Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Work across traditional boundaries as part of a fully integrated multidisciplinary team.
• Manage and make appropriate referrals to other members of the multidisciplinary team and within the pharmacy department.
• Provide advice to clinicians on unlicensed medicines use and areas of practice where the evidence base is lacking and medical opinion may differ.
• Reduce risk associated with medicines use by contributing to the safe medication practice agenda. This will include identification and reporting of medicines related errors.

Clinical Practice 

• Ensure safe and appropriate use of medicines in order to maximise benefit and minimise risk to patients. This includes regular review of prescriptions, identification of significant drug interactions, advice for clinical monitoring, compliance with legal aspects (Medicines Act, Mental Health Act) of medicine supply and compliance with the Trust formulary.
• Be responsible for providing clinical pharmacy input at ward level, and to the multidisciplinary team caring for outpatients (e.g. as part of the Community Mental Health Teams)
• To ensure junior pharmacy staff providing a service to CNWL have adequate competencies to deliver services.
• Be responsible for providing a clinical pharmacy service to groups of patients:
• Review prescriptions for accuracy and legality and identify actual or potential Problems.
• Ensure the effective supply of medicines suitable for use as an inpatient and appropriately labelled for discharge if applicable.
• Ensure the effective outcomes of treatment with medicines
• Monitor patients for potential and actual adverse effects of their medicines
• Take steps to ensure patients understand the purpose of their medicines and deal with any practical issues that may prevent the optimal use of their medicines
•  Support the planning of patient discharge with respect to medication, including the transcription of requests for dispensing.
• Demonstrate professional accountability to patients.
• Work across traditional boundaries as part of a fully integrated multidisciplinary team. 
• Manage and make appropriate referrals to other members of the multidisciplinary team and within the pharmacy department.
• Provide advice to clinicians on unlicensed medicines use and areas of practice where the evidence base is lacking and medical opinion may differ.
• Reduce risk associated with medicines use by contributing to the safe medication practice agenda. This will include identification and reporting of medicines related errors.
• Be able to critically appraise the literature and give accurate interpretation in order improve use of medicines.
• To demonstrate expert clinical knowledge in the specialist of mental health pharmacy services and motivate and inspire others.
• Act as a clinical role model and demonstrate the ability to provide safe, clinically effective and cost-efficient use of medicines for junior pharmacists.
• Demonstrate innovation and extend the boundaries of the profession.
• The post holder will continually update their skills and knowledge as part of continuing professional development.
• Be familiar with the use of breakaway techniques.