Pharmacy Department

PHARMACY DEPARTMENT

POSITION DESCRIPTION

POSITION TITLE : / Pharmacist Grade 3 - Mental Health Services
REPORTS TO : / Director of Pharmacy, or as per organisational structure
AWARD : / Hospital Pharmacists
POSITION TYPE :
e.g. Registered Nurse Div 1, Occupational Therapist Gr1, etc. / Pharmacist Grade 3
HOURS PER WEEK : / 40

1. ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT

Austin Health is one of Victoria’s largest health care providers. Comprising of Austin Hospital, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital and Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre, Austin Health is a major teaching and research centre with numerous university and research institute affiliations.

Catering to diverse multicultural and veteran communities, Austin Health delivers vital state-wide services to Victorians and a vast array of specialty services to the people of Melbourne’s north-eastern corridor in a safety-focused, team-oriented and stimulating work environment.

2.  LOCAL WORK ENVIRONMENT (Role of the department including any special features of the workplace and relationships)

The Pharmacy Department Mission Statement is:

“Working together to provide optimum pharmaceutical care”.

Comprehensive pharmacy services are provided at the two main sites of Austin and Repatriation campuses and also to Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre. Pharmacy staff participate in a co-ordinated work team via a roster system, and they work at different sites (as needed) in order to provide an integrated, high quality service to all pharmacy department customers.

Our philosophy is to foster a learning environment and to promote teamwork as the best method to deliver day to day services, for both our customers and the individual staff members. A priority for all pharmacy staff members must be to use every available opportunity to demonstrate the value of the pharmacy services to our customers. This is a conscious effort to develop and effectively market the pharmacy services, and to target the services offered by achieving a better understanding of the needs of each customer group.

3.  POSITION OBJECTIVE (Primary purpose and key performance objective)

This position is responsible for the management of the provision of pharmacy services to the Mental Health services across Austin Health. This is a key position to act as liaison/focus/negotiator between the Mental Health Services and pharmacy.

Key customers are: Mental Health Services Staff (Nurses, Medical, Administration, and Allied Health), all Pharmacy Staff and Patients

4.  POSITION REQUIREMENTS (Main duties and other specific requirements, activity and end result/outcome, regularly performed)

·  Abide by Austin Health corporate policies and practices as varied from time to time.

·  Participate in Austin Health Staff Performance and Review Development Program at least once a year.

·  Undertake not to reveal to any person or entity any confidential information relating to patients and employees, policies, processes and dealings and not to make public statements relating to the affairs of Austin Health without prior authority of the Chief Executive Officer.

·  Participate in the emergency incident response activities, as defined within the Emergency Response Manual, as and when required, at the direction of management.

Key responsibilities are:

4.1  Provide a high quality, patient-focused, cost-effective clinical pharmacy services to the Mental Health Clinical Service Unit

·  Provide comprehensive pharmaceutical care to mental health patients

o  Review and monitor medication orders to ensure medicines prescribed are safe, appropriate and effective.

o  Participate in daily patient care rounds.

o  Provide pharmacokinetic consultations as required.

o  Prevent, detect, monitor, document, and report adverse drug reactions and medications errors.

o  Promote the use of the formulary by converting non-formulary orders to formulary when possible.

o  Counsel patients or career on discharge/transfer medications as necessary.

o  Promote rational, cost-effective drug therapy.

·  Provide pharmaceutical input at multidisciplinary team reviews and wards rounds

·  Co-ordinate the education and clinical training of medical, nursing and pharmacy staff to promote the safe, cost-effective use of medicines.

·  Provide consultation and liaison to the local Community Mental Health Service and their associated retail pharmacies.

·  Ensure that the agreed local and national guidelines, policies and protocols are effected at ward and clinic level.

·  Work with the Director of Pharmacy to develop and review drug protocols in Mental Health.

·  Promote actively to implement the relevant decisions of the Drugs & Therapeutics Committee.

·  Provide medicines information to medical, nursing and other healthcare staff, and patients, clients and carers.

·  Develop close working relationships with the medical, nursing and allied health staff in order to ensure that pharmacists are integral members of the clinical team.

·  Work closely with the Mental Health team to monitor and provide regular analyses of drug expenditure together with clinical interpretation and recommendations that will enable the effective control of drug expenditure.

