Job summary
It's a great time to join our Medicines Management team following a recent restructure and significant investment to support an enhanced service model under a newly established senior management team which is fully committed to delivering outstanding services and develop the Pharmacy workforce.
We are excited to offer an opportunity for a highly motivated pharmacist to support our Primary Care Mental Health Teams in Sefton
You will be based within a multidisciplinary community mental health team (CMHT), working closely with specialist clinicians to optimise medication and improve treatment outcomes for people with mental health conditions. You will receive Pharmacy professional support via a well-structured system of supervision and regular educational and CPD sessions.
Ideal candidates will be pharmacists with experience in mental health who are either qualified non-medical prescribers or willing to work towards pharmacist independent prescribing. We will also consider applications from experienced pharmacists seeking to further their expertise in mental health.
This role presents a fantastic opportunity for an enthusiastic pharmacist with excellent clinical skills who is motivated by a desire to provide high quality patient care. Preferred candidates will be organised and adaptable team players with effective communication and interpersonal skills who are keen to develop the role of pharmacists within community mental health settings.
Main duties of the job
The postholder will be responsible for leading, delivering, and developing a comprehensive clinical pharmacy service to the Primary Care mental health team, to maximise the pharmaceutical care of patients. The roles involve completing assessments and supporting service users with a diverse range of psychiatric needs to optimise medicines use. You will clinically check prescriptions, complete structured medication reviews and develop person-centred pharmaceutical care plans utilising local and national guidance.
The postholder will also provide professional leadership on mental health medicines optimisation and support with training and supervision of healthcare professionals within primary and secondary care and the wider system.
The role will involve travel across services and may involve reviewing service users in their own home. The postholder must be able to meet these travel requirements. Business travel expenses will be reimbursed as per policy.
There are no current requirements to work Bank Holidays or weekends and there is no dispensary or on-call commitment. The Trust will consider requests for flexible hours and agile working which also meet the needs of the team.
Recruitment premia apply for new employees to the Trust. Successful candidates will receive £2,000 on joining the Trust and an additional £2,000 on completion of the first year of employment. Recruitment payments must be paid back in full if the employee leaves the Trust within two years of starting.
About us
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.
Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide expertise and ensure appropriate procedures and medicines governance arrangements are developed for the prescribing and use of medicines.
To develop effective partnerships and be actively involved with other professions as part of a multi-disciplinary approach to medicines optimisation.
To provide specialist medicines information and support service users to make informed decisions about optimal use of medicines.
To complete medicines reconciliation and conduct specialist pharmaceutical interventions to facilitate seamless pharmaceutical care of patients across primary and secondary care
To undertake clinics with direct patient contact, including home visits and independent prescribing as appropriate for individual patients
To record clinical interventions, key performance indicators and pharmaceutical care plans, in line with departmental procedures.
To report medication incidents including near misses to promote medicines safety and reduce medication harm.
To support the development, delivery and implementation of community mental health pathways, audits, policies, procedures, evidence-based treatment protocols and guidelines.
To participate in pharmacist clinical supervision and deliver medication education sessions for healthcare professionals and service users
To act as a role model and mentor or tutor to other pharmacists and trainees.
Refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of role requirements.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
1. Master of Pharmacy degree, or equivalent qualification
2. Postgraduate diploma in Clinical Pharmacy, or equivalent experience
3. Independent prescriber qualification, or willingness to work towards
4. Registration with General Pharmaceutical Council
5. Postgraduate qualification in Psychiatric Therapeutics/Clinical Pharmacy, or willingness to work towards
Desirable
6. Membership of the College of Mental Health Pharmacy (CMHP)
7. Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)
8. Leadership or management qualification/training
Knowledge and experience
Essential
9. Experience of working within pharmaceutical services
10. Experience of working within an NHS organisation
11. Experience of multi-disciplinary team working
12. Experience of undertaking audit within pharmaceutical services
13. Experience of providing supervision
14. Experience of providing education regarding medicines
15. Understanding of the benefits and risks of psychotropic therapy and its place in patient care
16. Understanding of how medicines optimisation contributes to high quality patient care
17. Clear understanding of relevant legislation and guidance
18. Awareness of local area prescribing committee processes
19. Understanding and positive regard for the needs and rights of people with mental health problems or learning disabilities, and their carers
20. Demonstrable evidence of commitment to self development and CPD
Desirable
21. Experience of working in hospital pharmacy
22. Experience of working within community mental health services
23. Experience of provision of medicines information services
24. Experience of line management of staff
25. Knowledge of the evidence base relating to the prescribing of psychotropic medicines
26. Knowledge of recent and upcoming initiatives within pharmaceutical services
27. Experience of working within community pharmacy
Values
Essential
28. Continuous Improvement
29. Accountability
30. Respectfulness
31. Enthusiasm
32. Support
33. Responsive to service users
34. Engaging leadership style
35. Strong customer service belief
36. Transparency and honesty
37. Discreet
Skills
Essential
38. Excellent organisational skills
39. Good IT skills
40. Excellent communication skills: - written - verbal - listening
41. Ability to work both independently and as a team player
42. Ability to work flexibly
43. Ability to work under pressure
44. Ability to prioritise workload and manage time effectively to meet specified deadlines
45. Self-motivated and able to use initiative
46. Problem-solving skills
47. Report-writing skills
48. Ability to analyse data
49. Negotiating and influencing skills
50. Ability to adapt to changing environments, needs and demands
51. Recognition of own limitations and ability to ask for support when necessary
52. Professional manner
53. Ability to travel between different sites
Desirable
54. Project management skills