Deputy Lead Pharmacist

We are seeking a Deputy Lead Pharmacist to work in close partnership with the Lead Pharmacist, helping to deliver high-quality specialist pharmacy advice and drive effective medicines optimisation across the Business Unit. This is a key leadership role focused on improving patient outcomes, supporting innovation, and ensuring medicines are used safely, effectively, and in line with best practice. Working under the guidance of the Lead Pharmacist, you will support compliance with all legal and regulatory frameworks, including the Human Medicines Regulations, Controlled Drugs legislation, CQC requirements, NICE guidance, Patient Safety Alerts, and MHRA communications.

You will play an active role in service improvement, medicines governance, and day-to-day operational oversight, contributing to contract management, SLAs, and providing expert prescribing and therapeutics advice. The Deputy Lead Pharmacist will work under the guidance of the Lead Pharmacist to support delivery of the responsibilities outlined below across the Business Unit. This summary highlights the key aspects of the role and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties that may be required.

• Provide expert medicines management and optimisation advice across inpatient and community services, including complex clinical scenarios.
• Promote safe, effective, and evidence-based prescribing and good professional practice across the Business Unit.
• Support medicines governance, ensuring compliance with CQC, Home Office, and other regulatory requirements.
• Contribute to audits, incident reviews, risk assessments, and continuous quality improvement initiatives.
• Assist in the development, review, and implementation of medicines policies, SOPs, PGDs, and the Medicines Optimisation Strategy.
• Analyse medicines-related data and contribute to reports and papers for governance and assurance purposes.
• Participate in and support Clinical Governance and Medicines Optimisation meetings.
• Work collaboratively with pharmacy, clinical, and Non-Medical Prescribing (NMP) teams, providing guidance, supervision, and education.
• Support prescribing audits, including controlled drugs, and elevate medicines safety concerns appropriately.
• Promote antimicrobial stewardship in collaboration with Infection Prevention and Control leads.
• Maintain up-to-date professional knowledge, meet GPhC standards, and undertake ongoing CPD and personal development.
• Registered Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), with evidence of ongoing CPD.
• Experience working in primary care, community, or hospital pharmacy.
• Experience of chairing meetings and supporting Non-Medical Prescribers.
• Strong IT skills with excellent organisational, time-management, and workload prioritisation abilities.
• Experience undertaking, interpreting, and reviewing clinical audit.
• Proven ability to produce high-level reports and present at senior or governance committees.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and influencing skills.
• Good understanding of national policy relating to community health services and commissioning organisations.
• Knowledge of ePACT data and evidence-based medicine principles, including prioritisation and appropriateness.
• Understanding of Clinical Governance and relevant regulatory and policy frameworks.
• Ability to work flexibly, independently, and on own initiative.
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for work-related travel.
• Knowledge of integrated health and care systems and commissioning processes.
• Experience of inter-agency working (e.g. Local Authorities, CQC, Home Office).
• Experience working within nurse-led inpatient units.
• Experience working in community hospitals and/or community health services.
• We change lives by transforming health and care.

Established in 2006, we are one of the UK's leading independent providers of community health and care services, working with health and care commissioners and communities to transform services with a focus on experience, efficiency, and improved outcomes. We deliver and transform adult and children community health services, primary care services including urgent care, sexual health, dermatology and MSK services as…