Specialist Mental Health Pharmacist

The SWLStG pharmacy team have an exciting opportunity for a dedicated pharmacist to join our friendly department providing medicines optimisation services to our community mental health teams Monday to Friday - 9am to 5pm - No weekends/Bank holidays/late duty rotas.

These roles will provide a clinical pharmacy service aimed to reduce hospital admissions through the use of effective medication, improve patient and carer satisfaction with prescribed medicines, improve physical health monitoring and management, and enhance communication between secondary and primary care.

You will develop a variety of skills and knowledge necessary for your own career development and to be involved in the overall transformation of community mental health services.

If candidates cannot meet all the essential criteria, they will be considered for a band 6 to 7 progression, with a tailored development programme. Hence, Trainee Pharmacists about to qualify and register are welcome to apply.

This role is rotational and the postholder will work across all our services starting in our community services in Merton Borough.

Main duties of the job

• To be responsible for the provision and development of clinical mental health pharmacy services, in conjunction with the lead pharmacist.
• To provide input into policy and procedures affecting the use of pharmaceuticals at both local and trust wide levels under direction.
• To liaise with other pharmacy staff to support an effective dispensing and supply service (where required).
• To be actively involved in the implementation of clinical pharmacy services in the NHS Community transformation agenda.

Essential qualities for this role include post-registration primary care, community or hospital pharmacy experience, and experience of provision of medicines information. The successful candidate must be able to show compassion and respect for people with mental health problems and be driven to improve their care through medicines optimisation. They will be supported with their development and must be willing to work towards a postgraduate qualification which may include postgraduate diploma in mental health pharmacy.

Flexible working:

We are proud to offer agile and flexible working opportunities as part of our new ways of working, and we are happy to talk flexible working at the interview stage. In this role you will be able to work Monday to Friday in the time frames from 9am to 5pm, giving you the very best of good work life balance. Once established in role, there will be opportunity for some working from home on a regular basis.

About us

We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.

We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.

This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.

We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti-racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.

We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.

About our location:

Springfield University Hospital, Tooting

Our largest, 19-ward site is in Springfield Village, created following our £150m investment into two new world class mental health facilities. A 32-acre public park, shops and cafes are coming soon. Close to shops, cafes and Tooting Bec on the Northern Line plus Earlsfield and Tooting rail stations and bus routes.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Ensure safe and appropriate use of medicines in order to maximise benefit and minimise risk to patients, including:

• Review of prescriptions (efficacy, accuracy, legality, cost-effectiveness & potential problems)
• Monitoring of side-effects
• Identification of significant drug interactions and advising on clinical monitoring
• Advising on the use of unlicensed medicines
• Identify those who may benefit from clozapine or a long acting injection
• Undertaking holistic medicines and physical health monitoring reviews
• Advising on deprescribing
• Patient education
• Facilitating appropriate timely discharge back to the GP
• Appropriate supply of medicines
• Compliance with the SWL joint formulary
• Adherence assessments and support plans
• Support development safety plans for those with unsafe use of medicines

Be responsible for providing clinical pharmacy input at multidisciplinary team level for inpatients, home treatment and community teams, demonstrating professional accountability to patients and working across traditional boundaries.

To help support and maintain clients in the community by using expert knowledge to advise them (and their carers) about how to optimise their medication therapy.

To regularly undertake patient counselling to improve medicines adherence and patient-centred care and choice of medication.

To accompany Community team members on domiciliary visits when required to improve pharmaceutical care of patients.

Taking referrals from the MDT and within Pharmacy.

To support other pharmacy staff providing a service to develop and maintain adequate competencies to deliver such a service.

Participate in the operational rota in line with departmental requirements and recognised best practice (duty, medicines information and dispensary).

Manage and make appropriate referrals to other members of the multidisciplinary team, primary care and within the pharmacy department.

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, investigating and reporting of medicines related errors.

Develop and demonstrate expert clinical knowledge in the specialism of mental health pharmacy services to provide innovative, safe, clinically effective and cost-efficient use of medicines.

To actively improve medicines safety by reporting medicines incidents and near misses and sharing learning across their teams.

To work with the medicines safety officer to share learning from medicines incidents, improve incident reporting and continually improve medicines safety across the organisation by participating in medicines safety initiatives.

To participate in the Trusts Emergency Duty Pharmacy service, in accordance with the rota.

Person Specification

EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Demonstrable hospital pharmacy experience
• Experience of provision of Medicines Information and associated systems

Desirable

• Experience of working in a pharmacy service for people with mental illness
• Experience of supervising staff
• Experience of providing medicines education to users and carers

TRAINING & QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

• Masters degree in Pharmacy or equivalent
• Membership with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• Post-graduate qualification in clinical/mental health pharmacy or equivalent experience
• Evidence of continuing professional and personal development

Desirable

• Membership with College of Mental Health Pharmacy (CMHP)
• Membership with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)
• Post Graduate Clinical Diploma

Employer details

Employer name

South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

Address

Springfield University Hospital

Tooting

SW17 7DJ

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