Job responsibilities
Post Title: Consultant Pharmacist, Mental Health
Department: Pharmacy
Responsible to: Chief Pharmacist
Accountable to: Chief Pharmacist
Key Relationships: Clinical Directors, Quality Improvement Lead, Lead Pharmacists, Director of Research and Development, Director of Medical Education, Modern Matrons, MDTs, service users and carers
Grade: Band 8C
Job Summary:
The post holder will provide a high quality, expert clinical pharmacy service to the West London Forensic wards and other clinical service lines.
They will progress understanding of the pharmaceutical management of conditions particular to these groups within the multidisciplinary team in collaboration with service users.
The post holder will advise, train and support other pharmacists working in other clinical service lines on the pharmaceutical care of these patient groups.
They will also liaise, train and develop links and share learning with other Trusts, ICS and national bodies.
The Consultant Pharmacist post is made up of five domains, each comprised of a set of capabilities, learning outcomes and descriptors:
1. Professional Practice: Leads the delivery of complex pharmaceutical care across boundaries; manages uncertainty; influences and shapes policy
2. Communication and Collaborative Working: Communicates complex information in challenging environments; promotes a collaborative approach with wider pharmacy and MDT
3. Leadership and Management: Leads service innovation across boundaries; contributes to governance agenda at a senior level
4. Education: Manages education provision across boundaries; develops the multidisciplinary workforce
5. Research: Evaluates the evidence base; undertakes and evaluates research to inform service innovation.
Key Result Areas & Performance:
Expert practice:
The post holder will have a 50% time commitment to clinical practice:
Actively participate in multidisciplinary teams and with service users advising on medicines management and prescribing.
Collaborate with prescribers on the development of pharmaceutical care plans for individual service users.
Liaise with practitioners in similar new services and units nationally to encourage shared learning and timely introduction of best practice.
Work closely with pharmacy teams to advise and support on appropriate service delivery.
Audit clinical pharmacy service provision in line with professional standards and lead on service review and development.
Research, evaluation and service development:
Research current best practice and evidence base for pharmacological management of mental health problems.
Develop a pharmacy service in response to the evaluated need.
Work with the Director, Research and Development on the identification and development of research into areas where evidence is weak or absent.
Develop medicine optimisation guidance in conjunction with the Medicines Optimisation Group, and audit compliance with best practice recommendations.
Register as a stakeholder on any relevant national initiatives eg NIMHE, Dept of Health, NICE and NPSA.
Oversee and offer guidance to the lead Pharmacist on audits in medicine optimisation and agree on programme of annual pharmacy audits with the Clinical Audit Department.
Advise the service on pharmacy needs in the context of transformation plans and service development.
Professional leadership, building relationships and consultancy:
Provide professional expertise for pharmacists including guidance on pharmaceutical management of patients on their wards / clinics.
Collaborate with consultant psychiatrist colleagues to both understand and influence clinical management systems.
Be an accessible resource for other pharmacists and teams.
Contribute to the Trustwide modernisation agenda, Quality Improvement and service developments.
Collaborate with pharmacists in other Trusts, primary and PCN to ensure good medicines optimisation across the interfaces.
Attend ICS Medicine Optimisation Group providing specialist Mental Health information and clinical expertise on formulary applications.
Assume a lead role within the service on the roll out of EPMA.
Attend Service User or Carer Forums where appropriate.
Education, mentoring and training:
Work with Education and Training Lead Pharmacist and manage education provision internally and across boundaries.
Regularly present findings locally and actively contribute to national conferences eg the UK Psychiatric Pharmacy Group.
Work closely with undergraduate and postgraduate training institutions influencing appropriate syllabus development.
Provide clinical supervision for trainee pharmacists.
Continuing Professional Development:
It is the post holders responsibility to comply with RPSGB requirements for CPD, and to ensure timely payment of annual registration fees.
Mandatory Training:
It is the post holders responsibility to ensure that they are up-to-date with Trust mandatory training requirements including Breakaways Training.
Trust Requirements:
The post holder must familiarise themselves with, and work at all times with respect to all trust policies and procedures. Attention is particularly drawn to the requirements in terms of smoking, Health and Safety, Diversity, financial management and business conduct.
Annual Leave and working hours: as per years of service under Agenda for Change
This job description is intended as a general guide to the duties of the post and is not inflexible. There may be changes from time to time, which will be discussed fully with the post holder.
Established: May 2003; Reviewed May 2021.
