Mental health pharmacists specialise in the treatment of people with psychiatric illnesses.
They work across a number of healthcare settings such as inpatient and community services, acute hospital trusts and primary care, working closely with patients, as well as doctors, nurses and psychologists to ensure patients receive the ideal medicine to improve their mental well-being. They identify an appropriate medication choice considering patients' presentation and preference, reviewing efficacy and tolerability of medication regularly with the patient and provide advice about how to get the best from the medicines ranging from storage, administration, discussing benefits of medicines or alternative options and alleviating adverse effects.
Within multidisciplinary teams, pharmacists will work alongside mental health pharmacy technicians, medical, nursing, occupational therapists and other allied healthcare professionals to support the holistic care of patients. Pharmacists will also provide medicine advice independently as part of clinic or one-to-one sessions linking into members of the patient's care team across care sectors as relevant.
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One of the primary responsibilities of a mental health pharmacist is medication management. Mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia require medication management, and pharmacists are an integral part of this process. Mental health pharmacists work with doctors and other healthcare professionals to develop medication treatment plans for mental health patients. Monitoring the efficacy and side effects of medications and educating patients on how to take their medications correctly are crucial functions of a mental health pharmacist.
Mental health pharmacists are not merely dispensers of medication but are involved in patients' overall care. This includes ensuring that patients receive the best possible care through patient counselling and education. Mental health pharmacists evaluate patients' mental and medical history to understand the medication's effects better on their mental health. They also recommend lifestyle and behaviour modifications to optimise medication therapy and general mental health.
Mental health stigma is a significant issue globally, and mental health pharmacists serve as advocates for mental health patients, reducing the stigma associated with mental health disorders. They liaise with insurance providers to ensure that insurance covers essential necessary drugs, support groups, and other therapeutic treatments. The mental health pharmacist is a significant voice in fighting for better mental healthcare.
As a mental health pharmacist, you will be working with various stakeholders in the healthcare system. They include psychiatrists, therapists, social workers, nurses, and other mental health professionals. These collaborations help ensure that patients get the best overall care and treatment possible. Mental health pharmacists also play a significant role in developing mental health protocols and guiding overall hospital policies centred on mental health care.
As a mental health pharmacist, you need to communicate with patients, physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals regularly. Effective communication is essential to ensure that patients receive the correct medication, dose, and instructions. You must be able to communicate clearly, empathically, and confidently with patients who may be experiencing distress or fear.
In mental health pharmacy, medications have the potential to greatly impact a patient's psychiatric symptoms and even their overall well-being. As such, attention to detail is a critical skill. The mental health pharmacist must be careful in assessing a patient's complete medication history, including drug-drug interactions, allergies, existing health conditions, and medication side effects.
Mental health pharmacists must think critically and be able to analyse, interpret and evaluate complex scientific data in order to make complex decisions on medication therapy for their patients. Analytical thinking skills are particularly imperative in the field of psychiatry, where the presented symptoms and the patient's mental state often vary, leading the pharmacists to frequently adapt their approaches based on each individual case.
Mental health pharmacists often work with patients who are going through tough times, including those with conditions such as acute anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. As such, these pharmacists will need to have "emotional intelligence.” They must be empathetic, engaging, and perceptive when interacting with such patients or family members.
The pharmaceutical industry is constantly changing and evolving. As a result, a mental health pharmacist must commit to keeping up-to-date with new developments, including new drugs, current research, and new technologies that can help diagnose and treat mental health-related illnesses. The mental health pharmacist must continuously educate themselves by attending seminars, attending conferences, networking with related professionals, and enrolling in continuing education courses.
To qualify as a pharmacist, you must:
If you don’t have the required qualifications to get a place on an accredited MPharm degree, you can take a pharmacy foundation degree – a two-year, full-time course that includes the content of year one of the MPharm degree plus work placements. This should provide you with the knowledge and experience to get a place on an MPharm degree directly into year two.
Training to become a pharmacist involves:
You’ll then be eligible to apply for registration with the GPhC, which is essential to practise as a pharmacist in England, Wales and Scotland. Pharmacists who want to practise in Northern Ireland must register with the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland.
Many employers provide well-structured, intensive training programmes of varying lengths aiming to provide new entrants with a broad overview of the company and offering the chance to gain experience in various retailing areas. As well as pharmacy-related training, you’ll receive training in skills such as communication, problem-solving and decision-making.
Mental health pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are required to develop their knowledge of mental health medicines to optimise medicines use and individualise care. Opportunities to extend mental health therapeutics for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are provided by postgraduate long courses such as the Certificate or Diploma in Psychiatric Therapeutics (Aston University) or bespoke residential training courses provided by the College of Mental Health Pharmacy [CMHP], a charity dedicated to advancing education in the practice of mental health pharmacy.
Hospital or Community Pharmacy
One of the most common ways to gain experience in the pharmacy industry is to work in a hospital or community pharmacy. Whether it’s volunteering or getting a paid job, this experience will help you understand the daily operations of a pharmacy and the crucial role that pharmacists play in patient care. You’ll also learn how to work with different kinds of medications and provide advice to patients on how to take them properly.
