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Job summary

Main area
Pharmacy
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 8b
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
190-1477-DIR
Employer
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals
Town
Sheffield
Salary
£66,582 - £77,368 per annum pro rata for part time staff
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
26/04/2026 23:59
Interview date
08/05/2026

Employer heading

NHS

Principal Pharmacist (Aseptic Chemotherapy Services)

NHS AfC: Band 8b

We are committed to helping our staff balance their work and home lives and ensure they feel supported, valued and appreciated so whilst you care for our patients and clients, we’ll take care of you. We offer many different ways of helping staff including career development opportunities, flexible working, good annual leave and pension schemes , health and wellbeing packages and financial support systems. Joining the Trust also allows you access to a number of saving options via our salary sacrifice schemes and a wide range of discount opportunities with retailers and service providers.

Job overview

The pharmacy department at Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust comprises of approximately 450 staff working across 5 sites delivering care to patients from all over the country. We are keen to appoint enthusiastic and knowledgeable individuals to help us to continue to provide a first-class service.

We are offering an exciting opportunity to lead on aseptic chemotherapy services at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals (STH).  The post holder will act as the principal pharmacist for aseptic chemotherapy services.  They will lead and develop the pharmacy aseptic and cytotoxic preparation service of the trust to ensure safe, clinically effective and cost-efficient use of chemotherapy and novel agents.  They will be expected to act as the expert in all matters pertaining to aseptic dispensing for cancer patients at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.  The postholder will manage staff working in the aseptic unit at Weston Park Hospital.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced pharmacist who wishes to move into a pharmacy leadership role in aseptic services. The applicant will be required to undertake service review and development, provide expert pharmaceutical advice at trust level in relation to chemotherapy and aseptic services, work across professional and regional boundaries, influence practice, and manage, motivate, and inspire staff. The successful applicant should also have excellent interpersonal and leadership skills and demonstrate exemplary PROUD values.

 

Main duties of the job

To be the Lead Pharmacist for the chemotherapy aseptic preparation unit at STH, providing clinical, professional and managerial leadership.

Undertake the role of Accountable Pharmacist for the Weston Park aseptic unit as per GMP/QAAPS.

Develop regular briefing documents for the Operations Manager and Chief Pharmacist detailing a summary of service provision, environmental monitor results, CAPA, QER and workload statistics.

To be responsible for ordering outsourced chemotherapy, helping develop QA/QC paperwork, technical agreements and to assess usage.

To oversee the handling of unlicensed medicines within the Weston Park aseptic unit, working closely with QC and senior pharmacy managers to ensure STH ULM policy is adhered to.

To be responsible for safety and security of equipment in use and kept in aseptic areas in Weston Park Hospital.

To produce Standard Operating Procedures, worksheets and other documentation relevant to aseptic dispensing and working with isolator technology.

To manage the recruitment, individual performance reviews, annual leave and sickness absence monitoring, capability, disciplinary and grievance matters.

To validate and clinically check chemotherapy prescriptions and technically release chemotherapy for patients in STH, including those on clinical trials.

To have professional responsibility for the preparation and supply of Clinical Trial medications from the Weston Park aseptic unit, ensuring protocols and guidance are followed.

 

Working for our organisation

You will be working for an organisation which values and respects all of its staff and the community it serves. The Trust is a leader in the NHS and research sectors and provides excellent benefits for its staff. This includes commitments to professional development but also many policies to support employees in balancing their personal and professional lives.

 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.

When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.

 

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Registered Pharmacist with GPhC
  • MSc level qualification in Pharmacy
  • Post-graduate Clinical Diploma or equivalent demonstrable experience.
  • Pharmaceutical Technology & Quality Assurance (PTQA) course qualification (or working towards).
Desirable criteria
  • Experience in a Qualified Person (QP) role.
  • Independent Pharmacy Prescriber (IPP) status.
  • Aseptic service management course attendance, such as the Aseptic Service for Managers course
  • Leadership or management qualification.

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Extensive experience in hospital pharmacy in Oncology/haematology
  • Extensive experience in hospital pharmacy in Aseptic services
  • Project management experience
  • Evidence of delivering service improvements.
  • Staff management experience/qualification and HR experience.
  • Excellent up-to-date knowledge of chemotherapy regimens: regimen production principles and validation/checking requirements
  • Enhanced knowledge of Good Clinical Practice and experience of handling clinical trial material (IMP) in an aseptic unit.
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of aseptic unit / cleanroom design and construction.
  • Experience of working in an MHRA licensed manufacturing facility
  • Additional relevant QA/aseptic courses and qualifications.
  • Excellent working knowledge of Chemocare prescribing system.

Skills and Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Have expert specialist knowledge in cancer related areas
  • Able to analyse complex data/information to identify improvements to pharmacy services in the Trust Able to work on own initiative and as part of multidisciplinary team
  • Able to analyse highly complex data/information to solve clinical problems where information is lacking or conflicting
  • Able to affect and manage change
  • Able to assess and manage risk
  • Have effective computer/IT knowledge and skills to provide reports and manage staff who implement the computerised chemotherapy prescribing system
Desirable criteria
  • Experience in service planning
  • Prior experience of managing change

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - SilverMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerStep into healthStonewall Proud Employers Accreditation is a benchmarking scheme that helps employers assess and improve LGBTQ+ inclusion at work. Trailblazer status recognises organisations leading change with outstanding commitment and impact.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Chris Winnard
Job title
Deputy Chief Pharmacist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01142266425
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