Principal Pharmacist- Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, Band 8b

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see full Details in the Job Description Attached

1. Leadership Responsibilities

1.1. The Professional lead for the GHC MH&LD pharmacy service.

1.2. Work with senior colleagues within GHC to deliver the medicines optimisation agenda within the Trust.

1.3. With the Pharmacy Director GHFT and Chief Pharmacist GHC, respond to and reconcile national priorities and develop local responses including through policies and guidelines

1.4. Responsible for leading, managing and delivery of the pharmacy SLA to GHC giving advice on clinical, ethical and practice-based issues, escalating as necessary to the Pharmacy Director.

1.5. Demonstrate professional accountability to the GHC MH&LD service users, stakeholders, and the profession

1.6. Implement and monitor national initiatives such as medicines aspects of NICE guidance.

1.7. Ensure that unlicensed medicines (specials) are requested, purchased and supplied according to policy, which you review and update.

1.8. Identify and promote best practice. Motivate and inspire others.

2. Clinical Responsibilities

2.1. Oversee the clinical Pharmacy services delivered to GHC MH&LD services

2.2. Accountable for ensuring that clinical pharmacy standards are established, monitored and adhered to.

2.3. Identify new prescribing that may result in an impact on the budget and manage this appropriately.

2.4. With the nominated microbiologist and others, work to improve antibiotic stewardship across GHC MH&LD.

2.5. A clinical commitment to a Mental Health Ward, providing all aspects of a clinical pharmacy service. Weekly attendance at MDT meetings and ward rounds with patients, as well as regular communication with the consultant team.

2.6. A clinical commitment to a Community Mental Health Team, providing all aspects of a clinical pharmacy service in line with national plans and local standards.

2.7. Maintain national networks with mental health bodies to enable forward thinking and modern service development.

3. Clinical Governance

3.1. Ensure that medicines optimisation and clinical pharmacy practice meet best practice and evidence-based standards, as agreed with the Pharmacy Director GHFT and Chief Pharmacist GHC

3.2. Ensure Mental Health Pharmacy Team performance and quality indicators are regularly monitored, and reported. Action plans are prepared, implemented and monitored to drive performance. This includes preparation of reports on agreed KPIs as per SLA.

3.3. Active Member of key GHC committees/groups, ensuring expert pharmaceutical input. The groups include drug and therapeutics committee, medicines optimisation group, medicines safety group, physical health group

3.4. Active Member of the Countywide One Gloucestershire Medicines Optimisation Group (OGMOG) representing the pharmacy needs of patients under the GHC MH&LD services.

3.5. Responsible, with the chair of the DTC, for ensuring there is an effective framework in place for the managed entry of new mental health medicines and use of unlicensed medicines within GHC.

3.6. Support the development of Formulary & Prescribing Guidelines, and pharmacy homecare services.

3.7. Ensure there are appropriate procedures for dispensing and supply of medicines, with staff trained and competent to perform those tasks.

3.8. Ensure there are appropriate procedures for ward-based activities, with staff trained and competent to perform those tasks

3.9. Ensure that errors, complaints, and incidents involving medicines are managed within the GHC policy.

3.10. Ensure agreed audit programme is completed, which monitors safe and secure handling of medicines, allergy, covert medication and missed doses.

3.11. Support the GHC medicines safety officer (MSO) where required.

3.12. Support the GHC Controlled Drug Accountable Officer (CD-AO):

3.13. Responsible to the Controlled Drug Accountable Officer (CD-AO) for the management and use of controlled drugs across the MH&LD Services, through quarterly reports.

3.14. Establish mechanisms for alerting the CD-AO of further investigation of causes of concern relating to controlled drugs, and providing professional guidance as required.

3.15. Encourage good practice and development in management of controlled drugs.

4. Policy

4.1. Liaise with the GHC Chief Pharmacist in the development and review of the GHC Medicines Policy and Procedures applicable to all MH&LD sites.

4.2. Liaise with the GHC Chief Pharmacist in ensuring that systems, policy and quality assurance processes are in place in order to address all aspects of the safe and secure handling of medicines across GHC MH&LD.

4.3. Liaise with the GHC Chief Pharmacist in ensuring that systems, policy and procedures are in place in order to address the clinical and cost-effective use of medicines across the organisation.

4.4. Ensure that related policies are communicated to local trusts as appropriate, this may involve joint working on specific policies and projects.

4.5. Keep abreast of national NHS plans and strategies and work towards delivering those within the service.

Further details in JD

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• MPharm degree or equivalent and Registered as a pharmacist with the GPHC
• Management Training

Desirable

• Leadership Training
• Post Graduate Qualification in clinical/MH Pharmacy
• Independent Prescriber

Experience

Essential

• Experience working in a management / leadership role within hospital pharmacy
• Business planning and financial management
• Management of risk with respect to the clinical use of drugs
• Record of achieving results against set targets
• Human resource management
• Quality improvement and audit
• Implementing patient safety initiatives
• Experience of policy and procedure writing

Desirable

• Working at a clinical level in mental health services
• Working with mental health organisations
• Experience of budgetary management

Knowledge

Essential

• Current knowledge of mental health prescribing issues in primary & secondary care
• Knowledge of NHS commissioning processes
• Knowledge of clinical audit and quality improvement
• Knowledge applicable to management
• Knowledge of legislation relating to medicines management

Desirable

• Critical appraisal of published research

Qualities

Essential

• Effective communication
• Self motivated, self confident and proactive
• Inspiring and innovative
• Team player

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Gloucestershire Royal Hospital

Great Western Road

Gloucester

GL1 3NN

Employer's website

https://www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)