Gloucestershire Airport - Specialist Mental Health Pharmacist - Band 7 with progression to 8A
Join us at an exciting time for Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust! We have an ambitious plan for our journey to Outstanding and are looking for aspirational, committed individuals to join us, making a real difference to both staff and patients.
As a former winner of England for excellence award: Tourism destination of the year, the beautiful city of Gloucester and the scenic regency spa town of Cheltenham are fantastic places to work and live.
As a hospital Trust we are currently involved in over 100 clinical trials and studies, whilst also providing acute elective and specialist services to a population of over 620,000.
By joining Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust new colleagues can look forward to a warm welcome and a future full of opportunities and support.
Job overview
Specialist Mental Health Pharmacist - Band 7 with progression to 8A
A progressive department offering a progression opportunity for a talented clinical mental health pharmacist to develop themselves through a structured development pathway within a forward thinking and supportive team.
If you are an enthusiastic and motivated clinical pharmacist, we will work with you to support you to develop a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate achievement of competencies in order to provide you with progression and development.
You will be a team worker but have the ability to act independently, and have a strong clinical knowledge and drive for quality improvement.
The pharmacy department at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital provides the clinical pharmacy and dispensing services to Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (GHC) under a service level agreement. This post is part of the commitment to increase specialist mental health pharmacists working in community mental health teams.
This post will require travel to wards and units across Gloucestershire.
Additional contact: If you would like to arrange a visit or a chat please phone 0300 422 6289 and speak to any of the team.
Main duties of the job
The expectation of this role is that the post holder will develop their knowledge and skills whilst in post to the level of practice of a band 8A.
To deliver and further develop clinical pharmacy services to community mental health teams within Gloucestershire, and support the lead pharmacist for community mental health teams.
With support from the Lead Pharmacist for Community Mental Health Teams, to be the lead clinical pharmacist for clozapine services within the pharmacy team and to lead the operational delivery of pharmacy clozapine services.
To be a clinical specialist in mental health pharmacy, and act as an independent prescriber where appropriate.
To have a commitment to covering an Mental Health inpatient ward
To deliver a comprehensive clinical pharmacy and medicines management service to patients under the care of Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (GHC) and to the multidisciplinary team (MDT) responsible for their care.
To support the education, training and development needs of pharmacy professionals and other multidisciplinary staff Trust wide.
To support patients and their families by providing advice about the actions and use of medication.
To contribute to good physical health wellbeing of patients
Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30 (plus weekend working as per rota)
Working for our organisation
The GHNHSFT pharmacy department provides the pharmacy services to the local mental health trust (GHC) under a service level agreement. This post is based within the specialist mental health pharmacy team (approx 20 staff) which is part of the wider pharmacy department.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Within the Pharmacy department at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHSFT, we are committed to supporting the South West Inclusive Pharmacy Practice manifesto (https://pwds.nhs.uk/associates/sw-ipp/ ), creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected.We recognise that a diverse team enhances our ability to provide patients with the best possible care and innovative solutions.
We welcome applications from all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or socioeconomic background. We are dedicated to ensuring equal opportunities in all aspects of employment, from recruitment to career development.We like members of our team to feel empowered to carry out their duties to the best of their abilities and we actively promote a culture of inclusivity and mutual respect.
If you require any adjustments or support during the application process or in the workplace, please let us know. We are here to ensure that all candidates and employees can contribute fully and thrive in their roles.
Join us in making a difference—together, we can build a workplace that celebrates diverse perspectives and experiences.
Full details are in the attached JD
Clozapine Services
Be the named pharmacist for clozapine services for the trust.
Contribute to operational and clinical aspects of service delivery relating to the provision of clozapine within the Trust.
Responsible for ensuring robust governance processes are adhered to surrounding the dispensing and supply of clozapine.
To support the pharmacy technician team delivering POCHi clinics across the Trust.
Support appropriate training of the pharmacy staff delivering clozapine clinic services.
Support the development of POCHi clinics across the county as required.
Support audits relating to clozapine services.
To support the delivery of education and training to pharmacy and other mental healthcare staff about clozapine.
Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs)
Work with the Lead Pharmacist for CMHTs to review clinical policies and procedures relating to the CMHT work carried out by all clinical pharmacists.
Work with the Lead Pharmacist for CMHTs to develop the clinical pharmacy strategy to expand clinical pharmacy services to community teams.
Work with other senior clinical pharmacists within the Clinical Pharmacy Group to ensure a smooth, efficient and co-ordinated overall service delivery.
To contribute to multidisciplinary improvement projects and research involving the pharmacy service within CMHTs.
Clinical Pharmacy Services to Inpatients Wards and CMHTs
Be responsible and accountable for providing a clinical pharmacy service to inpatient wards and community team bases as allocated:
Visit the designated wards and team bases at the agreed intervals.
Routinely attend and contribute to multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings
Proactively review, rationalise and optimise patients’ medications.
Review all prescriptions regularly, ensuring adherence to legislation, national and local guidelines and formularies.
Advise on individual drug treatments, including possible adverse effects and interactions.
Undertake medicines reconciliation assurance in conjunction with the medicines management technicians.
Respond to and report medication errors.
Work to improve patients’ concordance with medication.
Provide information to staff, patients and their representatives, including individual counselling on newly prescribed medicines and discharge counselling.
Produce comprehensive patient medication histories as needed
Maintain appropriate clinical documentation and records.
Advise consultants and other healthcare professionals on clinical pharmacy issues, answer queries and solve complex problems.
