Advanced Specialist Mental Health Pharmacist

Job overview

The SWLSTG Pharmacy Team has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Mental Health Pharmacist to join our friendly and innovative department, leading medicines optimisation services within our community mental health teams.

The post is Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm, with no regular weekend, bank holiday or late duty commitments currently required.

The postholder will deliver specialist clinical pharmacy services aimed at reducing hospital admissions through medicines optimisation, improving patient and carer experience with prescribed medicines, enhancing physical health monitoring and management, and strengthening communication between secondary and primary care. Opportunities to develop and utilise Non-Medical Prescribing skills will be available.

You will be an integral member of a multidisciplinary team working across community mental health services. The role offers an exciting opportunity to influence and shape service development, supporting service users to optimise their medicines and achieve better health outcomes.

This role will primarily support community mental health services across the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.

Main duties of the job

• Deliver specialist medicines optimisation services to community mental health teams, promoting the safe, effective and person-centred use of medicines.
• Work closely with psychiatrists, non-medical prescribers, care coordinators, GPs and the wider multidisciplinary team to optimise treatment and support recovery.
• Undertake medication reviews and make recommendations to initiate, optimise, switch or discontinue medicines where appropriate.
• Support the early identification and appropriate use of clozapine and long-acting injectable antipsychotics to improve outcomes and reduce the risk of relapse and hospital admission.
• Promote relapse prevention through medicines optimisation, adherence support, patient education and proactive management of medication-related side effects.
• Improve physical health outcomes through medicines optimisation, physical health monitoring and collaborative working with primary care colleagues.
• Provide expert advice and education to service users, carers and healthcare professionals to support informed decision-making and medication adherence.
• Contribute to service development, quality improvement, audit, research and education initiatives across the borough.
• Help shape and improve prescribing practice through clinical leadership, evidence-based recommendations and collaborative working.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To provide highly specialist and advanced clinical knowledge, skills and decision making to the Trust Community Mental Health services, the Pharmacy service and across the wider Primary Care Networks.
• To support the lead pharmacist in the development, delivery and evaluation of pharmacy services relating to Mental Health within the community.
• To provide a clinical, pharmaceutical service to the Community Mental Health services, utilising clinical leadership skills. This will be based with the Community Mental Health Team but will outreach to the Primary Care Networks as services are transformed.
• To deliver an advanced comprehensive medicines optimisation service to SWLStG patients and the multidisciplinary treatment team responsible for their care.
• To act as a role model in the Community Service Line and provide a consistently high level of pharmaceutical service in line with Trust objectives and NHS Plan.
• To provide input into policy and procedures affecting the use of pharmaceuticals at both local and trust wide levels.
• To liaise with Trust pharmacy staff to support an effective dispensing and supply service.
• To deputise for the Lead Pharmacist which may include attending senior meetings.
• To act as a key member of the multidisciplinary team and provide expert advice to clinical teams across the organisation
• To be involved in the initiation and on-going support of projects and innovations within the Service Line, using Qii methodology.
• To support Trust staff to effectively optimise medicines in service users in recovery.
• To develop and deliver formal training on pharmacological interventions in mental health conditions for nursing, medical and pharmacy staff.
• Where qualified to be practice as an independent prescriber within the community service line.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in job applications

If you have used AI to support the preparation of your application, please briefly indicate how it was used within your supporting statement or application form.

Please remember, your application is your opportunity to tell us about your skills, experience and motivation for the role. We encourage applicants to complete their application and supporting statement in their own words wherever possible. We recognise that AI tools can be helpful in supporting accessibility, and for improving spelling, grammar and structure.

Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content can become generic and fail to accurately reflect an applicant's individual experience. Applications that clearly demonstrate your own voice, reflections and experiences are often the most effective and help us better understand your suitability for the role.

Please be aware that information provided in your application and supporting statement may be explored further during the selection process. It is important that all applications accurately represent your own knowledge, skills and experience.

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.