Advanced Clinical Pharmacist for Substance Misuse

NHS; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS is seeking an Advanced Clinical Pharmacist specializing in Substance Misuse to lead a high-quality clinical pharmacy service in Plymouth. The role involves direct patient care, collaboration within multidisciplinary teams, and implementing medicines governance to improve service delivery and patient safety. Candidates should possess a Master's degree in Pharmacy and relevant clinical experience.

Benefits

Protected CPD time

Training pathways

Leadership programs

Funding for qualifications

Inclusivity initiatives

Qualifications

• Experience working in substance misuse.
• Independent prescriber or working towards.
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development.

Responsibilities

• Lead clinical pharmacy service for substance misuse.
• Manage a caseload of clients and ensure safety in medicine use.
• Monitor and report on clinical governance and pharmacy audits.

Skills

Analytical skills

Excellent communication

Leadership

Interpersonal skills

Education

Masters Degree in Pharmacy

Registered Practising Member of the General Pharmaceutical Council

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Email and Internet

Job description

Advanced Clinical Pharmacist for Substance Misuse

Are you passionate about making a difference to the lives of people who are living with the complexities of life with substance misuse across the Plymouth area? Do you thrive in a dynamic and innovative working environment? We have an exciting opportunity for a pharmacist to join Livewell Southwest Complex Lives and Pharmacy teams. This will involve working closely with the Plymouth Alliance to help improve the lives of this group of people through coordination of the complex needs system which enables people to be supported flexibly, receiving the right care at the right time in the right place. The post-holder will be the 'medicines expert' helping keep people safe on their medicines through clinical expertise and medicines governance, ensuring safe processes and directly through holding a case-load of clients.

Main duties of the job

The Advanced Clinical Pharmacist for Substance Misuse is an essential post for both LSW and Harbour as part of the Plymouth Alliance. The post-holder will work closely with other senior healthcare professionals within the Organisations to deliver a responsive and pro-active people focused service to substance misuse. They will be responsible for medicines related clinical governance within the Complex Lives Team, working in collaboration with the pharmacy team to achieve this, they will also have their own case-load of clients. As the Advanced Clinical Pharmacist for Substance Misuse and independent prescriber you will have a highly visible role with the organisation. You will be a pharmacist with a passion and commitment in this area who wants to help develop the service whilst ensuring that all medicine related governance is in place, bringing the additional skills of an experience pharmacist to the team. You will support and help develop a diverse team of enthusiatic and talented healthcare professionals, including NMPs within both teams. You will be at the forefront of innovation with an abundance of opportunity.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning socialenterprise delivering integrated health and social care services acrossPlymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts ofDevon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sportscentres, and health hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values,kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, andcollaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, whileempowering staff and those we serve.

We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, inshaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the righttime and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people leadhealthy, independent lives.

We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, trainingpathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the CareCertificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorshipprograms ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.

Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from allsections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mentalhealth, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during theapplication process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Job responsibilities

Clinical/ Professional

To beresponsible for and lead the provision of a high quality, specialised clinicalpharmacy service to ensure the safe, clinically effective and cost-efficientuse of drugs within substance misuse.

To beresponsible for the delivery of the clinical pharmacy services to substancemisuse, including attendance at MDTs, providing expert pharmaceutical adviceand setting standards for junior pharmacists and other team members to emulate.

To bean independent prescriber, or working towards, and be part of the prescribingteam within the substance misuse service managing a caseload of clients

To beresponsible for the provision of professional pharmaceutical advice tohealthcare colleagues, patients/clients and carers as necessary.

Todevelop and monitor pharmacy initiatives such as keeping medicines recordsupdated, communicating with other teams, e.g. community pharmacy, hospitalpharmacy, PCN pharmacy teams, GPs to promote seamless transfer of care andinformation

To beresponsible for the development of pharmaceutical care initiatives e.g.client/patient and carer counselling, assessing concordance and improvedcommunication with primary and secondary healthcare professionals.

Tolead on and develop policy or service changes within Substance Misuse whichimprove services and be responsible for their implementation.

Toprovide training both internally and externally regarding prescribinginterventions and their effective delivery.

