Senior Pharmacist - Forward Thinking Birmingham Mental Health Services inBirmingham inBirmingham PUBLISHED 8 MAY 2024

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for Specialist Clinical Pharmacists to join the Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB) Mental Health Services Pharmacy Team. We have 1.8 whole time equivalent funding available for at least two pharmacists to join our team.

FTB pharmacy services are undergoing an exciting period of change. We are looking for someone to be part of the transformation in how these services are delivered to our patients and colleagues. Working collaboratively with the mental health teams, our joint aim is to develop the FTB services to further benefit our patients, who often have complex care needs. We are also part of a project implementing the use of pharmacogenomic testing in prescribing decision making which is one of the first of its kind in Mental Health.

The FTB pharmacy team is responsible for providing medicines for Early Intervention, Home Treatment and Urgent Care and the Community Mental Health Teams. There is also the opportunity for cross-sectional working with Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation.

If you are a self-motivated and confident pharmacist interested in service improvement, come and join our pharmacy team voted the clinical team of the year at BWC. Our team has strong links with academia with many opportunities for further education and development. You will be given the opportunity to apply for the Education and training pathway for Specialist Mental Health Pharmacists working as part of Community Mental Health Teams.

Main duties of the job

• To lead on and deliver a specialist and high quality clinical pharmacy service to the Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB) mental health service.
• To ensure safe prescribing through participation in multidisciplinary team meetings.
• To contribute to the wider medicines optimisation agenda across the Trust through work on specific projects such as development of policies or services.
• Advise nursing and medical staff on medicines related issues arising from the Mental Health Act.
• To advise on the use of rapid tranquilisation.
• Develop and deliver specialist medicine related education and training packages to medical, nursing and trainee medical staff.
• Provide advice on medication service users and carers.

About us

Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust is the first of its type in the UK. Our Trust was formed in February 2to drive forward our commitment to provide the highest quality, world-class physical and mental health care for our women, children and families. Uniting our hospitals means more seamless care; more investment to make greater advances in our specialist treatment and world-leading neo-natal and fetal work. Importantly, it also gives us a greater voice in shaping the future of family-centred care.

Birmingham Children's Hospital is a UK leading specialist paediatric centre with an international reputation in several areas.

Birmingham Women's Hospital is one of two dedicated women's hospitals in the UK, with the busiest single site maternity unit, delivering more than 8,200 babies a year offering a full range of gynaecological, maternity and neonatal care.

Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB) Mental Health Services are a unique, innovative community and inpatient mental health partnership. Alongside partners FTB offers care pathways of mental health assessment and treatment for young people aged 0-25 years old.

Our Trust is committed to creating the best place to work. We believe in promoting and enhancing inclusion, diversity and equality and encourage applications from all areas of the community, who meet the criteria for the role, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, race, religion or sexual orientation.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification to view the full details for this opportunity at Birmingham Womens and Childrens NHS Foundation Trust.

When completing your application, please ensure you have evidenced how you meet the job description and person specification to include transferable experience, qualifications, skills along with professional registration details (if applicable).

Occasionally we receive a large number of applications for our roles and when that happens we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment.

Job description
Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification to view the full details for this opportunity at Birmingham Womens and Childrens NHS Foundation Trust.

When completing your application, please ensure you have evidenced how you meet the job description and person specification to include transferable experience, qualifications, skills along with professional registration details (if applicable).

Occasionally we receive a large number of applications for our roles and when that happens we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• MPharm or equivalent degree
• Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council as a pharmacist
• Post-graduate diploma in clinical pharmacy or equivalent (e.g. in Psychiatric Therapeutics) or Independent Prescribing Qualification

Desirable

• Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Knowledge and Nature of Experience

Essential

• Experience within mental health services
• Should have an appreciation of the relationship between the Department of Health, Public Health England and individual providers and commissioning organisations

Desirable

• Experience within the speciality of paediatrics
• Experience of report writing
• Experience of developing business cases

Analytical and Judgement Skills

Essential

• Ability to analyse data on medication use and make recommendations on prescribing practice.
• Application of skills to optimise individual patient's medication.
• Problem solving skills and the ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands.
• Ability to analyse complex facts and situations and develop a range of options.
• Able to make decisions on difficult issues where there may be number of courses of action.
• Ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise.

