Outpatient Pharmacist — NHS (Clinical & Training) in Southampton

UHS Pharmacy Limited (UPL) is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us. Please see below for a detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job:

• Provide high-quality outpatient dispensing and clinical pharmacy services, ensuring the safe and effective provision of medicines, and clinical care and advice, to patients and members of the public.
• Provide clinical professional advice to hospital stakeholders, including doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and wider hospital staff.
• Support the smooth running of the pharmacy to provide a safe, efficient, and patient-centred service.
• Act as a trainer, mentor and supervisor to other UPL staff, providing guidance, supervision, and professional support.
• Act as a line manager for junior team members, ensuring high performance, development, and adherence to standards.
• Uphold regulatory and professional standards and maintain clinical and legal accountability as a registered pharmacist, including as the Responsible Pharmacist, when required, in line with GPhC regulations and organisational procedures.
• Contribute to a continuous improvement culture by suggesting and implementing changes and projects under the guidance of the Superintendent Pharmacist or Pharmacy Manager.

Working for our organisation:

UPL is a wholly owned subsidiary of University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, providing pharmacy services for hospital staff, outpatients, and visitors. Conveniently located in the main foyer of the hospital, the pharmacy offers a wide range of over-the-counter medicines and healthcare products. We are committed to being an employer of choice where everyone matters.

The pharmacy operates:

• Monday – Friday: 09:00 – 18:00
• Saturday: 09:00 – 13:00
• Sundays: 10:00 – 16:00

Southampton offers an excellent quality of life, located on the south coast with an international airport and direct train links to London. The area boasts the stunning New Forest National Park, beautiful beaches along the Jurassic Coast, and living costs around 20% lower than London. With 14 Ofsted-rated “Outstanding” schools, it’s a great place to live and work.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities:

• Validate, clinically screen, dispense, and accuracy-check outpatient prescriptions, ensuring safe, effective and timely supply of medicines in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements and local policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Identify and resolve unusual doses, drug interactions, incompatibilities or other clinical concerns, referring to clinical policies and guidance, recognised reference sources and prescribers as required.
• Liaise with prescribers and other healthcare professionals and hospital teams — including hospital pharmacists, doctors, outpatient clinics and clinical departments — to ensure timely resolution of clinical and service delivery queries to optimise patient care and experience.
• Offer clear, evidence-based counselling and advice to patients and customers on the safe and effective use of medicines, general medicines information and healthy lifestyle choices, signposting to other NHS recognised services and sources of information as appropriate.
• Provide clinical pharmacy services such as independent prescribing, provision of medicines under Patient Group Direction, vaccination, physical health checks, monitoring and testing, within approved pharmacy services, where competent to do so.
• Provide professional advice and guidance on medicines and pharmacy practice to other pharmacy staff and hospital colleagues.
• Support the implementation and use of clinical policies, procedures, and prescribing guidelines under the direction of the Superintendent Pharmacist, including guiding others in their use.
• Maintain stock in accordance with legislation and good practice, including stock rotation and security.
• Work closely with the procurement team to ensure timely and cost-effective procurement of medicines and other essential items.
• Support the safe, effective and efficient day-to-day running of the pharmacy service, ensuring the dispensary is clean, organised, and operating smoothly and always maintaining a patient focus.
• Act as the Responsible Pharmacist (RP) when required, in accordance with legislation and GPhC standards.
• Uphold legal, ethical, and professional standards of good pharmacy practice and adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), ensuring compliance across the team.
• Support the review, updating, and validation of SOPs to maintain an effective and safe pharmacy service.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, working proactively to identify day-to-day operational issues, contributing to effective solutions and leading improvement projects collaboratively with the Superintendent Pharmacist, Pharmacy Manager and wider team.
• Maintain up-to-date clinical and professional knowledge and undertake CPD to meet GPhC revalidation standards and as relevant and required to the role and services.
• Recognise limitations and request support from more senior colleagues or specialists as required.
• Maintain the security of the pharmacy department, including opening and locking up when required.
• Serve as a role model for other pharmacists and pharmacy staff, displaying high standards of professional behaviour, practice and communication.
• Support the development of other pharmacy staff through the provision of training, supervision, guidance and competency assessment.
• Deputise for the Superintendent Pharmacist or Pharmacy Manager when appropriate.
• Carry out any other reasonable duties requested by senior pharmacy leadership.

Key Working Relationships:

• Superintendent Pharmacist
• Dispensary Manager
• Outpatient Pharmacy Team
• University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS) Pharmacy Staff
• Clinical Teams and Outpatient Clinics
• Prescribers and Medical Staff
• Patients and Service Users

Person specification:

• General Pharmaceutical Council registration as a practising pharmacist.
• Proven track record of providing excellent customer care in a community or hospital pharmacy environment.
• Evidence of working in a multidisciplinary team.
• Sound knowledge of Pharmacy law, ethics and practice.
• Use good communication skills to liaise with a variety of other team members within UPL and across UHS.
• Ability to generate new ideas and ways of working to support UPL’s strategy and objectives.
• Excellent general clinical and pharmacy practice knowledge.
• Knowledge of development pathways for pharmacy professionals.
• Willing and able to undertake continuing professional development to meet GPhC and role requirements.
• Clinical Pharmacy Diploma.
• Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
• Both community pharmacy and hospital pharmacy experience, including provision of clinical services.
• Experience of stock control.
• Experience of using System C’s Careflow Medicines Management (CMM) pharmacy computer system.
• Ability to take initiative and lead on projects including change management and/or service improvement.
• Training and supervision experience.
• Specialised knowledge of drugs used and therapeutic trends within a relevant specialised area (e.g. Oncology, ophthalmology).
• Knowledge of healthcare systems guidance and NHS change.

Please be advised that this vacancy may close earlier than stated if we receive a large number of applications.