Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Lead Pharmacist - Antimicrobials
The closing date is 26 January 2026
We are looking for a lead pharmacist for our Antimicrobial Pharmacy Service at Southend Hospital.
This is a great opportunity for a highly motivated, open‑minded and dynamic pharmacist who is an excellent communicator with strong interpersonal and relationship‑building skills.
You will lead the pharmacy clinical service within the AMS team at the Southend Hospital site, supporting the Trust's Principal Pharmacist to develop a culture that reduces associated infection and supports excellence in antimicrobial prescribing. You will help develop and implement training programmes and policies related to AMS, liaising with Trust consultants on all three sites. You will lead, plan and undertake audits on compliance with local policies and antimicrobial prescribing and identify potential cost savings associated with AMS within the Trust.
You will work closely with the other lead antimicrobial pharmacists based at the Basildon and Broomfield hospitals.
To be suitable, you should be an experienced pharmacist who has worked across a variety of clinical areas and is now ready to specialise in antimicrobials. Experience in service delivery and management and a proven track record of delivering change within dynamic environments are required. An independent prescribing qualification is desirable but not essential.
Main duties of the job
* Providing a clinical service to the wards, discharge and outpatients service
* Attend clinical ward rounds, clinical and multidisciplinary meetings as appropriate
* Regularly record clinical interventions and activities
* Provide specialist pharmaceutical information and advice to medical, nursing and other staff within the Trust where appropriate
* Promote the safe, appropriate and economic use of drugs
* Counsel and advise patients on the appropriate and effective use of medicines
* Take part in the emergency on‑call pharmacist rota: providing medicines information, advice and supply out of hours, including sourcing urgently required drugs from external suppliers and other hospitals
* Support the Trust Medication Safety Officer and Pharmacy Risk & Governance Team with the medicines optimisation and governance agenda
* Monitor the safe and secure storage of medication both within the pharmacy department and on the wards
* Implement local and national guidelines where appropriate (e.g. NICE)
* Supervise trainee pharmacists, undergraduate students and ward‑based technicians
About us
Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well‑being of our patients, and to provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers. We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation, we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.
Job responsibilities
Are you looking for an exciting Lead Pharmacist role using your unique qualities? Then we want to hear from you.
For full details about this varied and rewarding role, please see attached job description.
We look forward to your application.
Person Specification
Clinical Pharmacy PG Diploma
* Masters
* Membership of RPS and active
* Membership of a clinical group (e.g. UKCPA) and active
Experience
Directorate activity
* Extensive – e.g. MMGs, PGDs, finance reports, teaching
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
£55,690 to £62,682 per annum (pro rata for part‑time)
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