Principal Pharmacist: Cost Drug & Medicine Optimisation

Would you like to lead improvements in medicines use and help patients receive safe, timely treatment across hospital and community care? West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced pharmacist to lead medicines optimisation and strengthen collaboration between primary and secondary care. This varied role combines senior pharmacy leadership with 18.75 protected hours each week for commissioned interface work.

Working with clinical teams and ICB colleagues, you will improve prescribing pathways, develop shared-care arrangements, lead joint formulary implementation and support appropriate access to high-cost medicines. You will also deliver medicines cost improvement programmes, provide leadership for formulary and homecare services, and contribute professional advice to procurement. As a member of the pharmacy senior management team, you will help shape service development, support colleagues and turn agreed priorities into measurable improvements for patients.

#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community

We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.

Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.

We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.

Date posted: 29 October 2026

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 8b

Salary: £66,582 to £77,368 a year per annum, pro rata

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: -C

Job locations: West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Hardwick Lane, Bury st Edmunds, IP33 2QZ
, United Kingdom

With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.

We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyone's voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.

Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?

Essential

• Educated to Degree or master's level in Pharmacy
• Registered Pharmacist (GPhC)
• Postgraduate diploma or master's qualification relevant to clinical pharmacy practice, or equivalent demonstrable postgraduate learning and experience.
• Leadership / Management qualification relevant to the NHS or equivalent management qualification or experience.

Desirable

• Registered Pharmacy nonmedical prescriber
• Project management qualification (PRINCE 2 or equivalent)

Essential

• Significant senior pharmacy leadership experience relevant to medicines commissioning, interface transformation and service management, with acute-care expertise appropriate to the agreed clinical duties.
• Experience of clinical and medicines financial management, including analysis, forecasting and benefits assessment.
• Recent experience of both operational and strategic planning
• Experience of working across the wider health economy including partnership work
• Recent responsibility for managing transformational change programmes
• Knowledge of national pharmacy transformation and medicines optimisation priorities.
• Knowledge and experience of medicines commissioning and HCD funding and approval requirements, using Blueteq or equivalent systems, and homecare governance appropriate to the leadership remit.
• Experience of leading change management processes
• Understanding of challenges present at the interface between primary and secondary care relating to prescribing.
• Understanding of the current challenges facing primary care and the broader NHS.

Desirable

• Experience across acute and commissioner sectors.
• Advanced experience of high-cost medicines commissioning and development of prior approval systems.
• Experience of holding and…