Pharmacist Advisors

Are you an active clinical Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician looking to bring your sector expertise to a national level? The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is recruiting Specialist Advisors – Medicines to support its inspection and assessment programme across England.

This ad-hoc, flexible role allows you to remain in your current clinical practice while shaping the safety, quality, and effectiveness of healthcare services nationwide.

Key Role Details

What You Will Do

As a Specialist Advisor, you will work alongside CQC inspection teams to evaluate medicines management and clinical care quality:

• Provide Expert Advice: Deliver clear, objective written and verbal advice on medicines optimization and clinical safety.
• On-Site Inspections: Accompany CQC teams on visits to healthcare providers (typically 1–3 days per assessment).
• Evidence Analysis: Conduct clinical searches, review patient records, and evaluate provider documentation.
• Report Quality Assurance: Review draft inspection reports to ensure findings, ratings, and recommendations are evidence-based and aligned with regulatory standards.

Essential Eligibility Criteria

To be considered for this role, you must meet the following criteria:

• Professional Registration: Active, valid registration with the GPhC.
• Current Practice: Must be substantively employed and active in current clinical practice.
• Experience Required:
  • Pharmacists: Minimum of 5 years post-registration experience within your specialist sector.
  • Pharmacy Technicians: Minimum of 7 years post-registration experience within your specialist sector.
• Sector Expertise: Proven track record in at least one key area:
  • Clinical searches & record reviews in NHS primary care
  • Community health services
  • Dispensing doctors
  • Independent health services (including online digital health)
• Organisation Rating (if seconded/salaried): If employed by a CQC-registered provider, your organization must currently hold a rating of “Good” or “Outstanding”.

Flexible Working Options

You can undertake this role in one of two ways:

1. Casual Worker: Paid directly by the CQC for attending inspections in your own time (e.g., non-working days or annual leave).
2. Secondment: Arranged with your employer (if CQC-registered), where your home organization receives the £300/day rate to cover your release time.

Note: Assessment opportunities are offered on an ad-hoc basis with up to 6 weeks’ advance notice where possible. You are under no obligation to accept a specific assessment if it conflicts with your schedule.

How to Apply

1. Prepare your application demonstrating your clinical background and regulatory awareness.
2. Ensure all statements reflect your own authentic professional experience (AI-generated content or plagiarism will result in disqualification).
3. Submit your application before 11:59 pm on Sunday 11th October 2026.

For queries or reasonable adjustment requests, contact the team at temprecruitment@cqc.org.uk.