Advanced Clinical Pharmacist Musculoskeletal / Chronic Pain Services

A rare opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated clinical pharmacist to join our multidisciplinary team (MDT). The successful candidate will be an independent prescriber and work within the Primary Care Chronic Pain Management Service to provide a person-centred approach to managing chronic pain.

You will work autonomously as an advanced clinical pharmacist within the service, managing a caseload of patients delivering individualised direct patient care. Your caseload will consist of patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain, and you will work with them individually, aiming to improve their quality of life by optimising their medication. Strong communication, problem-solving skills, and a compassionate approach to patient care are essential.

You will be supported by the Specialist Pain Doctor, Psychologists and Physiotherapists within the Chronic Pain Management Service. The Service is well integrated into an established musculoskeletal (MSK) team, so you will have the opportunity to work closely with the wider MSK workforce. You will participate in the pain management programme to provide education and advice on medication related issues. You will also provide pain related medicines management advice and support to the clinicians in the MSK team, the Trust and the local ICB.

Shortlisting planned for: 2 October 2024

Interview planned for: 10 October 2024

You will receive clinical supervision and peer support from a large Medicines Management team within Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust and clinical support will also be provided from within the MSK team.

- Work closely with the MDT

- Provide patient facing and virtual pain clinics.

- Be involved with triage of referrals received by the Chronic pain management service.

- Provide medication education sessions for patients attending the Pain Management Program

- Provide education and advice to clinicians within Merseycare NHS Trust on all aspects of pharmacological pain management.

- Take overarching responsibility for medicines management in within the MSK team.

- Liaise with GP practices regarding recommendations for changes to patients medication.

- Answer queries regarding pain medication from patients, colleagues and clinicians within the trust and the ICB.

- Work with regard to Local Prescribing Formulary

- Provide performance reports to the commissioners on adherence to local and national prescribing guidance., 1. . Communicate highly complex medicine related information to prescribers, clinicians, patients, relatives where there may be language difficulties, physical or mental disabilities, or other professionals may challenge advice. This includes communication within the service and with
health professionals in primary care e.g., GPs.
2. Discuss medication-related treatment options with individual patients explaining the potential risks and benefits of each treatment option and helping patients to reach informed decisions about the medicines they take.
3. Advise multidisciplinary team members of the use of medicines within the service at individual patient level and in the development of service guidelines and pathways. This may involve challenging inappropriate prescribing in a tactful manner which does not compromise the professional working relationship with the prescriber.
4. Work with medical and pharmacy staff within the trust and external to it e.g., GPs, CCGs and acute trusts to develop and review formularies, audits, shared care agreements, and relevant guidance that promotes safe, rational and economic prescribing taking into account best evidence and national guidance e.g., NICE. Monitor practice to ensure that guidance is adhered to, which may involve leading on and participation in clinical audits.
5. Work with community pharmacists, practice pharmacists and GPs to enhance knowledge of pain medicine prescribing, and available non-medication alternatives.
6. Communication of information on medicines used to manage pain within a community pain service environment (which will involve controlled drugs) to medical, nursing and pharmaceutical staff and patients and carers.
7. Communicate with patients and members of the multidisciplinary team to arrange treatment and resolve issues and complaints.

Are you looking for a new challenge to develop your career while making a real difference in the lives of individuals living with chronic pain?

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.

We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.