Senior Pharmacist (Medicines Optimisation and Community Mental Health)

Job responsibilities

1. Taking a lead role in medicines optimisation systems of the Trust.

2. To lead on pharmacy practice in identified community mental health teams within the Trust

3. Improvement in quality of reports. Sharing learning and supporting embedding of best practice within teams.

4. Supporting the Chief Pharmacist in ensuring that effective medicines optimisation systems operate throughout the Trust, including implementation of any MHRA or other medicines alerts.

5. Co-ordinate the agreed actions following the Trust Medicines Optimisation Committee meetings.

6. Contribute to the governance functions of the pharmacy service by critically appraising emerging clinical evidence, coordinating clinical audits, developing and reviewing clinical guidelines and evaluating new medicines.

7. The use of medicines in accordance with best practice, e.g. PoMH results.

8. Provide good and comprehensive specialist clinical pharmacy services to designated teams in order to ensure pharmacological treatment is in line with national standards and to achieve best outcomes with medicines.

9. Support the delivery of specialist clinical pharmacy services to other areas of the Trust.

10, Advise medical, nursing and other staff on pharmaceutical or therapeutic problems and promote the rational prescribing and use of medicines.

11. Participate in and support the development of departmental clinical medicines information systems and answer queries resulting from medicines use within the Trust.

12. In conjunction with other senior pharmacists, deputise for the Chief Pharmacist or deputy, as appropriate.

13. Develop and maintain personal expertise in the use of medicines, to enable practise as a specialist pharmacist.

14. Work towards or continue membership of the College of Mental Health Pharmacy.

15. Review and advise on the management of service users receiving complex pharmacological treatments or not responding to existing treatments.

16. Monitor and advise on the pharmacological management of patients who fall outside of or are not covered by national guidance or guidelines.

17. Produce and review policies, guidelines and SOPs associated with the use of medicines within the Trust.

18. Participate in governance meetings within the pharmacy meetings and designated community teams.

19. Responsibility for encouraging cost-effective prescribing of medicines.

20. Responsibility for monitoring medicines expenditure within area of responsibility.

21. Support the trust with ensuring the secondary to primary care transfers with regards medication, ensure safe medication optimisation

22. Support the trust on Training trust wide on improving medication use and handling

23. Promoting and implementing local prescribing guidelines and monitoring adherence to the guidelines.

24. There will be a requirement to undertake on call support out of hours, weekends, bank holidays, plus be part of the early morning and late-night rotas.

Training and qualifications

Essential

• Master's degree in Pharmacy (MPharm) or equivalent pharmacy degree
• Non-medical prescriber or working towards attainment of the qualification.
• Hold a relevant post-registration qualification such as Diploma in Mental Health Pharmacy, or Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy.
• Hold current registration as a Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council

Desirable

• Membership of the College of Mental Health Pharmacy, or equivalent.
• Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)

Knowledge and skills

Essential

• Have a high level of clinical pharmacy skills and knowledge and to be able to apply this to work in mental health
• Knowledge and understanding of the principles of evidence-based healthcare
• Ability to work on own initiative
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Ability to supervise and mentor staff
• Ability to develop and deliver training
• Competent interpersonal skills and able to achieve outcome through team working
• Effective verbal and written communication skills

Desirable

• Knowledge of relevant clinical guidelines and their application to best practice
• Knowledge of recent developments in mental health practice or equivalent specialities, including learning disability and substance misuse
• Experience and understanding of pharmacist aspects of clinical trials including Good Clinical Practice.
• Demonstrated ability to work with other professional team members in secondary care
• Experience and skills of multidisciplinary audit
• Knowledge of root cause analysis

Experience

Essential

• Significant post-registration experience in evidence-based clinical pharmacy practice; demonstration of independent specialist management of medicines
• Evidence of working as part of a clinical team
• Evidence of developing own role and managing new initiatives
• Previous secondary care (hospital) pharmacy practice
• Evidence of a broad base of pharmacy experience in the healthcare environment

Desirable

• Experience of clinical pharmacy practice in mental health
• Experience of developing and embedding medicines optimisation in routine clinical practice
• Evidence of the application of clinical guidelines to practice
• Experience of managing and investigating medicines safety alerts and incidents

Other

Essential

• Be conscientious and methodical in their approach to work
• Be flexible, adaptable and responsive regarding changes in practice
• Be able to travel to all areas of the Trust in a timely and effective manner
• Effective time management skills
• Able to work on-call, Bank Holidays, weekends and early plus evening rotas

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

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