Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

Band 7 Clinical Pharmacist - Bristol

The closing date is 20 May 2025

Job summary

An excellent opportunity for a pharmacist with a passion for improving the lives of those experiencing mental health conditions has arisen at AWP. This role requires a dynamic, enthusiastic pharmacist with good communication skills, to integrate themselves into both the pharmacy team and the clinical teams, with a base in the Bristol area. Whilst previous mental health experience is beneficial, AWP has established training and induction programmes for pharmacists joining us from other sectors. This role would suit a pharmacist looking to move from an acute Trust, ICB or PCN willing to develop their mental health clinical skills.

The role involves working with healthcare professionals including nurses, doctors and AHPs within inpatient and community teams, as well as colleagues in primary care. The role will focus on collaborative working, supporting the Locality Lead Pharmacist to improve the AWP clinical pharmacy service securing better outcomes for our patients.

The post holder will work closely with clinical pharmacists in different localities, lead pharmacy technicians and the senior pharmacy leadership to develop and deliver the Medicines Optimisation agenda.

The role will be based at Callington Road Hospital, Bristol; however, there will be the need to travel to other sites within the AWP geography. Remote clinical cover to other clinical services within AWP will also be required, and discussed on appointment to role.

Main duties of the job

Provision of a clinical pharmacy service to inpatient wards and community teams across the Bristol and South Glos localities.
Provision of specialist pharmaceutical expertise to MDTs and answering of medicines information enquiries.
Attend multidisciplinary rounds, team meetings and ward rounds
Participation in the education and training of all grades of staff within the Trust on issues concerned with medicines.
Provide advice and information about medicines to service users and carers
Participate in audits and projects to review and improve the pharmacy service

The AWP pharmacy service supplies medication and provides clinical support to wards and teams across our core catchment area. We have two dispensaries: one in Calne (Wiltshire) and one at Callington Road Hospital (Bristol). As well as managing the medicines supply chain in the trust, we support the safe and effective use of medicines throughout the organisation through our clinical work, enquiry answering, medicines governance activity and many other roles. The team are friendly, dynamic and evolving, with aspirations to improve patient care across the AWP geography. Support from other experienced mental health pharmacists and technicians is always available.

About us

We operate a weekend and bank holiday pharmacy service from both dispensaries. This is approximately 1 in 18. There is also an on-call pharmacy service out of hours, which the successful candidate will participate in.

We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust) a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.

We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.

Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.

At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

Date posted

07 May 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£46,148 to £52,809 a year per annum (pro rata)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

342-CS042-0425

Job locations

Callington Road Hospital

Marmalade Lane

Brislington, Bristol

BS4 5BJ

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. In conjunction with the Locality Lead Pharmacist(s) provide, monitor and support development of specialist clinical pharmacy services to in-patient and community mental health teams. Provide clinical pharmacist cover to other units when required.

2. Clinically screen prescriptions to ensure the safe, efficient, evidence-based and rational use of medicines in line with the Trust formulary, mental health policies and departmental policies so that risks to patients are minimised. To check prescriptions against T2 and T3 forms to ensure they comply with the Mental Health Act Consent to Treatment. Advise on therapeutic and physical health monitoring as indicated.

3. Undertake sessions within the Callington Road Hospital dispensary when required. Duties include the clinical screening of inpatient and outpatient prescriptions. The technical aspects of all dispensary duties are overseen by the Lead Pharmacy Technician - Operations or their deputy.

4. Under the direction of the Locality Lead Pharmacist(s), manage, review and improve the medicines supply chain for particular specialist areas for example clozapine, long-acting injections, self-medication.

5. Provide specialist pharmaceutical expertise to multidisciplinary teams and answer medicines information enquiries appropriate to the level of the post which will involve literature searches and the production of oral and written responses.

6. With the Locality Lead Pharmacist and local Medicines Optimisation Pharmacy Technician(s) maintain and develop a reliable and efficient medicines supply chain to the teams in the locality. Identify and resolve difficulties through liaison with the relevant dispensary and locality team(s).

7. Provide advice and support to ensure that treatment with physical health medication is safe, cost-effective and in line with the local acute trust formulary.

8. Follow the Trust procedure on Medicines Reconciliation when service users change care settings to ensure a smooth and safe transition, without inadvertent changes in medication.

9. Support discharge planning from inpatient units to provide a smooth and safe transition of care. Proactively screen requests for discharge medication within the locality whenever possible. With involvement from the dispensary, Locality Lead and Medicines Optimisation Pharmacy Technician, develop one-stop dispensing practices if appropriate.

10. Participate in the education and training of all grades of staff within the Trust on issues concerned with medicines.

11. Provide advice and information to service users and carers. Counsel service users to ensure they understand how to take their medicines correctly, advising on choice of medication, likely benefits and potential common side effects.

12. Support self-medication and patients own drugs schemes where they are in use, and assist the Locality Lead Pharmacist in developing them where appropriate

13. Attend multidisciplinary rounds and team meetings.

14. Under the direction of the Locality Lead Pharmacist, review and interpret budgetary information to locality staff to ensure that significant trends and variances are highlighted together with proposals for remedial action.

15. Participate in audits of prescribing and clinical pharmacy practice to ensure that policies and procedures are implemented and promote continuous quality improvement.

16. Participate in the departmental governance procedures around medication errors. Specific roles may include: reviewing local near misses and clinical incidents, investigating and producing management reports for incidents and feeding back recurring themes or issues via the relevant departmental meeting.

17. Work with the Locality Lead Pharmacist(s) to identify and promote service developments to ensure that services meet the needs of the localities.

18. Implement the decisions of the AWP Medicines Optimisation Group including adherence to the Trust formulary.

19. To be involved in the pharmaceutical aspects of clinical trials and the use of other unlicensed drug use where appropriate.

20. Participate in the Trusts monthly supervision and annual appraisal system.

21. Participate in the AWP Pharmacy on-call rota and weekend/Bank holiday working rota.

22. Undertake all statutory and mandatory training as determined by the Trust and take responsibility for keeping this training up-to-date.

23. Observe the principles of clinical governance in general and in particular be able to demonstrate participation in continuing professional development.

24. Participate in the AWP pharmacy team meetings, assisting with project, policy and procedural work where necessary and with appropriate support. Support the development of Trust initiatives which have a pharmacy or medicines aspect, under the direction of a senior pharmacist.

25. Deputise for the Locality Lead Pharmacist at pharmacy or locality meetings as requested for example locality governance or formulary groups.

26. Maintain appropriate systems of record keeping and retention according to the needs of the service particularly the maintenance of pharmacy records (including records of clinical activity) and medicines information enquiries.