Job Title:Specialist Clinical Pharmacist, Primary Care and Community Mental Health(Brent Borough)

An opportunity has arisen to work as one of the Mental Health Pharmaceutical Practitioners for Brent Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) and our Primary Care Networks (PCNs). We are looking for 3 candidates with robust clinical expertise who are also able to demonstrate progressive skills in leadership and provide consultation, advice, pharmaceutical support and liaison functions in relation to medicines.

Vaccination

As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

Main duties of the job

The CMHT is an exciting area to work in as it is at the forefront of mental health transformation in line with the five year forward plan. You will need to be a registered Pharmacist and have experience of working in multi-disciplinary teams. You will have experience of working in community mental health and ideally have knowledge and experience of a CMHT.

The post holder will provide a specialist mental health medicines optimisation service across the PCN practices, to support the delivery of high quality, safe and cost-effective prescribing. The post holder will work within their clinical competencies (e.g. non-medical prescribers) as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide specialist mental health clinical advice, physical health monitoring of psychotropic medication, structured medication reviews and the management of medicines on transfer of care.

The overarching aim is:

• To ensure that patients have access to the same levels of care, closer to home in relation to medicines optimisation.
• To improve patient related outcomes and reduce medicines related harm in primary care and support self-care with a view to improving physical health in patients with serious mental illness (SMI)
• To improve and optimise transfer of care in relation to medicines from secondary to primary care. In particular, where medicines that require stabilisation prior to transfer of care are initiated
• To support primary care prescribers following transfer of care

About us

Brent CMHT is an established team with a friendly, supportive culture. There is a visible and supportive management team and a strong emphasis on training and professional development opportunities. Support to prepare candidates for interview will be provided.

Brent is a place of contrast and a destination for thousands of British and international visitors every year. Home of the iconic Wembley Stadium, the world-famous Wembley Arena, the new London Designer Outlet and the spectacular Swaminarayan Hindu Temple, it provides a stage for cultural, sporting and religious events of national and international importance. The team serves the diverse and vibrant population of Brent, named London Borough of Culture 2020 and most recently 'Council of the Year' at the LGC Awards 2020. The team base is located in Kilburn with excellent transport links.

Interview date:TBC

Job description Job responsibilities

This role will involve a number of elements which will support the management of people with mental health conditions in primary care, who may be new or known previously to secondary care mental health services.

The post holder will provide assessments, formulation and delivery of psychological intervention in primary care, secondary to this, supporting access to Community Mental Health Teams or other services such as Third Sector and IAPT where needs can be better met by these services.

The post holder will be part of the Primary Care MDT team assisting case reviews, triage of those presenting with mental health needs, support GPs with referring clients to Mental Health Services as appropriate and ensure the delivery of physical health checks. For those with SMI and where applicable to the skilled professional, the post holder will support antipsychotic medication management. The role will be embedded within a PCN working with several GP surgeries and within the local Community Hub to enable safe transfers of care.

• To undertake structured medication reviews in identified people such as those who have complex or problematic polypharmacy or those referred by the GP on the practice mental health registers. The comprehensive medication review will aim to ensure that their medication is working well for them. Any recommendations to change medication will be communicated to the practice in a timely way and followed up.
• Support people with self-management of medicines
• Undertake Medicines Reconciliation in primary care following discharge or transfer from mental health secondary care. This will include reviewing discharge information in a timely way and ensuring that any medication changes made during the patients hospital stay are documented, and any necessary changes made to the medication record. Any significant changes may trigger a medication review with the patient.
• Ensure high risk medicines (e.g. lithium) are monitored appropriately
• Provide clinical advice on the use of psychotropic medicines to other health professionals
• If a non-medical prescribing qualification is not held, the post holder will be supported to develop their role to become a non-medical prescriber.

As an autonomous practitioner, he/she will be responsible for their own work and interventions and for the interpretation of agreed guidelines and policies.

Person Specification Qualifications and Training Essential

• Masters' Degree in Pharmacy (or equivalent)
• Substantial pre-registration training
• Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
• Post graduate certificate in General Clinical Pharmacy
• Registered with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

Desirable

• Independent prescriber (or willing to work towards)
• Working towards Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy

Experience Essential

• Demonstrate the ability to appropriately recommend, substantiate and communicate medicine related information to patients, carers and clinical staff
• Previous evaluated experience of mentorship and training skills
• To have undertaken clinical audit
• Training and education
• Relevant experience in a Hospital Pharmacy and/or Primary Care pharmacy
• Demonstrates and understanding of, and conforms to, relevant standards of practice. Follows professional and organisational policies/procedures relating to performance management
• Experience and/or an awareness of the breadth of common acute and long-terms conditions that are likely to be seen in general practice
• Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations and interfaces

Desirable

• Independent prescriber (or willing to work towards)
• Monitoring and advising on drug expenditure
• Staff management experience
• Experience of clinical pharmacy for secondary, intermediate or primary care

Skills and Knowledge Essential

• Clinical and critical appraisal skills
• The ability to identify and prioritise clinical work load
• Communicates with medical, nursing, and other MDT & pharmacy staff in clear precise and appropriate manner
• To have an awareness of national and local priorities
• The ability to identify and manage risks
• Ability to evaluate own work
• Enhances the quality of patient care
• Demonstrates awareness of the clinical governance agenda
• Teaching and presentation skills
• Therapeutic and clinical knowledge and understanding of the principles of evidence-based healthcare
• Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities
• An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing
• Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports
• Able to obtain and analyse technical information.
• Able to gain acceptance for recommendations and influence/motivate/persuade the audience to comply with the recommendations/agreed course of action where there may be significant barriers
• Able to identify and resolve risk management issues according to policy/protocol
• Understand the principles of research governance

Desirable

• Able to influence medical staff & nursing staff
• Understanding of local trust priorities
• Evidence of writing procedures, guidelines or protocols.

Personal Characteristics Essential

• Demonstrates ability to meet set targets
• Demonstrate ability to organise self in order to ensure efficient use of time.
• Meets expected levels of practice as defined by others
• Self-motivated
• The ability and willingness to deputise for senior staff while recognising limitations of experience and ability
• Takes responsibilities for own actions
• Specialist clinical knowledge in mental health pharmacy
• Has an awareness of the breadth of common acute and long-term conditions that are likely to be seen in a general medical practice and their impact on mental health therapeutics
• Demonstrable clinical problem-solving skills
• Understanding of Confidentiality and the Data Protection Act

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

333-J-BR-VX-0460-C