Lead Pharmacist for Antipsychotics

Job description Job responsibilities The post holder willBe accountable for workforce capacity, capability, and development within the antipsychotic shared care service across the organisation and system partnersProvide clinical supervision for other team members working within the shared care antipsychotic workstreamAssist in the development, delivery and audit of medicines related education and training programmes for healthcare staffLead on the development and implementation of workforce models to support service sustainability and expansion across neighbourhood teams and primary careAs an expert, act as a role model and mentor for all staff, supporting the personal and professional development of pharmacy team members, and advise pharmacists of all grades in the area of expert knowledgeSupervise pharmacy technicians, trainee and diploma pharmacists from acute trust hospitals and PCNs who come to LSW for experience of working in mental healthParticipate in the service planning, organisation, workload allocation and management of the clinical pharmacy and medicines optimisation servicesWork autonomously with access to support when requiredSupport neighbourhood teams in upskilling and building confidence in safe prescribing, deprescribing, and monitoring of antipsychoticsBe accountable for contributing to and influencing significant areas of medicines expenditure related to antipsychotics across the systemResponsible for identifying, planning, and delivering cost improvement programmes and value-based prescribing initiatives within the serviceProvide strategic financial advice influencing commissioning decisions and investment in medicines optimisation initiativesContribute to business case development and service investment proposalsPrepare reports, monitor and control formulary and non-formulary prescribing of oral antipsychotics to ensure compliance against local, regional, and national formularies, and lead on the application for any new oral antipsychotics both internally and externallyContribute to decisions on investment in new therapies, monitoring technologies, or optimisation initiatives through specialist clinical and financial adviceContribute to the development, maintenance and review of administrative systems and digital tools that support monitoring, reporting, and clinical workflowDevelop reports, and audit outcomes of agreed content for the pharmacy Performance and Quality Management Group, Medicines Governance Group and Medicines Safety ForumEnsure accurate entry, maintenance and verification of prescribing and monitoring data, supporting organisational performance dashboards and safety auditsUphold the principles of evidence-based medicine and make recommendations in line with the formulary, LSW prescribing guidelines and other local/ national guidelines (Including NICE recommendations) and national evidence baseProvide an advanced, expert level of clinical reasoning and judgment when advising staff on complex clinical situations where there are conflicting opinions, where data are lacking or interpretation of clinical trials data is requiredEnsure that in the absence of available data, decisions made will withstand public scrutiny and legal challengeDevelop and refine standard operating procedures and administrative pathways to ensure efficient and consistent service deliveryEnsure clinical documentation, monitoring data, and shared-care information is communicated effectively across neighbourhood teams and primary care to support continuity of carePromote a person-centred, recovery-focused approach to antipsychotic treatment and shared careEnsure shared care pathways prioritise safety, autonomy, shared decision-making and clear communication between LSW, primary care and the person receiving treatmentDevelop accessible information resources for service users, carers and primary care cliniciansProvide timely responses to complex medication enquiries and concerns raised by service users and primary care teams.Champion equitable access to safe and effective antipsychotic care and reduction of health inequalitiesEnsure that annual antipsychotic reviews incorporate patient goals, preferences and personalised care planningWork collaboratively with neighbourhood teams to ensure that annual antipsychotic reviews incorporate personalised care planning, proactive follow-up, and holistic support delivered within a neighbourhood modelStrengthen neighbourhood-based approaches to reducing health inequalities in antipsychotic prescribing and monitoring.Lead and be accountable for the development, implementation and evaluation of policies, clinical pathways, and service models relating to antipsychotic use across the organisation and systemTranslate national strategy, guidance, regulatory requirements, and emerging evidence into clear, operationally deliverable local policy and practice ensuring full system implementation and complianceLead large-scale service redesign and transformation programmes impacting multiple teams and organisationsWork autonomously as a clinical specialist for antipsychotic therapy, the post holder will lead the review, and updating of shared care protocols for LSW, clinical governance frameworks, and monitoring requirementsEnsure policies remain up to date, person centred, and aligned with best practice, supporting safe prescribing, effective deprescribing, and prevention of medicine related harmLead the design and implementation of an advice and guidance service for primary care, ensuring timely expert support for complex clinical queries and optimisation challengesDrive standardisation and reduction of variation across the system through service leadership and performance managementEnsure continuous improvement of the annual 12-month shared care review process, ensuring reliable and equitable delivery across the systemWork collaboratively with MDTs, commissioners, digital and data leads, and primary care partners to embed new ways of working, identify system-level improvement opportunities, and support workforce developmentEvaluate the impact of policy and service changes through audit, quality improvement, and outcome measurement, providing strategic recommendations to strengthen safety, governance, and person centred outcomes in the management of antipsychotic therapyEnsure adherence to the standards of the Medicines Policy and other medicines optimisation documents and report any deviations to the wider team and MSO, reporting via the organisation risk management systemReview all medicines incidents reported via the organisations risk management system for oral antipsychotic shared care each month and contribute to patient safety incident reviewsAttend governance meetings to ensure that risk areas related to oral antipsychotic shared care are addressed and implement changes to practice where necessaryLead the integration of antipsychotic shared-care pathways with neighbourhood-based service models, ensuring alignment with the Community Mental Health Framework and local transformation plansEmbed medicines-optimisation processes within neighbourhood MDT working, supporting shared clinical responsibility and collaborative risk managementLead medium to long term strategic planning for antipsychotic medicines optimisation services across LSW and system partnersRepresent the organisation at system (ICS), regional, and national forums as the clinical lead for antipsychotic optimisationIdentify areas for audit, participate in audits within the oral antipsychotic shared care pathway in accordance with the LSW organisation wide audit programmeRegularly support practice research within specialist area, this includes identifying areas for research, supervising research or acting as a research mentorLiaise with relevant clinical teams to negotiate and provide support for the service project as roll out progressesAct as a Designated Prescribing Practitioner, Educational Supervisor or Practice supervisor for members of the team undertaking independent prescribing or other training coursesAct as a senior clinical point of contact for all matters relating to oral antipsychotic medicines within shared care pathways, requiring highly developed and persuasive communication skillsProvide expert advice, accessible advice to GPs, practice pharmacists, mental health clinicians, and wider MDTs, ensuring understanding of complex clinical guidance, monitoring requirements, and optimisation strategiesBuild strong, collaborative relationships across LSW, primary care, commissioning bodies, and system partners to support cohesive approaches to safe antipsychotic prescribingFacilitate effective cross-sector communication to resolve shared care issues, address risk promptly, and ensure consistent application of pathways and protocolsCommunicate highly complex, sensitive, or contentious information, such as risk-benefit decisions, deprescribing recommendations, and governance requirements, using advanced negotiation, motivational, and conflict-resolution skills.Ensure that communication with service users and carers is person-centred, clear, and compassionate, supporting shared decision making and promoting understanding of treatment options, monitoring, and safety considerations to enable shared decision making.Contribute to system-wide learning by presenting audit findings, QI outcomes and emerging evidence at clinical forums, governance groups and professional networksEngage clinical teams in the development of the advice and guidance service, supporting them through the change process to achieve successful outcomesPlease see supporting information for full Job Description and Person Specification