·  Act as the responsible pharmacist for the Clozapine Patient Monitoring Service or equivalent ensuring that all staff are trained in the procedures relating to the safe provision of clozapine to Austin Health patients in-line with product requirement.

·  Develop and conduct target drug programs and medication use evaluations as needed and report findings to the Drugs and Therapeutics Committee or Subcommittees.

·  Anticipate changes in drug therapy and report the potential impact it will represent to the overall hospital and drug budget.

·  To develop a vision and strategy for the provision of Mental Health Clinical Pharmacy Service and make a case for enhanced resources where appropriate.

Outcome Measures:

·  High quality of pharmaceutical care delivered to patients.

·  Drug expenditure advice is provided for Mental Health Services.

·  Provide concise, applicable, and timely responses to drug information request from doctors, pharmacy and health care staff,

·  Pharmacy staff are trained in the procedure of supplying of clozapine.

·  Ongoing compliance with best practice, local or national guidelines for the ward and clinics.

·  Drug protocol reviewed and updated.

4.2  Mental Health Services-specific duties

To undertake all duties including participating in ward programs in order to maintain and improve drug inventory levels, financial and other reporting systems. In addition, to tailor clinical programs to meet the needs of the patients at under care of Mental Health Services and to act as clozapine co-ordinator from time to time. Participate in Mental Health Clinical Service committees as negotiated with Mental Health senior staff.

Outcome Measures:

·  Pharmacy drug and consumable supplies are maintained so as to meet all immediate patient needs.

·  Ward imprest levels are reviewed at least once a year.

·  Medication is available in a timely manner for discharge, day leave and weekend leave patients.

·  Represent the Pharmacy Department at multidisciplinary meetings.

·  Meetings and/or rounds are attended, as planned.

·  Participate in periodical mental health clinical reviews and provide information on drug use, cost and trends as required

4.5  Teaching and education

·  Provide education to Mental Health staff as required.

·  Precept pre-registrant pharmacist and undergraduate pharmacy students

·  Identify training and educational requirements and priorities for the area of practice.

Outcome Measures

·  Precept pre-registrant pharmacists.

·  Precept professional experience placement (PEP) student(s) as required.

4.4  Service Standards & Benchmark Service

·  Establish and implement key service standards for the provision of pharmacy services in Mental Health.

·  Review and benchmark service with other major Australian hospitals to ensure best practice and cost-effective service delivery.

·  Replicate at Austin Health other hospitals’ areas of excellence

Outcome Measure:

·  Service standards implemented and met.

·  Service benchmark established.

·  Best practices implemented at Austin Health.

·  Ongoing compliance with best practice and quality procedures for the area

General responsibilities are:

4.5  Policies and Procedures

All pharmacy staff must act in accordance with all relevant legal, Austin Health, Formulary, Drug & Therapeutics Committee etc. policies and procedures.

Outcome Measure:

·  Any actions which have occurred contrary to policy must be recorded and action taken to minimise future variation from policy.

4.6 Occupational Health and Safety

Participation in the pharmacy department occupational health and safety program is mandatory.

Report to the management any unsafe work practices, hazards, and near miss incidents and accidents to the management.

.

Outcome Measure:

·  Annual O&HS target activities are undertaken within the designated time frame.

·  Incidents, clinical issues, hazards, safety risk and near misses are responded to and reported appropriately.

4.7 Customer Satisfaction

All pharmacy staff members should participate in activities to improve customer satisfaction. This could be a survey to measure customer satisfaction score with an individual service area (as per duty roster) or a general department activity. An action plan should be developed to meet customers expectations to improve the satisfaction rating.

Outcome Measure:

·  Customer satisfaction measurement undertaken and analysed.

·  Understand the expectation and requirement of customers.

·  Changes are in place to address reasonable customers requirements and expectations where possible.

4.8 Continuing Education and Competency

All pharmacy staff must participate in the training and assessment processes including relevant competency assessments in the area of practice.

All pharmacists must undertake the continuing professional development (CPD) activities as required by the Pharmacy Board of Australia.

All pharmacists must participate in the Austin Health pharmacist continuing education program.

All pharmacists must participate in an ongoing competence assessment program (shpaclinCAT) as part of an overall staff development program

Outcome Measures:

·  Training and assessment in the area of practice completed and satisfactory.

·  CPD requirements are met.

