At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead mental health pharmacy services and optimise patient care in crisis settings.
- Company: Join a compassionate team dedicated to improving lives through quality healthcare.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, part-time flexibility, and opportunities for career progression.
- Other info: Work in a dynamic setting with a focus on innovation and patient safety.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in mental health while developing your expertise in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: 3+ years in a hospital, postgraduate diploma in pharmacy, and mental health experience required.
The predicted salary is between 57528 - 64750 £ per year.
The post holder will be an expert in psychiatric therapeutics and serve as the specialist referral point for all health and social care professionals within the crisis and liaison pathways. The successful candidate will have a strong clinical background, a postgraduate clinical pharmacy diploma, and ideally a non‑medical prescribing qualification. A good knowledge of physical health conditions is essential, and the incumbent must be able to work autonomously in an acute hospital environment and integrate with the acute trust pharmacy teams. The role requires enthusiasm, innovation, flexibility, proactivity and a comprehensive understanding of how operations and pathways support patient care.
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care; We Respect; We are Inclusive – we look for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and within relationships with colleagues in the Trust and partner organisations.
We are committed to getting the very best out of our staff and support staff in their career aspirations. Career pathways are available where you will be able to develop your skills and build on your experience.
This post is essential for the delivery of a modern, specialist mental health pharmacy service for the Crisis Pathway and psychiatry liaison services across Luton and Bedfordshire. The post holder will use their experience, skills and initiative to develop, co‑coordinate and provide a high‑quality clinical pharmacy service to patients and their carers.
- Provide a single, accessible point of access to pharmacy for the Psychiatric Liaison and Home Treatment and Crisis Teams
- Advise on appropriate psychotropic drug choice and review
- Advise on rationalisation and de‑prescribing of medications where clinically appropriate as part of medicines optimisation
- Provide governance on prescribing, monitoring and medicines management
- Improve working relationships and dialogue between mental health services and inpatient pharmacy teams
- Reduce preventable adverse drug reactions and patient safety incidents
- Improve patient flow, discharge and transfer processes using QI methodology
- Support crisis service delivery through involvement/engagement with Luton pharmacy satellite dispensary and service expansion
- Provide training and supervision to other pharmacy and non‑pharmacy staff as directed by the role
- Reduce risk of iatrogenic harm to hospital inpatients and ensure safe prescribing of psychotropic medicines
- Improve the experience and outcomes for patients and carers
- Work towards health promotion and prevention and comprehensively assess and manage patients for risk factors and vulnerabilities
- Lead on Medicines Optimisation initiatives within the Crisis Pathway and liaison psychiatry services
- Provide a direct link between ELFT and Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS trust Pharmacy teams
- Provide Education and Training to MDT and pharmacy team members
- Draw on a diverse range of knowledge in decision‑making to determine evidence‑based therapeutic interventions, which will include psychological therapies and prescribing medication where legally allowed and actively monitoring the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions
- Plan and manage complete episodes of care, working in partnership with others, delegating and referring to optimise health outcomes and resource use, and provide direct support to staff, patients and clients
- Work in partnership with patients and carers promoting a recovery focused model of care
- Provide input into policy and procedures affecting the use of pharmaceuticals at both local and trust‑wide levels under the direction of the Lead Pharmacist
- Ensure parity of esteem between physical and mental health and promote this agenda amongst the wider MDT
- Promote the trust Medicines Safety Agenda in collaboration with the Lead Pharmacist and Trust Medicines Safety Officers
Person Specification – Essential
- 3+ years of experience in a hospital setting
- Postgraduate certificate/diploma in pharmacy or related field
- Substantial experience in a mental health setting
- Management/Leadership experience
- Knowledge of the 10‑year health plan for mental health in England and application into practice
- Current UK professional registration
- Effective problem‑identification and solving skills
- Ability to maintain quality standards of work, including when under pressure
- Supportive approach to change management
Person Specification – Desirable
- Independent prescriber
- Management qualification
- Published reviews/editorials
- Demonstrates leadership skills
Additional Details
- Pay Scheme: Agenda for change – Salary: £57,528 to £64,750 per annum (pro rata).
- Contract: Permanent, Working pattern: Part‑time.
- Job location: Luton Pharmacy Office, Calnwood Court, Calnwood Road, Luton, LU4 0LU, United Kingdom.
- Reference number: 363‑CP8087013.
Clinical Lead Pharmacist – Crisis Services & Liaison Psychiatry in Luton employer: meeveem
ProPharma is an exceptional employer that champions diversity, equity, and inclusion, creating a vibrant workplace where employees can thrive as their authentic selves. With a commitment to employee growth and a collaborative culture, ProPharma offers flexible hybrid working arrangements, ensuring that team members can benefit from both remote and in-person collaboration. The company values innovation and provides a supportive environment for GXP Auditors to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of healthcare solutions.
