Foundation Pharmacist

Job Overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for a detailed job description for the role.

Main duties of the job

Are you a recently qualified pharmacist, or perhaps an experienced pharmacist looking to make the move to hospital pharmacy? Our established Foundation Pharmacist rotation will give you the stepping stones you need to get a solid grounding in hospital pharmacy, preparing you to take the next steps in your career. We believe in providing you with the opportunity to work in all sections of the pharmacy department, and across a wide range of clinical wards, so that you can make an informed decision when it comes to applying for your next role.

Attached you will find the person specification document which provides more detail about the essential and desirable skills and experience needed for this role. We highly recommend you review this document and use it when completing your application as these criteria are used by hiring managers as guidance during shortlisting.

For an overview of the main duties of the role please see the ‘Job Description and Main Responsibilities’ section below. To understand the day-to-day responsibilities in more detail please read the full job description document attached.

Working for our organisation

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to.

All non-clinical roles may involve a mixture of on site and remote working, Specific details and flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.

Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 20% lower than London and 14 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.

Due to the nature of this role and service, this role is on-site and the hours are as advertised. Please talk to us at interview about the flexibility you need, and we will explore what’s possible for the role and service.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

In recent years we have developed several 6-to-7 progression posts across the department and these have proved very successful in providing promotion opportunities for pharmacists who have progressed from the Foundation pharmacist rotation. We currently have 4 vacancies available on our rotation, all due to internal promotions, just as an example of the opportunities which will be available to you in the future, should you be successful.

What you’ll do....

You will be joining a team of 14 foundation pharmacists and will work on 3 monthly rotations covering all areas of our pharmacy department: dispensary services, regional medicines advice service, clinical trials, aseptic services including oncology and TPN, and clinical pharmacy. You will have a regular half-day ward commitment within each rotation covering a variety of different clinical specialties including medicine, surgery, cardiology, paediatrics, orthopaedics, and mental health.

You will act as an advocate for pharmacy and ensure the optimum use of medicines to ensure safe and effective patient care. You will become an integral part of the team and, with supervision from senior colleagues, contribute professionally to the various sections of the department and provide a clinical pharmacy service to our wards.

We have created a dedicated development pathway to support newly qualified and foundation pharmacists to help develop your knowledge and skills and start to build your foundation portfolio. We use the RPS Foundation pharmacy framework and postgraduate clinical diplomas to support pharmacists through the first few years of their careers. Throughout these programmes you will have a dedicated in-house mentor or tutor to support you, as well as being assigned a buddy when you arrive to support your entry into such a large department.

What we’re looking for....

Someone Who

Is passionate about patient care

Is able to apply good clinical knowledge

Has strong communication skills

Has a good understanding of hospital pharmacy

Has good problem solving and prioritisation skills

Is adaptable and resilient

Additional information

Applicants who are shortlisted will be invited for a written clinical assessment on Friday 25th October. This will be a 1 hour remote session in which you will be sent a word document with a series of clinical questions. You will complete these to the best of your ability in the time allowed and return the document to the assessor by email. You will later be contacted with the results and detailed feedback to support your own development. Successful applicants will then be invited to interview on Wed 30th October.

Should you have any queries, please use the contact details to get in touch.

Person specification

Skills and competencies

Essential criteria

• Communication
• Attention to detail
• Problem solving
• Microsoft Office skills
• Teamwork
  
  

Qualifications, Knowledge And Experience

Essential criteria

• UK Masters degree in Pharmacy, or equivalent qualification
• GPhC Pharmacist registration (although current trainee pharmacists may be interviewed for subsequent appointment once qualified)
• Approved foundation training year successfully completed or about to be completed
• Experience of dispensary and clinical pharmacy services
• Strong exposure to clinical pharmacy and experience of pharmaceutical intervention at both dispensary and ward level
• Sound clinical knowledge
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Relevant post-registration qualification
• All round hospital experience as a trainee or foundation pharmacist, such as experience in medicines information and/or aseptic services
• Supervisory experience
  
  

Trust Values

Essential criteria

• Patients First
• Always Improving
• Working Together