Work across traditional boundaries as part of a fully integrated MDT.
Provide advice to clinicians on unlicensed medicines use and areas of practice where the evidence base is lacking and medical opinion may differ.
Responsibility for stock control and security of medicines on wards and outside units, ensuring compliance with medicine legislation.
Responsibility for checking controlled drug stocks on wards and outside units.
To provide expert, specialist medication advice to healthcare professionals in allocated wards and teams.
Non-Medical Prescribing (NMP)
To have a qualification in NMP or to undertake qualification whilst in post.
To prescribe medicines as an NMP in line with current legislation, local policies and within own level of expertise and competence.
Education and Training
Contribute to the education and training of members of the pharmacy team and MDT.
Support the education and training junior doctors, including at induction.
Undertake the role of foundation pharmacist tutor as required.
Develop and deliver education and training in line with local and national objectives and contribute to pharmacy modernisation initiatives being undertaken within the department.
Support the education of patients and carers about psychotropic medicines, as needed.
Identify own development needs, aligning these to service requirements and personal aspirations. Proactively develop and improve own practice.
Undertake all mandatory training.
Communication and working relationships
To identify and respond to the specialist medication information needs of patients, carers, doctors, nurses, and other members of the healthcare team.
To ensure information, which may be highly complex, in an appropriate format for the individual or group.
To be readily available and to respond to enquiries in a timely manner.
Able to present information in a suitable format (e.g., written and/or verbal) and style for the target audience. Barriers to effective communication may include learning disability, language difficulties, cognitive impairment and non-consenting/non-compliant patients.
To communication effectively with other members of the pharmacy team.
Leadership
Act as a positive role model to junior colleagues, and motivate and inspire others
Demonstrate innovation and extend the boundaries of the profession.
Contribute to the leadership and development of the pharmacy technician delivered POCHi clozapine clinics.
Responsible for supervision and/or line management of junior members of pharmacy staff in line with the team structure and developments.
Contribute to writing and reviewing medicines related clinical guidelines and training programmes as required.
Contribute to the development of lead clinical pharmacy services to community teams.
Dispensary Duties
The post includes a commitment to provide cover to the mental health dispensary as per the team rota.
Supervise pharmacy staff in dispensary as needed.
Clinically check prescriptions, ensuring adherence to legislation and local formularies and procedures.
Accuracy check dispensed prescriptions.
Dispense and supply medication.
Compile discharge medication summaries.
Ensure supplies are sent to wards and units in a timely manner.
Access and interpret patients’ test results from pathology systems and other sources including the clozapine patient monitoring systems.
Co-ordinate responses to email and telephone enquiries.
Other
Work with the clinical mental health pharmacy team manager to develop the clinical pharmacy service to nationally approved standards, strategic development of service and business planning and implementation of best practice guidance.
Respond to medicines information queries from patients, medical and other healthcare professionals, using a wide range of information sources both electronic and hard copy regarding drug-related queries, and make appropriate records.
Occasional handling of potentially hazardous substances (e.g., cytotoxic medication) in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures and COSHH regulations.
Physical effort for lifting and moving light packages between locations.
Requirement for frequent long periods of concentration when validating or checking prescriptions / calculations, dealing with interruptions for advice/requests as per service demand.
Be competent in the use of all relevant Trust IT systems including the use of electronic patient record, email, Microsoft Office and pathology systems.
Undertake any other duties as deemed fit by the GHFT management.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- Registered Pharmacist with the GPHC
- Clinical or psychiatric postgraduate certificate
- Post graduate qualification in Non-Medical Prescribing (or willingness to work towards this qualification within an agreed timeframe)
- Member of RPS or CMHP
Experience
Essential criteria- Post registration training relevant to mental health pharmacy
- Experience in clinical audit
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities
Essential criteria- Knowledge of Quality Improvement
- Ability to act as a role model or mentor
- Able to influence prescribing
- Intermediate competence in standard range of IT programs
- Able to work alone with minimal supervision
- Desire to develop role to meet service user needs
Qualities
Essential criteria- Self-motivated
- Friendly yet professional
- Understands and shows commitment to continuing personal development
- Team Player
The health and wellbeing of our staff and patients remains the priority of the Trust. Vaccination remains the best chance we have of conquering COVID and the Trust encourages everyone to take up this offer.
Please note, this vacancy may close as soon as sufficient applications have been received, so please apply as soon as possible if you are interested. The Recruitment Team are unable to accept any applications after the position has closed on NHS Jobs.
Committed to safeguarding our community
If applicable for the post, all successful candidates will be required to pay for their own Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. The cost will be £29 (standard checks) or £46 (enhanced checks), and will be recovered through two instalments from the candidate's salary.Please contact [email protected] for further information.
The Trust is a safeguarding employer committed to the safeguarding and promotion of welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The Trust is committed to safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults, and any appointment will be subject to satisfactory clearance.As part of the organisation's commitment to Safer Recruitment, candidates may request copies of relevant policies and procedures by contacting the Recruitment Team at [email protected]
Committed to supporting service personnel
As part of our commitment to support Service Personnel, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in collaboration with the Career Transition Partnership, offer a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for all qualifying Service and Ex-Service Personnel.To qualify for a guaranteed interview, candidates must meet the essential criteria for the post and be either a current member of the Armed Forces, or be within the two year period of resettlement. If this applies to you please email the job reference number and your AR number to the Recruitment Team at [email protected]
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