation packages. Staff at all sites have access to onsite leisure facilities and free parking where available.
Job responsibilities
* Ensure that all prescriptions and Medication Administration Records are clinically appropriate and meet legal requirements.
* Help manage the repeat dispensing service, ensuring full utilization of this service.
* Run regular Medication review clinics for patients on the repeat dispensing service and use prescribing skills to add and maintain patients onto this system where appropriate.
* Ensure medicines reconciliation is completed for all patients on arrival into reception.
* Ensure safe and appropriate use of medicines to maximise benefit and minimise risk, including regular reviews, management of interactions, clinical monitoring, and compliance with legal aspects of medicines supply and the Trust Formulary.
* Assist with implementation of NICE recommendations from CNWL Medicines Management Group and establish auditing/reporting systems for uptake.
* Provide clinical pharmacy input to the multidisciplinary team and promote cost-effective use of medicines and equipment.
* Promote the use of a Formulary and ensure the cost-effective use of clinically effective prescribed drugs.
* Ensure subordinate pharmacy staff have adequate competencies to serve prisons within the service line.
* Provide a clinical pharmacy service to groups of patients, including:
o Review prescriptions for accuracy and legality and identify problems
o Record all medications in the electronic prescribing system (SystmOne)
o Coordinate with dispensing to ensure appropriate supply and labelling for discharge or court
o Monitor treatment outcomes and adverse effects
o Record pharmacy interventions
o Ensure patients understand their medicines and address practical issues
o Support discharge planning and dispensing for discharge
o Demonstrate professional accountability to patients
* Provide advice on unlicensed medicines and areas lacking evidence.
* Work across traditional boundaries as part of an integrated multidisciplinary team.
* Participate in multidisciplinary committees to provide clinical pharmaceutical advice and support disease management guidelines relevant to the prison population.
* Assist the Lead Pharmacist in developing Direct Patient-focused Clinical Pharmacy Services, e.g., Pharmacy-Led Clinics, Independent Prescribing, medication issues directly to patients using PGDs, and Patient Medication Reviews.
* Manage referrals within the multidisciplinary team and the pharmacy department.
* Critically appraise literature to improve medicine use.
* Contribute to safe medication practice and report medicines-related errors as appropriate.
* Develop expert clinical knowledge and motivate others; act as a clinical role model for junior staff.
* Provide pharmaceutical advice to health and associated staff; ensure advice is accurate, impartial and up-to-date for safe and cost-effective use of medicines in the prison setting.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
* Vocational Masters Degree in Pharmacy
* Experience of pre-registration training
* Substantive experience of post-registration training relevant to hospital/prison pharmacy
* Member of the General Pharmaceutical Council of Great Britain
* Completion of short courses equivalent to a postgraduate certificate in clinical pharmacy
* Working towards higher degree/diploma in Clinical Pharmacy
* Experience in clinical pharmacy in a prison setting
Previous Experience
* Ability to communicate medicine-related information to patients, carers and clinical staff
* Experience in mentorship and training
* Experience in clinical audits
* Training and education experience
* Experience providing clinical prison pharmacy services
* Monitoring and advising on drug expenditure
Skills, Knowledge, Abilities
* Clinical and critical appraisal skills
* Teaching and presentation skills
* Experience in writing procedures, guidelines or protocols
* Knowledge of SystmOne
Attitudes, Aptitudes, Personal Characteristics
* Ability to meet set targets and practice to defined standards
* Self-motivated and able to deputise for senior staff when appropriate
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Salary: £53,751 to £60,651 per year, Outer HCAS where applicable (pro rata if part-time)
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