Clinical Pharmacist | The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester

The Trust has implemented electronic prescribing for SACT across the Trust, and at our outreach clinics and peripheral sites. Many of our pharmacists are working as non‑medical prescribers with clinical teams in outpatient clinics, and this year’s objective is to further expand this pharmacist prescribing model, especially with newly registered pharmacists qualified with independent prescriber status.

The Christie Hospital Pharmacy Department hosted Foundation Year Pharmacists for the very first time in 2025 and supports a number of ongoing and new collaborative projects alongside several research partners with strong links to the University of Manchester. Several members of our staff have undertaken postgraduate training, research and other secondment opportunities and we are keen to support more.

We currently have an opportunity for a highly motivated, enthusiastic clinical pharmacist, band 6 or 7 (depending on previous experience), to expand the current pool of ward‑based pharmacists enabling future development of pharmacist services, particularly to the hospital admissions unit and ambulatory care unit. We would consider a band 6 role with planned progression to band 7 based on a competency‑based training programme.

Key duties include:

• Providing a high‑quality, patient‑focused clinical pharmacy and medicines supply service to oncology patients, ensuring a safe, effective and efficient use of medicines.
• Actively participating in the departmental training programme and completing competencies for each of the following areas: wards, dispensary, satellite pharmacies, clinical trials and aseptics as appropriate.
• Supporting the provision of clinical pharmacy services within the dispensaries, satellite pharmacies and at C@ sites, and the aseptic services unit, if required.
• Responsible for the clinical screening/review of prescriptions, both in‑patients and outpatients, and to accurately check and supply medicines to patients, including clinical trials in accordance with all departmental, Trust and national standards, procedures and policies.
• Delivering a clinical pharmacy service to designated patient groups, promoting best practice for all areas of pharmaceutical care in accordance with all local, Trust and national guidelines.
• Using specialist knowledge to identify and resolve complex pharmaceutical issues, considering other comorbidity factors and liaising with medical and nursing staff.
• Developing specialist knowledge and skills relating to oncology practice including Good Clinical Practice in clinical trials and an understanding of the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004.
• Safely and effectively screening and reviewing prescriptions for SACT regimens, clinical trials and treatment strategies at the Christie, including full awareness of the intrathecal chemotherapy policy.
• Following local, Trust and National guidelines for safe medicines practice.
• Promoting and maintaining cost‑effective prescribing through involvement in the development, implementation and review of evidence‑based guidelines and protocols with fellow healthcare professionals, under the management of the Principal Pharmacist for Clinical Services, to establish best practice.
• Qualifying as an independent prescriber (if qualification not already achieved).
• Working as an independent prescriber within a designated disease group alongside the relevant consultant team.
• Supporting prescribing at the individual patient level, contributing to the optimisation of patients’ drug therapy with due consideration to risk/benefit issues.
• Providing evidence‑based medicine advice where appropriate to ensure safe, effective, economical and timely use of medicines.
• Providing advice on the storage, administration and therapeutic use of medicines to patients, medical and nursing staff and other healthcare colleagues.
• Providing specialist medicines information, including advice on clinical trials, to healthcare professionals within the Greater Manchester network as appropriate.
• Supporting the maintenance of Electronic Prescribing (EP) and Pharmacy systems in conjunction with the EP project team, contributing as necessary to ensure all tasks are completed to deadline.
• Being responsible for liaising with the pharmacy team, ward nursing & medical teams and the Informatics department in relation to the maintenance of and updates to the Trust’s EPMA systems and contributing to the delivery of the training requirements for individual user groups.
• Checking and validating all medicines and medicine order sets for accuracy, ease of use and patient safety if required.
• Supporting issue reporting during the implementation of new initiatives to enable projects to be delivered effectively.
• Contributing with the Informatics teams, management accountants, medical staff, pharmacy staff and other stakeholders in relation to problem solving, auditing, service development and statistical and financial drug transactions.
• Contributing to the clinical governance process by undertaking risk assessments and by analysing data provided by the system with regard to safety and prescribing issues, and informing system users across the Trust of any risks or issues arising from use of the system.
• Participating and leading in service evaluation, clinical audit and/or practice research as required.
• Maintaining, leading (as appropriate) and contributing to the regular review and development of efficient pharmacy services, namely dispensary, satellite pharmacy within the Trust and at C@ sites, clinical, aseptic & clinical trial services.
• Having the opportunity to participate in research internal or external to the Trust in collaboration with disease groups or university faculties in line with the pharmacy department strategy.
• Having the opportunity to work towards further postgraduate qualifications in line with service requirements and the pharmacy department strategy, including independent prescribing qualification.
• Assisting in the development of patient group directions (PGDs), standard operating procedures (SOPs) and disease group drug regimen protocols and guidelines as appropriate.
• Providing the clinical pharmacy service to additional wards in the absence of colleagues.
• Providing pharmacist cover at Christie @ sites as required.
• Participating in clinical activities such as multidisciplinary ward rounds and deputising as needed at clinical and committee meetings.
• Providing clinical and professional supervision of junior pharmacists, foundation year trainee pharmacists, technicians and students within the pharmacy department and in clinical areas of the Trust.
• Participating in the training of other healthcare professionals including nursing and medical staff.
• Monitoring and evaluating medicine usage and encouraging adherence to the hospital formulary.
• Participating in formulary management, financial monitoring of drug budgets for designated patient groups, protocol and guideline review.
• Reporting on new initiatives and/or developments within designated patient groups to the Director of Pharmacy and the Clinical Services Manager and discussing the impact on pharmacy services and the actions to be taken.
• Demonstrating awareness and commitment to the Trust’s clinical & research governance agenda and implementing agreed clinical & research governance initiatives.
• Participating in departmental, Trust and National risk management schemes such as error reporting systems and intervention monitoring.
• Identifying and managing risks in relation to medicine use according to local policy and protocols.
• Attending departmental pharmacy meetings and any other meetings relevant to the role.
• Developing time‑management skills to ensure appropriate prioritisation of workload in all areas of work.
• Ensuring all activities comply with departmental and Trust health and safety, fire, security policies and COSHH regulations, and reporting any issues that may put health and safety at risk.
• Participating in Continuing Professional Development ensuring relevant knowledge and skills are up to date, meeting the professional requirements of the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Participating in mandatory training in line with trust and departmental requirements.
• Participating in all department rotas including the weekend service, Bank Holiday working and on‑call rotas as requested.
• Behaving in a manner at all times that is in accordance with the professional standards set by the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Undertaking any other related duties which may be required in accordance with the changing needs and practices of the department and organisation.

Although this post is based at The Christie Hospital main site, postholders may be required to work at any location across the Greater Manchester and Cheshire Cancer Network. The Trust has a flexible working policy and, subject to service commitments, it may also be possible to support an element of working from home.