Lead Pharmacist Stroke and Thrombosis
The closing date is 02 June 2026
Do you want a new challenge? Are you full of ideas and committed to making a difference to the acute inpatient care of stroke patients? Do you have a passion for developing and mentoring the next generation of pharmacists?
We are looking for a dynamic, enthusiastic and experienced post‑diploma pharmacist to come and lead pharmaceutical care of acute stroke patients in Worcestershire. You will work as part of a friendly medicine pharmacy team to deliver best practice care to patients. Alongside this, you will be a member of the thrombosis committee and coordinate input into guidelines and clinical pathways. The successful candidate will also become one of a team of designated supervisors supporting our current and future foundation year trainee pharmacists.
There will be an emphasis on supporting you in developing clinical leadership and mentoring skills required for the role. You will complete core directorate activities including clinical governance and risk management activities, as well as taking on education and training of trainee pharmacists and undergraduate students.
We are committed to achieving a balance between high quality service delivery and professional development. We can offer you a supportive and training‑focused environment, within a friendly team.
You will have experience of pro‑actively influencing prescribing within a secondary care environment, hold an independent prescribing qualification and above all, be a team player.
Main duties of the job
* Lead and manage the clinical pharmacy service to the Acute Stroke Unit at WRH.
* Attend and actively participate in board/ ward rounds as part of a multi‑disciplinary team.
* Prescribe and monitor treatment for stroke inpatients to ensure optimal evidence‑based care and expedite timely, safe discharges.
* Work to develop and expand pharmaceutical services for stroke patients including exploring options for pharmacist‑based clinics.
* Support and contribute to the wider specialty medicine team providing leadership and organisation to ensure all identified patients are seen.
* Become an active member of the thrombosis committee, working to develop guidelines and clinical strategies for trust wide implementation.
Job responsibilities
To lead and manage the clinical pharmacy service to the Acute Stroke Unit at WRH. Please refer to full Job Description Attached.
Function as an Independent Prescriber within Medicine ensuring appropriate medicines are prescribed or de‑prescribed after assessment, practicing within the scope of GPhC registration.
Provide expert advice to other health care professionals on all pharmaceutical issues arising within the specialist clinical area.
Manage and direct a ward‑based medicines management pharmacy service to achieve Trust and departmental medicines management targets.
Manage on a day to day basis medicines management technicians, clinical pharmacists, post qualified pharmacists and students as allocated to achieve these outcomes.
Be responsible for ensuring that the ward‑based teams work efficiently, accurately and within their own individual job remits.
To assist the Deputy Director of Pharmacy (Clinical Services) in developing pharmacist‑run clinics at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital.
Attend and contribute to regular thrombosis committee meetings as a pharmacist representative.
Develop and contribute to the development of trust‑wide clinical guidelines and pathways as required within the terms of reference of the thrombosis committee.
Ensure that information and patient counselling systems are implemented within their specialist area according to patient need to ensure that patients obtain the most benefit from their medicines.
Contribute to setting standards for, and manage the counselling of patients on their medicines within the Medical Division at WRH to improve concordance and knowledge of their therapy and delivering training for allocated ward‑based technicians in medication history taking.
Ensure all newly admitted patients are interviewed to construct an accurate medication history and assess compliance/concordance issues.
Review information against the admission details and prescription chart.
Pro‑actively identify to medical staff any potential or actual medicines‑related hospital admissions or associated issues and outline any required action to resolve identified discrepancies.
Assess patients discharge information requirements as early as possible in the admission stay to be able to prepare information on medicines for them based on individual need.
Complete Patient Need Assessments to assess patients information requirements and suitability for delegation of counselling to a junior pharmacist or lead medicines management technician.
Counsel patients with complex needs such as a physical disability which may affect information requirements (sight or hearing), language difficulties, those with life‑threatening or terminal diagnoses and highly distressed patients.
Assist with the development and initiation of any self‑administration schemes as appropriate within the post‐holder’s clinical area in line with ward requirements and team resources.
Line‑manages members of the specialty medicine team and trainee pharmacists as allocated.
Plan their own workload, contribute to the planning of the pharmacy services to the Medical Division and ensure pharmacy services are delivered according to plan.
Role model best practice and individualised person‑centred care and be a source expert of knowledge for individual staff and clinical teams, providing education and development opportunities to ensure quality of care is maintained.
Assess and monitor risk in own and others practice, acting on results, thereby ensuring safe delivery of care.
Work pro‑actively in managing change in own specialty, to improve practice and health outcomes.
Clinically supervise on a day to day basis the ward‑based medicines management pharmacy team of medicines management technicians, pharmacists, and students as allocated to achieve Trust and departmental medicines management targets on the Medical Division including:
* Managing the accurate and timely dispensing and supply of medicines to patients (one‑stop dispensing).
* Evaluating the patients own medicines brought into hospital.
* Ensuring ward‑based discharge medicines are completed and ready for patients according to the agreed discharge plan.
Auditing the medicines management system to demonstrate its value and identify where improvements can be made.
Advise and support technical staff in the delivery of pharmaceutical care within the Medical Division and refer performance related issues to the Clinical Pharmacy Team Leader as appropriate.
Use the Pharmacy Computer System and MS Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint to produce reports, SOPs, analyses and training materials for others to support the delivery of the post holder’s key roles and responsibilities.
