Specialist Clinical Pharmacist - Primary Care

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

NHS LOTHIAN

West Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP)

Specialist Clinical Pharmacist - Primary Care Pharmacist

12 month fixed term or secondment opportunity

36 hour (1 WTE) and 18 hour post (0.5 WTE) - AFC Band 7 Pharmacist

NHS Lothian serves a population of around one million people and employs approximately 35,000 staff, all committed to improving the health and wellbeing of our communities.

Our Primary Care Pharmacy and Medicines Service is currently undergoing an ambitious programme of transformation and integration. We deliver pharmaceutical care through a team of around 50 pharmacy professionals pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and administrators working across General Practices and Pharmacotherapy Hub throughout West Lothian.

Partnership working is central to our values. We collaborate closely with the wider multidisciplinary team, including Community Pharmacy colleagues, to ensure the highest quality care for everyone in Lothian.

Do you want to be part of a service that is redefining how pharmaceutical care is delivered? Do you want to work in an environment that values its staff and supports learning, growth and wellbeing? Do you want to join a dynamic team with the ambition to become “the best Pharmacy service in Scotland”?

Who you are

You are a dynamic, motivated and enthusiastic GPhCregistered pharmacist. You may come from a community or hospital background, or you may already be working within a GP practice.

You will bring:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• A commitment to leadership, innovation and continuous improvement
• Alignment with NHS Lothian’s values: quality, teamwork, care and compassion, dignity and respect, openness, honesty and responsibility
• Experience in supporting the development and education of others
• The ability to work both autonomously and as part of a team

What we offer

We are developing innovative career pathways designed to nurture future clinical leaders.

In these roles, you will:

• Develop and expand your clinical skills across an average of 2 GP practices within West Lothian
• Provide holistic, patientcentred pharmaceutical care to improve the safety and effectiveness of medicines
• Support the clinical workings of the technician-led pharmacy hub ensuring safe and appropriate pharmaceutical interventions
• Contribute to joint projects and initiatives within the HSCP aligned with local and national priorities

We will support your professional development, including opportunities to complete:

• The RPS Core Advanced Curriculum
• The independent prescribing qualification

You will receive support from senior pharmacists and benefit from strong peer networks across the wider pharmacy team. Dedicated development time will be built into your working week.

You will also have access to a comprehensive range of NHS benefits, including a generous holiday allowance, NHS pension and parental leave.

Selection process

• Eligibility Candidates should have postgraduate experience in a patientfocused clinical environment, using their skills to improve care and optimise medicines. Completion of the NES PostRegistration Foundation Training (PRFT) programme (or equivalent) is expected.
• If you have not completed PRFT, you must be ready to be signed off as “fit to prescribe” and complete a mapping document (sent prior to interview).
• If you have not had the opportunity to enrol in PRFT, you must be able to map your experience to the mapping document (sent prior to interview). PRFT has been available to early years Scottish pharmacists since late 2021.

Interview Candidates meeting the essential criteria will be invited to a competency-based interview with knowledge-based scenarios.

Find out more

If you are unable to select an interview slot due to work commitments, please contact Stewart McNair or Hazel Brown to discuss possible alternative arrangements.

For further information or an informal discussion, please contact:

Stewart McNair , Advanced Clinical Pharmacist

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As from 1 st April 2026, the Agenda for Change full-time working week will be reducing from 37 to 36 hours per week. Part time hours will be reduced pro-rata. However, there will be a corresponding increase in the hourly rate so that pay will not be affected.

Please note: we anticipate a high level of interest in this position and may close the vacancy early once a sufficient amount of applications are received. Therefore, please make sure you complete and submit your application at an early stage.

We cannot accept late applications so please ensure your application is submitted early.

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We will fully support disabled candidates, and candidates with long-term conditions or who are neurodivergent by making reasonable adjustments to our recruitment policy and practices.

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service. Further information on what NHS Scotland Boards are required to do to check this as well as what your responsibilities include can be found in the further information for this vacancy.

This post requires the post holder to have a PVG Scheme membership/record. If the post holder is not a current PVG member for the required regulatory group (i.e. child and/or adult) then an application will need to be made to Disclosure Scotland and deemed satisfactory before they can begin in post.

Due to legislative changes from 1 April 2025, this post may require a different level of criminal records check done than is currently the case. If the post is assessed as a 'regulated role', your appointment will be subject to joining the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. If there is any change to what is currently required, this will be confirmed by either the Hiring Manager or the Recruitment Team. For more details on these changes please visit: Disclosure Scotland Changes .

Please note: As one of these posts are part-time, the salary will be pro-rata.

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