·  Present at least one CE lecture a year according to the Austin Health Pharmacist CE roster.

·  shpaclinCAT evaluation completed annually

.

4.9 Other Responsibilities

·  Contribute to the overall management of the Pharmacy through active participation as a member of senior management.

·  Regularly communicate with staff and Department on matters relating to Mental Health Services.

·  Provide expert advice to pharmacy staff and other healthcare professionals in areas of mental health practice

·  Participate in the Pharmacy Department’s Performance Development Program.

·  Other duties as required.

Outcome Measures:

·  Provide support and input into the overall management of the Pharmacy.

·  Pharmacy service to the Mental Health to the satisfaction of management.

5.  KEY SELECTION CRITERIA (Key skills, qualifications, knowledge and behavioural attributes, together with physical requirements, necessary for performance of the role)

Essential for Performance of the Position

1.  Registered as a pharmacist with Australian Health Practitioners Registration Authority (AHPRA)

2.  A commitment to Austin Health values: Integrity, Accountability, Respect and Excellence.

3.  At least 3 years of experience in hospital clinical pharmacy

4.  Well developed clinical pharmacy knowledge

5.  Knowledge and working experience of disease states in mental illness, clinical psycho-pharmacotherapy and legal and cultural issues in patients affected with mental illness

6.  Excellent written and verbal communication skills

7.  Ability to liaise medical, nursing and administrative staff

8.  Ability to represent the pharmacy department on committees (internal or external).

9.  Ability to search and evaluate medical literature

10.  Ability to work in a team

11.  Ability to manage other staff

12.  Proven ability to use initiative, identify and solve problems.

13.  Proven ability to forward plan, establish and complete targets.

14.  Reliable and show due care and attention to accuracy and detail.

15.  Basic computer skills.

Selection Criteria (highly desirable):

1.  Completed postgraduate course in mental health

2.  BPS Board Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist (BCPP) or undertaking BCPP

3.  Working towards a post-graduate qualification.

4.  Have undertaken projects to improve the pharmacy service.

5.  Have undertaken projects to improve customer satisfaction or knowledge of customer needs.

6.  Membership of COSP or special interest group

7.  Presentation of more than one paper/poster at pharmacy conferences.

8.  Advanced computer skills.

6.  OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION (Other information to be made known to persons interested in appointment to this position)

Duties may be assigned to pharmacy staff from time to time, in any other area of the pharmacy service.

The components of some duty areas will change according to changes in services at the hospital. In addition, new roles and duties will be developed over time, and be assigned by the Director of Pharmacy.

General working hours are: 40 hours per week (1x Accrued Day off/4 weeks), 0830 to 1730 (1 hour for lunch). Participation in weekend roster/public holiday rosters and on-call roster (as per selection criteria), as required.

Pre-Existing Injury

Prior to any person being appointed to this position it will be required that they disclose full details of any pre-existing injuries or disease that might be affected by employment in this position.

7.  AUSTIN HEALTH VALUES

The Austin Health values play a critical role in shaping how we operate as an organisation. They influence our performance planning, recruitment, training and development, and relationships with colleagues, work mates, our patients and their relatives and friends. The Austin Health values set standard that we expect all staff to live up to in the way they undertake their duties and responsibilities across the Hospital.

Our Values:

·  Integrity

We work in the spirit of collaboration and honesty to build effective working relationships across the whole organisation.

·  Accountability

We are transparent, responsible and build trust by fulfilling promises and communicating effectively.

·  Respect

We care about others and treat each other with consideration, equality and fairness.

·  Excellence

We continually strive to advance patient focused care through innovation, research and effective stakeholder management.

8.  DOCUMENT REVIEW DETAILS

Date Position First Documented (if known): / / 2005

Date of this Position Description Review: 01 / 10/2014

Signature of Manager: Date: ____/____/____

Signature of Employee: Date: ____/____/____

Austin Health is a Bully Free and Smoke Free Employer

Austin Health is committed to providing employees with a healthy, smoke free work environment where bullying and harassment does not occur. Consistent with this and Austin Health’s corporate values of integrity, accountability, respect and excellence, Austin Health will not tolerate employees:

 Behaving in a bullying or harassing manner in the workplace; or

 Smoking on Austin Health premises or in Austin Health vehicles.

Position Description

Grade 3 Pharmacist – Mental Health Services Page 5 of 7