Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical

• Reviewing and advising on prescriptions to ensure safe and effective prescribing appropriate to the individual patient.

•  Liaising with primary care to support transfer of care and physical health monitoring

• Giving medicines management advice to medical, nursing and other staff and medicines information to all patients, carers, and members of staff.

• Recommending monitoring of mental and physical health when indicated.

• Attending multidisciplinary care planning reviews to advise on matters relating to choice and use of medicines.

• Preparing drug history reports for patients detailing positive, negative and adverse responses to past treatment with recommendations for future treatment.

• Undertaking medicines reconciliation on admission and supporting transfer

• Conducting medication education sessions for patients and carers, either on a one-to-one or in groups.

• Involvement in the discharge planning process and liaising with General Practitioners and community pharmacists to ensure that the medicines management needs of patients in the community are fulfilled.

• Participating in the promotion of evidence based effective practice

• Contributing to other groups such as the Managing Prescribing Risk Subgroup and supporting learning from incidents.

• Acting as an expert source of pharmaceutical advice for health and social care staff, patients and carers.

• Working with primary care and GMMMG through the senior CSP to improve shared care.

Management and Administration

• Ensuring compliance with medicines legislation

• Ensuring that the medication provided to community services bases is stored appropriately to maintain quality and potency.

• Ensuring that any concerns in prescribing practice are reported appropriately.

• Ensuring policies and guidelines are followed

• Contributing to relevant Trust committees and meetings, such as the sub-groups of the Drugs and Therapeutics Committee and community services meetings.

• Working in close liaison with pharmacists in primary care settings to develop a common approach to shared care / transfer of care

• Working with the Chief Pharmacist and senior clinical pharmacist to monitor drug expenditure

•  Using Word, Excel and PowerPoint to prepare reports and presentations.

• Using the internet to obtain up to date therapeutic information on medicines related issues.

• Providing sickness and absence cover for other pharmacists employed by the Trust when requested to do so by the Chief Pharmacist

• Delivering teaching sessions on medication and medication management for healthcare professionals, including as part of the Trust’s induction program.

• Deputising for the senior pharmacists as required

• Managing students and technicians when required

• Identifying changes in prescribing practices that may impact on the drugs budget

Professional

• Undertaking and record Continuing Professional Development as required for continued registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).

• Contributing to the provision of supervision, training and assessment of pre-registration pharmacists, technicians or rotational pharmacists.

Information Technology

•  Becoming involved in the continuous improvement of information on the Trust web page

•  Becoming involved in the implementation of electronic prescribing / robotic dispensing as appropriate to the mental health setting.

•  Using advances in IT to change how medicines management functions are delivered.

Research, Development and Audit

• Demonstrating a critical approach towards pharmacy practice

• Integrating research evidence into practice

• Supporting others undertaking research

• Undertaking clinical audit as part of the multidisciplinary audit process.

• Monitoring community services drug use.

•  Promoting cost-effective drug use.

Other

• Working in a busy environment where there may be confused, agitated or distressed patients or relatives

• Able to manage interruptions during periods of work, which require high levels of concentration to avoid error

• All employees have a duty and a responsibility not only for their own health and safety but for the health and safety of colleagues, and patients within their care.