Advanced Specialist Pharmacist, Community Mental Health Services

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Harrow

On-site

GBP 45,000 - 60,000

Full time

42 hours ago

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Job summary

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust in Harrow is seeking a pharmacist to lead clinical pharmacy services for the Older Adult Mental Health Team. You will provide autonomous input into prescribing decisions for older adults in mental health crisis and work with the digital health team to model electronic recording of medicines.

You will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to deliver high quality clinical pharmacy input, support medication pathways, and promote safe,

Qualifications

Masters Degree in Pharmacy (or equivalent)
Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
Registration with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Postgraduate Certificate in Psychiatric Therapeutics
Postgraduate Diploma in clinical pharmacy practice
Portfolio demonstrating specialist knowledge acquired through training and experience

Responsibilities

Lead clinical pharmacy service delivery to older adult community mental health services
Provide input into prescribing decisions for older adults in mental health crisis
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure seamless pharmaceutical care
Liaise with GPs on prescribing/ de-prescribing as appropriate
Contribute to medication pathways development and safe medication practices
Support safe use of medicines and report medicines-related incidents
Offer medicines information to clinical staff and contribute to information bulletins

Skills

Clinical leadership

Clinical pharmacy input

Medicines safety

GP liaison

Cost-effective medicines use

Education

Masters in Pharmacy

GPhC registration

RPS registration

PgCert Psychiatric Therapeutics

PgDip Clinical Pharmacy

Portfolio demonstrating specialist knowledge

Job description

Job Overview

An opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated pharmacist with good leadership skills to join the Harrow Older Adults Mental Health Team.

The role will require you to have knowledge with mental health medicines and provide autonomous input into prescribing decisions affecting older adults in mental health crisis.

The OAHTT has intention to revise its EPS system in order to allow electronic recording of medication administered by nursing staff to service users, and the successful candidate will have a role in working with the digital health team to identify an appropriate model for this.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will have a leading role in delivering and supporting the provision of clinical pharmacy services to the older adult community mental health services.

This will involve working with the multidisciplinary teams within the community service to provide high quality, professional and specialist input into the delivery of clinical pharmacy services.

To liaise directly with GPs on specific prescribing/de‑prescribing as appropriate.

To work closely with relevant other community mental health teams and inpatient specialist clinical pharmacists to ensure that seamless pharmaceutical care is provided throughout each patient's journey through the various Trust services.

Working for our organisation

This post offers an excellent opportunity for a candidate with a keen interest in mental health to work in a highly skilled team that is well integrated with local health and social care services.

You will be encouraged and supported in developing your skills to support the development of medication pathways within the older adult mental health team.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Main Responsibilities:

Clinical Practice and Operational

Ensure safe and appropriate use of medicines in order to maximise benefit and minimise risk to patients. This includes regular review of prescriptions, identification of significant drug interactions, advice for clinical monitoring, compliance with legal aspects (Medicines Act, Mental Health Act) of medicine supply and compliance with the Trust formulary.
Be responsible for providing clinical pharmacy input to the older adult home treatment team, and to the multidisciplinary team caring for outpatients across the community
Monitors and ensures best practice and cost-effective use of medicines, keeping up to date as best practice changes.
Be responsible for providing a clinical pharmacy service to groups of patients with mental illness in the community

Review prescriptions for accuracy and legality and identify actual or potential problems.
Review medicines and provide medicines optimisation and rationalisation to reduce risks, promote safe prescribing.
Promote parity of esteem by undertaking clinical medication reviews for patients with complex issues, comorbidities, polypharmacy and ensure appropriate monitoring or tests are requested.
Ensure effective outcomes of treatment with medicines

Manage and make appropriate referrals to other members of the multidisciplinary team and within the pharmacy department.
Work with the Lead Pharmacist and service leads to review patient safety incidents relating to medicines and put systems in place to reduce the likelihood of recurrence.
Works with the Lead Pharmacist on the implementation of national standards.
Provide advice to clinicians on unlicensed medicines use and areas of practice where the evidence base is lacking and medical opinion may differ.
Reduce risk associated with medicines use by contributing to the safe medication practice agenda. This will include identification and reporting of medicines related incidents, advising healthcare and associated staff on any unsafe practice. Support identification and reporting of medicines related incidents through CNWL or borough / PCN/ ICB. To be involved in sharing and learning from medication safety incidents.
Be able to critically appraise the literature and give accurate interpretation in order to improve use of medicines.
To demonstrate expert clinical knowledge in the speciality of mental health pharmacy and to motivate and inspire others.
The post holder will continually update their skills and knowledge as part of continuing professional development.
To ensure that the Clinical Services Lead and Chief Pharmacists are made aware of circumstances that may mitigate against safe standards of practice in the use of medication and advice on remedial action
To provide medicines information directly to clinical staff, both in response to specific information requests and through contributions to regular information bulletins.
To ensure that clinical activities are of the high standard expected of a specialist psychiatric pharmacist, in accordance with departmental and national standards

Person specification

Education And Qualifications

Essential criteria

Masters Degree in Pharmacy (or equivalent qualification)
Member of the General Pharmaceutical Council
Registration with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Postgraduate Certificate in Psychiatric Therapeutics
Postgraduate diploma in clinical pharmacy practice
Portfolio demonstrating specialist knowledge acquired through training and experience

Desirable criteria

Accredited Membership of RPS Faculty/Credentialed membership of College of Mental Health Pharmacy
Appropriate management courses
Non-medical prescribing
Accredited membership of RPS faculty

Experience

Essential criteria

Extensive post registration training and experience as a hospital pharmacist.
Demonstrate the ability to appropriately recommend, substantiate and communicate medicine related therapeutic options to patients with mental health issues, carers and clinical staff
Training and education of staff
Experience working within clinical governance frameworks and policy development
Staff management experience (e.g. recruitment, appraisal, training, leadership, motivation, sickness, absence, & clinical supervision).
Record of achieving results against set targets
To have undertaken clinical audit
Experience of managing change

Desirable criteria