Highly Specialist Pharmacist, Clinical Trials
Employer:
Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Foundation Trust
Location:
Wigan, WN1 2NN
Pay:
Contract Type:
Permanent
Hours:
Full time
Disability Confident:
No
Closing Date:
18/04/2026
About this job
A Vacancy at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced pharmacist to lead and develop our Clinical Trials Pharmacy Service.
This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in ensuring the safe, effective and compliant delivery of Investigational Medicinal Product (IMP) management across the Trust, supporting our expanding portfolio of clinical research.
You will provide expert leadership, ensure regulatory compliance, and work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams across research, governance and clinical services.
Applicants should have previous experience in clinical trials, and a background of oncology or haemato‑oncology would be advantageous.
The Clinical Trials Pharmacist position is designed to develop pharmacists, enhancing their overall knowledge and skills, and provide the depth of experience required to progress towards more senior specialised posts in Clinical Trials and Cancer Pharmacy Services.
You will support many core aspects of pharmacy practice, including clinical work, collaborative multi‑disciplinary team working, patient education and counselling, clinical audit, medicines safety, medicines information and a contribution to our 7‑day working and on‑call service.
Clinical Trials Governance & Compliance
Ensure the pharmacy clinical trials service operates safely, efficiently and in full compliance with EU and UK legislation
Maintain operational compliance with the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004, EU Directive 2001/20/EC, ICH Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines, and professional standards.
Provide specialist support during MHRA Good Clinical Practice (GCP) inspections, ensuring timely access to documentation and evidence of compliance.
Oversee the building and validation of clinical trial medicines and protocols within the Trust’s electronic prescribing system.
Work with Procurement to source unavailable medicines and identify suitable clinical alternatives to support patient treatment.
Collaborate with the Governance team to ensure appropriate cover for medicines information and medication safety queries, particularly during national patient safety alerts.
Choose Well
- Choose WWL Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are the proud providers of acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas.
At WWL, we value our staff believing that ‘happy staff, makes for happy patients’. We have a recognised track record in staff engagement, and living our values ‘the WWL Way’. WWL are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges and ensures dignity.
With this in mind we are seeking to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.
Key results from the job holder Key Responsibilities
Clinical Trials Governance & Compliance
Ensure the pharmacy clinical trials service operates safely, efficiently and in full compliance with EU and UK legislation
Maintain operational compliance with the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004, EU Directive 2001/20/EC, ICH Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines, and professional standards.
Provide specialist support during MHRA Good Clinical Practice (GCP) inspections, ensuring timely access to documentation and evidence of compliance.
Strategic & Professional Leadership
Align pharmacy clinical trials services with the Trust’s Research & Innovation Strategy and the Pharmacy and Medicines Management Services Strategy.
Provide professional leadership to Clinical Trials Pharmacy staff to ensure accuracy, quality, and compliance with regulatory standards.
Advise the Trust’s R&I Division and Clinical Trial Principal Investigators on IMP manufacture, procurement, storage, distribution, and all relevant legislation.
Operational Delivery
Oversee the building and validation of clinical trial medicines and protocols within the Trust’s electronic prescribing system.
Work with Procurement to source unavailable medicines and identify suitable clinical alternatives to support patient treatment.
Collaborate with the Governance team to ensure appropriate cover for medicines information and medication safety queries, particularly during national patient safety alerts.
To be a non-medical prescriber.
Develop, implement and audit unit wide policies, procedures and guidelines related to medication prescribing, supply, administration or disposal.
Publish findings and undertake pharmacy practice research.
Ensure compliance with medicines management guidance issued by the Trust, GMMMG or national bodies.
Ensure compliance with Medicines Law and CQC requirements.
Planning and Organisational Duties
As part of the Clinical Pharmacy Team, to be responsible for the provision of Clinical Pharmacy Services to patients.
To have a commitment to dispensaries and to deliver the highest possible professional standards therein.
In absence of a more senior Pharmacist to take professional responsibility for the dispensary including supervision of technicians, assistants and pre-registration pharmacists.
Prioritise patients according to their clinical and pharmaceutical need.
To use clinical tests and patient notes to advise clinicians about required changes to patient medication and alternatives that may be suggested if the normal route of administration is unavailable.
Analyse medicine charts taking into account the clinical presentation of the patient, any relevant history and plans made by clinicians.
Make appropriate endorsements in line with relevant standards.
Ensure VTE compliance has been undertaken where appropriate.
Ensure antimicrobials are prescribed in line with current trust guidance.
In conjunction with the medicines management technicians to ensure patient specific medicines are ordered.
Ensure the effective re-use of patients own drugs.
If deemed unfit for re-use to destroy medicines ensuring relevant procedures are followed.
To receive, interpret, clinically check, dispense, accuracy check and handout prescriptions in line with departmental standard operating procedures.
Ensure pharmacy stock is controlled effectively.
To assist in the ordering, issuing and receiving of medication when necessary.
Participate in clinical trials ensuring relevant details are maintained in trials documentation.
Ensure ward Controlled Drugs and other departmental audits are completed to the prescribed schedule.
Communications and Key Working Relationships
Using professional judgement and in a professional manner, to communicate to patients, carers and healthcare staff any appropriate information about medicines which make their use safer or more effective.
Assist other health professionals on wards to deliver the highest standards of care.
Liaise with other members of the pharmacy team to ensure clinically effective services are provided.
Refer to more senior pharmacists in team when appropriate.
Provide ward cover for other clinical teams or for more senior colleagues within the team.
To develop effective working relationships with other healthcare professionals within area of responsibility.
Responsibility for Finance
Assist delivery of cost efficiencies, by advising how medicines should be used in line with locally agreed formularies or guidance.
Handle cash, prescription charges & issue relevant receipts in line with trust SFI. Sign orders for pharmaceutical products including controlled drugs in the absence of a more senior pharmacist.
Responsibility for Human Resources
Organise own work patterns within framework provided by line manager, demonstrating leadership qualities at all times.
Deputise for Principal Pharmacist where necessary.
Supervise and motivate clinical pharmacists, pre-registration pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and assistants.
Ensure staff have an understanding of & implement relevant procedures.
Suggest improvements to procedures through line management.
Responsibility for Health & Safety
Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974
- the post holder is required to fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions.
This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards, and a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.
Ensure patients and staff are advised of risks with medicines and to minimise those risks through effective medicines management support and counselling.
Ensure known risks are brought to attention of line managers.
Ensure Datix is used to record and review medicines related incidents.
In conjunction with Managers to ensure appropriate systems are put in place to prevent recurrence where possible.
Responsibility for Teaching
Develop and deliver training packages ensuring they are relevant to all staff involved in the prescribing, supply, administration and handling of medicines.
Provide teaching sessions to other healthcare professionals in line with knowledge and experience.
To teach pre-registration pharmacists bearing in mind the expectations of the GPC and pre-registration tutor.
This advert closes on Thursday 2 Apr 2026
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