Topromote and monitor compliance with the South and West Devon Joint Formularyand to assist in formulary applications and review for medicines to be used inSubstance Misuse.

To beresponsible for monitoring prescribing practice to promote cost-effective andeconomic use of resources and contribute to the establishment andimplementation of prescribing guidelines within substance misuse.

To belead on and be responsible for reporting and review of clinical and otherpharmacy/medicine related audits within substance misuse

To beresponsible for the development of junior pharmacy staff within substancemisuse including rotational pharmacists and trainee pharmacists

Toprovide evidence of Continuing Professional Development on an annual basis atappraisal, in accordance with guidance issued by the General PharmaceuticalCouncil (GPhC).

Analytical and Judgmental skills

Have highly developed skiIls for analysing druginformation in substance misuse in order to provide advice on medicines,illicit drugs, dosages, production issues/ in areas where information islacking and medical or other opinion differs

To request and facilitate, clinical screeningof prescriptions, to ensure prescriptions are safe and appropriate, and toencourage use of take home naloxone and provide Blood Bourne virus informationand Dry Blood spot testing.

Prescribing appropriate medications for a caseload of clients within the substance misuse service as part of the wider MDTand Harbour team and take part in the Duty prescriber rota giving advice andsupport to a range of professionals and health and social care providersincluding GPs and UHP.

Responding to and recording medicinesinformation requests from clients, prescribers and other healthcareprofessionals relating to substance misuse and providing advice on medicinesproactively. In many cases this is a complex task involving highly specialistup to date knowledge, effective search strategies, evaluation of the evidencebase and formulation of an appropriate response.

To be responsible for the investigation andmonitoring of medicines related incidents relating to substance misuse,recommending and implementing change as required to improve patient safety,collating these for discussion at substance misuse and pharmacy team meetingsand at the Medicines Governance Group (MGG).

To work alongside the head of Clinical Servicesand Medical Lead within the Plymouth Alliance partnership to assistdevelopments in: alcohol specific interventions including ambulatorydetoxification services; hospital liaison initiatives; Buvidal pilot;development of the enhanced GP service and other initiatives depending upon theneeds of the system/ service.

ClinicalGovernance

To be responsible for and lead on clinicalgovernance and risk management through interventions which optimise themanagement of medicines in substance misuse, supporting best practicethroughout all areas of responsibility

Toparticipate in and lead multidisciplinary groups in the review and developmentof selected medicines related policies and procedures relating to substancemisuse and present to the MGG.

Tolead on the development and review of documents e.g. Patient Group Directions,Policies, Guidelines and Protocols relating to substance misuse and presentingreviewed documents to the MGG

To support professional leads in identifyingand addressing evidence-based medicine practice consistent with therequirements of clinical governance and of national directives

To work with the Pharmacy Senior ManagementTeam and Substance Misuse team to lead on continuous quality improvementprojects and audit within substance misuse

Managerial

Toprovide leadership on development of the substance misuse service under theguidance of the Clinical Service Lead and Medical Lead. In particular allaspects of changes to prescribing interventions and the assessment of theireffectiveness. To support service delivery changes that support the servicesgoals and priorities.

To provide mentoring, training, supervision and line management of rotationalpharmacists, pharmacy technicians and other pharmacy staff and students asrequired or other more junior members of the substance misuse team, includingappraisals and performance reviews.

Toorganise the trainee pharmacist timetable when they rotate through substancemisuse

Toact as trainee pharmacist Designated supervisor annually as required.

Tomentor/buddy other NMPs within the substance misuse team. To take part in clinical supervisionstructures and line management structures as directed by theClinicalManager and Medical Lead.

ToAct as a Designated prescribing practitioner, Educational supervisor orPractice supervisor as appropriate for members of the team undertaking theirindependent prescribing training.

Freedom to Act

Pharmacists are expected to work largelyunsupervised and to act on their own professional judgement.

Clinical supervision from another healthprofessional can be arranged and is to be encouraged.

Technical roles are defined by standardoperating procedures which should always be followed.

Clinical roles are supported by policies withinwhich the pharmacist is allowed professional discretion / interpretation.

