Lead Pharmacist - London

Location: Knightsbridge 1, London, UK (Zone 1)

Company Description:

Metabolic is a hybrid digital therapeutics company addressing the global metabolic health crisis by combining innovative data science with compassionate, human-centric care. With a first-principles approach, we empower patients to achieve sustainable behavior change through an integration of advanced technology and personalized support. Having established a strong foundation in metabolic health, we are thrilled to offer specialized metabolic health services now operating from our London branch.

I. Job Summary:

We are seeking an experienced, strategic, and clinically strong Lead Pharmacist to lead pharmacy operations at our London facility.

This role operates within a CQC-regulated private clinic environment. The pharmacy function supports on-site patient care under CQC medicines management frameworks, rather than as a GPhC-registered retail or dispensing pharmacy premises. The clinic serves on-site patients only and does not operate as a walk-in or NHS-facing service.

As the clinical lead for pharmacy, you will ensure full regulatory compliance, the highest levels of patient safety, and clinical excellence in a technology-enabled clinic specialising in metabolic health, weight management, and endocrinology.

II. Key Responsibilities:

1.Clinical Leadership & Compliance:

• Regulatory Accountability: Act as the designated clinical lead for pharmacy services, ensuring safe management of medicines in line with CQC's Single Assessment Framework (Quality Statements), UK medicines legislation, and GPhC standards of professional conduct.
• Clinical Validation: Perform expert clinical screening and validation of prescriptions, with a specific focus on GLP-1 receptor agonists, diabetes medications, and hormone replacement therapies.
• Governance & Audit: Lead quality assurance and risk management initiatives, including preparation for CQC inspections and maintenance of robust SOPs aligned to modern regulatory expectations.
• Controlled Drugs: Take ownership of medicines governance, including controlled drug management, storage, documentation, and incident reporting and significant event analysis in line with CQC duty of candour requirements.
• Prescribing Governance: Support the Medical Director in oversight of prescribing governance, including prescribing audits, formulary management, and medicines optimisation across the clinical team. This includes reviewing and supporting safe prescribing by doctors and independent prescribers within the clinic.
• The Lead Pharmacist holds sole authority for the final release and dispensing of all medications within the clinic. No medication, including but not limited to GLP-1 receptor agonists, controlled drugs, hormone replacement therapies, and any other specialist metabolic medications, may be dispensed or released to a patient without the physical presence, direct clinical oversight, and explicit approval of the Lead Pharmacist or a designated deputy pharmacist acting under a formally documented delegation protocol. 

2.Team Management & Development:

• Leadership: Lead, coach, and mentor a multidisciplinary pharmacy team, fostering a culture of clinical excellence and accountability.
• Supervision: Manage staffing rotas, performance appraisals, and training plans, supporting all staff in maintaining their GPhC registration and CPD obligations.

3.Operational & Commercial Performance

• Supply Chain: Oversee procurement, inventory management, and stock optimisation for specialist metabolic medications to ensure efficient and sustainable operations.
• Strategic Partnerships: Build relationships with specialist referrers and private GP practices to support integrated metabolic care pathways.
• Commercial Performance: Balance operational and financial performance within a patient-safety-first framework, including margin management and data-driven decision making on procurement and formulary choices.

III. SOP Development & Pharmacy Application Support

The Lead Pharmacist will partner with the Medical Director and Operations Manager to build and maintain a gold-standard pharmacy governance framework within CQC requirements and GPhC regulatory standards.

1.Audit & Policy Review:

• Comprehensive Gap Analysis: Evaluate all existing medicines management SOPs (prescribing, storage, CDs, and waste) against UK legislation and CQC standards.
• Clinical Protocol Validation: Review specialist protocols for GLP-1s, HRT, and diabetes medications to ensure clinical safety.
• Risk & Safety Oversight: Audit incident reporting, Significant Event Analysis (SEA), and Duty of Candour processes for regulatory alignment.

2.SOP Development & Training:

• Framework Design: Draft and implement a cohesive, version-controlled SOP library using accessible language for the multidisciplinary team.
• Compliance Training: Establish a formal staff training and sign-off process to ensure procedural adherence.
• Continuous Improvement: Embed a culture of regular review, ensuring documents evolve with clinical developments and regulatory changes.

3.Regulatory & Inspection Readiness:

• GPhC-Aligned Design: Draft and implement a cohesive, version-controlled SOP library that meets GPhC registration and inspection criteria.
• Operational Partnership: Provide direct support to the Operations Manager and NI to satisfy all CQC requirements, including the ongoing maintenance of the Statement of Purpose and mandatory regulatory filings.
• Governance Integration: Maintain a live register of audits, policies, and regulatory correspondence to ensure "always-on" inspection readiness.

• IV. Qualifications & Experience

Essential Requirements:

• GPhC Registration: Current registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) as a Pharmacist.
• Experience: Minimum 5 years post-registration experience, with at least 2 years in a leadership role within private healthcare or a specialist clinic.
• Education: Bachelor's degree or MPharm in Pharmacy.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Deep understanding of CQC medicines management standards, CQC duty of candour obligations, and GPhC principles, Medicines Act 1968, Human Medicines Regulations 2012, Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, UK GDPR Data Protection Act 2018
• Demonstrable financial awareness, including experience of procurement, margin management, or budget oversight within a clinical setting.
• RTW: British National - no sponsorship is available

Highly Desirable / Preferred

• Prescribing Status: GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber (IP) with experience in metabolic health or weight management.
• Clinical Specialism: Specialist interest in endocrinology, diabetes, or chronic disease pharmacotherapy.
• Digital Health: Exposure to technology-enabled pharmacy systems and electronic prescribing platforms in a private healthcare setting.

V. Skills & Attributes:

• Excellent clinical judgement with a patient-safety-first mindset.
• Strong ability to balance operational and financial performance without compromising clinical standards.
• Highly organised and comfortable working in a fast-growing, innovative health-tech environment.
• Collaborative and confident working alongside medical directors, specialist clinicians, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Proactive approach to governance, audit, and continuous improvement.

VI. Benefits

• Remuneration: Competitive salary
• Annual Leave: 25 days annual leave
• Professional Fees: Full coverage of GPhC individual registration and renewal fees.
• Development: Support for specialist training and professional development in metabolic medicine.
• Bonus: Performance-related bonus scheme, reviewed annually, based on the achievement of agreed operational, governance, and service development objectives. Bonus payments are entirely discretionary, non-contractual, and will never be linked to prescribing volumes, medicines sales, or any clinical decision making. Full details of the scheme will be provided at offer stage.