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Consultant pharmacist post information (formerly toolkit)

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Topics: Training and Development

This article provides information on creating new consultant posts, tips for business cases, a generic job description and credentialing for new consultants

Contents
  1. Background
  2. Post approval
  3. Business Case
    1. Main benefits
    2. Objectives
    3. Evidence
    4. Network with others
    5. Approval
  4. Job Description
  5. Credentialing
  6. Further information
  7. Update history

Background

The consultant pharmacist post was established as an NHS post in 2005, following publication of guidance from the Department of Health. This was updated in 2020 and has recently been published at NHS Health Education England: Consultant pharmacist guidance.

The post created an opportunity for senior pharmacists to contribute to improving patient outcomes through their high level expertise in specific areas of practice, through professional leadership, education, mentoring, research and service development.

Post approval

Consultant post approval applications should be submitted by employers or organisations via the RPS application form. Note that existing posts will NOT need to be re-approved.

Business Case

Suggested business case elements required for a successful Consultant Pharmacist post are provided to help articulate the benefits of realisation of the post.

Main benefits

Identify the main area of benefit likely with this role, for example:

  • Working across sectors and healthcare boundaries to improve patient experience of medicines-related health care and through patient-centred medication review.
  • Saving through optimising use of high cost medicines.
  • Risk reduction from safer use of high risk medicines.
  • Savings through medicines optimisation due to high volume of patients within speciality (even when medicines are lower cost).

System savings

Whole system savings through medicines optimisation can lead to:

  • Reduced avoidable hospital admission.
  • Reduced avoidable health care utilisation.
  • Better health outcomes through improved medicines adherence.
  • Reduced transfer of care to higher-intensity support settings (e.g. hospital, nursing homes).

Objectives

Identify objectives from local organisation and/or national directives that are potentially met by the role as outlined above.

Evidence

Review the evidence from local staff providing services in similar fields.

Network with others

Contact pharmacy leads in organisations where a Consultant role in the same or a related specialty for information about:

  • Check the public-facing directory of approved consultant pharmacist posts for current consultant posts.
  • Similarity of demographics/health needs to your trust.
  • Evidence from their post holders of benefit from the role, in terms of potential cost savings, potential risk of drugs and volume of patients in locality.
  • Recent business case for a related role.

Approval

Once the business case has local approval, follow the RPS guidance for post approval.

Job Description

An indicative job description has been provided in an editable format to assist you in constructing your own job description 

Credentialing

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is facilitating the Consultant Pharmacist credentialing process.

Further information

See the RPS consultant pharmacist page for more information.

Update history

  1. Minor title amendment
  1. Page refreshed: links to RPS updated, JD available provided in word
  1. Published