Mental Health Charities
Another way to gain work experience in mental health is to volunteer or intern with a mental health charity organisation. Many mental health charities provide advocacy, education, and support to individuals living with mental health conditions. By working with these organisations, you’ll learn about mental health treatment options and get to interact with patients who have different kinds of mental health conditions.
Mental Health Clinics
If you’re interested in working directly with patients in a mental health setting, you might want to consider volunteering or getting a paid job at a mental health clinic. These clinics provide a range of mental health services, including counselling, medication management, and more intensive treatment options like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Working at a mental health clinic will give you the opportunity to work with a team of healthcare professionals and get hands-on experience with mental health patients.
Research, Policy, or Management
Another way to gain work experience in mental health pharmacy is to work in research, policy, or management. These positions may not directly involve working with patients, but they are still important roles in promoting and improving mental health care. Working in research, for example, can help you understand the latest advances in mental health treatments, while management positions might involve overseeing pharmacy operations and ensuring that patients receive the best care possible.
The usual working hours
Mental health pharmacists in the UK typically work nine to five, Monday to Friday. However, some pharmacists may be required to work evenings or weekends, depending on their specific job role and the needs of their patients. It's also common for pharmacists to work a shift pattern, either rotating between mornings, afternoons, and evenings or working a set number of days on and off.
Part-time work is popular among pharmacists, particularly those with caring responsibilities or other commitments. Part-time pharmacists may work fewer days than full-time pharmacists, or they may work shorter shifts. This is particularly common in community pharmacies, where a number of pharmacists may share one role.
Thanks to advances in technology, mental health pharmacists can now work remotely in some cases. This can include carrying out consultations via video call or providing advice and treatment via text message or email. However, this is a less traditional option and may require a lot of experience and credibility in the field.
It's worth noting that some mental health pharmacists may take on additional responsibilities outside of their standard working hours. This could include undertaking research or attending conferences and training events. Pharmacists working in private practice may also be required to offer emergency support to patients outside of standard hours.
Let's start with the basics. The average annual salary for pharmacists in the UK is around £42,500. However, if you specialise in mental health as a pharmacist, your salary may vary depending on several factors such as location, experience, and employer.
Location plays a key role in determining your salary. In cities like London, for instance, the average salary for a mental health pharmacist is higher than in smaller towns. This is because the cost of living in these big cities is higher than in other places. The closer you get to London, the higher your salary will be.
Experience is also a significant contributor to your salary as a mental health pharmacist. The more years of experience you have, the higher your salary will be. In your first year of practice, you may earn a starting salary of around £25,000-£30,000, but this can increase to £50,000 or above with experience.
Finally, your employer will also have a big impact on your salary. In the UK, many mental pharmacists work for the NHS, but the salary structure may differ if you work for a private hospital or a community pharmacy. NHS pharmacists are paid on a band system, and your pay will increase as you move up the bands.
Continuing Education and Professional Development
Mental health care is constantly evolving, and mental health pharmacists must keep up with the latest knowledge and best practice. Therefore, continuing education is vital in the profession to stay updated with new pharmaceutical products, drug therapies, and mental health disorders. Mental health pharmacists must continually develop their skills and knowledge through attending professional conferences, workshops, and seminars. They may also be involved in research, contribute to journals, and become mentors to pharmacy students.
Mental health pharmacists can also progress by taking up further professional development opportunities to improve their knowledge and skills in this field. These opportunities include attending mental health conferences, presenting and publishing research work, and working in different clinical environments.
After completing the education and training requirements, entry-level opportunities in mental health pharmacy include positions such as a clinical support pharmacist, junior pharmacist, or trainee pharmacist. These positions allow new pharmacists to apply their knowledge and training in various clinical settings, assess medicines and resolve any drug-related issues. They are the foundations for an individual’s career in mental health pharmacy.
Career progression in mental health pharmacy would lead to mid-level positions, such as a senior pharmacist, specialist pharmacist, or advanced pharmacist practitioner. Senior pharmacists are accountable for service delivery and improvements, managing a group of other pharmacists and contributing to the planning and implementation of service development. Specialist pharmacists specialise in a specific area or disease state, such as autism, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder. Advanced pharmacist practitioners initiate prescribing, offer clinical management, and undertake patient reviews.
Finally, the highest tier of mental health pharmacy careers is leadership roles, such as chief pharmacist positions, head of pharmacy, or director of pharmacy. These positions allow one to lead and manage their teams, support decision-making and strategy implementation, and empower staff development.
The following organisations may be able to help provide you with further information:
Telephone: 0203 713 8000
E-mail: info@pharmacyregulation.org
Website: http://www.pharmacyregulation.org
Twitter: @TheGPhC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGPhC
Telephone: 01727 858687
E-mail: npa@npa.co.uk
Website: http://www.npa.co.uk/
Twitter: @NPA1921
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Supportyourlocalpharmacy/
Website: http://www.careers.nhs.scot
Website (2): https://jobs.scot.nhs.uk/
Twitter: @NHSScotCareers
Telephone: 0845 257 2570
E-mail: scotinfo@rpharms.com
Website: http://www.rpharms.com
Twitter: @rpharms
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/royalpharmsoc/