Thisrole includes setting the parameters under which other pharmacy staff willoperate.

Training and Education

To lead on the training and development ofstaff within substance misuse relating to medicines and members of the pharmacyteam as appropriate.

To plan, develop and deliver appropriatetraining and education to healthcare colleagues, carer groups and outsideagencies in order to promote the safe use and clinical application of medicineswithin substance misuse, e.g. community pharmacists.

Tobe responsible for and lead on the induction of new staff within substancemisuse on medicine related policies

To assist and lead, where appropriate, on thetraining provided to pharmacy students, trainee pharmacists and other pharmacystaff

Health, Safety andSecurity

Towork safely in the dispensary, ward and office environments ensuring any risksidentified to health and safety are managed or escalated to line manager

Toensure safety and security of medicines, prescription stationery and patientidentifiable documents according to locally agreed standard operating procedures.

Toinform line manager of any breaches of safety or security or if agreedprocedures are thought to be inadequate to manage the risk.

Communications and Relationships

The ability to communicate highly complex drugor medicine related information to prescribers, clinicians, service users, andtheir relatives: patients who may have language difficulties, physical ormental disabilities and other professionals, who may challenge advice.

Well-developed verbal and written communicationsskills (including telephone and email) are essential to the role.

To liaise with all levels of healthcare staffand professionals working in the multidisciplinary team within mental healthand substance misuse.

To liaise with patients and carers, the acutehospitals, doctors, GPs, community nurses and community pharmacists to ensureappropriate supply of medicines.

To communicate pharmacy / medication issuesclearly and concisely at team meetings and governance groups e.g. MedicinesGovernance Group

Work collaboratively within a multidisciplinaryteam and with pharmacy colleagues.

To work virtually through use of technologywhere required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDSOF THE JOB

There is a need to travel between units in atimely fashion, therefore ability to drive and to use own car is an advantage.

Good keyboard / computer skills are essential.

Limited manual handling of static loads.

Person Specification

Experience

• Experience as a practising pharmacist, including experience of working in substance misuse and as a member of a Multidisciplinary Team
• Experience of networking with other healthcare professionals across the full range of disciplines at all levels
• Experience of review and development of pharmacy / medication related policies, procedures and PGDs
• Experience of audit work
• Experience of delivering education to healthcare staff and patients / carers via workshops, informal discussion or formal lectures
• Experience of preparing documents for clinical governance groups and presenting these to a committee
• Experience of leading on audit and producing reports
• Experience of mentoring, supervision and line management
• Experience of influencing, negotiating and implementing change in practice

Qualifications

• Masters Degree (or equivalent) in Pharmacy
• Registered Practising Member of the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Specialist knowledge acquired by postgraduate diploma or equivalent evidence of specialist knowledge, competence and achievements in practice in substance misuse
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development and revalidation
• Independent prescriber or working towards
• Member of specialist interest groups
• Working towards membership of the RPS Faculty

Knowledge

• Excellent knowledge of clinical pharmacy as it relates to substance misuse
• Knowledge and understanding of antimicrobial stewardship
• Understanding of non-medical prescribing, patient group directions and other alternatives to medical prescribing
• Aware of current healthcare targets, NICE guidance and other national directives and the implications for implementation in primary and secondary care
• Highly specialised knowledge of drug use within substance misuse
• Broad knowledge of the structure, organisation and priorities of the NHS and other healthcare services at a national and local level

Skills

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills including verbal, written and formal presentation skills for a wide variety of audiences
• Computer literate including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Email and Internet
• Excellent critical appraisal and analytical skills, with a sound understanding of evidence based medicine
• Can work with and influence managers, nursing and medical staff
• Leadership and team working skills
• Ability to act as an excellent role model and mentor
• Self-motivated and able to motivate others with enthusiasm
• Able to reflect on and appraise own performance and that of others
• Ability to plan and prioritise own work and that of others with good organisational and time- management skills
• Able to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Ability to travel across the LSW area
• Ability to influence and negotiate with a range of stakeholders to implement change in practice
• Able to resolve conflict and disagreement
• Ability to manage change
• Access to own transport

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Full-time,Part-time,Job share,Flexible working