NHS Orkney
Primary Care Pharmacist
Get notified of more jobs like this · No spam, ever
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
About The Organisation
NHS Orkney is committed to delivering excellent care to our 22,000 residents. Whether you’re new to the NHS or bringing experience from elsewhere, your skills will make a real difference.
Our modern healthcare facility, The Balfour, brings together inpatient care, emergency services, outpatient clinics, diagnostics, GP practices, and the Scottish Ambulance Service. We’re also investing in services across our outer isles, ensuring high-quality care reaches every corner of Orkney.
We are guided by our core values that shape everything we do: Open and honest, Respect and Kindness, from how we care for our patients to how we support each other as colleagues.
About Orkney
With over 70 islands, 20 of them inhabited, Orkney offers a unique blend of natural beauty, close-knit community, and an opportunity for adventure. From dramatic coastlines and rare wildlife to rich cultural traditions and active lifestyles, it’s a place where compassion thrives and every day brings something new. Regularly named one of the UK’s best places to live, Orkney offers a lifestyle that’s both fulfilling and inspiring.
The Position
Primary Care Clinical Pharmacist (Polypharmacy & Medicines Reablement)
Help Shape the Future of Medicines Optimisation in One of Scotland's Most Unique Health Systems
We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated pharmacist to join NHS Orkney's Primary Care Pharmacy Team and help deliver an innovative new Polypharmacy and Medicines Reablement Service across Orkney.
This exciting new post has been created through transformational funding to improve outcomes for people with frailty, multimorbidity, and complex medicines needs. Working across GP practices, care homes, community settings, and patients' own homes, the successful candidate will undertake structured polypharmacy reviews, medicines reconciliation, and medicines optimisation activities aimed at reducing medicines-related harm and supporting people to remain independent for longer.
The post holder will work closely with GP practices, community pharmacies, hospital teams, care home and care at home services, patients, carers, and unpaid carers to provide person-centred pharmaceutical care across mainland Orkney and the outer isles. A flexible approach, making effective use of remote consultations, multidisciplinary working, and planned locality visits, will be key to delivering this service.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
You will join a friendly, supportive, and experienced pharmacy team and be supported by our established Primary Care Pharmacy Service. Team working is central to how we deliver care, and you will have opportunities to contribute to service development, quality improvement, and innovative models of care across NHS Orkney. The role offers experience across the four pillars of advanced pharmacy practice: clinical practice, leadership and management, education, and research, and we are committed to supporting the successful candidate in their professional development, including progression through the Royal Pharmaceutical Society credentialing programme.
This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to patient care while helping shape a new service expected to deliver significant benefits for patients and the wider health and care system. The programme aims to support over 800 polypharmacy reviews annually and improve access to pharmaceutical care for people living in our remote and island communities.
The successful candidate must be a registered pharmacist with excellent clinical, communication, and interpersonal skills. Experience in primary care, community pharmacy, or hospital pharmacy is welcomed. An Independent Prescribing qualification is essential to the role.
This post offers a unique working environment with a friendly and enthusiastic team in a stunning remote and rural setting, where you can make a visible difference to the health and wellbeing of the Orkney population.
Location, Working Pattern, and Contract Duration
- Location: This post will be based at The Balfour
- Working Pattern: Full Time, 36 hours per week
- Contract Duration: Fixed-Term/Secondment* until November 2028 months due to funding for a specific project
It is a condition of this employment that you must live and remain a resident within the UK for the post in which you will be employed with NHS Orkney.
Benefits And Salary
- Salary: Band 7
- Distant Islands Allowance: £1,719 pro rata per annum (if residing on Orkney)
- Other Benefits: Attractive pension scheme, wide range of work-life balance policies, employee assistance programme, and various discounts to both local and national retailers.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Further Information
If you share our vision and are ready to be part of Team Orkney, we’d love to hear from you. Your rewarding career starts here!
We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process, and you will be asked whether you require any during your application. If there are additional requirements you would like to request, please contact
For further guidance on the recruitment process and tips for creating a strong application, please refer to our Candidate Application Pack.
To Find Out More About This Opportunity Please Contact
Lyndsay Steel, Lead General Practice Pharmacist by email on or phone 07999 029282
Additional Information
- Disclosure Scotland Check: This post is subject to a Disclosure Scotland check.
- Equal Opportunities: NHS Orkney is an equal opportunities employer committed to advancing equality and particularly welcomes applications from groups of people currently underrepresented within the workforce. We are a committed participant in the Disability Confident Leader Scheme and guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria for our vacancies.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): Candidates should provide original and authentic responses to all questions within the application form. The use of artificial intelligence (AI), automated tools, or other third-party assistance to generate, draft, or significantly modify responses is strongly discouraged. By submitting your application, you confirm that all answers are your own work, reflect your personal knowledge, skills, and experience, and have not been solely produced or altered by AI or similar technologies.
- Withdrawal of Application: Failure to comply with this requirement may result in your application being withdrawn from the application process.
- Closing of Advert: Please note this advert may close early if sufficient applications are received.
- Interview Date: Interviews will take place w/c 21st of September, date to be confirmed. Please discuss seeking a secondment with your line manager, prior to submitting an application.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills