Job responsibilities
Clinical Practice
*Provide clinical pharmacy input at ward level
*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.
*To undertake medicines reconciliation and to support Medicines Management (MM) technicians in medicines reconciliation
*To provide ad hoc support to the multidisciplinary team caring for outpatients (e.g., as part of the Community Mental Health Teams).
*Review prescriptions for accuracy and legality and identify actual or potential problems and propose solutions.
*Ensure the effective supply of medicines suitable for use as an inpatient and appropriately labelled for discharge if applicable.
*Monitor patients for potential and actual adverse effects of their medicines.
*Take steps to ensure patients understand the purpose of their medicines and deal with any practical issues that may prevent the optimal use of their medicines.
*Support the planning of patient discharge with respect to medication.
*Demonstrate professional accountability to patients.
*Actively promote self-medication on the rehabilitation wards.
*Provide advice to clinicians on unlicensed medicines use and areas of practice where the evidence base is lacking.
*Work as part of a fully integrated multidisciplinary team.
*Be able to critically appraise the literature and give accurate interpretation in order to improve use of medicines.
*Reduce risk associated with medicines use by contributing to the safe medication practice agenda. This will include identification and reporting of medicines related errors.
*Develop and demonstrate expert clinical knowledge in appropriate areas.
*Act as a clinical role model and demonstrate the ability to provide safe, clinically effective and cost-efficient use of medicines.
*Provide advice to health care professionals or patients who have been so far unable to access either information/advice, or require help where information is conflicting or difficult to interpret in the management of either individual patients, or groups of patients.
*Ensure advice provided is accurate, evaluated, impartial and up to date to ensure the safe, clinically effective and cost-efficient use of medicines.
*Assess medicine regimes both during enquiry answering and/or routine ward visits providing highly specific advice to other clinical team members on the management of often complex medicine related issues, such as complex drug interactions, medicine use in pregnancy, unlicensed use of medicines etc.
*To provide dispensary cover.
*The post holder will continually update their skills and knowledge as part of Continuing Professional Development.
*To contribute to clinical audits.
*To undertake duties as a non-medical, independent prescriber within competencies and as agreed within the division.
Communication:
*Identify and respond to the specialist pharmaceutical information needs of patients, carers, doctors, nurses, and other members of the healthcare team. Information will be required to be presented on an individual case basis or as part of structured medication education groups.
*Ensure information is provided in a timely manner, to the appropriate individual (in accordance with the degree of urgency of the request or issue identified).
*Be able to present information in a suitable format (e.g., written and/or verbal) and style for the target audience.
*Assist Principal Pharmacist in communicating relevant SHFT Trust decisions and policy relating to medicines to local clinical areas.
Training:
*To assist the Principal Pharmacist training lead in the preparation and delivery of training for clinical staff (e.g., nurses, junior doctors) working within the Trust.
*To participate in ward-based training of undergraduate students.
*To provide education and training to pharmacy staff.
*To be responsible for own continuing professional development CPD, (and portfolio) in order to continue to update clinical knowledge and skills.
*To participate and contribute to the SHFT Pharmacy Continuing Professional Development/Continuing Education Programme.
Policy and/or Service Development:
*To review and propose changes to Trust medicines- related policies and decisions.
*To contribute to the writing of Trust wide medicines-related clinical guidelines, procedures, PGDs etc as delegated by the Principal Pharmacist.
*To support local implementation of Trust Medicines Policies within your own clinical area.
*To support the implementation of policies and procedures to support the delivery of appropriate medicines supply service.
*To provide information and advice on medicines management aspects of clinical governance in line with the Medicines Management Committee.
*To be responsible for ensuring medicines are handled safely and securely within designated clinical areas.
*To assist in the delivery of the modernisation agenda for pharmacy services under the direction of the Principal Pharmacist.
*To identify and undertake project work in order to make improvements within your own clinical area.
Management of Resources:
*To be responsible for planning and organising own workload.
*To support the principal pharmacist in managing medicines storage and security.
*To be responsible for medicines supply (e.g., stock lists) ensuring appropriate quantities are stored in accordance with the changing clinical needs of each clinical environment to minimise waste and reduce risk.
Research and Development and quality improvement:
*To participate in quality improvement initiatives.
*To participate in the SHFT Trust wide medicines clinical audit programme.
*Promote and facilitate pharmacy practice related research within pharmacy services.
*To support the Principal pharmacist for research and development as needed.
Non-medical prescribing
*To work as an independent non-medical prescriber within areas of work as required, taking responsibility for the clinical assessment of the patient, establishing a diagnosis and the clinical management required, as well as responsibility for prescribing where necessary and the appropriateness of any prescription issued.
*Independent prescribers will be responsible for prescribing a range of drugs within their competence in accordance with Trust protocols and British National Formulary.
*To write prescriptions in accordance with Trust policy, taking full responsibility for the patient as well as for the medicines prescribed
*Ensure the appropriate records are made in the patient's case notes which identify you as the independent prescriber.
*To ensure that contemporaneous records which are unambiguous and legible are maintained and kept in accordance with Trust policy and professional codes of Conduct
*To ensure that the GP is notified when a patient is seen as an outpatient, following discharge from hospital or in the event that the prescription is changed.
*To take responsibility for ensuring that the non-medical prescribing is recorded on the Trust Patient Administration system (RIO) for outpatients.
*To communicate fully with those patients who are unable to communicate or give consent ensuring that the benefits of non-medical prescribing are documented fully, and to provide reassurance to both the patient and the carer that you are fulfilling the role of the doctor.
*Where it is recognised that a patient's needs are outside your clinical and professional experience, to take responsibility make referrals to a specialist doctor, the multidisciplinary team or other agency.
*Assist with the development of policies and inform development of non-medical prescribing across the Trust.
*Take the lead on policy, procedural development and patient information relating to non-medical prescribing in designated areas of practice.
*In accordance with Trust policy, submit monthly records of drugs prescribed to the Trust's Education and Training department non-medical prescribing lead.
*To undertake auditing and monitoring of prescribing in your own designated areas of practice.
*To be responsible for ensuring the security and safe handling of inpatient, out-patient and FP10 prescription forms and to report any loss or theft accordingly.
*In the event of adverse drug reaction, to be accountable for ensuring that the
*GP/Consultant is advised accordingly and that the incident reporting process is followed
*To participate in patient satisfaction survey design and obtain feedback on patient views of non-medical prescribing
*Act as a mentor and guide for supplementary non-medical prescribers and to provide clinical supervision, ensuring that any shortfalls form part of the CPD
*To access regular clinical supervision from a doctor in the team
*To be accountable for ensuring that training, CPD and clinical supervision sustains independent prescribing status
Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.
We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.
