Advanced Specialist Pharmacist
Job Overview
Are you an experienced mental health pharmacist looking to develop your clinical leadership and help shape patient-centred pharmacy services? Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) is offering a one-year secondment for an Advanced Specialist Pharmacist at Band 8a
Based in the Boroughs of Brent and Harrow primarily Community Mental Health Services, you will deliver advanced medicines optimisation across inpatient, community and integrated care settings. Travel to other CNWL mental health services and community teams, including sites in Brent and Harrow, may be required.
Main duties of the job
Deliver an advanced clinical pharmacy service to people receiving care across CNWL mental health services, supporting medicines optimisation throughout their care pathway.
- Provide specialist advice to multidisciplinary teams, patients, carers and primary care colleagues on complex medicines-related issues.
- Review prescriptions, monitor treatment effectiveness and adverse effects, and support safe medicines supply and discharge planning.
- Lead the supervision and development of Band 6 and Band 7 pharmacists, undertaking agreed line management responsibilities and acting as a clinical role model.
- Prepare and deliver medicines management training for pharmacy colleagues, students and other clinical staff.
- Contribute to medicines policies, clinical guidelines, audit, quality improvement and pharmacy service modernisation.
Working for our organisation
At CNWL, you will work alongside pharmacy colleagues and multidisciplinary mental health teams, building relationships with community services, GPs, primary care network pharmacists, patients and carers. The role offers scope to contribute across inpatient and community care, bringing specialist pharmacy expertise to joined-up services.
The Trust is committed to staff involvement, openness and inclusion, encouraging colleagues to contribute to organisational and service development.
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
You will provide expert clinical pharmacy input at ward level and within community mental health teams, supporting rehabilitation, inpatient, outpatient, home treatment and early intervention services as required. You will review prescriptions for accuracy, legality and appropriateness; identify interactions and other medicines-related risks; advise on clinical monitoring; and assess treatment outcomes and adverse effects.
You will support patients and carers to understand medicines and address practical barriers to their effective use. Your responsibilities will include medicines supply, discharge planning, specialist medicines information and advice on unlicensed medicines or areas where evidence is limited.
Person specification
Education And Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Masters Degree in Pharmacy (or equivalent qualification) + pre-registration training
- Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
Desirable criteria
- Accredited Membership of RPS Faculty / Credentialed Membership of College of Mental Health Pharmacy
- Non-medical prescriber or working towards
- Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Previous Experience
Essential criteria
- Extensive post registration training relevant to hospital pharmacy including experience providing Clinical Mental Health Pharmacy Services
- Handling complex medicines information queries/undertaking clinical reviews and providing tailored medication advice/ treatment plans for individual patients
- Demonstrate the ability to appropriately recommend, substantiate and communicate medicine related therapeutic options to patients with mental health illnesses, carers and clinical staff
Desirable criteria
- Previous experience in providing clinical mental health services.
- Previous experience in general pharmaceutical care and older adults
Skills, Knowledge, Abilities
Essential criteria
- Good oral and written communication and presentation skills to convey complex and potentially sensitive information and provide training to multidisciplinary team
- Demonstrates ability to meet set targets
- Meets expected levels of practice as defined by others
- Experience in writing procedures, clinical guidelines and policy/protocols.
Desirable criteria
- Advanced clinical knowledge and skills assessed through competency framework
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
Essential criteria
- Good time management and organisational skills
- Experience of deputising for senior staff while recognising limitations of experience and ability
