3021 - Lead Pharmacist High Cost Drugs

Job summary

The interview date for this role is Thursday 4th September 2025.

We are looking to recruit a proactive and ambitious pharmacist to lead, develop and oversee services for patients using high cost medicines, including those used via homecare services.

The role will include working closely with clinical teams within defined specialties to provide oversight of high cost medicines use within Barnsley Hospital, to improve patient care and optimise the cost effective use of high cost drugs and biosimilar medicines. You will also work with our finance teams and commissioners to support resolution of issues and contribute to Trust cost improvement plans, particularly in relation to biosimilar switches.

This role will give you the opportunity to work alongside colleagues from other local Trusts and the ICS as part of the South Yorkshire Medicines Value Group and to co-design treatment pathways for the benefit of our patients. The combination of responsibilities within this post will facilitate your development at a more strategic level and you will be supported to develop your expertise by the Medicines Evaluation Team Leader.

The role will include clinical practice as you will be required to contribute to our ward-based pharmacy service. Our multi-disciplinary medicines optimisation teams will ensure that you have maximal patient contact and the opportunity to develop individual speciality expertise.

Main duties of the job

This post will suit you if you have completed a postgraduate diploma in clinical pharmacy and have wide-ranging experience of working within hospital pharmacy services. You should be an excellent communicator with the ability to work on your own initiative or as part of a team, and an understanding of medicines commissioning routes and the managed introduction of new biosimilar medicines would be an advantage.

The main focus of this role is to:

Lead the development and implementation, at Trust level, of processes for the prior approval of high cost medicines, ensuring follow-up of treatments used outside agreed commissioning policy. This includes management of Individual Funding Requests for non-formulary & non-commissioned treatments.

Undertake horizon scanning and manage the introduction of new drugs and treatment guidelines into the Trust by liaising closely with senior clinicians and the Trusts Medicines Optimisation Group. This includes the introduction and use of prior approval systems where appropriate.

Work with commissioners and finance teams to ensure that drug usage and expenditure is monitored and regularly reported, to enable informed decisions to be made within given resources and in line with local or national commissioning policies.

Contribute to Cost Improvement Programmes with respect to efficiencies that maybe achieved in high cost medicines usage such as optimising the use of biosimilars across the local health economy.

About us

We reserve the right to close positions early

Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is a high performing Trust, currently rated Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and achieving significant progress in the delivery of our strategic objectives, including our ambition to be the best Place to Work

We scored best in the country in the most recent NHS Staff Survey for teamwork, compassionate leadership, and supporting work/life balance. In 2024's survey, the Trust also scored above average in every theme of the NHS People Promise the promise NHS colleagues make to each other to improve the experience of working in the NHS for everyone

We are proud of the commitment of our colleagues to ensuring a strong and sustainable future and our organisation is highly valued by our local communities

There has never been a better time to join Barnsley Hospital. It is moving at pace and a we can do this attitude is evident right through the organisation

Barnsley Hospital NHS FT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity and fair treatment to all applicants

For individuals who may require sponsorship under the skilled worker or health & care visa route please use the link on the right hand side of the advert to check your eligibility, please note that band 2 and 3 entry roles are no longer eligible for sponsorship

The cost of the DBS (criminal records check) for Band 6 and above roles will only be met by the successful candidate(s) through salary deduction

Employer details

Employer name

Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Pogmoor Road

Barnsley

South Yorkshire

S75 2EP

Employer's website

https://www.barnsleyhospital.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

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Employer details

Employer name

Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Pogmoor Road

Barnsley

South Yorkshire

S75 2EP

Employer's website

https://www.barnsleyhospital.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

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