Professional/Managerial/Specialist Knowledge

Essential

• Work with stakeholders to develop performance improvement plans.
• Able to work effectively with colleagues as part of a team.
• Skills for managing relationships with a range of different stakeholders.`

Personal Skills/Abilities and Attributes

Essential

• Effective organisational skills. Ability to prioritise a complex workload and work accurately under pressure adjusting plans to reflect changing circumstances.

Desirable

• Experience of managing and motivating a team of staff.

Knowledge and Nature of Experience

Essential

• Experience of undertaking drug usage reviews and audit
• Experience of working across organisational boundaries
• Experience of formally interacting with senior clinicians and managers
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Must have an understanding of the background to and aims of current healthcare policy and appreciate the implications on engagement
• Sound knowledge of current national standards and guidelines relevant to the safe prescribing of high risk medicines
• Good oral and written communication skills for a variety of audiences including patients, parents and healthcare professionals
• Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive and contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large groups
• Ability to persuade senior staff of the respective merits of different options, innovation and new opportunities
• Negotiate on difficult, complex and detailed issues

Desirable

• Experience of financial management and reporting
• Experience of preparing drug evaluations
• Experience of project management

Person Specification
Qualifications

Essential

• MPharm or equivalent degree
• Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council as a pharmacist
• Post-graduate diploma in clinical pharmacy or equivalent (e.g. in Psychiatric Therapeutics) or Independent Prescribing Qualification

Desirable

• Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Knowledge and Nature of Experience

Essential

• Experience within mental health services
• Should have an appreciation of the relationship between the Department of Health, Public Health England and individual providers and commissioning organisations

Desirable

• Experience within the speciality of paediatrics
• Experience of report writing
• Experience of developing business cases

Analytical and Judgement Skills

Essential

• Ability to analyse data on medication use and make recommendations on prescribing practice.
• Application of skills to optimise individual patient's medication.
• Problem solving skills and the ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands.
• Ability to analyse complex facts and situations and develop a range of options.
• Able to make decisions on difficult issues where there may be number of courses of action.
• Ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise.

Professional/Managerial/Specialist Knowledge

Essential

• Work with stakeholders to develop performance improvement plans.
• Able to work effectively with colleagues as part of a team.
• Skills for managing relationships with a range of different stakeholders.`

Personal Skills/Abilities and Attributes

Essential

• Effective organisational skills. Ability to prioritise a complex workload and work accurately under pressure adjusting plans to reflect changing circumstances.

Desirable

• Experience of managing and motivating a team of staff.

Knowledge and Nature of Experience

Essential

• Experience of undertaking drug usage reviews and audit
• Experience of working across organisational boundaries
• Experience of formally interacting with senior clinicians and managers
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Must have an understanding of the background to and aims of current healthcare policy and appreciate the implications on engagement
• Sound knowledge of current national standards and guidelines relevant to the safe prescribing of high risk medicines
• Good oral and written communication skills for a variety of audiences including patients, parents and healthcare professionals
• Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive and contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large groups
• Ability to persuade senior staff of the respective merits of different options, innovation and new opportunities
• Negotiate on difficult, complex and detailed issues

Desirable

• Experience of financial management and reporting
• Experience of preparing drug evaluations
• Experience of project management

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the .

From 6 April 2, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. .
UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

Additional information
Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the .

From 6 April 2, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. .
UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

Employer details

Employer name

Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Address

Birmingham Children's Hospital

Steelhouse Lane

Birmingham

B4 6NH

Employer's website