Produce monthly reports, analyse prescribing trends and provide guidance and advice on drug expenditure, prescribing patterns and high cost drug use for ASU.
Advise Consultants on proposed new medicines for use within the post holder’s clinical area and assist with compiling new product assessments and evidence‑based reviews for submission to the Area Prescribing Committee for formulary and funding approval.
Identify and implement measures to keep the Medical Division’s drug expenditure within agreed budgets. Discuss and influence drug expenditure and its management with key medical staff, and Modern Matrons within the post holder’s specialist area.
Develop and monitor quality initiatives in line with local and national requirements and guidelines; take a lead role in the facilitation of such initiatives.
Develop links with the Clinical staff, Matrons and Ward Managers in relation to the pharmaceutical needs of the Acute Stroke team and Medical Division.
Contribute to the pharmacy service development plan for the Medical Division, attending review meetings with medical staff and Matrons to evaluate progress.
Lead on the creation, implementation and audit of clinical guidelines relating to all areas of medicines use within the post holder’s area. To facilitate unified consultant opinion on the treatment of specialist clinical conditions where appropriate, ensuring a best practice approach for key groups of patients.
Create guidelines on the use of unlicensed medicines or licensed medicines used in an unlicensed way where standard information is not available, within the specialist post holder’s area and to assist the pharmacy department.
Contribute to the pharmacy modernisation initiatives within the Medical Division.
Ensure all pharmaceutical aspects of research in the post holder’s clinical area complies with relevant legislation.
Ensure that all clinical trials of medicines in the post holder’s area comply with National Guidelines, the Trust medicines policy, and the Trial Protocols.
Help plan and conduct pharmaceutical practice‑based research/audit in the Medical Division in conjunction with the Deputy Chief Pharmacist (Clinical Services).
Participate in the Trust skills development review (PDR).
Agree service and personal objectives with the Principal Pharmacist for Medicine and be responsible for self‑audit to demonstrate both achievement of objectives and evidence of value to the Trust.
Participate in a regular review of all duties with the Principal Pharmacist for Medicine and make such alterations as necessary to meet the demands of a changing service.
Deliver teaching and training on the post holder’s specialist area to pharmacy, medical and nursing staff including pharmaceutical induction for new medical and nursing staff.
Train, assess and provide feedback for trainee pharmacists during their foundation year as their designated supervisor.
Train, assess and provide feedback for undergraduate students, medicines management technicians and student technicians as allocated.
Identify personal training and development required to ensure the quality of the service.
Agree and complete a yearly training plan (PDP) with Principal Pharmacist for Medicine in line with objectives at PDR.
Assist in the delivery of the WRH pharmacy departments dispensing and other operational, and clinical, services as required to meet the needs of the service:
* Provide the clinical professional check on prescriptions dispensed within the dispensary, ensuring that the Trust high cost drug procedure and Trust Formulary is adhered to.
* Accurately, with no margin for error, dispense/prepare medicines ensuring doses are correct and accurately weighed, measured and or counted.
* Enter patient details on the Pharmacy Computer System from prescriptions of doctors and other practitioners and produce medicine labels.
* Check medicines that other pharmacy staff have dispensed/prepared to ensure they have been dispensed correctly.
Participate in the 7 day working and late night rota.
Participate in the emergency on‑call rota.
Improving Diversity and Inclusive Recruitment
* As part of the Trust's aim to improve diversity across the Trust, positive action is being taken and all applications for this post from BAME, Disabled and LGBT+ candidates can request to be considered under an expanded Guaranteed Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum criteria as specified in the person specification for this role. Here you can declare if you wish to be considered under this expanded Guaranteed Interview Scheme and this response would be visible to the Shortlisting Panel.
Person Specification
Experience
* Current experience in delivering specialist clinical services to a speciality or directorate within an acute NHS trust.
* Experience in influencing and persuading senior secondary care clinicians in relation to optimal medicine treatment for patients.
* Working autonomously or as part of an MDT, making prescribing decisions related to medications based on evaluation of evidence and risk/benefit to a patient / patient cohort.
* Extensive experience of successfully supervising and contributing to the training of trainee pharmacists, pharmacists and pharmacy technical staff.
* Experience of preparing and delivering reports, audits, clinical guidelines at directorate/ divisional level.
* Experience in developing and implementing quality improvement.
* Current practicing prescriber.
* Experience of delivering a clinical pharmacy service to stroke, thrombosis or related services.
* Experience in running pharmacist‑led clinic/outpatient services.
* Experience in delivering a trainee pharmacist tutor role.
Qualifications
* Currently registered as a pharmacist in the UK with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
* Postgraduate clinical specialist knowledge acquired through diploma level training i.e. Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent.
* Currently meeting the GPhC standard for continuing professional development.
* Accredited independent prescriber.
* Have undertaken a Health Assessment course.
* Working towards RPS Faculty membership.
* Holds a leadership or management qualification.
* Formal teaching / training on providing feedback.
Knowledge and Skills
* Up to date knowledge of medication usage and guidance within stroke.
* Ability to act on feedback to review service needs.
* Able to set priorities, meet deadlines and manage time.
* Function as a professional and clinical role model for junior pharmacists and technicians, demonstrating positive, resourceful behaviour, particularly when service delivery is challenging.
DBS Checks and Costs
Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check (at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in Supporting Information section for more details on DBS checks and costs.
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.
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