Helen Edwards
Warwick,Warwickshire
Summary
- Highly motivated clinical pharmacist with 20 years of experience utilising evidence-based medicine and strong communication skills to improve quality of care and safety for patients both strategically and at patient-facing level. Specialist interests maintained: respiratory medicine. Secondary specialisms: cardiology and anticoagulation
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
Work History
Medicines Commissioning Pharmacist
NHS Coventry and Warwickshire ICB
Warwick
08.2026 - Current
- Restructure within existing team: now working across Cluster with Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB and Coventry and Warwickshire ICB
- Roles and responsibilities as per previous role
- Co-lead across the ICS on implementation of NICE Technology Appraisals for biologics in COPD
- Lead discussions and support Clinical Chair at Coventry and Warwickshire Respiratory Network and Respiratory Prescribing Group defining clinical pathways for asthma and COPD
- Member of Coventry and Warwickshire Area Prescribing Committee
- Supporting formulary applications in conjunction with providers across the ICS
- Horizon scanning including supporting forecast spending for High Cost Drugs
Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist
Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board
Warwick, Warwickshire
02.2023 - 08.2026
- TUPE transfer due to in-housing of CSU service from Arden and GEM CSU to Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board
- Roles and responsibilities as per Arden and GEM CSU role
Medicines Information and Formulary Pharmacist
NHS Arden and GEM Commissioning Support Unit (CSU)
Warwick, Warwickshire
01.2018 - 02.2023
- Active membership in Coventry and Warwickshire Area Prescribing Committee liaising with stakeholders to ensure and promote up to date, safe, efficacious and cost effective medicines and guidelines
- Active membership and key leader of C&W Respiratory Network reviewing access to diagnostics, management, pathways and guidelines within respiratory across the local ICS
- Attendance at local secondary care Drugs and Therapeutics committees, STP wide Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) strategy and medicines safety groups
- Lead the primary care MI service and newsletter provision
- Line management of band 7 pharmacists/pharmacy technicians
- Presentations at primary care Protected Learning Time (PLT) events, Primary Care Network (PCN) pharmacy professionals' training sessions
- Production and completion of QIPP practice audits and SOPs
- PrescQIPP Champion for Coventry and Warwickshire CCG
- Clinical GP practice support including medication reviews using EMIS and SystmOne GP Clinical Systems
Lead Pharmacist Cardiorespiratory
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Winchester, Hampshire
02.2017 - 01.2018
- Led and provided clinical pharmacy to cardiorespiratory wards
- Proficiency with use of JAC electronic prescribing system. Daily near-patient pharmaceutical care including medicines reconciliation, medication review, patient counselling and discharge planning
- Attendance on consultant ward round; independent prescribing
- Attendance at respiratory clinician and prescribing board meetings
- Development of prescribing guidance and Patient Group Directions
- Provision of hospital MI service with utilisation of key resources
- Production of finance ward drugs expenditure reports
- Training and education: delivery of cardiac rehabilitation patient sessions and cardiorespiratory education sessions to pharmacy staff, supervision of preregistration trainee pharmacists and audit projects, post graduate clinical pharmacy tutor and line management to band 6/7 pharmacists.
- Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) external subject reviewer of Optimise Programme - "COPD - Focus on Combined Bronchodilators"
- Provision of weekend, evening and on-call dispensary rota
Specialist Pharmacist
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
Leicester, Leicestershire
08.2006 - 02.2017
- Clinical pharmacy rotations in a range of specialisms. Specialised in respiratory.
- Attendance on post take ward round
- Reporting of ward drugs expenditure
- Delivery of medical student, pharmacy student, junior doctor, nurse and nursing student training sessions, lectures and seminars
- Delivery of cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation patient sessions
- Audit of Azithromycin as COPD prophylaxis - finalist at Pharmacy Management conference Oct 2016
- Pharmacy Lead for hospital Smoking cessation service - UKCPA poster publication
- Active member of Pharmacy Audit and Research Committee
- Completion of CPPE pharmacist leadership course
- Line management, clinical diploma tutor. Supervision of junior pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Preregistration pharmacist trainee tutor for 8 years
- Out of hours pharmacy commitment supporting junior pharmacists
Resident Pharmacist
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
Leicester, Leicestershire
08.2004 - 08.2006
- Participation in resident junior pharmacist 24hr service
- Clinical pharmacy rotations in a range of specialties.
- Audits on inpatient antibiotic use, CDs and medication storage
- Delivery of prescribing training to final year medical students
Preregistration Trainee Pharmacist
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
08.2003 - 08.2004
- Pre-registration training completed in a district general hospital
Education
Mary Seacole Programme Award - Healthcare Leadership
NHS Leadership Academy
2021
Certificate of Higher Education - Independent Prescribing for Pharmacists
De Montfort University
Leicester2016
Diploma of Higher Education - Clinical Pharmacy
University of Derby
Derby2007
Master of Pharmacy - Pharmacy
De Montfort University
Leicester2003
Skills
- Experience leading strategic workstreams including within Respiratory across Coventry and Warwickshire; key member of C&W Respiratory Network
- Experience leading a team within a secondary care clinical setting and as part of the Medicines Information (MI) team and GP practice support team within the Medicines Optimisation team at NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board
- Clinical skills in evidence-based medicine: literature searching, use of MI resources and critical analysis
- Pharmaceutical care whilst working in secondary care and current role within primary care: medication review, patient counselling, independent prescribing
- Advanced knowledge and skills in clinical pharmacy, specialising in respiratory medicine; secondary specialisms: anticoagulation and cardiology
- Strong organisational and prioritisation skills
- Meticulous attention to detail
- Clear communicator
- Teaching and presentation skills in clinical pharmacy across the local Integrated Care System including primary care clinicians and practice staff, secondary care and patients forum events
Affiliations
- Member of General Pharmaceutical Council; registered as pharmacist
- Member of Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)
- Member of Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA)
- Member of United Kingdom Clinical Pharmacy Association (UKCPA) Respiratory Committee, role as Educational Lead since October 2021
- Member of Primary Care Pharmacy Association (PCPA)
- Member of Primary Care Respiratory Society (PCRS)
Hobbies
- Member of Coventry Philharmonic Choir, since 2018 singing soprano. Previous member of Leicester Philharmonic Choir for 10 years.
- Member of The Ramblers UK
- Completed overseas voluntary work in 2010, working in a small town community hospital in rural Uganda as part of a 2 week project; enabling clinical pharmacy experience in a developing country and an awareness of the different local population healthcare needs this presents.
Timeline
Medicines Commissioning Pharmacist
NHS Coventry and Warwickshire ICB
08.2026 - Current
Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist
Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board
02.2023 - 08.2026
Medicines Information and Formulary Pharmacist
NHS Arden and GEM Commissioning Support Unit (CSU)
01.2018 - 02.2023
Lead Pharmacist Cardiorespiratory
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
02.2017 - 01.2018
Specialist Pharmacist
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
08.2006 - 02.2017
Resident Pharmacist
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
08.2004 - 08.2006
Preregistration Trainee Pharmacist
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
08.2003 - 08.2004
Master of Pharmacy - Pharmacy
De Montfort University
Diploma of Higher Education - Clinical Pharmacy
University of Derby
Certificate of Higher Education - Independent Prescribing for Pharmacists
De Montfort University
Mary Seacole Programme Award - Healthcare Leadership
NHS Leadership Academy