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Job summary

Main area
Pharmacy
Grade
Band 7
Contract
12 months (Fixed term)
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Seven day working pattern including bank holidays)
Job ref
343-8155602-AG-I-A
Employer
Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
St Helier
Town
Surrey
Salary
£55,524 - £62,652 per annum pro rata inc. HCAS outer
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
25/09/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust logo

Lead Pharmacy Technician, Medicines Efficiency

Band 7

At Epsom and St Helier Hospitals, above all we value respect.  We put respect at the heart of all we do, by living up to our shared behaviours of kindness, professionalism, positivity and teamwork.  This enables us to provide great patient care and make ESTH a great place to work.  When you sign up to work with us, you sign up to this and we welcome applicants who share our values.

 

Job overview

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Specialist Pharmacist/ Pharmacy Technician, Medicines Efficiency to join our Pharmacy team and play a pivotal role in delivering the Trust's Medicines Efficiency Programme.

This is an exciting opportunity for a pharmacy technician who wants to develop their leadership, influencing and project management skills while working at the forefront of medicines optimisation and cost improvement.

About the Role
Working closely with the Principal Pharmacist for Medicines Efficiency, you will lead and coordinate medicines efficiency initiatives across the Trust, supporting the safe implementation of medicines switches, cost improvement programmes and formulary changes. A key focus of the role will be contributing to the Trust's flagship Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH) Switch Programme – a highly visible and strategically important Cost Improvement  Programme (CIP) with significant organisational impact. This programme offers an exceptional
opportunity for the successful candidate to demonstrate and further develop project management skills, stakeholder engagement and change leadership across clinical, operational and corporate teams.


About You
Experience of medicines efficiency programmes, cost-saving initiatives or project management would be highly desirable, but most importantly we are looking for someone with the enthusiasm, drive and leadership potential to help deliver transformational change.

Main duties of the job

•    The provision of technical and operational advice on all matters of medicines efficiencies

•    To assist the Principal Pharmacist Medicines Efficiency to lead and coordinate the Medicines Efficiency Programme across the Trust, ensuring timely implementation of agreed switches and cost-saving initiatives

•    To act in collaboration with the Principal Pharmacist Medicines Efficiency as key liaison between pharmacy, finance, procurement, and clinical stakeholders for medicines efficiency projects.

•    To ensure compliance with governance, audit, and KPI reporting requirements.

•    To support the overall medicines efficiency work-plan, providing regular status reports
and assisting teams in achieving deadlines.

•    To assist the Principal Pharmacist Medicines Efficiency to monitor and evaluate medicines expenditure across the Trust, identifying and putting plans in place to address cost pressures and Cost Improvement Plans

•    To liaise with service managers, nursing and clinical leads to safely support the introduction of or switch to a new medication as part of a cost improvement plan.

•    To ensure regular communication within the team needs to be maintained in relation to working practices, procedures and any changes.

 

Working for our organisation

St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group cares for a population of four million people in South West London and North East Surrey. Our sites include St George’s Hospital, one of 11 major trauma centres in the UK and the largest healthcare provider and major teaching hospital in the area; St Helier Hospital, home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children; and Epsom Hospital, home to the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC). 

 After years of collaboration, our two Trusts became a hospitals group in 2021. While remaining as two separate Trusts, being a hospitals group will help us to collaborate more closely on research, and the development, education, and training of our 17,000-strong workforce.

At gesh we are committed to supporting flexible working arrangements. Applicants are encouraged to discuss any flexibility they may need during the recruitment process.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached supporting job description and person specification document which contains more information about the role and requirements. Please ensure your application refers to the job description and person specification. 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • BTEC/NVQ3 Pharmaceutical Science or equivalent
  • Registration with GPhC
  • Professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
Desirable criteria
  • Educational Supervisor / NVQ Level 2 assessor
  • Post registration management qualification
  • Accredited checking technician
  • Financial or procurement qualification

Skills and Ability

Essential criteria
  • Ability to organise own workload and that of others.
  • Problem solving skills
  • - You are able to communicate effectively to ensure high standards of care, treatment, service or support as appropriate to your role
Desirable criteria
  • Be able to analyse complex information relating to medicines efficiency programmes
  • Demonstrates initiative

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria
  • Relevant post registration UK hospital experience
  • Knowledge of finance systems and budget control
  • Managing a team
  • Experience of working with pharmacy systems (e.g., CMM).
  • Experience of policy/procedure/SOP writing
  • Experience of completing audits and implementing change.
  • Appropriate experience at a minimum of band 6, working as a qualified pharmacist in an NHS hospital (Pharmacist)
Desirable criteria
  • Proven track record in implementing medicines efficiency or cost-saving initiatives.
  • Pharmacy stock control
  • Experience of project management.
  • Experience of working with clinical divisions/ directorates

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardTrust IDNo smoking policyLondon Living Wage is a voluntary commitment made by employers, who can become accredited with the Living Wage FoundationDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - BronzeCare quality commission - GoodDisability confident employerNational Preceptorship for Nursing Quality MarkHappy to Talk Flexible WorkingNational Preceptorship Quality MarkDisability Advice Line

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

This vacancy may have an application cap, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment. Ensure your supporting statement clearly shows how you meet the job specifications.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Patricia McCormick
Job title
Deputy Chief Pharmacist, Transformation
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
02082964034
Additional information

Contact telephone number for Mondays is 01372735151  

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