Pharmacy Technician High-Cost Meds - Band 5


Company:	NHS Jobs
Salary:	£32,073 to £39,043 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Chelmsford, CM1 1QH
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	18 Sept 2026
Closing date:	1 Oct 2026

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Summary

ROLE PURPOSE / SUMMARY The Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) is a new organisation formed through the consolidation of three ICB areas in response to the NHSs ambition to deliver a more streamlined, strategic and cost-effective model of health commissioning. The ICB will oversee the commissioning of care for the approximately 2 million people who live in Essex. Operating within a reduced running cost envelope and aligned to the new requirements of ICBs in England, the ICB will focus on improving population health outcomes, health equity and smarter resource allocation. The postholder will provide technical support within the Medicines Innovation and Pathways workstream of the Integrated Care Board. The role underpins the safe, effective, and cost-efficient use of high-cost medicines by managing key processes such as prior approval, invoice validation, and data reporting. This includes ensuring that funding requests are processed accurately and in line with commissioning criteria, maintaining robust approval systems and templates, and supporting governance through accurate documentation and compliance checks. The postholder will apply knowledge of medicines policy and commissioning requirements to assess applications, resolve queries, and escalate cases requiring clinical input. They will also contribute to monitoring and reporting activities that inform audits, performance reviews, and commissioning decisions. By maintaining robust processes and clear communication, this role supports patient safety, ensures compliance with commissioning requirements, and facilitates the efficient management of high-cost medicines across the system. As the ICB transitions to become a leaner, more focused strategic commissioning organisation the post holder will be expected to support the Director of Pharmacy, Medicines and Clinical Policies in delivering on the three fundamental shifts set out in the NHS 10-year plan: From Treatment to Prevention: Embedding preventative, personalised and population based approaches to commissioning. From Hospital to Community: Championing care model redesign that supports community and neighbourhood health. From Analogue to Digital: Enabling clinically driven transformation through digital innovation, data analytics and evidence based improvement. KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES To deliver on the job description set out above, the job holder will be expected to deliver on the requirements set out below: High-cost drug management Process prior approval requests for high-cost medicines within agreed timescales, applying professional pharmacy knowledge to ensure compliance with commissioning criteria and local policies Develop and maintain prior approval templates and documentation, ensuring clarity and consistency for users Review incomplete funding applications, assess against commissioning requirements, and use judgment to escalate cases requiring clinical input to the pharmacist Technical support for commissioning Validate invoices against approved requests and identify discrepancies for escalation, ensuring accuracy and compliance with local policies Maintain accurate records of approvals and funding decisions in digital systems, supporting audit and assurance processes Supervise the Invoice Assistant by providing guidance, training, and quality checks on invoice processing tasks to ensure timely and accurate completion Prepare technical summaries and data packs to support commissioning decisions, audits, and performance monitoring Data and digital processes Use professional pharmacy knowledge to manage prior approval workflows in digital systems, ensuring accuracy and compliance with commissioning criteria Support the implementation and improvement of digital tools for medicines governance and approval processes, ensuring they meet audit and assurance requirements Interpret data outputs to identify trends and anomalies, providing clear insights for audits and performance reviews, and escalate complex cases to the pharmacist when clinical input is required Clinical governance and safety Apply professional pharmacy knowledge to ensure governance principles are embedded in all approval processes and funding decisions, including assessing requests against formulary and commissioning criteria Use understanding of medicines legislation, NICE guidance, and local policies to verify compliance and identify potential risks, escalating complex or clinically sensitive cases to the pharmacist when required Support compliance with formulary and contractual requirements for high-cost medicines by reviewing documentation for accuracy and completeness, ensuring decisions are evidence-based and aligned with governance standards Financial and reporting support Apply professional pharmacy knowledge to assist in monitoring expenditure on high-cost medicines, ensuring data accuracy and alignment with commissioning criteria. Use understanding of medicines policy and funding pathways to interpret trends and highlight potential risks for escalation Prepare accurate reports for audits and performance reviews, ensuring data is clearly presented and aligned with established templates Provide clear, accurate data summaries to support business cases and commissioning plans, ensuring that information is relevant, evidence-based, and suitable for decision-making at system level Collaboration and support Respond to queries from clinicians, finance teams, and providers regarding high-cost drug approvals, using professional pharmacy knowledge to interpret commissioning criteria and provide accurate, evidence-based information Apply understanding of formulary compliance, NICE guidance, and funding pathways when resolving queries, ensuring responses are aligned with governance and contractual requirements Work collaboratively with pharmacists and commissioning teams to troubleshoot complex cases, identify gaps in documentation, and recommend appropriate actions, escalating to the pharmacist when clinical judgment is required Contribute to continuous improvement by highlighting recurring issues and supporting the development of clearer processes and templates for prior approvals and funding requests Team management and capability building Supporting directorate oversight of workforce reporting, including reporting on key HR metrics Supports wider understanding of projects across the ICB and system Able to influence in order to deliver effectively through others Support the effective transition of relevant functions to new portfolios within or beyond the ICB to support the new NHS operating model, in line with the requirements of the Model ICB Blueprint Work collaboratively with system partners to facilitate transitional arrangements Maintain a focus on quality, safety and affordability during transition Supporting effective Information Asset Management for the team Other Able to use initiative and work independently as needed to deliver on requirements of the role Primarily desk-based work that requires use of visual display units, focused concentration and frequent participation in on-line or in person meetings Able to use software required to develop report, including ability to deliver high quality documents through Microsoft suite (word, power point, excel) Flexibility and evolving responsibilities As the ICB continues to evolve, portfolios may be subject to change to reflect the needs of the organisation, the health and care system and national policy direction. This may include adjustments to areas of responsibility or realignment of reporting structures. KEY RELATIONSHIPS The post holder will need to build constructive relationships with partners from across the health and care system. Key relationships will be with: Senior Pharmacists and wider medicines commissioning team Finance and Contracting Teams Acute and Community Providers Clinicians

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