Emergency Department Specialist Pharmacist

Overview

The Specialist Clinical Pharmacist – Emergency Department will lead the clinical pharmacy service within the ED, providing expert pharmaceutical care, independent prescribing and medication optimisation to improve patient safety, flow and cost‑efficiency. The role involves working closely with multidisciplinary teams, developing policies, and maintaining drug stewardship throughout the department.

• Develop, implement and lead the clinical pharmacy service for patients admitted to the ED.
• Provide expert pharmaceutical advice to medical and nursing staff, including during ward rounds.
• Undertake medicines reconciliation and optimisation using independent prescribing qualifications, ensuring accurate medication histories and appropriate updates to regular medications.
• Prescribe discharge medication directly from the ED to facilitate efficient patient flow.
• Maintain and produce policies and guidelines to support safe prescribing and drug utilisation.
• Monitor drug expenditure and promote cost‑effective prescribing, reducing wastage and identifying cost‑minimisation opportunities.
• Arrange for drugs to be supplied to patients, wards or departments and advise on drug administration, dosages and side‑effects.
• Review and audit prescriptions for legality, safety, effectiveness and completeness.
• Educate patients, carers, pharmacy technicians and junior medical staff on medication management and therapeutic changes.
• Participate in controlled drug checks, report concerns to the controlled drugs accountable officer, and ensure compliance with legislation and national guidelines.
• Act as the primary contact between the Pharmacy Department and the ED, coordinating with MOPTs, ATOs and other pharmacy staff.
• Engage in audits, research and quality improvement projects to enhance service delivery and contribute to professional development.

• Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent postgraduate qualification.
• Independent prescriber qualification (postgraduate certificate or higher).
• 4‑year vocational master’s degree with postgraduate competency assessment and examination.
• Significant clinical experience as a pharmacist in a UK hospital at band7 level or above.
• Experience in acute admission areas and in delivering/developing clinical pharmacy services.
• Proven experience delivering education and training to a variety of healthcare professionals, including supervision of junior pharmacists.

• Strong clinical judgement and independent prescribing skills.
• Proficiency with Sunrise EPR, EMIS, Sun From Clinical Manager and other standard IT programmes (MS Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Effective interpersonal skills and ability to work within multidisciplinary teams.
• Capability to prioritise workload, work independently and manage frequent interruptions.
• Ability to identify and manage risks, ensuring safe and compliant prescribing.
• Commitment to continued professional development and adherence to GPhC requirements.

• Required to work a minimum of 5hours of a 7.5‑hour shift on Monday.
• Participation in weekend, bank holiday, late‑night and lock‑up rota for the dispensary and pharmacy department.
• Availability for late‑night duties and designated ATO commitments as per departmental arrangements.

Competitive package including flexible working options and opportunities for professional growth within a leading NHS trust.